Page 60 of The Devil and His Sparrow

I nodded, satisfied with both her answer and the confirmation that answer gave me about what her goal was in life. “Exactly.” I looked out the front windshield as we pulled into Bloomings. “I want my music to be more.”

“I think you can do it,” Iyla declared as she parked. “You’ll write something that will make you fall in love with music again. I know you will. You just need the right motivation or inspiration.”

I hoped she was right, but I wasn’t so sure anymore.

We got out and made our way inside. I sent Iyla ahead of me to Gemma’s room while I approached the nurses station. A couple nurses, all of whom I recognized from my previous visits but couldn’t put names to, smiled at me as I approached.

“Hello, ladies,” I greeted, turning on the charm and leaning on the counter. “Did my delivery arrive and get set up in the sunroom?”

“Yes, sir,” one of the darker girls answered, batting her full lashes at me.

“Perfect,” I said. “I’m gonna take Iyla and Gemma in first. All the other residents and staff can go in after we leave.”

“You’re so kind, Zagan!”

“Thank you so much!”

“I can’t believe how generous you are!”

I let the compliments roll off my plastered on facade. My actions weren’t for them. They were all for Iyla. But whatever they needed to believe to make this easier was fine with me.

I found Iyla and Gemma sitting on the edge of Gemma’s bed. Iyla had both arms wrapped around her shoulders with her cheek pressed to the top of Gemma’s head as they both looked at a drawing Gemma had been working on.

“This is my dragon,” Gemma explained to her sister, pointing at the paper. Her hand moved across the page. “And this one is Zagan’s. I still need to know your dragon so I can draw it with ours.”

Iyla kissed the top of Gemma’s head. “I guess I’ll have to start thinking about my dream dragon then. Yours will still be the coolest, though. Rainbow scales and butterfly wings? Heck yes!”

Gemma giggled.

I cleared my throat, and the sisters looked up at me. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a little something for you.”

Iyla raised her brow at me in silent question, but she didn’t argue. She helped Gemma get into her wheelchair since she was feeling weak today—a fact that had Iyla noticeably stiffer—and I led them down the halls to the closed doors of the sunroom.

I gripped the door handle, but I didn’t open it yet. I met Iyla’s curious stare and asked, “Remember what you said you wanted last night?”

She hesitated then dipped her head in a nod.

I opened the door wide for Iyla so she could push an equally bewildered and excited Gemma through. They both gasped when they saw the sunroom, and I also took a second to survey everything. With a nod, I decided I was satisfied with the arrangement.

I’d made two phone calls after leaving Iyla’s place last night. One to here, confirming that it was okay to do this and another to a local bakery. Now, I got to see the results of those phone calls.

Ten tables were arranged in the room, and every inch of those tables were occupied with cake in every color of icing and fondant possible. Name cards stood next to each, explaining the flavor of cake, frosting, and filling combination. There were forty-three cakes in total, and it had the room smelling like sugar and spices.

“Holy moly,” Gemma squeaked. “Look at all this delicious cake!”

Iyla’s wide eyes swept over the dozens of deserts before finding my gaze. “Why—”

“You said you wanted cake.” I gestured to the tables. “I wanted to make sure you had every option possible.”

Iyla stared at me. Unblinking. Unmoving. I didn’t even think she was breathing. Gemma excitedly read off the flavor cards on the table closest to us, but Iyla seemed none the wiser. Her big brown eyes didn’t leave mine, and I found myself sinking deeper into those dark depths, watching appreciation and awe flood them. But more than that, a brimming happiness crashed through her gaze like a tidal wave overtaking every other emotion. My own chest got tighter. Seeing her joy was like feeling sunshine for the first time.

She felt like sunshine in my frozen, dark world.

Gemma reached up to tug on Iyla’s shirt. “Let’s have some!”

Iyla finally looked down at her sister with a hard swallow, the trance between us broken. “Right. Okay. Let’s see what all the options are.”

Iyla pushed Gemma around the room to see all the different treats. They both oohed and aahed over every single one we passed, and I worried that we’d be here all day while they tried to decide which one to have.

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