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I nodded then started driving.
When I pulled up to the hospital, my breath hitched. My head turned slowly. I stared at him in awe. “What. Do. You. Do. Here?” I stammered. Everything about this day was making me question my feelings towards Nick. I stared into his beautiful blue eyes, wanting desperately to kiss him.
“I—uh—read to the kids in the cancer ward,” he replied. “You amaze me , Nick,” I said, choking back a sob. I couldn’t believe how much he had touched me in one day.
“Well, normally, my mother does this. She is the one you should be amazed with,” he said with a sweet smile. “I sub in occasionally.”
“You shouldn’t sell yourself short, Nick. It’s still pretty amazing.” I turned away, feeling the tears well in my eyes.
“When my mother was young, her younger sister died of leukemia, at the age of ten. This is the one place Mom feels she should spend most of her time, as a way of honouring her.”
“I—I didn’t know.” I bit my lip.
“No one really knows. She does this because it gives her peace. She doesn’t do this to be recognized.” He took off his seat belt. “I now understand why she does it,” he added. I turned to look at him, feeling the urge to hug him and tell him how much this affected me, but then he opened the car door and got out. He stood outside the car, bending down. “Thanks for helping me out today.”
“Of course,” I said, smiling. I didn’t want to leave him just yet. I wanted to be near him a little longer. He shut the door, and I watched as he made his way to the front doors. I took my phone out of my purse and stared at the screen, then started dialing. “Mrs. Peterson, please,” I asked. After lying to Mrs. Peterson about being ill, I parked the car down the street and headed back to the hospital. Then I called my mom and explained to her that I wasn’t feeling well and had taken the day off work and was at the doctor’s. Technically, it wasn’t a total lie because I was at the hospital, just not for myself. I hung up with her and walked through the automatic doors. I had no idea where to go even after I checked the map of the entire hospital. It wasn’t specific enough for me to just wander around looking, so I asked the woman at the information desk. “Hi,” I said, walking towards her. “I am looking for the, uh—children’s cancer ward?” I didn’t even know what to really call it.
“Take that elevator to the second floor, and make a right when you get out. Follow the signs after that,” she said and pointed to the set of elevator doors behind me.
On the second floor, I got out of the elevator just as she instructed and looked up at the hanging signs. I walked straight ahead, turning right according to the sign, and came across a wing named after the Foster’s. I figured it had to be in the right place. When I found the main desk, I spoke to one of the nurses there.
“Hi, I’m looking for Nick Porter. He—”
“Follow me,” she said with a wide grin. She walked me down the hall to a room enclosed in glass. Inside the room was a group of kids sitting on chairs around Nick.
“Thanks,” I said, turning to look at her. I stood outside the door, watching him. Parents stood around as well with big smiles on their faces. Everyone was so happy to see him.
I didn’t want to interrupt, so I continued to watch from outside.
“You can go in,” a nurse said, startling me, as she opened the door. Nick looked up, smiling, then stopped talking when he saw me walk in, making me smile as his face lit up. Quickly he recovered and continued reading. I sat in the corner of the room just watching him as he played and coloured with the kids. Some of the parents were talking about Nick and his mother. Everyone really liked his mother, and the single women were very interested in Nick. I smiled, looking at him through my peripheral vision.
Nobody mentioned Mason, and I realized I had fallen for the wrong brother all along. Nick noticed me gazing in his direction and flashed me a smile that made my cheeks flush. I couldn’t help but admire him.
“Mr. Porter, your package has arrived.” A nurse stepped in the room. He smiled and got up from where he was colouring.
“I’ll be right back,” he assured them, then nodded at me. When he returned to the room, he had a box filled with toys. The children’s faces lit up as if it were Christmas day. He handed out a toy to every child, and then told them it was time for him to go. It was time to visit the children who were unable to come to the playroom. The kids ran up and hugged him good-bye. Then as he walked towards the door, he jerked his head for me to follow. The women who had been talking about him stared at me with their mouths slightly ajar. I revelled in their jealousy, even though nothing was going on with Nick and me.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought you had to work?” He walked beside me.
I shrugged. “I felt that this was more important.” He stopped walking, and the way he looked at me made my heart flutter. “I think this is amazing, Nick. You’re amazing.” I averted my eyes. “I—I don’t even know how to explain how this makes me feel.” When I looked up at him again, he was staring at me, his eyes searching mine.
I wanted to grab him, hold him tight and never let him go. Show him how it made me feel. If he stared at me any longer, I would be knocking that box out of his hand and grabbing him whether he expected it or not.
“I just have this box left to hand out. Will you join me?” He asked holding out his hand.
“Absolutely,” I happily replied taking his hand.
We stopped by four rooms, with children whose conditions were worse than other’s. Nick’s compassion overwhelmed me, and I had to look away to hide the tears.
Later, as we walked up to my car, I turned and faced Nick, making him come to an abrupt stop. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say, but I wanted to say something. With my eyes locked on Nick’s, I took a step closer. My heart had never pounded so fast before.
“I’m so glad that you let me come along with you today,” I began. He attempted to speak, but I raised my hand, gesturing that I wasn’t finished. His smirk made me melt inside. My breath halted, and my eyes fluttered while he gazed at me. “I feel so touched by you,” I replied, starting to get choked up. “You are not the person I thought you were.”
Nick’s jaw tensed. Then he looked down at the ground nervously. His hand went into his pants pockets. “You are giving me far too much credit, Lauren.” He blushed.
“Oh, stop.” I scowled. “You can’t honestly think that what you do here isn’t amazing,” I said, feeling myself falling for him. “You should’ve seen the looks on the children’s faces when you handed those toys out. It was like Christmas to them.” I inched closer. “I’ve known you for a month now, Nick, and other than our first introduction, you have yet to disappoint me.” My hand touched his cheek before my mind thought it. His head slowly rising, we stared into each other’s eyes. “You’re so beautiful,” I added and couldn’t believe the words had even left my mouth. He was beautiful, and not just on the outside. His hands cradled my face, and I felt my breath stutter and my eyes water. Then he moved in and pressed his lips softly on mine. My arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. He slowly pulled away to look at me. His eyes were wet, but he was smiling. I pulled him close, hugging him again.
“Those are the kindest words anyone has ever said to me,” he whispered, pulling away, his thumb stroking my cheek. He rested his forehead on mine, and then lightly kissed me again.
