Page 130 of Heartless

“Thank you, Dr.Nuys.”

As she disappeared into the hallway, Jake eased the door open.

The morning sun, filtering through the French windows, suffused the pale green walls of the large suite.Sparsely furnished with a light grey distressed chest drawer, and a suede armchair matching the three-seater, the room was comfortable with no hospital smell and no hospitalfeel.

I touched Jake’s arm, and as his eyes met mine, my throat squeezed at the veiled sorrow in his gaze.“Can I say hello?”

He took my hand and led me to the side of the bed.Even with the breathing tube and the soft beep of the monitor on the side of the bed, the older Mr.Rhodes looked like he was sleeping.His white hair was neatly trimmed, and his face was peaceful.As I leaned over, I was struck by Jake’s resemblance to his father.

I slanted my hip on the edge of the bed and touched the back of James Rhodes’s hand.

“Good morning, Mr.Rhodes.I’m Sienna.”

The light in the room dimmed as heavy clouds rolled in the sky.Rain was on its way.My nervousness ebbed away, and I sat down by his hip.

After sliding my fingers under his, I spoke like I used to do with Mom in her last days.

“You’ve probably been told before, but you look like your son.Or rather he looks like you.Jake and I met at a nightclub called the Silver Shell.Since then, a lot has happened, and I got to know him.”

From the corner of my eye, I caught Jake’s big frame lowering down in the armchair.

I returned my attention to James Rhodes.“I’ve lost my mother recently, and I think you would have liked her.Everyone she met liked her.Jake said you liked nature and that you were a lumberjack earlier in your career, and I hate to say it, but the only wilderness I’m not scared of is the one in my mind.But sometimes even that is daunting.Jake took me on a hike near his house in the woods.And it was beautiful.”

****

Jake

My throat had gotten tight while Sienna conversed with my father as if he could have responded.She talked about her writing and her favorite books.She told him how excited she was about her new job.She just talked to him.

Eventually, she turned to me and smiled.“I think I’m going to take pity on your dad.”

When I got up, she stood up, bent at the waist, and placed a kiss on his cheek.“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Mr.Rhodes.I hope you’re having nice dreams.”She glanced at the blue urn on the bedside table.“Goodbye, Mrs.Rhodes.If you see Caitlin Winslow, give her a hug for me.”

She hooked her fingers through mine.“I’ll be outside.”

“I won’t be long, baby.”

“Take all the time you need,” she whispered.

After she’d glided out of the room, I sat beside him.“Wish you could see her, Pa.She’s gorgeous inside and out.Hardest fight of my life, but worth every second.”

On my way out, I touched the blue urn.

There was no sign of Sienna in the corridor.She hadn’t had anything to eat earlier because she’d been too nervous.I peeked at the deserted hallway of vending machines.Walking the halls, I found her in the small, carpeted living room at the south end of the building.

She was bent deep at the waist in front of a wheelchair with her back to me, talking over a man’s laughter.

I’d been coming here for nearly six years, and I’d only ever talked to the staff taking care of my father.She’d been here for less than thirty minutes, and she had an old timer laughing with her.

I approached them in time to catch an older man in the wheelchair grinning.When he clocked me, he jerked his chin.Sienna glanced over her shoulder and straightened up.I wrapped my arm around her waist.“Making friends, baby?”

She tilted her smile at me.“Jake, this is Willie Devereaux.”She turned to the old man.“Willie, this is Jake.”

I shook hands with the old man, who winked at me.“Whatever you did to deserve this little rainbow, keep doing it, son.”

“Planning to, Sir.”I kissed her crown.“Ready to go, baby?”

“Yes.Bye, Willie.”