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“Are you going to come back down here? I was all warm until you freaked out.”
Luke realized she knew he’d been spooning her, and lay back down before she changed her mind, his heart racing for another reason. “How are you feeling?” His hand went up to feel her forehead and although she was still warm, she wasn’t burning up like before.
“I’m still icky, but not as bad.” She took his hand from her forehead and laced her fingers through his, holding it around her waist in front of her stomach. “You’d make a pretty good doctor.”
“Naw, I just had a good mom.”
“Where is she now?”
His throat lumped up. “Buried in a Texas cemetery.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I had her until I was twelve, so it’s been a while. It doesn’t hurt like it used to.”
Marley was quiet f
or several moments and he thought she’d fallen back asleep.
“It still hurts to think about Beth.”
Luke was surprised she was willing to talk about her sister, considering how defensive she’d been before.
“I think it always hurts, but it just hurts a little less.”
“And the anger? Does that go away too?”
Luke didn’t have a good answer. He’d spent many years angry, cursing God or fate or whatever was in control of their lives for taking his mom. When major life moments happened, he still wished she was there, but was that the same thing?
“I think you’re always going to wish they were around.”
“Yeah. After my dad died, Beth took so many pictures of the three of us. Even when she got sick, she was still snapping pictures and filling up photo albums. My mom and I hardly take pictures anymore.”
He kissed the side of her neck. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” She hesitated, and he waited for what was coming. “I thought after last week you were done with me.”
“Honestly, I thought I was too.” He paused, debating on how to continue. “But I figured if I’d been chasing you for four weeks, what’s three more?”
“Gee, that’s sweet.”
He squeezed her to him and placed his mouth next to her ear. “Besides, I’m really, really curious to figure out the secret.”
Luke was afraid to push her too far and have her kick him out, so he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
Luke sat up and swung his legs off the other side of the bed. “How does chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sound?”
“Pretty good actually. My mom makes a great chicken noodle soup.”
He stopped at the end of the bed and put his hand over her foot, shaking it with a grin. “I know. I went by the diner and asked her what you liked to eat when you’re sick. She hooked me up.”
“Well, aren’t you spe—”
A series of wet coughs exploded from her, and as she hacked and gagged, he backed up toward the door. “I’ll get you some water and warm up your food.”
He walked into the kitchen and flipped on the light. Butters sat in the middle of the floor watching him as he pulled the container of soup out of the fridge and searched through her cupboards for a bowl.
