Page 95 of Sexted By Santa
“Well, I’m tired, and I thought we’d get dinner started so your dad can come home and have a nice evening without having to do any work. What do you think?”
Tori sighed. “I guess.”
“Are you still mad at him? You know he cares about you so much.”
She looked a little guilty as she sat up and pulled off the sparkly tiara, pausing to untangle it from her hair before answering. “I know. I’m not mad.”
I nodded. “Good. Because I gotta say, this thing you’re dealing with, the diabetes, that’s not the easiest thing to handle, right?”
She shrugged, casting her eyes down. I was starting to think Jaxson wasn’t the only one in need of a support group. I didn’t doubt he offered to talk to her and reassure her, but Tori was the one who had to live with a tube pumping insulin into her body.
So, treading carefully, I kept going in an attempt to show her I understood. “I’m really impressed you and your dad are so good at all this. You’ve done a great job today, checking whenever I ask without complaint. Thank you.”
Since lunch, Tori had checked her glucose monitor twice when I became worried about her lethargy and reported the numbers to me. They’d been within the appropriate range. She’d also obliged me by eating a snack and drinking juice to make up for eating poorly at lunch. All in all, not a bad day. And yet, she didn’t seem like her peppy self.
“It’s not that hard,” she mumbled, an edge of defiance to her tone.
Tori was touchy about being checked up on. I’d let her do her own glucose scans after she demonstrated she knew how to do them correctly, and she’d become much more gracious about updating me when I asked.
“Well, I’m new at it. So, I’m still glad you know what you’re doing. Your dad might kill me if I messed up.”
She smiled.Finally.“He’d totally freak out.”
“He would.” I laughed. “But with good reason. He wants you well.”
Aunt Henry swept into the room. “I found these darling hair combs,” she said. “They’d look fabulous with the silk rose gown.”
“I think we’re going to call it a day, Aunt Henry.”
She paused, casting a look at Tori, who was slumped against the arm of the settee looking somewhat bedraggled now that she’d taken off the tiara and smeared most of her makeup. Good thing I’d already snapped plenty of pics for Jaxson. I’d sent a couple with the last update, and he’d responded with heart eyes. Probably too busy to chat, which was a shame. He was always so flirty in text.
“All right, darlings. I supposed we’ve played enough. Let me help you get out of that gown, Tori.”
Tori stood and wiggled her way out of the gown as Aunt Henry tugged the cloth over her head. Her shirt came up a bit in the process, showing the pump, glucose monitor, and insertion site for the tubing. It brought into clear focus just how serious her condition was and how terrifying it must have been for Jaxson when she was first diagnosed.
“You’ll come see me again,” Henry declared as we said our goodbyes. She didn’t ask; it was an order.
Tori beamed at her, adoration already in her eyes. “I’ll make them bring me.”
The smiles on both their faces warmed my heart. Henry had never had her own children, but she was perfect grandma material. I didn’t know the exact situation with Jaxson’s family—only that they weren’t much in the picture—so Tori could probably use more loving people in her life.
In her hands, she clutched the box containing the tiara Henry had let her wear today. It was accented with glittery stones, and Henry had informed Tori she should wear it anytime she needed to remind us that she was a beautiful woman in charge of her own destiny.
Jaxson would love that, I thought with a smirk. Two strong, independent women were about to join forces. Jaxson and I would just have to hold on for the ride and let them guide us toward enlightenment.
Before we stepped outside, Henry pulled me aside. “Are you sure Tori isn’t coming down with something?”
My heart lurched. “Why? You think something’s wrong? Maybe I should call Jaxson.”
“Calm down, dear.” She laughed lightly. “She seemed a little flushed, a little worn out. Maybe a cold? Or the flu? Just keep an eye on her. It may be nothing.”
I exhaled, nodding. Right. A cold or the flu. Kids got that stuff all the time. No need to worry Jaxson just yet.
“I’ll take her temp. Thanks, Henry. I’m not exactly a childcare expert here.”
She smiled sympathetically. “You’re doing just fine with her. She’s darling, and she clearly likes you.”
“I like her a lot too.”
