Page 74 of Healing Kiss

“Fine. There’s no need to fuss.”

“Yes, there is. You nearly died.”

“So did you.”

Hannah smiled. “Touché. Okay, point taken. Get to work then. We’re outta dishes. Here’s a towel. You can dry the ones in the sink.”

Lillian picked up the towel and rubbed her mother’s pretty flowered dishes, placing them in a stack on the counter as she dried each plate and bowl.

Don’t be afraid.

Hard not to be, knowing Tristan was in the past and the future was a great big unknown blur.

“What are your plans for the day?” Hannah asked when the silence stretched between them a little too long.

“Oh, you know, I may go to the park.”

“You went to the park yesterday.”

“I like the park.”

Hannah flipped the French toast and put the jug of maple syrup on the table. “That’s what you said yesterday and the day before. Lil, you’ve gone to the park every single day since you’ve been well enough to leave this house. It’s been over two months since you’ve come home. Don’t you think it’s time to try something a little different?”

Lillian shrugged. “The park soothes my soul.” In the park, she could feed the ducks and watch children play. She could eavesdrop on families and see flowers unfolding. She could close her eyes and feel the sun on her skin and tip her face to the sky to find faces in the clouds. For a brief time, she could avoid thinking about Tristan, wondering where he was and if he loved Angelina. Wondering if he ever thought about her as she thought about him—with a wretched loneliness and a terrible sense of loss.

Her sister raised her eyebrows and tossed her long hair to the side. “May I make a suggestion?”

“If I said no, would it stop you?”

Hannah smiled and turned off the burner, adding the last of the French toast to the stack on the table. “Of course not. So sit and eat and listen to your little sister for a change.”

Although she wasn’t in the least bit hungry, Lillian dutifully pulled out a chair and sat in front of the mound of food on her plate, and Hannah did the same.

“How many walks to the park will it take before you go after him?”

Lillian choked on a piece of French toast and took a sip of water. “He has a fiancée, remember? Besides, if he cared about me at all, he would have come to the hospital in person to make sure I survived.”

“He saved your life, Lil. He obviously cares. And excuse my bluntness, but it’s more than a coma putting that gloomy look on your face. You’re mourning his loss, but he’s not dead. Fiancée or not, why would you give up on him before you’ve told him the truth? I think he still has feelings for you.”

Lillian rubbed a hand over her eyes. “You didn’t see his face when I told him I used him.”

“I’m sure by now he understands the pressure you were under. Don’t you think you ought to try and explain?”

Lillian took a drink of orange juice, the sweet, citrusy flavor contrasting with the bitterness on her tongue. “Angelina broke up with him because he refused to be tested for Huntington’s and to have children. Then she changed her mind, and he had a hard time accepting it. I told him I could never be with someone who couldn’t give me healthy children. Now I’m going to come back and tell him it was all a lie? How can I ever expect him to believe me? I’m no better than Angelina.”

“It’s a chance I think you should take, Lil. Listen, tonight Tristan is hosting a large party at his home. I heard about it online this morning. It’s some sort of local parade of homes. They’re selling tickets to raise money for Huntington’s research. They said there are still a few tickets remaining.”

Lillian pushed her chair out and stood, nearly stumbling in her haste to end the conversation. Her heart tapped out a furious rhythm.

“Why don’t we buy tickets? They’re pricey, but it will be on me. It’ll be fun.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I’d like to see his home. I’m curious after listening to you describe it. I’ll get us two tickets, and you can show me around. We’ll make an adventure out of it.”

“No, no adventure. I…I can’t see him again yet.”Maybe ever.“Thanks for breakfast. I’m heading out.”

Hannah raised her eyebrows. “Just consider it. That’s all I’m asking.”

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