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“Sweetheart, that was out of your control. You didn’t lose your leg because you were trying protect that woman. The Marine told you to leave the hospital. You were following evacuation orders.”
“I know. The dream is irrational. I had hoped that once I got home it would stop.”
Bridget wanted nothing more than to sit with the baby and play with her. She got into the pool with Emily in her little floaty device and they splashed until it was time for the baby’s nap.
“Do you want to take a walk uptown?” Luke asked, wanting to get her out of the house.
“No. I’m not ready to go out,” she said. “The backyard is enough for me right now.”
When Margaret arrived, she reluctantly gave the baby to her.
She was excited about Luke’s plan of taking over the entire house minus one apartment for her parents, but for now the upper floor completely satisfied her need for space. She puttered around, trying to figure out how to make the sterile place a home.
“I guess I’d better try to make this place my own,” she mumbled.
“It’s yours to do whatever you want. What’s on your mind?”
“You need some artwork and chachkas. It reminds me of a hotel, it’s so sterile.”
“I have an attic full of boxes of things from my family. Do you want to go through it?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what it needs. Show me the attic.”
“It’s a climb up a ladder. Can you do that or do you want me to bring boxes down?”
“No. I’ll go up.”
After that, when she wasn’t playing with the baby or walking around the property, Luke could find Bridget in the attic, unpacking his inheritance.
“You have treasures here, Luke. Look at these paintings! And they are a style I like, sort of modern realism. I made that up, by the way.”
She held one up for him to see.
“I like that, too. Where do you want to hang it?”
“This one is definitely for our bedroom,” she said.
Our bedroommoved him, and he nodded, taking it from her. “I’ll take it down the ladder. Anything else?”
“So far, this box and these two other paintings.”
Luke had worried about her not wanting to venture off the property, but on Friday morning she awoke with one goal and that was to take the baby for a walk.
“Do we have a stroller?”
“Are you kidding? Didn’t I tell you?” Luke asked, teasing her.
“Tell me what?” she asked, frowning.
“Stay right there.”
He disappeared into the guest room and came out a minute later pushing a fancy jogging stroller. She got up off the floor, and he noticed she rose gracefully, and she bent down to pick up the baby. Pointing to the stroller, she had to find the words.
“Oh, my God, are you kidding me?” she finally exclaimed.
“I’m not kidding you. Do you like it?”
“Like it? I love it! You must have been reading my mind.”
