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Rory’s eyes widened, as she gazed in their direction. The couple walked in slowly behind me. I sat down next to her and gathered her onto my lap but keeping her covers over her and being careful of the IV’s.
Josie came to the edge of the bed on the opposite side. “Hello, darling, I’m your grandma Josie,” she said. I could hear the emotion lacing her voice and her eyes filled with tears. She reached out with both hands toward one of Rory’s. “Is it okay to touch her?”
“Rory, would that be okay?” I asked her, bending my neck so that my head could rest on top of hers. I couldn’t kiss her through the mask, but I wanted to cuddle her as much as I could so she wouldn’t be nervous.
The little girl nodded, and Josie picked up her little hand between both of hers. “Hi, Grandma,” she said.
“Hi, darling,” she repeated.
She used one hand to gesture her husband forward, He was a tall man, and he removed his hat. “Hey, princess,” he said. “I’m Grandpa Bill.”
Rory’s head cocked. “How’d you know I’z a princess?”
Bill chuckled. “Remi told me,” he answered.
“She’z is one, too.”
The older couple chuckled, but Josie wiped an errant tear from her eye. “I bet she is! You’re both so beautiful!”
“I’z is Rupoonal and she’z is Arial.”
“You are? How wonderful!” Josie exclaimed. “I’d love to sew you some princess dresses, Rapunzel!”
“And Ariel!” Rory insisted. “Her needs dresses!”
We all laughed. It filled my heart to see Rory so happy, even if it was just for a few minutes.
“And Ariel!” her grandmother agreed.
I was elated to see how well she was taking to them.
Marcia, back from her lunch break, came into the room. I couldn’t see her smile, but I could hear it in her voice. “Here I am to take blood samples, stat!”
“Let’s all cross our fingers,” I said.
“Can we say a prayer?” Josie asked and I nodded.
We made a circle around Rory and Josie placed a hand on her head. I closed my eyes and bowed my head while Bill said the prayer.
“Dear Lord, please bless us with a positive result so we can watch this beautiful little girl grow up. She is an angel to us all and we ask for your many blessings for rapid healing. We thank you for bringing us all together, and for this chance to know her and for this lovely young woman who has cared for her so well in our absence. Please also bless our daughter and help her confront her demons so she can come home and raise her child. Please bless all of the doctors and nurses who help little children. In the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.”
“An bless Remi and Deelan! Amen!” Rory said loudly.
“Yes, bless Remi and Dylan,” Josie said, squeezing my hand.
Dylan
Waiting was hell, especially since we all couldn’t be together in Rory’s room. Remi had gone back to her apartment to shower and change and take my suitcase to her place but was back within two hours.
Rory was sleeping so we were all sitting, once again, in the cafeteria and this time having dinner. The food was decent, but no one was very hungry.
“Remi, do you know how old she is?” Bill asked. “I hate to ask, but with her face so swollen, it’s hard to tell.”
“She’s so beautiful. I can’t wait for you to see her after this disease is cured,” Remi answered. “But um, no, your daughter didn’t leave her birthdate. The social worker thinks it’s because she didn’t want to be found and a birthday would allow us to narrow down which children were born in the city on that date, and so, maybe find her. I’m sorry,” she murmured. “We think two or two and half.”
Her words gave me pause, what if she wasn’t cured. I felt sick at the thought. Remi would be destroyed. “Honey,” I warned. I tried to shake my head, but I couldn’t move it much or they’d know what I was doing. Our eyes met and instantly a hurt look came onto her face.
“Tell us about your story, Remi,” Bethy said. “Tell us about your experience with the disease.”
