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“Fu—” Elias looked at Crystal, then shook his head again. “Hi, Amethyst,” he said.
I couldn’t help but laugh, and Davit joined in.
Elias just walked around us and down the hallway to the stairs.
“Well, I know what my brother’s getting for Christmas,” Davit said.
“We should give him the camouflage one,” I said.
Davit shook his head. “Tactical black. It would look better with his wardrobe.”
I laughed and Davit put an arm around my shoulder as we walked to the elevator.
It went down, and I waited for Davit to get off.
I assumed if he was bringing Crystal, he felt like this was safe, and I was happy.
I wasn’t sure when—if—I’d be able to have her out of my sight again. But doing something like this, going to check on friends, felt so normal. And that feeling was welcome.
Of course, it wasn’t normal, not really.
I was checking on them because they had been injured, almost killed, trying to protect my baby.
I felt guilty that I hadn’t come to see them sooner, and the feeling that only intensified as we approached the two hospital beds in the far corner of the converted apartment.
On the outside, the apartment door had looked just like the other ones on the units, but when I walked through it, I felt like I was going into a clinic, and a premium one.
“You’re taking good care of them, aren’t you?”
“They’re family,” Davit said, like that explained everything.
And for him, I knew it did.
I squeezed his hand but let it go as we approached the two hospital beds.
“Oh my gosh! I think she’s gotten bigger,” Paulette said.
She’d lost a little bit of weight, but otherwise she was herself. Looked nothing like the woman who had been clinging to life when I had seen her last.
My eyes started to well up, and she shook her head and tsked.
“I certainly don’t think so, Amy. There will be none of that,” she said, the rich notes of her accent giving her words that beautiful little lilt.
“It’s just… I’m glad you’re okay,” I said to Paulette.
I shifted my gaze to Erik, hoping he understood that I meant him too.
“Amy,” he started, his voice low, his accent more pronounced.
He had been more injured than Paulette, but I could see that he was on the mend too.
I could also see that his expression was serious. I nodded at him, silently urging him to say whatever was so clearly on his mind.
“I want to apologize, but I know words aren’t enough, not nearly, to excuse my failure,” he said.
“Erik—”
He lifted his hand, then shook his head before he froze, a flash of pain crossing his face.
