Page 106 of Boost

A smile formed with visible effort. Her free hand lifted with minimal control and knocked against her chest. “Mmmyy boy.”

“Yes.” My own smile formed as a loving sigh breathed from deep within Vega’s chest.

She glanced expectantly at the door. “He coooome?”

“No, sorry, he didn’t come with me today. Has he visited you this week?”

She shook her head and her eyes glazed over as her mind seemed to veer into a far away place.

“Greeah,” she slurred, and my heart ached a little when her entire body jolted unexpectedly to the side.

I was on my feet without thinking and supporting both her arms until I was certain she was stable.

Selfishly, I’d come here hoping to learn more about Raf as a person as well as what happened all those years ago, but it was clear it would have been both highly inappropriate and completely pointless. Instead, I angled my chair closer to Vega’s, and lifted a book.

“Would you like me to read to you?”

She nodded, but raised a hand to feebly point at the other paperbacks still on the small table in front of us.

“You’d like a different one?”

“Yyyyyes.”

Lifting both, I held them close to her. “Rrraaaaaffery,” she forced, and tapped the worn one.

I set the other down and smiled. Some kind of unspoken understanding formed between us, and I had the overwhelming urge to wrap Vega in a protective, loving hug. Instead, I settled into the armchair and opened to the bookmarked page.

I glanced up when I hit the third paragraph to see how I was doing, and saw her eyes closed and a small, half-smile on her lips.

I continued to read and soon found my rhythm, turning page after page while falling deeper in love with the characters and storyline.

Timeless minutes later, a quick tap on the door broke us from the fantasy world, and Vega’s carer arrived at her side.

“How’s everything going, ladies?”

“Great,” I said, surprised at how much I was enjoying spending time here.

“Doing alright, honey?” she asked Vega.

“Guuud.” She motioned at me. “She guuuud.”

Dechen set her hands on her hips and looked pleased with herself. “Well now, that’s what I like to hear. Can I get you both a drink? Tea, coffee?”

I hesitated, unsure whether to accept the offer. Vega’s hand came down on my arm with surprising force.

Dechen chuckled heartily. “Oh, shelikesyou.”

“You want me to stay?” I softly asked Vega.

She nodded and stared at me as if having an entire conversation behind her dark-brown eyes.

“I’ll stay,” I whispered to her, and then looked up at Dechen. “Coffee, please. Flat white, no sugar.”

With an assertive clap of her hands, she fussed with Vega’s cushions and then turned to me with a twinkle in her eye.

“I’ll be back soon with your coffee.”

Dechen touched my shoulder on her way past and lingered as if wanting to say more. Before she had left the room, Vega slapped her leg.

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