“Girl, you cannot keep a secret. Spill it!” I’m waiting for the dirt, the juice, the 4-1-1. Whatever news she has, it must be hot. “Did someone get hitched?” I doubt it beats my surprise elopement.
Jocelyn laughs. “Only you are that spontaneous. Which is rather funny because I never took you for a spontaneous person.” She muses over her words for a few seconds and then opens her mouth to spill the secret. “Your hubby is coming today.”
“What?” She has obliviously lost her mind.
“He’s on the schedule. The whiteboard outside in the nurses’ station. You didn’t notice?”
I just got in this morning, and his name was definitely not on there yesterday.
“Why is he coming to my work?” The question is more for me than Jocelyn. I don’t expect her to know what the hell is going on. Although she already has more information than I have, and it’s pissing me off.
Her brow tightens. “Are you two fighting? I thought you’d be glad he’s coming by this afternoon.”
“This afternoon,” I repeat.
Occasionally we have visitors, special guests that come in like sports celebrities that bring jerseys to sign and spend time with the kids for an afternoon. Aurielo isn’t a celebrity. He’s not anyone special. I mean, he’s a mobster! What the hell is he doing coming here? How could they let him come into the unit without vetting him first?
Sweat drips from my brow.
“Are you okay?” Jocelyn asks. “I can grab you a bottle of water from the fridge. Don’t faint on me, okay?”
“I’m fine.” I’m not the least bit okay. “He just took me by surprise, coming to visit. Is he taking me to lunch?” I don’t intend to sound so damned selfish, but I can’t wrap my head around why he would show up on the unit for the kids. It must be to see me. But why speak with the dragon, my supervisor, and have it on the whiteboard?
“No,” Jocelyn says, and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “He’s bringing presents for the kids.”
What?
I’m stunned.
“Are you sure?” I ask. Maybe it was a different gentleman, but it’s not like Aurielo has a common first name.
“One hundred percent. He asked the dragon for a list of ages and any special requests. You wouldn’t believe how many kids asked for a cell phone!”
It’s hard not to laugh, the smile forcing its way to my lips. “That sounds like the kids,” I laugh. But it still doesn’t sound like Aurielo.
* * *
He may as well have dressed as Santa with the number of presents he lugs inside. He’s got two giant red satchels filled with presents that are wrapped, just like Christmas.
“Does someone want to tell him Christmas is a few months away?” I whisper to Jocelyn.
She shakes her head, a smirk on her face. “If I can sit on Santa’s lap, I’ll be naughty.”
I smack her arm. “That’s my husband.” And she had the same thought I did. Maybe it’s the red satchels that he’s lugging around, room to room, distributing presents to the kids that make him seem a bit like Santa.
He doesn’t have the long white beard, the belly, or the outfit. But I’ll give it to him. He does make the kids’ faces light up.
Dragon insists that I escort Aurielo from room to room. He’s not allowed with the kids alone, and I’m relieved that the hospital has a few rules they still abide by. Not that accepting presents from the mafia is illegal, it just has my stomach in turmoil.
As we round the corner after the first section of rooms, I grab his arm and drag him into the supply closet. I need somewhere to talk to him in private, and the breakroom is too far away.
“What are you doing?” Aurielo asks.
I laugh. Is he seriously asking me that question?
“What am I doing?” I scoff. “I should be asking you what you’re doing?” My voice raises an octave.
“Giving presents to kids,” Aurielo says. “I thought I might cheer them up. And show you that I’m not a bad guy.”