Page 63 of Because You Loved Me

Kiki smiles. “You have powdered doughnut face.”

Skyler giggles and grabs a napkin off the table. She wipes at her lips. “Now? Can I be in the picture?”

Kiki sighs. “I guess so.” She picks Skyler up.

“Scoot together,” Josephine says, motioning to me. “You’re not strangers.”

I place my arm back around Kiki, and it dawns on me that we’re going to look like a family in the photo. This makes my throat close. Courtney and I never had the kind of closeness that I’ve found with Kiki. So, why does she insist on pulling away from me?

After Josephine snaps a few pictures, she stands back and smiles. “I’ll send these to you.”

“Thanks, Josephine. We’d better get going.” I steer Kiki and Skyler toward the stairs.

“What’s the plan for this afternoon?” Kiki asks me after we’re in the parking lot.

“No plans. I’m just afraid if we don’t leave now, Skyler will eat all the doughnuts and won’t have any room for sandwiches.”

“Daddy!” Skyler says, giggling. “I won’t eat them all.”

My phone chimes, and I see it’s Josephine sending me the photo. I slip my phone into my pocket and open the car door for Skyler. She climbs into her car seat.

“Can we swim after lunch? Please?” Skyler holds her hands in a pleading fashion.

Kiki climbs in the car. “I can swim with you.”

“I want Daddy to swim with us, too.” She turns to me. “Please, Daddy?”

“Why don’t we visit Violet first, then we can swim. Is that okay?”

“Yay!” Skyler yells. “I want to see Violet.”

I turn to Kiki. “Would you like to come?”

“Sure. Can we go get some flowers for her?” she asks.

“That’s a great idea,” I say.

We change out of our church clothes, and I make us a quick lunch before we head over to the florist shop. Kiki walks to the corner and picks up a plant. “African Violets. This is perfect.”

I remember something Violet once said to me and shake my head. “She has always complained that any time she gets flowers, it’s violets. Her favorite are roses, and she never gets them.”

Kiki sets the plant back down. “I’m so glad you said something. Let’s get roses, then.”

We pick out a vase, and the florist fills it with red and white roses and baby’s breath. Skyler amuses herself by smelling the flowers that are at her level as we wait for the florist to prepare the arrangement.

We get to the hospital by two-thirty in the afternoon. We enter and the smell of antiseptic and alcohol fills my nose. I grab Skyler’s hand as we walk down the corridor.

I approach the front desk. “We’re here to visit Violet Williams.”

The woman, dressed in scrubs and with a severe bun, types on her computer. “Room 109.” She points. “Down that hallway.”

“Thanks.” We follow her directions. The door is open to Violet’s room, and we stop just outside. The curtain is pulled to hide her bed from the hallway, so I clear my throat. “Violet? Can we come in?”

“Is that you, Tobias? Come on in.”

We step into the room and walk around the curtain. Violet is in the hospital bed, sitting up, watching television. She picks up the remote and clicks it off. Her gaze brightens as she sees the roses. “You remembered.”

I set the vase on the table next to her. She points around the room. “As always, everyone has brought me violets. I’m so happy to get roses!” She leans over and smells them.

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