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Keith gave a quiet laugh. “Now you see why it was an easy day to remember.”
“I take it you weren’t interrupted by his mom’s return.”
He grinned. “Well, we did have to put our clothes on pretty fast when she came back a little earlier than we’d anticipated. By the time she stuck her head around the door, we were sitting on the couch, the comforter and pillows stuffed out of sight.” He chuckled. “I had to distract his mom while he snuck them upstairs to his room. I mean, who could explain needing a comforter in the middle of July?”
“I imagine Michael had fun finding places to hide that book,” Yuri commented.
It had been years since Keith had thought about the book.
Maybe he still has it. Maybe he and his husband still read it together, if it’s still in one piece after years of use.
He pushed aside his torturous imaginings. They didn’t help.
“The sad thing is, there used to be quite a few bookstores in Minneapolis like the one Michael visited, but not anymore.” Yuri sighed. “Sometimes it feels as if we’re going backward, not forward.” He peered at Keith. “Were you able to spend the next Christmas together?”
Keith gave a wry smile. “Yes, but not in a way either of us had anticipated.” He closed his eyes as a wave of fatigue rolled over him. He was dimly aware of the mattress moving as Yuri stood.
“Go to sleep, Keith. Dream of Michael.”
Before he knew it, he was asleep.
Heidi is confused
Monday, December 19, 2022
Heidi arrived later than usual, and she didn’t seem her normal calm self. She wore a perpetual frown and appeared to be watching him closely, as if looking for something.
After half an hour of this scrutiny, Keith had had enough.
“What’s wrong?”
Heidi blinked. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
He chuckled. “Because I know you, sis. So come on, ’fess up.”
She bit her lip. “When I got here, I spoke with Anna.” She held her hands up. “Nothing heavy, just getting an update. But then I mentioned Yuri, and how much you enjoyed your conversations with him. I really think they’ve helped.”
“I don’t understand. How would my late-night chats with Yuri worry you?”
Heidi took a deep breath. “Anna did some checking.”
“On what?”
“Yuri.”
Keith stared at her. “Why would she do that?”
“Because I was talking about a nurse she had no knowledge of, and it bothered her. So she did a little digging.” Heidi covered his hand with hers. “There is no nurse with the name of Yuri working in this hospital.”
What the—
Keith struggled to find words. “So what are you suggesting? Some guy is dressing up as a nurse to sneak in here at night and talk to me? Do you know how weird that sounds?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not saying that at all. Because that would be weird.”
“Then what are you saying?”
The furrows in her brow deepened.
