Page 148 of When Ben Loved Jace
“Allison made a casserole,” I say, taking it out of the fridge. “Isn’t that nice?”
“Very.” Jace looks more like his old self as he smiles, although the happy expression falters when he glances at the cabinet where we keep the aspirin.
“You made sure to clean up all the pills that I spilled?” he asks. “I worry about Samson playing with one. Aspirin is toxic to cats.”
I stare in shock. “You remember spilling them?”
He blinks in surprise. “Yeah. Did you tell me that detail?”
“I don’t think so!”
We beam at each other. His memory has been coming back in bits and pieces. This is encouraging news. I assure him that the pills were all carefully swept up long ago. Then I push the right buttons to preheat the oven.
“Go relax,” I say, nodding toward the living room. “I’m sure a certain someone is dying to get some lap time.” More than one person, actually, but I’m willing to let the cat go first. “We can eat on the couch.”
“Sounds good.”
I’m buzzing while getting our meal ready. The house wasn’t the same without Jace here, like it was missing a vital piece. Now everything has been made whole again. Including my heart.
Samson is still purring up a storm when I carry two freshly loaded plates into the living room.
“Between me and him,” I say, “it’ll be a miracle if you’re ever allowed to leave again.”
“I can think of worse fates,” Jace says warmly while stroking the cat. “That smells good!”
“It does. Do you want some hot sauce?”
He shakes his head. “Could you pull the curtains though?”
I glance up in confusion, thinking he’s had another memory lapse. “It’s the middle of the day. We’re having lunch, not dinner.”
“I know, it’s just… too bright.”
Light sensitivity. A common side effect. Jace didn’t complain on the way home, but he had been wearing his sunglasses. I hurriedly pull the curtains and switch on a standing lamp.
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah,” Jace says with a wince. “Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” I plop down on the couch next to him. “Although Idohave one complaint. Some people have to learn to speak again after surviving an aneurysm. Couldn’t you have chosen that side effect instead? I mean, you’re married to a speech language pathologist. Just think how romantic it would have been!” I grab his cheeks with a hand, squeezing them in rhythm to the words I speak in a lower voice. “You are so sexy, Ben. Please take off my clothes.”
He shoves my hand away and laughs. “You would have had way too much fun.”
“For real.”
He glances at the curtains. “Instead you got stuck with a vampire.”
“Hey, there’s a lot to be said for biting and sucking. If you feel up to it.”
“I’m definitely in the mood,” Jace replies. “We better change the subject or Samson is gonna get launched off my lap by a catapult.”
I grin and hand him a plate. “Better build up your strength. I have a lot of needs.”
“Thanks for taking care of mine,” he says. “I know the past few weeks couldn’t have been easy.”
I shake my head. “Loving you isn’t a burden. It’s a gift. Welcome home, Jace.”
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