“One of each. Romeo and Juliet.”
“I remember them now. Maybe all I need is a little push. Call her and give me the phone.”
He did and walked over to smell the flowers perfuming the room. Ana had to reassure Fatima several times, but eventually convinced her she was doing well. She promised to call her every day.
He came back to the bed to take the phone. “Can you smell the flowers? Santos Aragon sent pink roses and carnations. Do you know him well?”
A bright blush filled her cheeks. “Santos? That’s a long story, and I’d fall asleep before I finished.”
“So you do remember him?” He hated himself for asking about Santos when the story was clearly more than he wished to hear.
She licked her lips. “I remember you. Is there some water?” He held the cup, and she drank from the straw. “Thank you. Don’t you have to be somewhere?”
He set the cup on the nightstand and took her hand. “I’ve finished most of what I had to do for the university.”
“You should go finish the rest,” she mumbled sleepily. “Did you say you brought me flowers?”
“Yellow roses.” He pulled one from the vase and gave it to her. “Can you smell it?”
“I love yellow roses.” She brushed it against her cheek. “I’d like to go to sleep. You needn’t sit and watch. Come back later, if you like.”
Being casually dismissed hurt, but he did have things that had to be done. First of all, he’d buy her a wedding ring.
It was after two when he returned with fresh strawberries and peaches she could eat without needing a bowl or spoon. “I washed them. Try a strawberry and tell me how it tastes.”
She rolled a strawberry from the container between her fingers and bit off the pointed tip. She licked juice from her lips. “This is delicious. Thank you for bringing them. Maybe I’ll feel like eating more later.”
He put the fruit on the rolling table at the end of her bed. “I’ll bring anything you’d like.”
“You’re so sweet, but I just don’t feel like eating. I’ll be better tomorrow.”
Alejandro feared it might take much longer for her to feel like herself. He pulled the plain gold band from his pocket and slid it on her finger. He’d guessed at her size, and luckily, it fit perfectly. “We hadn’t told anyone we’d gotten married, so you weren’t wearing your ring.”
She twisted it on her finger. “How could I have forgotten getting married? Did we take photos?”
She had him there. “No, we intended to have a proper wedding later. Can you remember going to the memorial for Jaime?”
She closed her eyes. “Maja said this is Sunday, and I try to count back, but my thoughts won’t go in a straight line.”
“Please don’t worry.” He kissed her forehead but hid how frightened he’d been, and still was.
Lieutenant Montoya rapped lightly on the door and looked in. “Good, you’re both here.”
Ana looked up at Alejandro with a fearful gaze. “It’s Lieutenant Montoya, Ana,” he responded. He held her hand to cover the ring. “I hope you’ve no more questions.”
Montoya gave an apologetic nod. “It’s an inopportune time, I know, but things must be covered. Can you tell me something about the accident? Were you being followed? Did Mr. Maxim turn to escape a pursuit?”
Tears filled Ana’s eyes. “I don’t know what happened. You’ll have to ask Gian Carlo.”
“I’m so sorry to upset you, but we’ve been unable to locate him,” Montoya replied. “His MG is totaled, and he must provide an accident report, but he left the scene of the accident in the ambulance with you and has disappeared.”
“He hasn’t disappeared,” Alejandro countered. “He was here at the hospital until Ana got out of surgery. He didn’t mention being chased. He would have told me had it happened.”
Montoya took out his notebook and pen. “When did you last see him?”
“I was trying not to look at the clock, but it was late last night. I thought he’d gone home.”
“He didn’t return home last night.”