“Well, make it a reality. I need you to take care of you first. Then and only then we can really start tackling your hot-roommate-traumatized-by-your-bare-ass problem.”
I frowned. “I never said she was hot.”
“I drew a conclusion,” Cole deadpanned.
“So… about the present?” I asked.
Cole blew out a breath. “Something small and practical.”
I thought that over, a couple ideas immediately coming to mind. “That’s smart.”
“I know,” Cole said. “I’m devastating in both mind and body.”
“Goodbye now,” I said dryly.
He chuckled. “Goodbye, Addy. You’re welcome for the sage counsel. I love you.”
I cracked a smile. “Love you too.”
I grabbed my nearly forgotten ice pack I’d brought inhere, propped my foot on a mound of pillows, and applied it to my ankle. Or foot. Or whatever.
It was a complex injury, so Cole had actually been pretty spot-on in that description.
Leaning back onto the pillows with a relieved sigh, I started my research.
First, I sifted through as many articles about Parkinson’s and dementia as I could handle.
Once I was sufficiently sick to my stomach from all the terrible stories, I moved onto researching Ireland’s gift.
I needed to find something that would make her life easier. Better.
Something that would make her smile.
The problem was… I didn’t actually know much about her. She danced, rode her longboard, liked mustard on her fries.
None of that was actionable. Unless…
Hmm.
Two ideas struck me at once, and I made a note on my phone to research the first one later. Then I made a quick call to Jillie for the second.
I couldn’t do a damn thing about the tremors in Pops’s hands or the confusion in his eyes, but I was going to fix this.
People deserved to have their birthdays celebrated. I mean, I didn’t know for sure that she hadn’t had some kind of celebration that afternoon, but something told me she hadn’t.
Something told me she had no expectations for it, and that was what was met.
Small and practical.
Technically both of these ideas fit the bill, and since there was rain in the forecast the entire weekend and myankle was unsuited for walking, I had plenty of time to make them happen.
“Adair,” Jillie answered after several rings. “Everything okay?”
“All good,” I said. “But I need your help with something.”
23
IRELAND
