I woke up to find someone running their fingers through my hair. It was a pleasurable sensation that brought me back to a time that felt so distant. For an instant, I was once again with my wife, enjoying those few moments on a Sunday morning where we just cuddled up together, savoring the warmth.

The fingers, however, soon proved to be different than those of my wife. It was a subtle difference, but enough for me to notice.

Finally, I opened my eyes. Reality returned a moment later.

Lauren!

“You’re awake!” I exclaimed in surprise. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” She was wringing her fingers together as if nervous. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something she could not find. A soft pink colored her cheeks.

“Were you just playing with my hair?” I asked.

Her cheeks grew redder. “No.”

I could tell she was lying. She had uttered the word much too quickly. Besides, she was refusing to make eye contact.

“Why…?” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Being alone for so long made me question everyone who tried to get close. This woman was up to something, I could almost smell it.

Still, there was a part of me who wanted to show her compassion. She deserved as much. Everyone did. So I took her hand in mine and squeezed it gently. “Tell me.”

“I don’t know… your hair looked so soft…” she mumbled under her breath. “Can we just drop this? It’s getting kind of weird.”

“Sorry.”

There was a moment of awkwardness that passed between us that made the air thick and unbreathable. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what. So I just kept holding her hand, rubbing my thumb along her skin. As I did so, I noticed that there was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was one I had not felt in a long, long time. A deep warmth that radiated through my body. Little sparks of electricity surged under my skin, creeping from my arm to my shoulder and then straight to my heart.

It began to beat a little faster.

What was this feeling?

“How’s the head?” I asked, if only to break the silence that filled the room.

“Fine… I can’t really feel it, you know, numb and all.”

“Right.”

“What happened? How did I get here?”

“I brought you here.”

“But… why?”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you on the pantry floor. There was so much blood… I thought you were dead. When I picked you up, you felt so cold…” My voice started to crack. I cleared my throat before continuing. “So I carried you to my car and drove you here.”

“Why did you stay?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“But I thought you hated me.”

I shook my head. “I know I haven’t been the most gracious of hosts…”

“It’s my fault.” She looked down at her hands, a frown etched her face. “I shouldn’t have imposed myself on you like that. There are thousands of single moms out there who manage to make it on their own. I didn’t even try. I just gave up. But I’m scared. I don’t even know if I can do this on my own. Each day, as the baby gets closer and closer… I fear what’s going to happen. What if I’m a bad mother? What if I can’t provide for my child? What if something goes wrong?” Her bottom lip quivered like she was about to cry. “I just feel so alone… I don’t have anyone to lean on. I don’t have anyone to call when I’m having a bad day… I just need a friend…” She looked deep into my eyes.

I held her gaze, her words touching me to the core. It was as if she’d spoken my own fears and doubts. I took her hand once more and gave it a squeeze. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’m here for you.”

She shook her head. “Why are you being so nice to me? I’ve done nothing but take advantage of you…”

“Forgive and forget.” I got up and stretched my limbs. “I’m sure you’re hungry. How about I go down to the cafeteria and get us something to eat? That way, you won’t have to eat the horrible hospital food that’s been sitting there for hours.” I jerked my thumb toward the tray.

“Has that been there this whole time?”

“Yep.”

“What’s that yellow stuff?”

“I think it’s supposed to be eggs…? I’m not too sure. I wouldn’t trust it if I were you.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Do you want me to get you anything specific?”

“Just some orange juice. I don’t care about anything else.”

“Hmm, easy enough.” I waited a moment to make sure she didn’t think of anything else before I walked out of the room and headed down the hall. Before I even made it around the corner, my phone started to ring.

Cruz.

“Hey, tell me you have news on Dean.”

“What would you like to know?” My heart stopped in its tracks when I heard a deep, sinister voice coming from the line. He chuckled. “Cat got your tongue?”

“How did you get my number…? Wait, how are you calling from Cruz’s phone …?”

“If you’re asking me these questions then you really have lost your touch, Franklin.”

My hand tightened around the phone. “What do you want?”

“You know exactly what I want.”

“I beat you once. I can beat you again.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“You’ve been in prison for the last ten years. There’s no way you’ve kept up. You don’t stand a chance against me.”

“Now, that’s where you’re wrong. While you were living the life of luxury with that cute little wife of yours, I was plotting. I know more about you than you think. Just remember that.”

Without warning, he hung up.