raised, fist on her ample hip. I nodded, grinning sheepishly.
'I just came to visit a patient.' She smiled at me.
'And that patient will be glad to see you, too.' I hurried on down the hall, excited as I neared room 301.
'Andi!' Hannah smiled when she saw me, and so did I. She was sitting up in bed, her hair freshly washed, her skin clean and bright. She looked good.
'Hey there. I’ve got a little surprise for you.' Blue eyes lit up.
'You do, huh?' I nodded.
'Yup. Come on, help me get you into your wheelchair.' Happily she scooted to the edge of the bed, her thin, pale legs hanging over the side. I wheeled the chair around, patting the back of it. 'Do you need help?'
'Nope. I’m feeling good today.'
'Well, good.' She got herself into the chair, and I put a blanket over her legs.
'And just where do you think you’re going with that patient?' I looked over to the nurse’s station and Nurse Wilson who was staring at us.
'I’ll bring her right back. I promise.' She smiled and winked at me, turning back to her computer. 'So how have you been, Hannah?' I asked, pushing her toward the elevator.
'Not bad. I had quite a bit of pain a couple days ago. But other than that, I can’t complain too much.'
'Good to hear. How has the new medicine been working out?'
'Great!' I looked down at her to see that she was smiling up at me. 'I didn’t have any paralysis this week at all.'
'Stupendous.' The elevator doors opened, and I wheeled her in, pushing the button for the ground floor.
'Where are we going, by the way?'
'You’ll see.'
I parked Hannah’s chair near the exit, and hurried out to the parking lot to grab my surprise. He whined and wiggled, but I managed to get back to Hannah, and placed him on her lap.
Hannah sucked in a breath. 'A puppy!' I stood aside, watching as she began to pet the dog between the ears, nuzzling him to her chin. 'What’s his name?' she asked, smiling up at me, pure, absolute delight in her eyes.
'Hannah, this is Bunsen. Bunsen, meet Hannah.'
'Hello, little Bunsen. You are adorable, aren’t you?' The Pug began to yelp, jumping on her lap, doing his best to lick her face as she giggled, trying to avoid the tongue attacks, which made Bunsen try to lick her all the more. 'You little nut.' She grabbed him under his ribs, turning him over so he laid on her lap on his back, all four legs in the air kicking as he tried to chew on her fingers.
I watched them, a constant smile on my face as Hannah smiled, laughed, played, just like she was a little kid again. Bunsen ate it up, snorting and whining, wanting more and more attention from his new playmate.
Hannah looked up at me, her eyes shining.
'Thank you, Andi. This was wonderful.'
'Anytime, Hannah.'
I drove home with a good feeling inside, seeing Hannah so happy. I hadn’t seen her smile in so long. She had been so sick lately, really worrying all of us who cared about her. I knew her time was limited, but maybe this would make that time a little longer.
I’d drop by over the weekend for a visit.
As I walked with Bunsen in the new-found park near our house, the sun high, the kids laughter caught on the breeze, I thought of Winston, my family, and the years I had spent there. My first thoughts had been to leave, to get out, to escape. Why? I certainly hadn’t gotten far. I chuckled at my own thoughts. If I knew then what I knew now, that I’d live not two hours away from my childhood home, the younger me would freak.
Then I thought about the time I’d spent with Haley. Lost time to me, lost memories that I wanted to get back. I felt as though we could easily get that friendship back, that easy laughter and banter that had made my junior year in high school bearable.
She and I had been good friends, I knew that. I couldn’t believe she had taken to the Tae Kwon Do. Part of me felt guilty for not continuing with the piano. It hadn’t been for lack of want, hell, I still wanted to learn more. I tinkered on my own piano now and then. It had been fun and gratifying to know that I could produce something so beautiful with my own two hands. I had only really learned how to play that one song Haley had taught me.
I smiled, finding a park bench, and sitting down, letting Bunsen do his business on the grass.
I still knew that song, and still played it. I had gotten quite good at playing it, in fact. When it’s all you know, well, you know what they say — play what you know.
With a sigh, I glanced over at the small playground. Placed in the middle of it was a sandpit, every kid’s paradise. I remember Chris and I playing in the sandbox we used to have in the backyard.
Why had Haley and my friendship grown so far apart? I guess it was simply because of our age, and where we were in our lives. She left after graduation, and I still had a year left in Winston.
Mom always told me that if I had one true friend in life I was lucky. Tracy and I had lost contact years ago, and I didn’t talk much to my old college buddies, nor old girlfriends. Was Erin right? Would I end up alone? Only my work to comfort me? Did I want that, and could it be helped? I knew that she and I weren’t meant to be, regardless of what happened. But, where did I go wrong in my life to be so isolated? Why did I walk through my days feeling invisible?
With a sigh, I looked down at my dog who sat on his haunches, the leash hanging limp from his collar.
'You ready to go meet grandma, Bunsen?' His little head cocked to the side, his eyes almost disappearing in the blackness of his face. He whined. 'Come on, big guy.' I gathered him up in my arms, and we headed back home to get the car.
I closed the door of the Jeep, Bunsen walking ahead of me on his leash, headed to the front door. I had called ahead of time to see if mom was home, and I’d managed to catch her not long after getting home from work.
'Okay, big guy. You ready?' I picked the Pug up, and looked him in his bulging eyes. 'You know, you really are a funny looking little dog.' Shaking my head in wonder, I gave him a kiss, and opened the door. I smiled, immediately recognizing the smell of brownies. Niiiiice.
'Honey? Is that you?'
'Yep.' I headed toward the kitchen, Bunsen in tow. My mother was standing at the sink doing the few dishes it took to bake my favorite dessert, and I walked up behind her. 'Mom, I want you to meet your grandchild.' She snickered.
'How many are you going to give me?' She turned around, and her face melted into an 'O'. 'Andrea, you got a puppy!'
'Looks like.' I smiled proudly.
'Why didn’t you tell me? When did this happen?'
'About a week ago, and I wanted to surprise you.' She reached for him.
'Come here, you cutie. What’s her name?' She cuddled him to her chest, nuzzling his head into her neck.
'He, and it’s Bunsen.' She looked at me, rolling her eyes.
'Why aren’t I surprised?' I grinned. 'Oh, sweetie. I think it’s wonderful. I hate you living all alone out there.'
'Yeah, and just what exactly do you think this little one is going to do? Lick someone to death?'
'Well, you never know.' She smiled. 'Here, take him. I need to finish these few dishes. I made you brownies.'
'Oh, yeah. I’m excited about that. Smelled them as soon as I walked through that door.' She smiled at me, bringing a hand up to caress my cheek.
'So what’s the occasion? Why are you here?' She folded the dishrag on the edge of the sink. 'Come on, let’s have some iced tea.'
