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Colby appeared hesitant to leave but finally walked out when the nurse came in to give me the narcotic. I breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind him.
“Boyfriend, honey?” Nurse Charlotte asked.
I was grateful for her continued presence. “Nope. Just, a friend.” To my embarrassment, that statement seemed to break the dam of tears. In general, I was a positive person making the most of bad situations, yet this latest twist had completely defeated me.
“Aw, I’m sure it’s overwhelming now, but there’s a lot to feel grateful for. You’re getting out of here tonight, and your injuries could’ve been a whole lot worse.”
I sniffed, wiping my eyes with the tissue she handed me. “You’re right, and this pity party needs to stop, but I have no idea how to get beyond the fact that, at the moment, my life sucks.”
She smiled kindly. “Sometimes life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself too much, do you know what I do?”
“What’s that?” I welcomed the advice.
“I head on down to the Children’s Hospital to volunteer. Some of those kids are there for months and months battling cancer yet manage to keep smiling. I go home and ball my eyes out for what they’re facing. But it certainly helps put things into perspective to give back to people who are in a worse situation than you are.”
“What types of things do you do when you volunteer?”
“You could help pass out gifts or play games. Or if only you sang, because with your long blond hair, you’d make a heck of Disney princess. People dress up as superheroes or Disney characters, and the kids especially love that.”
“I do sing.” And for some reason, the thought of performing in front of kids wasn’t giving me the same heart palpitations that singing in front a crowd normally did.
“Before you leave, I’ll write down the contact information of a colleague of mine who works there. By the way, when I was searching for your phone, I went ahead and tucked your other, uh, purchase in the side pocket in case you didn’t want anyone else to see it.”
My cheeks flamed, and then I giggled, remembering my little vibrator. “Thanks for preventing a potentially awkward moment if my brother were to go through my purse. You’re a lifesaver, Charlotte.”
“You’re welcome, honey. By the way, your friend is back.”
Glancing toward the door, I spotted Colby coming in, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I wiped my tears the best I could but knew he’d seen them.
“Your brother and Sasha headed back to my place to get some sleep and take showers.”
“That’s good. They’ve gotta be tired. You’re probably exhausted, too.”
“I’m fine, but I have something to talk to you about.”
I started to feel the fuzziness from my meds take hold. “Okay, but fair warning, you have about five minutes before I pass out.”
“With all of your doctor appointments and then physical therapy, you’ll need someone to drive you, plus a place to recover.”
I let out a breath, hardly believing I was about to say this out loud. “I know. That’s why when I wake up, I’m calling my mother to tell her I’m moving home.”
