“Good morning, little one,” he said, and I could hear the bright grin in his voice.
He came in and locked the door behind him, then took me by the elbow to lead me back to the sofa. He fussed around with some bags on the coffee table, then took my hand, placing a large cup in it.
“Fresh fruit smoothie,” he explained. “You said you weren’t big on breakfast, but you’re healing, so you should have as many vitamins as you can handle.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking a tiny sip. It was so weird having the bandages dull my expressions, because my eyes would have gone wide from the amazing flavor.
“Wow, what is this? Papaya and… Pear?”
“And blueberries and protein powder, and some immune-boosting vitamin potion,” he chuckled, sitting on the couch beside me.
“I could get used to breakfast if it was this,” I said.
“Did you sleep okay?” he asked gently.
I shrugged. “Well enough. It’s pretty weird having absolutely zero visual stimulation.”
I may have heard him chuckle again. “Is it true that your hearing starts working overtime?”
I couldn’t tell him that my sense of touch was ridiculously sensitive. “A little bit. It’s sharper. But Gwen explained that it wasn’t actually more powerful, it’s that I’m focused on it since I have no sight.”
His heavy hand patted my knee gently. I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of happiness that he was becoming more relaxed about touching me.
“Just a few more days,” he said.
After my morning tea and smoothie, I stood up carefully, smiling as Liam immediately took my hand.
“Can I help you?” he asked quickly.
“Washroom,” I said. “I’m slow, but fine.”
“Okay.”
I noticed that he was getting quicker with responding verbally instead of automatically nodding.
Part of me felt sort of guilty that this nice man was having to learn and change so much for me. But another part was touched that he was trying so hard.
When I finished in the washroom, I came back to the living room by trailing my fingers along the wall on my left. Gwen and I had placed a piece of tape at the point where I was to turn right to slowly walk to the couch.
I could hear Liam laughing. “So that’s what the painter’s tape was for. I thought this was a weird time for you to be redecorating.”
Feeling my way to the couch, I sat beside him, grinning. “Gwen taught me a lot of little tricks, actually. Like counting how many steps it is from here to there, but never relying on it a hundred percent. And basic things like memorizing the button pad on the microwave.”
“Yeah, I saw that you weren’t using the kettle.”
I shrugged. “She taught me how, but that’s one thing I don’t feel safe about. Microwave tea doesn’t quite feel right, but it’s just one week.”
“I’ll make you tea anytime you like,” he said quickly.
I turned more toward him, smiling. “Thanks, but I have so little to do. I think I’ll make myself another cup to feel like I’m being productive.”
&nb
sp; His low, deep chuckle sounded incredibly sexy. “I could see that. Well, I’m right here if you need a hand.”
“Thanks,” I said, turning toward the kitchen and getting up.
Walking from the end of the couch to the kitchen was the largest open space. I felt the corner of the coffee table to help me picture the angle from there to the doorway before I started walking. It was only seven steps when I could see, but as Gwen had trained me blindfolded. Now it was ten smaller steps since I was much more cautious.