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“Yeah,” I agree, feeling my throat clogging. Still, I see her growing weaker. Feeling tired more often.
“Well, these look amazing. Let’s get these baked,” Anna says, smiling down at Syd.
Syd nods and smiles.
“I need to pee,” she announces, and Nora and Anna gush over her cuteness. I take her to the bathroom. On the way back, I see Nana has fallen asleep in her chair. I get this sinking feeling I can’t control in the pit of my stomach.
When we get back to the kitchen, I text Connor to check in and let him know Syd is having a great time. He replies that he has Liam and Wolfe over.
At least he isn’t alone.
We head back to the kitchen and Anna prepares a glass of milk for Syd and me. Syd plays with Teddy while the cookies are baking.
“Can I hold him?” she asks.
“Of course, come sit here on the kitchen chair,” I say to her. The kitchen is more of a place for cooking food rather than gathering, but there is a wooden table and chairs for the house staff to eat in here. Syd takes a seat on the chair, and I place Teddy on her lap.
He reaches up and licks her face. “It tickles,” she giggles.
Then she takes Teddy and gives him a good hug, holding him close to her chest, and she places her cheek against his face. She just seems so content here. I snap a picture and send it to Connor.
“I love you,” she says to Teddy, and he licks her face as if in response.
The timer Anna set pings. “Okay, we need to take the cookies out of the oven,” she announces.
“That smells so good,” I praise. I show Syd how to place Teddy on the floor.
All of us sit around the table eating cookies, and it reminds me of the few good childhood memories I have, most of them being here in Nana’s house.
We drink our milk and then Syd yawns. I yawn too.
“We should get going,” I say to her.
“You two better come back to visit soon,” Nora says.
I look at Syd. “Do you want to come back to visit?”
She nods a shy smile, tucking her chin in.
“Good.” Nora grins, and then Nora and Anna are hugging us.
We are about to leave when Nora says Nana is still sleeping.
“That’s okay. I’ll be back this week to visit,” I say.
Syd and I head back home on the bus. She tells me what a great time she had and how much she loves Teddy.
When we reach the apartment, Connor is out of bed and sitting in the recliner. Wolfe and Liam are no longer here. Syd gushes to him about Nana’s house and what a great time she had. Then she says she wants to go to her room to play.
“Wow,” he says to me.
I take a seat on the couch beside the recliner. “It was so amazing, Connor,” I whisper. “She didn’t speak at first but then she started talking to Nana. She loved Teddy, her dog, and we baked cookies and she was talking to Anna and Nora, who are my nana’s house staff,” I say, talking quickly and feeling so excited by the day.
“She spoke to them?” Connor asks.
“She did.” I nod, my heart feeling so full. “I told her how important they were to me and she bonded with Teddy. She just became so relaxed once she started playing with him.”
“That is. . .wow. . .”
