The Color of Love (The Color of Heaven Series) (19 page)

“It sounds delicious,” I replied.

“Where are your parents?” he asked.

I sat forward. “They’re both gone. My father died when I was quite young, though I didn’t know him very well. He was never married to my mother because he was married to someone else and had a separate family. My mom died a number of years later, but I do have some family now because I met my half-brother who was part of my father’s real family. Alex was a firefighter. Unfortunately he died on the job not long after we met, but I’m still in touch with his parents and his wife.”

“So you’re no stranger to tragedy either,” Aaron said.

“I suppose not,” I replied. “I’ve had to say good-bye to a lot of people, but I guess I’ve learned to focus on the good things, like my daughter and my job and the friends who love me.”

“Seth told me you worked in a bank.”

“I do. I’m full-time now and I’m hoping to get promoted to one of the clerk positions. Life is good these days.”

Aaron gave a half smile, then closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

o0o

I felt a little guilty as I stood outside in the private hospital courtyard, dialing Josh’s number.

Why? Because I hadn’t been chomping at the bit to call him. To the contrary, I’d been avoiding it since I woke up that morning and I wasn’t sure why. I suppose I didn’t know how to explain that I wasn’t ready to come home yet, even though we’d already received the answers we’d been seeking about what happened to Seth.

“Hello?” he said. “Thank God it’s you. I’ve been waiting all day for you to call. Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” I replied. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to call you before now. It’s been pretty intense.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

I switched the phone from one ear to the other and began to wander aimlessly up and down the gravel path.

“They’re still waiting for Aaron’s sister to arrive from Hong Kong,” I explained, “but earlier today the RCMP came to tell him that his parents were killed in a car crash two months ago. Can you believe that? How unlucky can one man get?”

“Wait a second,” Josh replied. “So he’s awake?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Obviously I needed to do a better job at keeping my boyfriend informed.

“Yes, he woke up at 2:00 a.m. last night. And today he found out that his parents died a few months ago.”

“Geez, that is rough,” Josh replied. “Is he doing okay otherwise? I mean, physically?”

“He’s very thin,” I told him, “and he took the news pretty hard because it was part of what kept him going all that time—imagining the day he’d be rescued and reunited with his family. Then to finally get here and find out his parents had been killed…? It’s hard to comprehend.”

I couldn’t even continue. The lump in my throat had returned.

“Wow,” Josh said. “Have you been able to talk to him?”

“Yes.” I paused to collect myself. “He told us everything that happened: that he was on the same flight with Seth, heading to Iceland, and the plane crashed on some uninhabited island in the Atlantic. Only the two of them survived the crash.” I paused. “It’s not easy to talk about, Josh. I’m sorry. But Seth fell off a cliff the first week they were there. Aaron had to cremate him. Then he was stranded there. Alone for a whole year.”

“
God
…”

I covered my eyes with a hand and shook my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t talk about it anymore. I should get back inside.”

“Sure,” Josh said after a long pause. “Give Kaleigh a hug for me, all right? And call back when you can.”

“I will. I’ll talk to you later.”

I quickly tapped the screen of my cellphone with the tip of my finger and walked back into the hospital.

Chapter Fifty-two

I was surprised to discover that Nurse Donna had gotten Aaron out of bed while I was gone. He was now up on his feet, doing slow laps around the unit with his IV bag in tow.

“Wow,” I said. “You’re stronger than you look.”

He gave a smirk which I was glad to see, especially today, after he received the terrible news about his parents.

I fell into step beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“Not bad,” he replied, “under the circumstances. Maybe tomorrow I can head down to the gym and pump some iron.”

It was my turn to chuckle. “Slow down, cowboy. You might want to start slow and work your way up.”

“That’s probably good advice,” he replied, sounding a little short of breath.

“Do you mind taking over for me?” Donna asked me. “Just stay with him in case he tries to overdo it. One more lap should be enough for today. Will you be all right, Dr. Cameron?”

“I’m good,” he replied, and I admired his spirit.

Donna left us alone and we strolled past some other rooms. “Some of these people look pretty sick,” he said as if he weren’t one of them.

I chuckled again. “Not you, though. You’re ready to hit the gym.”

“That’s right,” he replied as we continued down the corridor. “But I really hate that you’re seeing me like this,” he added in a quieter voice.

“Why?”

“Because you’re gorgeous and I’m moving around like a ninety-year-old.”

I slid him a playful look. “Are you flirting with me, Dr. Cameron?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I think I forgot how to flirt. I forgot how to do a lot of things.”

“Not everything, surely.”

He smiled at me and the lines at the outer corners of his eyes deepened. I felt rather captivated.

“Only time will tell,” he said.

We walked a few more steps. “If it’s any consolation,” I said, “I think you’re doing amazingly well and I’m very impressed by your…” I paused, searching for the right word. “Your resilience.”

“I appreciate that,” he said.

We arrived back at his room and I stood aside to let him enter first.

Glancing briefly up the length of the corridor, I caught a glimpse of Kaleigh peeking her head out the door of the visitor’s lounge.

As soon as our eyes met, she quickly darted out of sight. I wondered with some amusement how long she had been watching us.

o0o

That night over dinner at the hotel, Gladys asked me when we would be leaving.

“I don’t see the point in staying any longer,” she said as she raised her beer glass to her lips. “He’s told us everything he knows about Seth. There’s nothing left for us to do here.”

“We can’t leave yet,” Kaleigh protested. “We have to at least wait until his sister gets here.”

