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I was giddy at the thought.
* * *
Everyone left when it was clear Smoke was failing to keep his eyes open. The pain meds were doing their job. I brushed a kiss to his cheek and then followed my parents into their room.
“Everything all right?” Mom asked.
I nodded. “I was wondering if you could head over to my apartment and grab me a few things. My laptop, for starters.”
“Why do you need your laptop?” Dad asked. “You should probably talk to your boss and take a leave of absence.”
“Yeah, about my boss,” I said. “I guess I didn’t tell you. I quit.”
“You quit?” they said at the same time.
I held up my hand. “I quit so I could open my own design business. So I’ve talked to myself and I’ve agreed not to be overly hard on myself while I take some time off.”
“You started your own business.” My mom smiled. “Well, it’s about time.”
Dad nodded. “We’ve been wondering when that would happen.”
“Oh.” I paused. “Thanks for the support.”
“So, if you’re your own boss,” Dad said, “why do you need your computer?”
“Because I need something to occupy my head space. Sitting and watching TV at low volume is not really what I want to do for the next several days.”
“You should rest,” Dad said.
“I am resting,” I insisted. “I can rest from my bed, but still get some work done.”
“It’s called screen addiction,” Dad said.
Mom put her hand on his arm. “She’s right, though. She can’t just sit in bed and not have anything to occupy herself.”
“She can read a book,” Dad insisted.
“On what? Oh, wait, my phone with a reading app. But that’s a screen.”
“I’ll buy you some paperbacks,” he grumbled. “Write down some titles and I’ll go to the bookstore for you.”
Tell my father I read reverse harem? Yeah, how about no.
“You won’t go to my apartment? Fine. I’ll go.”
“You can barely walk down the hallway without getting winded,” Dad protested. “How are you going to walk up a flight of stairs?”
“Sheer force of will. I’m pretty sure it’s part of my DNA. Wonder where I got it from?”
My dad’s expression softened and then he looked at my mom. He sighed. “I’ll bring around the car.”
He grabbed his keys and wallet and headed for the door.
When the door shut, I looked at my mom. “Whatever you do, don’t let him near the top drawer of my dresser.”
“What’s in the top drawer of your dresser?” she asked with a knowing grin.
“I’ve officially died,” I said with a sigh.
