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“What? Heislittle.” She doubled over in hysterical laughter.
Dylan laughed with her, remembering how Lorelei had been just as quick to laugh at her own silly jokes. He missed her even more when he visited with Bethany and other children over the years. He continually reminded himself that no matter how hard it was for him, it was a thousand times harder to be the child going through treatments.
A woman walked by the door talking loudly. Bethany held a finger over her lips and pointed to the hallway. She walked on tiptoe, and Dylan made a big show of doing the same, lifting his knees high and placing his toes on the ground as slowly as possible with each step.
They crouched by the door and she crept out on all fours and peeked down the hall through the binoculars. “That’s nurse Big Butt.”
“Bethany, what do you call me?”
“Dylan,” she said with another giggle. Then she gasped. “Ohmygoshohmygosh. Dylan!” She scrambled back into her room, eyes wide, and squeezed his arm so hard her fingernails carved little moons in his flesh.
“What’s wrong?” He rose on his knees to look out the door and she yanked him back down.
“Don’t look. It’s…It’s…It can’t be.” She pressed her hands to her face and squealed.
“Now I’vegotto look.” He leaned forward on all fours, stuck his head out the door, and saw Tiffany and Anika Bouchert headed their way.Holy shit. You did it. Tiffany had called earlier to thank him for the gifts he had left at her office and never mentioned a word about this surprise visit. He scrambled back into the room beside Bethany. He couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Holy moly. That’s Tiffany Winters!”
“Who? It’s Anika Bouchert!” She climbed over him, and just as she landed on all fours, Tiffany and Anika arrived at the door. She craned her neck up with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “Ohmygosh. You’re her. You’re here. DylanDylanDylan!”
Dylan scooped her off the floor and set her feet on the ground. She danced around in a circle squealing. “You’re here. I can’t believe you’re here. Oh my gosh!”
Everyone laughed, and Dylan’s heart nearly exploded for Bethany, and in gratitude to Tiffany.
He offered a hand to Anika. She was even taller in person than she looked in her pictures, with long blond hair and a friendly smile. “Hi. I’m Dylan Bad, a friend of Bethany’s.”
“Nice to meet you. I hear you’ve been trying to get in touch with me for quite some time. I’m sorry it took so long for us to connect.” Anika crouched beside Bethany, who was clinging to Dylan like a lifeline. “And you must be Bethany, my number-one fan.”
Tears streamed down Bethany’s cheeks. She swiped at them, nodding vehemently. With one arm around Bethany, Dylan locked eyes with his beautiful girlfriend, noticing her eyes were also suspiciously glassy, and mouthed,Thank you so much.
She smiled and blew him a kiss.
Once Bethany calmed down enough to let go of Dylan, he and Tiffany stood off to the side, giving Anika and Bethany privacy.
“Babe, you have no idea how much you’ve just given Bethany.”
“Oh, I think I do. Her reaction said it all.” She gazed into his eyes and said, “What you did for me today was just as big. It turns out I am a flower girl after all.Yourflower girl.”
Conscious of being in the room with Bethany, he touched his forehead to hers instead of going in for the kiss he so desperately wanted.
“I told you we’d figure it out together.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but thank you for sticking with me.”
“You can thank me properly later.” He grabbed her ass to drive home the point, taking pleasure in the little squeak that slipped from her lips.
Bethany laughed, and they both looked across the room to where she and Anika were sitting at a table. Anika had brought a bag of gifts, and Bethany squealed with each one.
“She’s so young,” Tiffany said. “My heart breaks for her, and really for all kids who are sick. And then I think of my dad, and it’s not any easier. I worry for both of them, even though he’s had a full life and she’s only just beginning hers.”
“It’s hard at any age. That’s another reason I think you should visit your dad more often. Even if it’s not what your family is used to, it might make things easier for both of you.”
Tiffany’s brow wrinkled in concentration. “I’m glad we’re together,” she said quietly. “I never realized how much of my life I was letting slip away.”
Before he could respond, Bethany laughed again, and they both smiled.
“Her laughter is a balm for everything bad in the world, isn’t it?” He reached for Tiffany’s hand. “She laughed a lot today, and it reminded me of Lorelei and how happy she was before she got sick.”
