Page 108 of The Apple Tree

He nodded and began to wiggle out of my embrace, but I didn’t let go.

“I need to hug you for ten more seconds.”

“Daddy says I’m his favorite teddy bear.”

I hummed. “I can see why. You’re so cute and cuddly.”

Josh let me steal an extra thirty seconds instead of ten before breaking free and running down the stairs.

After using the bathroom, I shrugged off Kyle’s T-shirt and dressed in the previous day’s clothes.

“Good morning,” Anne said. “Thank you so much for staying.”

I smiled.

“There’s my girl,” Mom said, sipping coffee at the table while Anne pulled cinnamon rolls out of the oven.

“Hey, where’s Dad?” I yawned.

Mom slid Josh’s cup of juice closer to him as he climbed into his booster seat. “He and Gabby headed to church. I thought I’d watch Josh and the dog this morning if you want to go to the hospital with Anne. I figured you’d want to see him.”

“You did?” I said slowly while sitting next to Josh.

“Of course. You’ve been watching Josh for almost two months. I know you’ve become good friends with Kyle.”

Good friends.

With a tight smile, I poured a glass of orange juice and took a sip.

“When do you think you’ll be ready to leave?” Anne asked me, setting the plate of rolls on the table.

I gulped down my orange juice. “I need a quick shower.” I stood. “These look amazing, Anne. I’ll eat one on my way home and be back in less than an hour if that works.”

“No rush, honey,” she said.

There was an enormous rush. I needed to see my guy.My lover.

As we walkedthrough the hallway toward Kyle’s hospital room, nerves quaked throughout my body, and my heart raced. Whenwe walked inside the room, Fred was talking on the phone. He nodded at Anne and smiled.

“How are you doing this morning?” Anne stood beside Kyle’s bed, and rested her hand on his right arm, the good one.

I remained a few feet behind her, wishing I’d stayed home because it hurt too much to see his bandaged arm—scrapes and cuts on one side of his face—and not be able to hug and kiss him and tell him how scared I was yesterday.

“I’m in a little pain,” Kyle whispered with a forced smile. His groggy gaze shifted to me as if he just noticed I was in the room. “Hey,” he said, and his smile changed.

It felt real.

“Hey.” I swallowed my emotions.

“Mom and Dad said they can come stay with you after we leave if you need help,” Fred said, hanging up the phone.

“They don’t need to come. It’s just a broken arm,” Kyle said in a voice that sounded as groggy as his eyes looked.

“You don’t have to decide now. See how you’re feeling when you go home.” Fred tucked in his wrinkled shirt.

“Eve stayed at your place last night because Josh asked her to stay.” Anne glanced back at me and smiled. “Kyle, we’re so glad you decided to buy the place next to the Jacobsons. It’s like living next to family and having nieces to babysit for you and another brother and sister-in-law looking out for you and Josh.”

Kyle hummed, gaze finding me. “A niece. That’s …”

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