The orderly had disappeared, and the nurse put a hand on the child’s head. “Do you want green or red Jell-O?”
The girl’s face turned up into a grimace. “Jell-O is not healthy at all.”
The nurse chuckled. “No, I suppose it isn’t, but it's considered a clear liquid, and that’s all you can have right now.”
“Water is a clear liquid,” the little girl spoke as if she were a teenager instead of the four- or five-year-old person she must have been.
“Water it is, then. I’ll be right back with it.” The nurse left.
The little girl watched her leave, and her eyes landed on me. “Oh. Who are you?”
Cari’s eyes were drawn back to me as well, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion as to why I was still there. I didn’t know why, but I hadn’t been able to do anything but follow my feet and my instincts as they led me down the corridor after her.
“I’m…Cormac.” I caught myself just in time. “I knew your grandmother, or I guess your great-grandmother?”
The little girl ran a finger along the edge of her top hat, and a frown appeared on her face that matched her mother’s. They looked alike in more than just the frown. They had similar hair and eyes and lips. But the brows on the little girl were more delicate than the strong ones that definedCari’s face.
“That’s quite a nice top hat,” I told her, stepping toward the bed.
“Mommy almost forgot it,” she said with disgust. “And now they won’t let me wear it because of the stupid stitches.”
“It’s just for a few days,”Caritold her.
“What happened?” I asked them both.
“I got up to get a glass of water and slipped. It was silly.” She looked at her mother. “And it wasnotMolly’s fault. She didnottrip me.”
“Wow. Assuming someone dislikes you enough to trip you down the stairs is never a good sign. Who is this Molly?” I asked.
The little girl’s lips twitched. “Molly is our dog.”
I smiled. “Oh, that makes much more sense.”
Carirubbed both her hands up and down her arms. She leaned forward and kissed the little girl’s cheek. “I’m going to be right there in the hall for a second, okay?”
Then, she stood and stepped out into the corridor, expecting me to go with her. Which I did. I glanced around and found Marco several doors down.
“What are you doing here?”Cariasked.
“My sister is having a baby,” I told her, waving a hand down the hall toward the maternity ward.
“Congratulations. Shouldn’t you go back to her?”
“I was just heading that way, but you looked upset. I wanted to make sure you were?”
“Holy Moses,” the nurse said, dropping the water pitcher in her hand and sending its contents soaring across the linoleum flooring. She was staring at me. I put my hand to my self-chopped hair. I hadn’t grabbed my beanie in our rush out the door earlier.
“You’re…” Another nurse came out of the next room and stopped at her friend’s mess, taking in her shocked face before taking me in. This new nurse let out a little squeal.
“Oh my God, you’re Brady O’Neil!”
“Can I have your autograph?” the first nurse asked.
Beside me, I feltCaristiffen as I forced a smile on my face and nodded.
“Wait. Wait. Right there!” The first nurse went scrambling off down the hallway while the second nurse stood there staring.
In two seconds, the first was back, shoving paper and a pen in my direction, and Marco was closing in on us. I shook my head at him as I took the items.
