Chapter 139

Dorothea left work at noon and headed straight to the hospital. Latham was already there, waiting inside.

“Dorothea, your husband’s inside, so I came out,” Lauren, the caregiver, said quickly, almost as if she was afraid Dorothea might think she was slacking off.

Dorothea offered her a gentle smile. “Thank you, Lauren, I get it. Go take a break p>

She pushed open the door to her grandmother’s room and found Latham by the bedside, a bowl of water nearby. He was wringing out a towel, getting ready to wash Grandma’s face.

He looked up and smiled. “You’re here p>

“I was just wiping Grandma’s face. Her skin’s looking a little red. The doctor said we can put on some basic lotion to keep it from getting too dry. I thought I’d wash her face first, then use a bit of the lotion p>

Dorothea paused, surprised by how attentive he was.

She reached for the towel. “Let me do it p>

Latham didn’t hand it over. He just bent forward and finished what he was doing. “It’s alright, I’ve got it covered. The lotion’s in the cabinet. You can take it out and put some on her p>

“Maybe later, remind Lauren not to forget after every time she washes up p>

The way Latham took care of everything left Dorothea more than just surprised. “How do you know all this?” she asked quietly.

He pressed his lips together. “My mom was sick for a while. I picked up some things then p>

Dorothea remembered that Latham’s mother had passed away years ago. All she could do was give him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry p>

He shook his head. “Don’t be. Life and death, sickness, it’s just part of living. My mom’s been gone a long time. All we can do now is be here as much as we can and not have regrets p>

Dorothea nodded and pulled up a chair, sitting down beside Pauline. She took her grandmother’s hand and spoke softly. “Grandma, Latham wiped your face for you today. Do you remember him p>

She leaned in a little closer. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I really hope you’ll wake up soon p>

“When you do, I’ll bring you home with us, okay? My job isn’t so strict with hours now, so I’ll have more time to spend with you p>

Every time Dorothea visited Pauline, sadness pressed in on her. Thinking about her grandmother’s illness always made her feel like the few lashes she gave Carola weren’t nearly enough. Honestly she thought, Carola deserved ninety-nine lashes just to make sure she’d finally learn her lesson.

The doctor came in, seeing that the family was present, and started giving them an update.

“She’s been recovering well today. Her pupils are still reacting to light, and sometimes she even blinks on her own. It means she’s still got some awareness, even if it’s just subconscious p>

“For example, if we shine a strong light in her eyes, she’ll blink. It’s a physiological reflex p>

He looked at them both. “It’s good if you talk to her as much as possible. Or, if there’s any happy news in the family, that could

Poke her up.

Things like someone having a baby,

or expecting another one p>

Dorothea’s breath caught. She didn’t dare look at Latham, and her cheeks turned

pink. “Doctor, is there anything else we can try p>

The doctor actually paused to think

about it. “Honestly, what older

people want most is to see their family grow, to see children and grandchildren But of course these things can’t be forced. Let nature take its course p>

As he finished, he shot a quick glance in Latham’s direction, then walked out of the

room.

Latham raised his eyebrows and gave a soft laugh. “Did the doctor just see you looking all awkward and assume I’m the problem p>

Dorothea pressed her lips together, caught off guard. “I never said that p>

“Come on, Dorothea. Your eyes definitely said it just now p>

She tried to laugh it off. “You’ve got it all wrong, Latham p>