Page 32 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
Carter hooks an arm around me as we start walking toward the hotel. “Are you warmer now?”
Being this close to him feels like a dynamic sense of security. That first shot of whiskey, when the warmth of the alcohol travels through your muscles—relaxing them, quieting your mind, and sharpening your vision.
I have never experienced a sensation like this.
“I am,” I say, grinning as I stare at the sidewalk below.
When we return to the hotel, Carter walks me to my door.
“I’m glad we were able to do that.”
“Me too.” My nose is leaking from the wind outside. Embarrassed, I wipe it on my sleeve, which incidentallyis not my sleeve but Carter’s. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry!”
He runs his tongue along his teeth and chuckles. “It’s no worries. But you will wash it before you give it back to me, right?”
I turn to place my key card into the slot. “I was going to give it back to you right now.”
He takes a few steps away, putting his palms into the air in front of us. “On second thought, keep it.”
“I’ll wash it!” I laugh. “I was kidding.”
By now, Carter is almost halfway down the hallway. “Honestly, it’s no problem at all. I have plenty more.”
Rolling my eyes. “Ha. Ha.”
“See you in the morning, baby,” he says casually. Again, with thebaby?
“Don’t call me baby,” I call out, standing in the door frame.
“You like it,” he states before turning the corner at the end of the hall.
Chapter Nine
Carter
Rolling my luggage behind me, I squeeze past a group heading toward the escalator. The airport is busy this Friday afternoon.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out of my pocket to see my grandmother calling. I got her a cell phone a few months ago, but she kept forgetting how to use it. I wanted to make sure she was able to call me anytime, so I installed an old rotary phone in her room. Now, when she calls me, it funnels through the main line of the facility. This seems to be working better.
“Hi, Grandma. How are you doing?” I answer on the first ring.
“I’m okay. A little weak today.”
“Are you resting?” I take out my AirPods and place one in each ear.
She sighs. “I am. But I wasn’t able to make it down to the dining room for breakfast this morning.”
“I’m sorry. I know you like to eat with your friends. Can I get you anything?” I take a step to the side.
“Not right now. Maybe you could bring in some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups when you come on Sunday?” she asks. Those were her and my grandfather’s favorite after-dinnertreats.
“You got it. How’s your TV? Can you watch all your favorite shows, or do you need a different streaming device?”
I got her a subscription to every streaming service and even created a picture directory for her with the logo and which show she can watch on each platform. She uses it once in a while, but since her brain is deteriorating little by little each day, she hasn’t seemed interested.
“Well, I’m trying to watch Andy Griffith. It’s usually on at 7 pm, but it hasn’t been on for a while.”
“I don’t think they’ve made the new season yet, Grandma. You might have to wait until the new episodes come out,” I say.
