Page 4 of When the Leaves Fall

LUCA

“ Y ou never hang out with us anymore,” Sean, my best friend since second grade, says. He’s standing on my front porch holding a baseball and a bat. “Can’t you play for a little bit? Just one game?”

I shake my head slowly. “I want to, Sean. But Mom’s at work and someone needs to be here in case my dad needs anything.”

“Why don’t your parents hire a nurse or something?” Sean asks, both curious and impatient.

I shrug. I don’t want to tell him that we can’t afford it. That insurance won’t cover in-home care, and Dad refused to go to a care facility.

“The next day my mom has off, I’ll play.” Sean gives me a knowing look. A doubtful look. “I promise,” I add.

I know the best thing for Drew to do at this point is to get some sleep, but I have a feeling that’s not going to happen anytime soon. She hasn’t left the spot on the couch since Doctor Erickson left the room. She’s just sitting there, staring at the wall, and it’s been at least five minutes.

“Can I get you anything?”

She shakes her head in response. Her eyes still fixed on the wall.

I’m starting to feel a tad anxious about how she’s zombied out over there. “Do you want to play a game? Or watch TV? Or read?”

She turns to face me, and I can see how tired she is. Not only physically, but mentally as well. I’ve only known her for a couple of hours, and I can already see how drained she is, that she’s the one trying to hold it together for everyone else.

I know that feeling well.

“Sometimes listening to a book or show helps me relax or even fall asleep,” I mention.

“I do have an audiobook that just became available on Libby,” she responds. “That’s not a bad idea.”

She rummages through her bag and pulls out her wireless earbuds. “Damnit,” she sighs. “They’re dead.”

“You can use mine.” I pull my case out of my pocket and toss it over to her. She easily catches it with her eyes wide.

“I can’t do that. What will you do all night?”

A small laugh escapes. “I’ll probably just focus on my job for tonight.” I shoot her a wink, which gets a giggle in response.

The sound of her quiet laugh has my stomach doing somersaults over here. I think I’d do anything to hear that giggle again. Knowing I caused even a moment of happiness with everything she has going on reminds me of why I chose this career.

“Seriously, it’s good. Please use them.” She nods and places them in her ears.

“Thank you,” she says before she lies down on the couch.

“Of course,” I reply. “I’ll keep an eye on your mom.”

Drew’s soft smile and kind eyes show me how grateful she is.

I can’t help but watch her as she relaxes into the couch and drifts off to sleep within a few minutes.

She must be unbearably tired to be able to fall asleep on that couch that quickly.

I’ve been told that thing is comparable to sleeping on a rock.

In her sleep, she struggles to get comfortable. I watch her body shiver a bit, even under the blanket. I leave the room and head down to the linen closet. When I return, I quietly make my way over to the couch and gently place a warmed blanket over her.

It takes every ounce of control I have not to kiss her forehead.