Dumped!

Dumped (32)

32

 

My eyes fluttered open slowly. The morning sun was streaming in through the hospital blinds, and I squinted as a ray caught my eye. As I wrapped the blanket tighter around me, I heard a soft knock.

“Yeah?” I called, in a low voice.

Remembering last night, I’d been quite surprised that my mom hadn’t yelled at me or gone off on one of her insane rants. But, I guess it must have been the closeness to losing her life that had shaken her awake. Or maybe it was my rant. It wasn’t like I was going to ask, anyway. I was just glad to have that version of her.

I couldn’t help being relieved that we hadn’t had our ‘talk’, either. It was nice to forget, for a while, that she was the same controlling mother who’d tried to force my ex-fiancé on me. Talking would just have set off a whirlwind of emotions, and I wasn’t quite ready for that, yet; so soon after my most recent conveyance of emotion – my outburst. Besides, it all seemed quite insensitive to have such an important heart-to-heart while she was hooked up to tubes and hanging on for dear life. I knew we’d still have it soon enough, but it certainly wasn’t the right time.

Jeremy walked in right then, shutting the door quietly behind him. I was fairly certain that it was still the early hours of the morning, and visiting hours didn’t start till one, so I wondered how he’d even gotten in. I figured it must have been his mom’s friend – the doctor – who’d let him in.

I was still curled up in the armchair, leaning the side of my head against the head rest. I couldn’t help the shiver that went up my spine, and down to my toes, as he crouched down in front of me; his scent wafting up my nostrils.

Oh yeah. I was definitely in love. There was no denying it. Or mitigating it.

He smiled and grazed my cheek with his index, “Hey girl”, he whispered.

Shiver.

Shiver.

“Hi”, I croaked back.

“Missed you last night”, he said softly.

I fingered his stubble, “You too.”

I sat up straighter, pulling the blanket off me and stretching; my body ached from the cramped armchair. I didn’t mind though, because I hadn’t even wanted to leave last night. It just seemed like once I walked out the door, we’d be back to our awkwardness or she’d be back to her old ways, and I didn’t want that. I mean, what other chance would I ever get to play ‘Go Fish’ with my mother, without a care in the world?

It was almost therapeutic.

I liked the casualness of the situation; and forgetting all our worries and problems – if only for a short while.

“That should be illegal”, Jeremy said, staring at me, as I stretched.

“What? Stretching?”, I asked, confused.

“No. You stretching”, he said, shaking his head.

I giggled, and pulled him outside the room, not wanting to wake my mom up. I doubted that she would though; the morphine combined with prophylaxis had completely knocked her out. I figured it’d be a while before she did wake up.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, holding onto his hand, as we stood in the hallway.

He pulled me closer, by the belt loops on my jeans, so I was standing in-between his legs, as he leaned against the wall. “I was in the neighborhood”, he said, with a shrug.