Page 24 of A Powerful Attraction
“I know. Just another reason for me to love you so much.”
Alex kissed her knuckles. “Get some rest.”
Moments later, he and Rashad left the room. Neither of them spoke as they walked quietly out of the building and stood under the overhang in silence.
“She’s going to make it, right?” Rashad turned to him, his eyes glistening with tears.
Alex stared across the parking lot, watching the people milling around. A steady flow of traffic exited and entered the building through the automatic doors.
He couldn’t answer Rashad’s question, because he didn’t know the answer.
And he didn’t want to lie.
11
Whenever Sunshine Volunteers chose the hospital as one of their locations to work, Sherry happily participated. Some of the volunteers didn’t like working at the hospital because of the antiseptic smell, and the sight of sick people depressed them. But Sherry saw the environment in a different way. Visiting the hospital was an opportunity to bring joy and positivity into the lives of people who were otherwise distressed by whatever illness forced them to be there.
Today they were delivering the flowers from a celebrity wedding. The bouquets had been table settings in the reception and all over the church, and instead of discarding them, the bride had donated every single one to the group. Taking them to the patients meant they could be reused to brighten someone’s day. They were also delivering toys, books, and coloring books to the kids in the children’s wing—all collected during a recent donation drive.
Sherry and Shawna covered the hospital, working two two-hour shifts, and Sherry started with the children. After the first two hours, they made their way to the cafeteria for lunch before getting back to work for the last two hours in the afternoon. At that point, they’d swap roles. Shawna would visit with the children, and Sherry would spend time with the adults.
After going through the cafeteria line and getting their food, they sat down across from each other.
“Hospital food has come a long way,” Shawna remarked.
“It has.” Sherry dipped her fork into a mountain of chicken-fried rice. Today’s theme was Chinese food. Shawna had chosen sweet and sour chicken.
“How were the kids?” Shawna asked.
“Wonderful, as usual. I’m always amazed at how much of a great attitude they have, you know? One little boy was so thankful for the coloring book I gave him, he insisted on giving me a hug. Even though he was in pain, poor baby. It broke my heart, but made me happy at the same time.”
She had been volunteering for years. Service had been instilled in her by her parents ever since she was little and joined them and other church members for the annual Thanksgiving food drive, serving meals to people who lived in the community surrounding the church. The bravery of the children Sherry met always amazed her, even back then, and how they managed to stay upbeat and keep a positive outlook in some of the most dire circumstances. They were her favorite group to work with because of how their little faces lit up when they received their gifts.
“Children are amazingly resilient,” Shawna agreed. “I’m genuinely surprised at how much strength they can have, but I think part of that strength is drawn from us, the adults. If they see that we’re positive, they feed off that energy. I’ve noticed it with my own kids. If Ryan and I are upset with each other or for whatever reason or not our usual affectionate selves, the kids notice. They’ll even try to cheer us up by climbing into our laps or doing something silly to make us laugh.”
Sherry listened intently to her friend, imagining the day when she and Alex would have children of their own. They weren’t long into their secret relationship, but it didn’t seem far-fetched to think about a future with him. She already imagined them married and sharing a bed every night.
They were in sync in every way, but at times she wondered if the speed with which they’d come together overwhelmed him.Shewasn’t overwhelmed. She’d harbored feelings for him for a long time, so it was a relief to finally be open about it.
She suspected he felt some of what she did. At times she caught him staring at her or sensed he wanted to say something but held back. One day he would reveal his innermost thoughts, and she would, too.
Her phone beeped, and when she checked the screen, she’d received a text.
Alex: Just left the hospital. Didn’t want to bother you. I’ll see you tonight.
She frowned. She’d wanted to see him because he told her he would be at the hospital to see his friend Heather.
“What’s wrong?” Shawna asked.
“It’s a text from Alex.”
“Oh, your new man?”
“Yes.” Sherry blushed. “I thought I’d see him before he left the hospital, but he’s already gone. I wanted to meet his friend, but I’ll have to do that another time, I guess.”
She’d broached the subject with him because he spent so much time at the hospital visiting Heather. She didn’t want to encroach on their relationship, but she’d followed through and prayed for her like she’d promised. For that reason, she wanted to at least meet the woman she prayed for regularly.
“Did he say why he had to leave suddenly?” Shawna sipped her water.
