Brandon almost had to drag Levi from the hospital to get him to spend the night where he could sleep in a bed. “The doctors told you that nothing significant is likely to change. They’ll call if anything does. It’s less than a half hour drive to the hospital. She’s in good hands. You need some rest.”

“Okay, I’ll go with you to your place, and if nothing has changed in the morning, I need to go out to the cabin. I can’t leave it alone like that for too long.”

Brandon’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Why would you go back out there by yourself? There’s no reason to go out there. You’re staying with me while Grandma Daley is in the hospital. You need to keep your strength up and take care of yourself.”

“I’ll go with you tonight, but tomorrow…”

Levi didn’t finish his words. His voice trailed off leaving the sentence open-ended. Brandon saw the exhaustion in the dark circles under Levi’s eyes. He decided not to push the issue any further. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Levi’s shoulders and slowly led him to the parking lot.

It was already after dark. Brandon looked up at the sky only to see it full of clouds. It was impossible to see any stars at all. Levi looked up, too. He said, “It’s like they’ve all gone into hiding because she left the woods.”

As they entered Brandon’s cabin, he said, “Drop your stuff and get ready for bed. We’ll go right away. You need some sleep. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Okay, I’ll sleep right here on the couch. Will that work?”

Brandon sighed. “No, that won’t work. You’re sleeping with me unless you don’t want to. This is the worst time to be alone. That’s the way I feel.”

“I’m too tired to…you know, and I don’t want to be in the way.”

Brandon shook his head. “I’m too tired to ‘you know,’ too, and I want to sleep, but I want you by my side.”

Levi said, “Thank you.” He found his way to Brandon’s bedroom stopping by the bathroom on the way. As he started to undress, he said, “I don’t have anything to wear to bed.”

Brandon tried to avoid speaking in a mocking tone, but he thought it was a dumb comment. He said, “I guess that means you’ll have to sleep naked. I’ll do that, too, so you won’t feel so bad.”

“Oh, now you’re making fun of me. I’m so damned tired.” Levi stripped off the rest of his clothes and slid between the sheets. Brandon climbed in bed at his side lying flat on his back.

Levi rolled up close. Brandon asked, “Are you okay? Can you sleep? I know sometimes it’s hard for people at a time like this.”

“I think so, but I’m scared. I knew something like this was coming sooner or later. I know I knew that it was. She’s had a lot of bad days this year, but Grandma is more than a grandmother to me, does that make sense?”

“The two of you have lived alone away from the rest of the world for three years. That makes perfect sense. It’s not the same as my grandparents who I see maybe three or four times a year. It has to be completely different.”

Levi moved closer and rested his head on Brandon’s chest. “Yeah, that’s how she was before. Now, she’s more like a parent than my parents are. She’s a friend, too. She knows more about me than anybody else in the world. I’m scared that’s all going away.”

Brandon ran his fingers through Levi’s hair. “It’s all going to be okay. You need sleep, and I do, too. Everything looks better in the morning. It always does.”

Brandon slept like a log. He was startled at first to find Levi in his bed first thing in the morning. Levi lay on his side turned toward the edge of the bed curled partway into a fetal position. Brandon scooted up close and spooned his body around Levi’s. He hoped that the body contact would chase some of the demons away.

Levi woke up with a start and tried to push Brandon away until he realized where he was. “Oh, wow, I had horrible dreams. The cabin was burning down, and the woods was going to go with it. I was out in the lake trying to paddle away from the fire.”

Only half awake himself, Brandon held tighter. “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”

Levi broke free from Brandon’s arms and suddenly pushed himself up to a sitting position. He asked, “Have we gotten any calls from the hospital? Where’s my phone? Have you checked yours? We were asleep for a long time.”

“Your phone is on the nightstand there, and mine is here on my side.” Brandon rolled to the opposite edge of the bed and picked up his phone. “It’s only 6:30 a.m. I’m sure nothing has changed, and it’s too early for visiting hours.”

“Can we ride over to the hospital first thing? If everything is okay, then I can get back out to the cabin in good time. I’m sure Grandma would want me to do that. I need to make sure everything is okay.”

Brandon rubbed at his eyes. “What’s so important about getting back to the cabin? It’s not like you’re in the middle of a city with people ready to break in. It’s not like you might have left the oven on. What’s up with checking the cabin, Levi?”

“I just need to go. Where’re my clothes.” Levi gazed around the room. “Oh, there they are. Yeah, let’s get dressed.”

“Wow, you are jumpy this morning.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause any problems. That’s a good reason to go back to the cabin, too.”

Brandon shook his head to try and make sure he was awake. He slid across the bed and wrapped his arms around Levi. “Something’s up, and it’s not all about Grandma Daley. You aren’t yourself. What’s the deal out there on the lake? There are all sorts of rumors about it from Gabe’s crazy ideas about the Wendigo to people who think the whole area is riddled with ghosts. What gives, Levi?”

Levi breathed deeply. “Can I wait and show you? Can you come with me to the cabin after we go to the hospital? I think it will make the most sense if I show you.”

“Okay, but now I’m even more worried. You aren’t running some big drug lab, are you?”

Levi laughed. It was good to see him smile. He’d been intensely serious since his grandmother was stricken. “Okay, it’s about the art. I’ll show you. Okay?”

“Okay. If you stole the Mona Lisa, and you’re hiding it in the cabin out there, you’re on your own.”

Brandon and Levi weren’t sure how much Grandma Daley understood when they stopped in at the hospital. It looked like she recognized Levi. She mumbled something they couldn’t understand, blinked her eyes, and reached out when she saw him.

When Brandon said, “Good morning, Mrs. Daley,” she turned her head slightly in his direction, but there was no sign of recognition.

She looked back at Levi, and later he said she smiled, but Brandon didn’t catch it. After the first reaction to Levi, he thought that her expressions were almost lifeless. She lay back against the bed and moved her fingers on the right hand in a random pattern.

Levi said, “I hate to ask this, but can you wait outside for a few minutes? I’d like a little bit of time alone with Grandma.”

“Oh, of course. I’ll go get some coffee, and then I’ll be in the waiting room.”

When Levi joined Brandon in the waiting room, his demeanor was calmer than it had been all morning. Brandon asked, “What happened in there. You almost look happy.”

Levi said, “I feel better. I told her about you and that we were going to the cabin together, and she was okay with it. I told her she would be okay, and I said that we would be back tonight. We have to make the trip quick, but we’re both good with the paddles. It won’t be hard to get back to the hospital this evening.”

Brandon laughed. “I’m glad you’re not giving us any pressure at all, Levi.”

“I need one thing from you before we leave the hospital.”

“A cup of coffee?”

“No, this.” Levi wrapped his arms around Brandon and tried to avoid spilling the cup of coffee in Brandon’s hand.” He leaned in close, and they kissed. “Mmm, that was good. I need those regularly if we’re going to be together.”

“You won’t find me complaining.”