Page 91 of Through the Snow Globe
She opened her arms and hugged him close. “I’m taking him to the movies and then home with me,” she called to Diana. “You’re free to go off with your friend tonight.”
“Thank you, Joann!”
“Are you stopping by to see Linus after you leave here?”
“Of course,” Diana said.
“Will you give him a kiss from me?” Joann asked, her arm still draped around Dustin’s shoulders. “It’s been a couple of days and I feel criminal for not visiting.”
“I’m sure Linus understands. I’ll kiss him for you.” Diana grabbed Dustin’s overnight bag and handed it to him. “Behave,” she told the boy with mock sternness.
“I promise,” Dustin said. “Or I promise to try.”
Diana grinned. “Thank you. Have fun with your adopted grandmother.” She shared a look with Joann.
Joann shrugged her shoulders again and looked down at the boy. “We are going to have so much fun together. I can hardly wait.”
Dustin grinned, looking happier by the moment. “Bye, Diana.”
“Bye. I love you. Call me if you need something,” she told Joann. “And thank you.”
Joann let go of the boy to hug Diana tightly. “And even though you and Linus aren’t married yet, I’m claiming to be your mother-in-law.” She pulled back and pressed her lips together. “The in-law part always feels like a negative thing to me. Can we just say that I’m your second mom?”
Diana swallowed past her sudden uprising of emotion. “Sounds good to me.” She waved as Dustin grabbed Joann’s hand and dragged her toward the exit. Then she followed behind them because it was closing time. She turned the sign in the window toCLOSEDand locked the door. After closing out the cash register and sweeping the floors, she pulled on her heavy winter coat and grabbed her purse and keys.
The cold air nipped at her cheeks as she stepped outside. She stopped for a moment to study the tiny snowflakes that filled the air around her, holding out her gloved hand and letting the fragile flakes land in her palm. Delicate and lovely. The snow hadn’t stuck on Christmas, but maybe a white New Year’s would bring good luck.
Diana hurried to her car and slid inside the driver’s seat. She let the engine warm for a few minutes before turning out onto the main road that led between the toy store and New Hope Long-Term Care. She drove slowly on the slippery streets until she pulled into the parking lot, taking her spot right next to the SUV with the Rudolph nose still covering its hood ornament. Hugging her coat over her chest, she hurried inside. The tree in the front lobby was taken down now. The corner looked barren without it. Now a chair sat in its place with a small table next to it and some business cards from various shops and companies around town.
“Hi, Diana!” Ernest had on snowflake-printed scrub pants today with a plain navy blue scrub top. “Is it still snowing out there?”
“It is. It’s going to be a white New Year’s,” she told him.
Ernest chuckled as he pushed his mop forward. “It’s a small miracle to get snow around here. On Christmas and now New Year’s.”
“I hope it sticks at least for a day.” She walked by him and continued past the nurses’ station.
Meeka looked up from her computer and waved.
“Hi,” Diana said. Meeka looked busy so she didn’t stop for any more conversation. She just wanted to get to Linus anyway. She opened the door to room fourteen and turned inside, stopping for a moment to let her fantasy of him sitting up and eating Jell-O crash and burn in her mind. He wasn’t sitting up, eating, or doing anything other than lying in his usual position.
“Hi. It’s me.” Diana closed the door behind her. “Happy New Year’s Eve.” She stepped over to him and kissed his forehead. “That’s from your mom,” she whispered. Then she kissed his mouth, lingering for a beat and entertaining aSleeping Beauty–type fantasy where her kiss would wake him. It didn’t. “That’s from me. More where that came from if you open your eyes,” she teased.
She pulled up the chair and sat down, picking up his hand to rest inside hers. It was soft and warm. As she sat there, she told him all about business at the toy store and Dustin’s latest shenanigans, which weren’t all that troublesome. “He’s calling your mom ‘Grandma’ per her request. That woman is desperate for grandkids, in case you didn’t know.”
Diana went on about Addy and her phone call with Maria this morning. “Maria is doing well. She’s back to driving, which is huge for her. She and Addy’s mom are growing close again. I hope that relationship works out. Maria is a nice woman, and everyone needs family.” Diana squeezed Linus’s hand, willing him to squeeze back just this once. She wished he would stir and wake, even if it was just for a moment. She missed those blue-gray eyes staring back at her. “I never thought I needed family, but I was wrong. Anyway . . .”
Diana trailed off and waited for more things to say. It wasn’t easy carrying on a conversation by yourself. “Well, I have to meet up with Rochelle tonight for our traditional New Year’s Eve drinks. You know us. Any excuse to have a fancy drink, right?” Diana stood and leaned over to kiss Linus’s lips again. She lingered a moment, breathing him in. He’d smelled of pine needles once upon a time. Now he smelled like antiseptic and rubbing alcohol. She straightened and let go of his hand. “See you tomorrow, sleepy man.”
Turning, she headed toward the door, so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t hear the quick intake of breath and slight groan behind her. Everything in Diana’s body stilled, even her heart, but she didn’t turn. She was tired of entertaining fantasies of Linus waking up, even though she wouldn’t, couldn’t, give up on him. She never would.
The noise came again, louder this time.
Diana slowly looked behind her and gasped at Linus’s open eyes. He seemed to startle at her presence too. Diana rushed over, reaching for his hand and leaning over him. “Linus? Linus, are you awake?”
“Diiii.” He made noises from his chest, but his lips weren’t yet moving. His gaze focused on hers and she saw the flicker of recognition there in the stormy blue-gray oceans of his eyes. He was still there. Her Linus was still there.
“Linus?” She turned to call over her shoulder. “Meeka?Meeka!Somebody?” She looked at Linus again. “Stay here. Don’t move.”
