Page 34 of Sweet Little Thing

My hand tightened its grip on the door frame. He was so frustrating and was also the angriest, most unhappy human I knew. I responded, “Stone, I didn’t ask for that. On Sunday, I visit my sister. She expects me to be there.”

Stone didn’t seem to care or understand. I had wondered more than once why he hated me.

“I’m not your boss.”

“Then, we agree on something,” I replied before I could bite my tongue.

I winced, and a tug on the corner of his mouth caused me to pause and stare. Had he been on the verge of a smile? The scowl then returned and I figured I must have confused that for something else. I didn’t wait around for more small talk. I got into the car and closed the door. Stone stood there in his jeans and black tee shirt with his arms crossed over his chest. His sunglasses were on like some sexy dark god, which was annoying because I wished that I didn’t notice.

The drive to Among the Spanish Moss was easy. There was never much traffic on Sunday mornings. Walking into the building, I took the plate I’d made for the staff and dropped it off. The lady at the front desk was, unlike Stone, glad to see me.

“Good morning, Beulah. I’ve been looking forward to your visit. We all love these treats.” Tammy, who was fifty, had three grandchildren already. She moved here from Nebraska ten yearsago to be near her youngest daughter. She was also one of Heidi’s favorites.

“I added a little extra in there. Y’all enjoy them,” I said to her. “Better go find my girl. I imagine she’s ready for cupcakes.”

Tammy laughed. “Oh yes, she’s come by three times already this morning to tell me you were coming. And that you had cupcakes.”

“Beulah!” Heidi’s voice rang down the hall. “I guess she was headed back for her fourth visit to confirm,” I said, then waved bye to Tammy, stepping in to meet my sister.

“May’s in the activity room. We’ve got to get her,” Heidi told me. She clapped her hands after hugging me when she saw the treats I was holding. “Oh boy! May’s gonna be happy.”

“Then let’s go get her and find us a spot for a picnic with dessert eaten first.”

Heidi giggled with delight. “I love you, Beulah!”

“I love you most,” I replied.

She didn’t argue. She had given up that battle years ago and expected my response. That and Heidi was too excited about the picnic and desserts. We collected May from the activity room and made our way outside. Heidi told me all about the game of soccer they played yesterday and how May scored the winning goal. Once I put the treats down, May blushed a lot and then gave me a bashful hug. They’d picked out a grassy spot beneath a tree.

“I missed you,” May said sweetly.

“I missed you too,” I assured her.

May and Heidi both took a cupcake. They were all pink today. I’d used Skittles for sprinkles because Heidi loved Skittles and squealed whenever she saw them. “It’s like my birthday! But it’s really Vern’s birthday! I should save him a cupcake!”

I didn’t know Vern, but I nodded in agreement.

“You have new shoes,” May noticed. “They’re pretty.”

“Yes, I do. My others were too small.”

May frowned. “My feet stopped growing.”

“They’re supposed to. Mine did the same thing.”

She nodded but didn’t seem convinced. “Your feet may grow at night. Sneaky like. Without even asking.”

“Can we play soccer today?” Heidi asked.

“Of course. I want to see May show off her fancy footwork.”

May’s face lit up. She was proud of herself for the goal.

“Yeah!” Heidi agreed, happy to cheer her friend on. “Where’s your boyfriend, Beulah?”

Her question startled me. “My what?” I asked.

“Your boyfriend that came when I was sick.”

---