“You can tell her your doctor is looking in on you, making sure you recover well,” I suggest.
“Thatwouldgo over a lot better.” Makenna’s eyes crinkle at the corners and I have the urge to touch them. Having her here is going to be a challenge.
Makenna looks at Mam. “I’m feeling pretty tired. I think I’d like to go on up to shower and go to bed, if that’s alright.”
“Of course it is.” Mam stands from the table and offers Makenna her hand.
I stand as Makenna does. “I’ll carry you back up.”
“I’m not sure doing that twice in a day is advisable,” Makenna jokes.
“It won’t bother me at all.” And that’s the problem. Makenna is too charming and beautiful, and it would be all too easy to fall under her spell.
“If you’re sure.” Makenna leans down to pick up her bowl.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it while you’re showering.” I head toward the stairs, waiting for her to follow. When she’s in my arms again, I remember what she said about not being a delicate flower. She’s right. She’s sturdy, and I like it.
“We won’t need to do this tomorrow, right?” She looks up at me and her eyes are mesmerizing up close. The blue seems to swirl with the green, and I feel like I’m in one of those cartoons where one character's eyes swirl to hypnotize another. It couldeasily happen.
“No, probably not. Hopefully you’ll be able to climb with little to no discomfort.”
She smiles at me, pleased, showcasing a little dimple I hadn’t noticed before. Cute.
Mam follows us up the stairs with Makenna’s heavy bags. Nurses are strong. I imagine Makenna’s mam is strong too, especially with doing everything she had to do to raise Makenna on her own.
I set Makenna down outside the bathroom and wish this wasn’t it for the day. I’m letting myself get attached to her, so time apart is definitely for the best. “Goodnight, Makenna.”
“Goodnight. Thanks again for letting me stay here and taking care of me. I was okay coming here alone, but I would have been sad and lonely dealing with this by myself.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” I place a hand on her shoulder because I can’t help but touch her again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She smiles and I briefly contemplate what it would be like to hug her goodnight. I’m certain it would fuel an addiction I can’t afford. I pull my hand away and step back. “See you in the morning.”
“I love her,” Mam says quietly as she makes her way from the stairs to where I’m sitting on the couch.
“I figured you would. She probably should have just gone home with you. I’m sure she’d be more comfortable.”
“No, she’s right where she needs to be.” Mam pats my knee as she sits. “She’s awfully pretty, and I couldn’t help but notice how you jumped at the chance to carry her up the stairs.”
I sigh. She knows what happened with Cait, and that I’m never letting that happen again. “Mam, she doesn’t live here. She may be very likable and beautiful, but that doesn’t change our geographical differences.”
“It might.”
“So you’d be okay with me falling for her and moving to the US?” I raise my eyebrows at her. “I remember how you cried when Fiona moved to Edinburgh. She’s only three hours away.”
“Well, as much as I hate it, it’s not about me, Malcolm. I’d be sad, but we’d adjust. And who knows, maybe she and her Mam would move here. She did say she was looking for something new and exciting.” Mam grins at me like it’s settled, and she’s won.
“People don’t easily uproot their lives like that.”
“All I’m saying is, don’t count her out. She ended up here with you, didn't she? Not somewhere else?”
I sigh. “We’ll see what happens.” I do wonder if Mam is ontosomething. Makenna could have taken a different trip. She could have gotten appendicitis at a different time. She could have gone to another hospital. Makenna could have eaten dinner at a different place, and she would have only ever been a patient to me.
Yet, here she is, sleeping in my guestroom. Was this God setting things in motion for us?
After Mam leaves, I head up to bed, and when I finish in the bathroom, I notice Mam left Makenna’s door cracked, so I pull it softly closed. It feels bizarre having her here. I’m glad she’s here, but it’s one of those things that I’m sure in a week or so I’ll think … did that really happen?
I pull open the door to my room, and before I flick on the light, I notice someone is in my bed. Mam put her in my room.
