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“Do you think you could print something off for me if I email it to you?” I ask.
Lori glances around and I’m guessing maybe that’s frowned upon. But no one is in sight and she gives me her email address. Within just a few minutes, the PDF version rolls off the printer.
When she lifts it out of the tray, she gets a good look at it. “Oh my God. Did you draw that?”
“Yeah, I like to tinker around.”
Lori looks up and shoots me a glare for being humble before her gaze drops back to the page. “The detail is incredible. You can feel the love here, that’s for sure.”
“I have a creative side and luckily some talent too.”
She hands the printed page to me with a wink. “I’d still stick to your day job. The Titans need you.”
I grin at her. “Thanks, Lori.”
“Any time.”
Back in Aiden’s room, I grab a pen from my backpack and jot a note to Lilly. I place it on her purse so she sees it before she leaves.
What I want is to brush the hair that’s falling across her forehead. I want to kiss her there and hope it inspires safe dreams.
I don’t though because I don’t want to wake her up, so I quietly gather my things and slip out of the room.
CHAPTER 18
Lilly
This birthday partyfor Aiden is more than I could’ve hoped for. It’s far more than I could’ve ever accomplished on my own. I thought I was ahead of the game by ordering enough cake to feed a small army, which is the number of kids Aiden invited from the oncology ward and his school, plus their parents.
Someone decorated the courtyard in Titans colors—balloons and streamers everywhere—and there’s a huge inflatable hockey puck in the middle with none other than Coen Highsmith’s number on it.
A magician in one corner elicits gasps and giggles with his tricks, a clown twists balloon animals, and a face painter doodles colorful butterflies and hockey pucks on everyone’s foreheads which is the only visible part above the masks.
The highlight though, and when I knew all of Aiden’s dreams were coming true was when we walked into the courtyard and saw the tabletop hockey game. Aiden let out a whoop and beelined there, only to find out that the gift was his to take home. But for the party, some of the Titans players were going to run a single-elimination tournament for the kids. I have no idea where we will even fit that hockey table, but I’m thinking the dining table in our apartment might need to go.
It’s so overwhelming but in a good way. Boone said a few of his teammates would come but I see way more than a few. Of course, it’s hard to tell who’s who, given that Aiden’s doctors insisted everyone wear gowns and masks to be on the safe side. While Aiden’s blood cells are finally starting a slow climb, they are still in no way good enough to fully protect his body.
For the moment, I’m busy filling paper cups with lemonade and setting them out on the table. I’m not sure if it was Boone or someone else who organized it, but multiple tables have been set up, filled with all kinds of food. Slider sandwiches, chips, candy, vegetable trays and fruit. I see my sheet cake in the center, my one major contribution to the day.
It would be easy to feel bad about how pitifully I performed in putting on a party for my brother. But I simply can’t be anything but happy when I see how much fun Aiden is having. He flits around like a social butterfly, laughing and joking with all the friends he’s met in the hospital and reconnecting with friends from school.
There’s even a table set up with bright purple canvas bags with the Titans’ logo. Boone told me there was one for every child in attendance, each stuffed with toys, candy and Titans gear.
Truly remarkable. I know Aiden will never forget this day.
As I continue to hand out lemonade and chat with people who stop by the table, I make sure to keep partial attention on Aiden. He’s been getting stronger each day and had no problems walking down here, but the party’s been going on for close to an hour now and I know he’s got to be getting tired. He came down fully dressed in street clothes, wearing a Titans knit cap because even though the hair is growing back, it’s still sparse. The weather topped out at a perfect sixty-nine degrees today and he’s comfortable in a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans.
I grab another paper cup to fill when prickles flare on the back of my neck, making me pause. My gaze cuts to Aiden who’s sitting at a table with two of his male friends eating cake. I’m pretty sure it’s his third piece of the day and I know his stomach is going to hurt, but that’s not what caused the awareness.
I glance around the courtyard and my eyes lock on Boone who is staring so intently at me, I flush from head to toe. At first glance, he looks no different from the group of guys he’s standing with. All of them tall, broad-shouldered, and wrapped in yellow sterile paper with matching masks covering from under the eye to beneath the chin. But I recognize those eyes, the desire in his expression. His gaze does not avert even though one of his friends is talking to him. I can’t see his mouth, but I can tell by the slight crinkle in the corners of his eyes that he is smiling at me.
Sighing, I force my attention back to the lemonade and pep-talk myself not to look over at him like a crushing schoolgirl.
But I’m so crushing on the man.
Yesterday, he spent his free time at the hospital with me and Aiden, sneaking out at some point after Aiden and I fell asleep. I woke up around one a.m. and decided to head home. I was disappointed at first to see Boone gone, but I couldn’t expect him to stay all night. He only had the awful straight-back chair to sit in.
But then I saw the paper on top of my purse. I grabbed it and moved closer to the open door for the hallway light and practically swooned when I saw the drawing he’d done of me and Aiden sleeping. I knew right away he must’ve done it on his iPad and likely had it printed at the nurses’ station. I couldn’t help but be entranced by the magic of his perception of the relationship I have with my brother. It was the most romantic, beautiful, thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me.
