“Katherine doesn’t care about anything that doesn’t revolve around her salon-filled, socialite-anointed existence.”
She sighed, but gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
Nodding, now he felt embarrassed.
The nurse moved to the other side of the bed. “Would you like me to close the blinds? When the sun rises, it will wake you if I don’t.”
“Leave them open. Thank you.”
“Get some rest, Mr. Barrett. You’ve had an eventful night that I’m sure you don’t want to repeat in the new day.” She walked to the door, but as if she had forgotten something, she returned to his bedside. “I shouldn’t be doing this…” She looked over her shoulder, then back to him. She had his full attention, but his grief lingered. “I know you said she doesn’t care about you, but she wanted to leave these for you. I checked your chart to make sure it was okay, to err on the side of caution. But it’s fine. You can have them.” She pulled a small bag from her pocket and placed it in his palm.
The nurse left, but Taylor’s eyes never left the bag in his hand.
Jellybeans.
TAYLOR FLIPPED THE sheet off him and stood up, slowly, making sure his legs were steady, ready to support his weight. They were, though his knees were damaged from the earlier fall. He grabbed his IV and wheeled it with him toward the door.
The gown was breezy in the back, but he had on his boxers so he didn’t care. He only cared about finding that nurse again. Walking into the hall, he could hear the sound of monitors, coughing coming from a room nearby, and the soft voices of nurses discussing a file. He walked down a bit and saw a nurses’ station. The same one who gave him the jellybeans looked up and was surprised to see him, but then worry creased her forehead. “Mr. Barrett, is everything all right?”
He held out the jellybeans. “Who gave these to you?”
When her gaze left his hand and reached his eyes again, she looked perplexed. “The young woman in your room earlier.”
“Which woman? What color hair did she have?”
Her eyebrow rose. “How many women visitors have you had, Mr. Barrett?” she teased.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Was she blonde or brunette?”
She glanced at the other nurse, then laughed, very lightly. “Brunette.” Her hand went to a spot on her arm. “About here. Very sweet girl. We spoke for a few minutes about how you were doing, but she couldn’t stay since it was after visiting hours.”
Taylor stared at her in disbelief. “Sundress?”
The nurse smiled. “Yes. Cream colored with tiny flowers all over. You do know her, right? She seemed to know you very well.”
His fingers closed around the baggie. “Yes. I know her very well, too… or I thought I did. How long ago was she here?”
She checked her watch. “At least three hours ago. It was late.”
Disappointment set in, and Taylor dropped his head forward, hoping the nurse couldn’t hear the pounding of his heart.
“If it makes a difference,” she started. When he looked up at her, she came closer. “She asked how long you would be here at the hospital and said if you were here tomorrow night, she would come again. I joked with her that next time she needed to come during visiting hours.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she would try, but no promises.” The nurse laughed as if that had been the most charming answer ever.
“That sounds like her.”
“Who exactly is she? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“For too brief a time, she was the one who made forever seem possible.”
The nurse’s expression softened, and she gently patted his shoulder. “You need your rest, Taylor.”
He agreed. His body was tired just from standing here. “Okay, but if she returns when I’m sleeping, will you wake me and please let her visit?”
“Of course, I will.”
“Thank you.”
When Taylor returned to bed, he ate the jellybeans. He always hated the popcorn ones, but tonight, they were the best things he’d tasted in a long time. Looking out the large picture window, he slowly chewed and savored each candy, then lay back.
Jude had been here.
She had left the candy for him. To Taylor, that meant Jude wanted him to know she’d been there. Out of the blue, like his forever, hope felt possible again. There was no way he was going to get any rest now. So he just lay there smiling.
Three hours earlier, in a large single-family brownstone ten blocks away from the hospital where hope was growing, Jude snuck back into her room. The door had been oiled and didn’t make a sound. This was just the way she liked it. She would have to thank Roman in the morning.
After getting ready for sleep, she climbed into the posy-covered bed and rolled to her side. She smiled in the darkness of the room. She couldn’t help it. Seeing Hazel made her happy, even if he wasn’t hers to be happy over anymore. The nurse had been kind to ease Jude’s worry, reassuring her that he would be fine, or at least not worse.
She probably shouldn’t have left the jellybeans, but it was all she could give him to show she cared, would always care about him. She closed her eyes and snuggled into her covers. Tomorrow she might try to stay away… or she might try to see him again. Eight weeks and two days had been far too long. He might not want to see her, but either way, she knew at some point she would reach out to him again.
In the brightest morning hours, Jude had already dressed for the day and finished breakfast before leaving just after eleven for her eleven thirty appointment. Her mother was living in a different bedroom and if she wasn’t there, she was out. Three weeks ago, she had asked her why she stayed. When she answered that she’d stayed for Jude, her heart had felt a little lighter. She would stay to serve her sentence alongside her. Jude hugged her that day. It was the first of many to come and she no longer felt so alone.
Isla had rented an apartment in Tribeca. She occasionally came over to take Jude to lunch or out for coffee, but she was trying to separate herself from the others. Jude understood. Distance often seemed the only way to survive.
Even Nadia had flown the coup. She took a job in Brooklyn, not even entertaining a counter offer from Brewster Boehler.
Jude rarely saw her aunt, which suited her just fine. And her stepfather worked longer hours, making the house a much more peaceful place to live. But Jude still had Roman. Her friend. Her confidant. He welcomed her with a smile and she hugged him. “Thank you for staying.”
“I stay if you stay.”
“I’d go if I could go.”
He chuckled and walked to the door with her. “Busy day?” he asked with delight in his eyes.
Her confidant knew all.
“Very busy. I should get going.”
He always looked at her as if it would be the last time he saw her. She rubbed his arm, and said, “I’ll see you later.”
“I’ll see you soon, Hummingbird.”
Twenty minutes later she entered the doctors’ office and took a seat in the waiting room. Lacy walked in, the wind blowing her hair and covering her face until the door closed. The two ladies had become good friends, allies even, and Lacy spent her days off in the city visiting her. They hugged before Lacy sat down and asked, “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” Jude replied, smiling so big. “So ready.”
They were called into Dr. Robert’s office and sat on the other side of the desk from him. He greeted them, happy as always. “Your system has been clear of the meds for two months now. We completed more than enough sessions together for me to give an assessment. I’ve typed my professional opinion and emailed your lawyer. As of today, there is no medical basis for your family to retain conservatorship over you.” He sighed. “I’m afraid there probably never was, but we can’t fight the past. I just hope you get the justice for your future.” He stood up and held his hand out. When Jude took it, he clasped his other over it, and added, “If you need anything, a witness on your behalf, I’m here for you.”