Page 65 of Home to Me

“Damn, you smell good enough to eat.”

Lauren looked over at him and the two of them locked eyes, smiling.

Ben was snapped out of this lovely walk down memory lane by the sound of his little sister's voice. “Um, hello?” she said sarcastically. “There are other people here? Maybe you two should get a room. And not a hospital room.”

Ben picked up the crumpled paper cup she’d thrown at him earlier and tossed it back at her. She squealed and put up her hand to block it.

“Kids!” Alana said forcefully, in a tone that let it be known that she didn't care if the so-called 'kids' involved were adults. She was the one in charge here. “Stop that right now!”

“He started it,” Brianna said.

“Did not,” Ben shot back, and Lauren laughed.

Brianna smiled. “Anyway,” she said to Lauren, “I just wanna know what he said to you to get that reaction. It must’ve been good.”

Lauren blushed, and Ben felt like hiding under his chair.

“Dang, girl!” Brianna continued, laughing. “It must’ve been something. You are fifty shades of pink right now!”

“That's enough, that's enough,” Alana admonished her daughter, but in an affectionate, amused tone.

Ben was neither as affectionate nor as amused.

“Brat,” he mumbled.

Just then, a nurse popped her head in.

“Sorry, folks. Visiting hours are over for the evening,” she said regretfully.

Ben, Lauren, and Brianna all hugged Alana farewell and started out the door.

Just before they were completely out, though, Alana said, “Hold on one minute, Lauren.”

All three turned and waited to hear what she had to say.

To her children, Alana said, “You two hooligans go on and wait outside. I want to talk to Lauren for a minute.”

Ben was suspicious. “What about?”

“Well, if I wanted you to know, I would have invited you to stay,” Alana said in her best 'mom' tone.

Lauren chuckled and said, “It’s fine, Ben. Really.”

Ben reluctantly left the room, dragging Brianna along with him. If he didn't get to stay and hear the secret conversation, his pain-in-the-butt little sister certainly wasn't going to.

When they got outside the door, Ben propped it open a fraction of an inch and leaned in to listen.

Brianna looked scandalized. “I'm telling!” she whispered, glee at this prospect lighting up her face.

“Then I'll tell about the time you 'borrowed' Mom's car to go 'study' at 'Jenny's house'—and you and I both know there are, like, three lies just in that one sentence alone.”

Brianna narrowed her eyes but made no further moves to block his spying. Ben leaned forward, straining to hear the conversation.

“You take care of him, okay, honey?” Alana was saying, her voice thick with emotion at the importance of the task she was imparting. “I was sick the whole time Benny was growing up. He had to take care of Brianna, and I'm ashamed to admit he had to take care of me, as well. He deserves someone to take care of him... real good care. Like I wish I could have.”

Through the crack, Ben saw Lauren take his mother's hand and lean in close. With seriousness of purpose in her voice, she said, “Ms. Stevens, most people never get the opportunity to know how much they mean to the people who love them or the opportunity to let the people that they love know the true extent of their devotion. Ben was given both of those things as a result of having to step up the way he has. Most people also never get the chance to be a hero for those they love. You let Ben be your hero. I think you did a wonderful job.”

The two women were silent for a moment, and Ben peeked again through the crack in the door. He noticed that Brianna, for all of her earlier teasing, had peeked around right behind him.

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