Page 79 of The World She Never Knew Existed

She had to admit that she was still sore, and it hurt to move too quickly. Actually, it still hurt to laugh.

The nurses came in and unhooked Clara from the machines. They handed her a lot of paperwork that she had to sign.

“Your prescriptions for the antibiotics and for the painkillers are already at the pharmacy. You just need to pick them up,” the nurse said.

Charlie helped Clara dress and the nurse wheeled Clara out of the hospital. She breathed in deeply. She had missed the fresh air and the feeling of the warm sun on her face.

They stopped by the pharmacy to pick up the drugs. By the time that they got back to her place, Clara was exhausted. She laid down on the couch and fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up when she heard Zeke screaming, “Mom. Mom. You’re home.”

Clara sat up on the couch. Charlie grabbed Zeke just as he was about to launch himself at his mother, his face wreathed all in smiles.

“You have to take it easy on your mother,” Charlie said, laughing. “She isn’t completely healed.”

Zeke calmed down enough to sit beside his mother on the couch and hug her. Reno jumped into Clara’s lap and gave her several puppy kisses before settling down and going to sleep.

“Reno missed you, too,” Zeke said.

Clara looked up and saw Dillon standing in the doorway of the living room, smiling at the scene.

“Thank you for taking care of him,” Clara said.

“It was my pleasure,” Dillon said. “How are you feeling?”

“I hurt, but I’m a lot better now that I’m out of the hospital,” she said.

There was an awkward silence between them and then Clara said, “Charlie is going to order some Chinese food. Why don’t you stay for dinner?”

“Yeah, you should stay. Then I can show you how I can eat with the chopsticks,” Zeke said. “I do a good job.”

“I bet that you do,” Dillon said. “But I have some things that I need to take care of tonight. We’ll have dinner together another time.”

“Okay,” Zeke said, clearly disappointed.

Clara had to admit that she was disappointed, too.

Dillon walked over to Clara and kissed her on the cheek.

“Call me if you need anything,” he said, and then he turned and walked away.

Charlie looked at Clara as if she was urging Clara to go after him.

“Why?” Charlie asked.

“I don’t know,” Clara said miserably. “What if he has changed his mind?”

“You need to pull your head out of the sand. The man clearly loves you,” Charlie said.

“Of course, Dillon loves Mom. He saved her,” Zeke declared, matter of factly.

Clara sighed heavily. She would have to sort everything out sooner or later. Right now, though, she was just tired.

Later that evening, after dinner and a very competitive game ofMonopoly, Clara and Zeke read together. That simple act was an incredible feeling.

One of many things that I will never take for granted ever again,Clara thought.

Clara and Charlie settled in the living room. After a few minutes of silence, Charlie said, “I have some news.”

---