“I always thought Nova was into the nonchalant type,” she snickers.
“Dean’s the type to have a panic attack if she doesn’t reply,” Rosalaughs with her. “He followed her here and didthis.”
“Guys.”
They look at me. It’s Nadine that says, “He got your migraine medication approved by OHIP.”
“That’s impossible,” I snatch the letter. It takes a lot of fight reading over the words and keeping head pain at bay. It’s true. Despite not having a proper diagnosis, they’re offering full coverage.
“Plan on forgiving him now?” Rosa pushes by asking.
He went to the extent of meeting with someone and getting this approved. They don’t do this easily. In fact, when I went once, they told me there was nothing they could do, and I had to leave with no hope. Dean, that romantic. He’s trying to make it up to me.
Let’s see how long he can be on his knees.
CHAPTER 32
Pretty freaking long.
“You’re caving, aren’t you?” Rosa bites a carrot near my ear.
We’re watching Dean clean my yard from our parent’s bedroom window. Technically, I came in here to look outside—for fun, you know, when I saw him mowing our front lawn. His tattoos are on full display and I’m proud of him for not hiding it. Over a month of observing his long-sleeved shirts tells me the muscle-tee is a big deal.
“Don’t you have someone’s heart to fix?” I groan when she takes another loud, aggravating bite.
“Yes,” she purposefully chews obnoxiously. “Yours.”
Pretty sure she spits out a piece of squished carrot on my shoulder.
Dean should’ve gone home the next day. He has work, his family, and whatever else he does when he isn’t following me around. But a week has passed since the initial shock of seeing him in my house. He’s made himself pretty damn comfortable. I’ve been ignoring him as much as I can. It doesn’t help that he’s sleeping in my room and Nadine’s is the one across from it. Every morning, we walk out at thesame time. He attempts a sad smile, but I huff and walk away. I almost gave in this morning when he tried making a bouquet out ofMaandTatay’sinconsolable backyard garden. At least the weeds look cozy for infested insects. In the daytime, he's in the garage. I smell wood, cutting, and large noises but I don’t peek inside. Rosa doesn’t share what he’s doing even though she’s been out there, and Nadine can’t stand the smell, but she knows too. He should be making a guillotine because if someone doesn’t feed my curiosity, I’m snipping off his head for hectoring off mine.
Mathis hard,Scienceis hard, and ignoring Dean should be too, but it doesn’t. Seeing him in Cornwall lights my eyes up like a match. You can’t extinguish this flame. He’s here, trying his best to be around the people I love most in order to feel worthy of me.
It doesn’t help that my parents and sisters love him. I told him Nadine would be the hardest to warm up to, but she proved me wrong. She’s been chit-chatting with him every night in the living room. Rosa makes them coffee and they sit around our coffee table and talk. Most times it’s about the lawsuit—still waiting on Mr. Cartwright’s lawyer to contact about the written will—other times, it’s about me. I sit at the top of the stairs, listening to Nadine and Rosa tell Dean about my childhood. I wanted to scream when they told him about the one time I hid a used period pad in my room because all the bathrooms were occupied, and I had no choice. Dean doesn’t laugh at it like my sisters do, instead I heard him say: “She has a creative mind.”
Not that anyone should consider hiding used period padscreative.
“Ma’s been telling everyone he’s your boyfriend.” Nadine joins the other side of me.
Rosa snorts, then wipes her mouth. “Tatay’s telling everyone he’s her future husband.”
I close my eyes, pray for patience, then open to see both my sisterslooking at me with ugly smiles. I’m about to reply when Rosa’s phone buzzes.
“Shit, it’s the hospital.” She’s already halfway across the room. “I’ll be back, one sec.”
Leaving Nadine and I alone, watching Dean.
But I look over to her bump. I’m curious if it’s hard or soft. If the little bean in there is moving, breathing, ready for this outrageous place we callworld.
“Do you want to feel?” I’m snapped out by a prick of a needle when she asks.
She lets out an airy laugh, taking my hand and placing it over her round belly. It’s harder than expected, but tough—strong. She’s been carrying a baby—my sister, my best friend—formonths. “I hope she’s like you,” she whispers.
That’s when the baby lands a redoubtable kick against my palm.
I look at Nadine with wide eyes. “She kicked! She?—”
Gasping, “Oh my god, it’s a girl! Does everyone know?”
