7
Once Liam and I sorted out the details of his final wishes, I began some alternative therapies to help relieve the pain and anxiety I knew he was feeling. I preferred to get the harder, more emotional stuff out of the way earlier on, because the closer we came to the end, the less coherent the patient got, and the harder they were to understand.
As I sat beside him with my hands hovered over his body, I closed my eyes. My grandmother taught me Reiki before she passed, and I used it daily on my husband in his final years. I’d placed crystals around Liam’s room to create a more peaceful space and played soft music all day and night. They were small things, but if I could make him a fraction more comfortable, I would.
“Reiki, I presume,” a voice crept up beside me. I was so absorbed I hadn’t noticed we had company.
I lowered my hands and stepped back with a nervous smile. “Yes.”
Liam’s doctor moved closer. “May I feel your hands?”
A shiver of anticipation rolled over me. “O…kay,” I stuttered, sliding my hands into his waiting palms.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how warm your hands get after treatment.”
“You’re familiar with the practice?”
“I familiarize myself with everything that can make someone feel better.”
I cleared my throat. “Well, it’s your turn now.” I pulled back and rotated to Liam, who was watching curiously. “I’ll come back and read to you once the doctor is finished with your check-up.”
Marc slipped out his cell phone and handed it over. “Put your number in my phone, and I’ll buzz you when I’m done.”
“Sure.” I hesitantly took it from his hands, entered my new cell number, then handed it back.
Marc slipped it into his back pocket. “We shouldn’t be too long.”
“Thank you, Cassidy,” Liam said on my way out. “I’ll see you soon.”
My phone chimed half an hour later.
Unknown: All done *smiley face*
Me: How’s he doing?
Marc: Apparently, he’s in no pain whatsoever.
Me: Well, he’s a big, fat liar.
Marc: LOL I know. I want to run some blood tests, so I’ll be back in a few days.
I grinned. It was nice receiving texts from a man especially a smart, charming, and handsome one. It may have been on professional grounds, but I sensed his curiosity.
I was flirting with the idea of dating him when my thoughts pulled me back to my night with Adam. It took me days to recover after that. Not only physically, but emotionally. I wasn’t built for one-night stands. It wasn’t in my make-up, and the embarrassing tear fest Adam had induced that night only affirmed it.
After reading to Liam, I returned to my bedroom to video-call Finn before dinner—our nightly routine. Through a terribly slow and unreliable internet connection, we talked about school, his friends, and how he was doing with his swimming. He seemed happy enough, which eased the weight off my shoulders, but I hated not being there to feel his energy.
In person, I could read Finn like a book, but through the screen, I was clueless. Who knew what was whirling through his mind? My father assured me everything was fine, but he was never very good with emotional support, so his opinion meant nothing.
He had shut down after my mom died and shut us out. Amy and I were left to fend for ourselves in our darkest time, and I’d never forgiven him for it. He knew it too. He was trying extra hard with Finn, and in some ways, I was grateful, because as a grandfather, he was pretty great.
My phone buzzed, and I picked it back up, assuming Finn had forgotten to tell me something.
Amy: How’s it going, sis?
Me: Great.
Amy: Any cute guys?