“He’s not
our
responsibility,” Gladys replied. “I’ll admit, it’s very sad what happened to his parents, but now that he’s back in the real world he’s going to have to learn to take care of himself, on his own.”

“I think he knows better than anyone how to be alone,” I reminded her.

“Well, yes,” she stammered. “I don’t mean to find fault with him. It’s a miracle that he survived and I’m happy for him, but I don’t see why
we
should have to stay. He’s not family to us and I need to get home. I didn’t think to ask anyone to water my plants. I should have given a key to my neighbor. And I want Seth’s journal,” she added. “He was my son. I should have it.”

“It was also Aaron’s journal,” I mentioned, “since he wrote in it just as much, probably more, from what I saw. I think the officers will consider it to be his property.”

Gladys rolled her shoulders and went
harrumph
.

Slowly, I reached for my wine glass and took a sip. “But you’re right,” I said. “There’s no reason you need to stay. I can book you on a flight tonight if you want, but I’m not ready to go yet. I agree with Kaleigh. I think it would mean a lot to Aaron if we stayed, at least until his sister arrives which—barring any unforeseen circumstance—should be by the end of tomorrow.”

“You mean I’ll have to fly back
alone
?” Gladys asked, sounding horrified by the prospect.

“You’ll be fine,” I assured her. “Just remember to take your shoes off at security, and when you get to Boston, follow the signs that have pictures of suitcases on them, and after that, look for the signs with pictures of taxi cabs.”

Gladys picked up her beer and took another swig. “Maybe I’ll just stay the extra day and wait for you. As long as his sister arrives tomorrow when she said she would. I don’t know why it’s taking her so long.”

Maybe because Hong Kong is on the other side of the world
?

“Whichever you prefer,” I casually replied, then I shared a private look with Kaleigh.

o0o

I couldn’t sleep that night. For hours I tossed and turned on the bed. Unfortunately I couldn’t turn on a light to read or watch television because I was sharing a room with Kaleigh and Gladys, and they were both asleep.

As a result, all I could do was stare at the ceiling and mull over the events of the past few days, while imagining Aaron’s experiences alone in the wild after Seth fell off the mountain.

I suspected there were many ordeals he hadn’t told anyone about—with disturbing details he didn’t wish to describe or revisit.

Thoughts of such things ate away at me and when I recalled what he’d said to the nurses about the likelihood that he would suffer from PTSD, I wished there was a way I could drag all the ugly memories up out of his soul, like a fisherman drawing a net out of the water, and take them away, even for one day, just to give him some peace.

Throughout all this late night pondering, there was still another burning question on my mind—a question none of us had dared to ask Aaron. Not even Gladys.

Had Seth uttered any important final words before he died? Did he live long enough to say anything about any of us?

Did he care about Kaleigh and me?

Had he
ever
cared?

Chapter Fifty-three

I slipped out of bed at daybreak and went for a run in the early morning chill. It was well below freezing but I had brought my winter running gear and my iPod so I felt comfortable once my blood began to flow.

The music and the oxygen to my brain helped to clear my head, and afterwards I was able to enjoy a hot shower before Gladys or Kaleigh even woke up.

We ate breakfast together, but Gladys decided to stay at the hotel for the day while Kaleigh and I returned to the hospital to visit Aaron. She was emotionally exhausted and I understood her need to have peace and quiet. She said it was like losing Seth twice and I completely understood.

“Has he mentioned anything to you about what happened when he was unconscious?” Kaleigh asked during the cab ride. “Do you think he went to heaven?”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “He hasn’t said anything about it, and I’m not sure he even remembers what happened. He has no memory of being rescued.”

“I’m curious,” she said, “but I’m afraid to ask him.”

“I don’t think he’d mind,” I replied. “He’s used to talking to people about personal things. He’s a psychologist, remember?”

She turned her head to look out the window. “I think I might like to be a psychologist someday.”

“You’d be good at that,” I replied.

“I’d like it better than being a cop,” she added. “Not that I don’t respect what they do, but it wouldn’t be my thing.”

I glanced at her with interest. “Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you enjoy it and that you’re following your heart.”

She turned on the seat to face me. “That’s good advice, Mom. You should make sure you’re following your heart, too.”

Just then, we arrived at the hospital. I stared at her for a few seconds, wondering what she was referring to exactly, then opened my purse to pay the driver while she got out on the other side.

o0o

With a little prodding from me, Kaleigh dragged a chair to Aaron’s bedside and summoned the courage to ask if he remembered anything from the time he was unconscious.

“No, I’m afraid I don’t,” he replied, scooping chocolate pudding out of a small bowl on the hospital tray. “When I woke up I was pretty surprised to find myself in this room. At first I thought I was in my cave on the island, then I remembered I was supposed to be on an iceberg. It took me awhile to figure out where I was, and then, when I saw your mom, I thought I
must
be dreaming.”

“So you don’t remember a bright light?” Kaleigh asked.

Aaron glanced at me. I shrugged, and he returned his attention to Kaleigh. “Are you interested in near-death experiences?” he asked.

She sat forward and nodded. “Yes. Do you know anything about them?”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ve treated patients who’ve had them. I would definitely categorize the phenomenon as something we don’t fully understand. I do think there’s something to it. We just don’t know what it is.”

“So you believe in the afterlife?”

He set down his empty pudding bowl and reached for his glass of milk. “I really don’t know, Kaleigh. There’s a lot of research out there on the subject, but it’s very controversial. I can recommend a few books for you, if you’d like.”

“That would be great. Thank you.”