Page 112 of Free to Breathe
Keene gives me the middle finger before he goes to coax Ali back into a better mood. I drop down into a chair and open my own card, and slap a hand over my mouth before the snicker can escape and draw any attention.
It’s going to be all about playing with the kitty for a while. Sorry, baby! XOXO
Reaching for my journal, I open it to where the peacock marker rests. Turning the page, I start reading, and suddenly, I can’t control the laughter.
This is the kitten checklist. If I’m right, can I have a real cat?
Doesn’t she realize she doesn’t need to guess? She can have whatever she wants.
Phil is rubbing the card (and likely himself) all over Jason. Keene is complaining about being traumatized. Ali is wondering why Keene can rock her world in bed, but is such a prude around the family. Holly and Em are trying to stay sane by scoping out hot doctors when they escape the room for a few minutes. Caleb and Cass are cuddling more than usual to bear up under the strain because today is bringing back too many memories of when she was a patient here, and Charlie is trying to get some semblance of order by bossing you around?
How did I do?
Seriously, y’all needed to lighten up for just a few minutes, and I just knew that giving Phil a card like this would be set off a chain reaction.
Consider this the meow effect!
Love,
Corinna
In case you didn’t figure it out, my love, stop reading. But don’t use my kitty to mark the page. It will just stretch it. And what good is a stretched pussy?
I’m laughing so hard, I can hardly breathe.
“Do you think we need to get him a doctor?” Holly says worriedly.
“If you go to get one, I’m coming with you,” Em replies.
Clutching the journal to my stomach, I laugh harder.
“Hunt, get it together! You’re losing it and scaring people,” Charlie barks at me to get me in line.
Just like Corinna said.
“Can’t breathe,” I manage to get out. “Knows…you…all…too well.” I flip the journal over and howl like a lunatic.
“Colby, are you okay?” Cassidy, sweet Cassidy. I spin around in my chair and grab hold of her. Just to offer her a moment of peace, I press the journal in her hands. “I swear I’m not losing my mind. Just…here. See what she did and you’ll understand.” Watching Cassidy closely as she absorbs Corinna’s words is almost as good as me reading them for the first time.
“Oh, Colby.” Her face loses its tension. “This is priceless. And so utterly Corinna.” Cassidy’s tension has been replaced with something different.
Hope.
“I know.” I accept the journal she hands back to me, sliding the peacock card in place again as a bookmark before sealing it closed.
“I’ve always said she has the biggest heart of us all,” Cassidy murmurs. Dropping a kiss on the top of my head, she continues. “How fortunate she chose to give it to you for safekeeping.”
“I’m not just fortunate, Cassidy. I’m blessed.”
59
Without You
“Scissors? It’s too big to get out in one piece.”
“No, not yet. I’m going to try to massage it out.”
“Seriously, Moser? Are you fucking kidding?”
