“Hey sweetheart. It’s so good to have you home.” He smiled as he paused in the doorway.
“It’s good to be home.” I agreed.
“How are you feeling?” He asked. He started moving again, and sat in the armchair opposite Keira and I. I appreciated the way he always gave me space, never approaching me, but instead leaving it up to me to choose. In the hospital, when I would get scared he would occasionally hold my hand, or brush my forehead comfortingly, but never without making his intention clear before he actually touched me, always allowing me the choice. He was a good man and I found his paternal presence reassuring.
“Pretty good. A little banged up, but nothing much.”
“That’s good. Just make sure you take things easy for a while, get back to fighting fit.”
“The boys aren’t going to let her do anything else.” Keira laughed. “I practically had to shove them up the stairs to leave her long enough to take showers.”
“You can’t blame them. If something like that had happened to you, I’d never let you out of my sight again.” Grant looked to Keira with such intensity and devotion. I felt awkward being in the middle of it.
Thankfully Evie came blustering in and broke up the love fest.
“Livia! I got a new doll house! Can you come see? Pleeease?” She pleaded, as she danced up and down in front of me.
“Honey, maybe give Olivia some time to rest. She's only just got home.” Keira sighed, but I couldn’t stand the disappointment on Evie’s little face.
“It’s ok. I can come and see it Evie. You gonna lead the way?” I asked with an encouraging smile. She beamed as she nodded, then she shot off again.
“You don’t have to, Sweetheart.” Grant offered as I started to push up from the sofa.
“I want to. I’ve missed her.”
“Then can I at least help you up there?” He asked as he stood too.
“I have crutches...somewhere. The guys brought them in. They would help.” The guys hadn’t let me use them yet, instead carrying me everywhere, or holding me up between them, but I knew I needed to learn to use them for the next few weeks, until the cast was off, if things were ever to get back to normal.
“I’ve seen them. Just a second.” Grant ran off, then returned a moment later with the metal crutches.
He handed them to me one at a time, and helped me work out how to get my balance between them.
“Come on Livia!” Evie yelled, as I began to move into the hallway, toward the stairs.
“Coming now!” I called back. The stairs looked daunting, so I let out a sigh of relief when Grant insisted on following me up in case I stumbled.
I managed to make it to the top uneventfully, but I was completely exhausted from the exertion, and I knew Xander had been right about me wearing out quickly for a while. I could barely catch my breath.
“Are you ok?” Grant asked as he stood at the top studying me.
“Winded is all. I really need to start hitting that gym.” I joked, hoping it would make him look less worried.
“I’ll happily help you work out a regime when you’re feeling stronger, Olivia. For now though, just take things easy, ok?”
“I will.” I agreed. Knowing he was right. “I’ll be ok now. Thank you for helping me.”
“Anytime, Sweetheart. Just yell if you need anything.” I nodded my agreement, and he hurried off back downstairs. I took another deep breath, then headed for Evie’s room before she started calling for me again.
“Took you long enough!” She sassed as I walked in. She stood before me, at the foot of her pink fairytale, canopy bed, hands on her hips and pouting. Her attitude was unrivaled and I found it hard not to laugh when she started.
“Oh I am sorry Miss Evie. It is kinda hard getting upstairs with these, you know?” I replied, a smirk on my face as I shook the crutches at her.
“You shoulda shouted for one of the guys to carry you.” She declared, like I was a complete idiot for not thinking of it myself.
“I don’t want the guys to have to carry me around Evie. They have better things to do.” I sighed. “Now come on. Show me this doll’s house. I can’t wait to see it!”
Finally her grin returned, and she hurried over to the back corner of her completely pink room and plonked down on the floor.
It was an effort to lower myself down to sit beside her, and I knew I wasn’t getting back up without help, but once I was down, it felt so good to just relax. Evie showed me her huge three storey doll’s house, introduced me to the family of dolls who lived there, and then we were playing, lost to her wild imagination and the peace of nothing but innocent play.
For a while I was able to block out everything, my fears about The Shadow still being out there somewhere, my anxieties about everything I had been through and the state it had left me in, my worries about the guys and how exhausted and stressed they all were, just everything. I shut it all down and just focused on giving Evie my full attention.
She rewarded me by loving every minute of the time we played together, laughing and smiling throughout, and then cuddling up beside me asking me to read to her, when she became tired.
“I’m so happy you’re here again Livia.” She whispered when I finished reading her favourite story. She was in my lap, curled into my front with her head on my chest. “Me too, munchkin.” I agreed. It all just felt so right, and once again I thanked the powers that be, that I didn’t die in
