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Grace gently brushed her fingers through Levi’s hair again, kissed his cheek, and whispered, “I love you, Levi,” in his ear, then rose from the bed.
Stella rushed in with the cool cloth and, after handing it to Gary, gave Grace a tight hug. “Thank you for getting him home safely, darling. I’ll phone you in the morning and let you know how he’s doing.”
“I’d appreciate that, Stella. Thank you.” Grace kissed the woman’s soft cheek, dodging to miss being poked in the eye with a hair roller, then left the room. She longed to stay beside Levi until she could talk to him and reassure him everything was fine, but Gary was correct. It would bother Levi more if she was there than if he only had to face his parents when he awakened.
Grace had no idea about his night trauma or the triggers that would set him off. Obviously, Levi had done a good job of covering up his problems, perhaps even from himself.
There were several excellent physicians at the hospital who could help him if he’d let them. But the first step was going to be Levi admitting he had a problem and needed help.
Grace found Cindy in the kitchen, mindlessly eating a piece of apple pie. Cindy shoved the last bite in her mouth and hugged Grace around the shoulders, and the two of them walked out to where Grace had parked her car that morning when the day had been so full of happiness and anticipation.
Silently, they drove back to their apartment, took turns showering, and climbed into bed.
Grace thought Cindy had gone to sleep, but in the darkness, she felt the mattress dip and Cindy wrap her arms around her.
“It’s going to be okay, Grace. Everything will be okay.” Then Cindy returned to her room, leaving Grace alone with her thoughts.
The entire day played over in her mind. She’d been shocked to arrive and find Levi wearing cut-off shorts that hit just above his knees, tennis shoes, which she didn’t even know he owned, and a tank top with a stylish pair of aviator sunglasses. Pride had filled her at Levi’s willingness to let his extended family see the healing scars on his arm. The whole bunch of Stella’s relatives had moved up a notch in Grace’s esteem as they’d all treated Levi no differently than anyone else despite his war wounds.
There had been so much food, more than she thought she’d ever seen on a table, and they’d eaten until she’d been sure she’d never want to eat again. Grace had met many of the relatives on previous occasions, but seeing them all together and the playful teasing way they interacted had reminded her of her own relatives. Oddly enough, instead of making her homesick, it had made her feel comforted to be around a welcoming, fun-loving group of people who had gone out of their way to include her and Cindy.
After the baseball game, there had been more time for visiting as they’d indulged in dessert. Grace hated to think about all the sweets and ice cream she’d eaten.
Levi had raved about her cake and had even taken a piece to his father, who also seemed to like it, if the two subsequent pieces he’d eaten were any indication. It had made her feel good that she’d contributed something the two Gibson men enjoyed.
After a delicious dinner that was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, they’d headed to the raceway. Drag races weren’t something Grace had ever even thought of watching, but she and Cindy had enjoyed the novelty of it. If only they’d left at the end of the races instead of staying for the fireworks. Grace should have considered the possibility of them triggering Levi, but he’d never given even a hint that he struggled with any lingering issues from his time in Vietnam.
She realized Levi’s scars went far deeper than those she could see. Likely, there were layers of them that would haunt him until he took them out and dealt with them in the open. Shoving them into the corners of his mind wasn’t going to make the problems go away. It would only make matters worse.
How could she make him understand that it wasn’t a sign of weakness to seek help, but rather one of strength?
Tossing and turning most of the night, when Grace did sleep, her dreams were full of nightmares of Levi calling out to her for help and being unable to reach him.
At four, she awakened drenched in sweat and knew she wouldn’t go back to sleep. As quietly as possible, she got up and showered, dressed for work, and wrote Cindy a note explaining where she’d gone. She added an apology for not being there to drive her to the hospital. She suggested Cindy call and ask for a ride from one of the women who worked in the administrative office and lived just a few blocks up the street.
Grace tossed an apple, crackers, and cheese into a brown bag for her lunch, snagged a breakfast bar to eat on her way to the Gibson’s farm, and left at five-thirty.
Normally, she would never arrive at someone’s home so early in the day, but she knew the Gibson family were early risers. Levi was often out working by five in the morning.
When she pulled up at the farmhouse, it wasn’t quite yet six, but the house was ablaze with light. Levi’s pickup was where he’d parked it the previous day, so Grace knew he was at the house.
Before she could go to work, she needed to see for herself that he was okay. As she made her way down the walk, Spreckles rose from the rug where she’d slept by the door. The dog stretched, then waggled her back end as Grace gave her a few affectionate pats before she knocked on the door.
She only had to wait a few seconds for the door to open and Gary to step back, motioning her inside.
“I thought I saw your car pull up,” he said in almost a whisper.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, feeling the tension in the air around her.
“It’s Levi. He finally woke up around four and has been …” Gary sighed and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. The poor man looked like he hadn’t slept a wink all night. He was dressed in jeans and a cotton work shirt, but concern furrowed his brow, and a muscle in his jaw tightened just like Levi’s did whenever he was upset. “Maybe it would be best if you go.”
“What’s wrong, Gary? If there is something I can do to help Levi, I’d like to try.”
“He’s not in a good place right now, Grace. In fact, I’ve never seen him like this.”
Grace frowned. “Do we need to take him to the hospital?”
“He seems fine as far as physical problems go, but he’s …” Gary paused again, and a sound from the hallway drew their gazes to Levi.
