Page 101 of Sparking Sara

“What?” I ask.

“Early on when you were still sleeping in the hospital, the doctors told me you might be different when you woke up.Ifyou woke up. And I’m not sure I knew what to expect. But I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for this.”

“This?”

“You being a kind and selfless person.”

Ashley crawls up into my lap. I’m so glad they’re getting used to seeing me. I grab a tissue off the table and wipe her runny nose.

“I’m so sorry,” I say to Joelle as I cuddle with Ashley.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” I say. “I shouldn’t get a pass just because I can’t remember the terrible person I became.”

She looks at my head, my hair arranged to cover my scar, and then she nods to my left leg. “I think maybe you should. Listen, that’s all in the past now. You have your whole life to look forward to. And speaking of that, how is your charming fiancé?”

The mention of him makes me smile. “He’s been great. Did I tell you we’re taking cooking classes together? He felt bad that I didn’t remember how to cook, so he offered to learn with me.”

“That’s great, Sara.” She pats the couch. “Is he still sleeping out here?”

I nod. “I’m not quite ready to take our relationship to that level yet. He has the patience of a saint.”

“He seems like a really good man.”

“He is. He wants to take me to London to see his family. He said we would go every few months and that I really liked it.” I pick at the couch. “But I don’t know.”

“You don’t want to go?” she asks as Ashley crawls from my lap to hers, putting a sleepy head on Joelle’s shoulder.

I shrug.

“Sara, it’s a vacation, not a honeymoon, sweetie. Maybe you should. Has your doctor cleared you to travel?”

“Not officially, but I think he would. I’m down to twice a week at therapy now.”

“So there’s nothing keeping you here. A week or two away might do you good. I know you’re getting bored being cooped up here day after day. There are only so many paintings you can paint.”

I look over at Kokomo, wondering what I would do with him if I went to London. Maybe Denver would watch him for me.

As if my kitten knows I’m thinking about him, he saunters over and steps on my feet. I pick him up and hold him in my lap. Kokomo has no idea that he’s become an extension of Denver. Whenever I hold him, I think of the man who gave him to me. When I lie in bed beside him at night, I wonder what it would be like to lie beside Denver. But then I think of the man on the couch and feel guilty.

“And Denver? How’s he doing?”

“He’s good. He makes me schedule my therapy sessions on his days off so he can come with me. And when Ollie’s out of town, he comes over to keep me company, making me play games with him like the therapists do. He’s relentless.”

Joelle raises a brow. “He only comes over when Oliver’s gone?”

I don’t think she means to accuse me of anything, but the expression on her face says it all.

“It’s not like that,” I say.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I know, but you were thinking it. Denver just doesn’t like to step on Oliver’s toes.”

“Does Oliver know he comes to your apartment when he’s gone?”

“I guess he does. I mean, we had an agreement from the start that Denver was going to be in our lives.”

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