I always got dressed at the hospital, but I had to get my costume ready at home. By now, it was a yearly tradition for me to volunteer at the hospital, dressing up as the jovial fat dude who brought presents to children. I’d even dabbled as the Easter bunny a few times when their usual guy was busy, but I preferred Santa.
Something about that red hat, enormous belt buckle and the fake beard made the children happier than ever, and I loved seeking them shriek with excitement as I entered the room. With Christmas only a week away now, the kids were probably more excited than ever to see me wander into the ward, and I couldn’t wait to get to work.
I was about to put my costume away in my duffel bag when my front door opened and someone entered the room, quick as a flash. I realized it was Rory, and heat consumed my cheeks as I moved in front of my bed, trying to hide the Santa suit that was on full display on my bedspread.
“Hey,” she said, sneaking a look around the room.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.
“Not much. Sorry for barging in,” she said. “Your room was unlocked, and I just…I wanted to talk to someone.”
She looked so lost in the middle of the room, like a tiny glass doll in a huge store. A need to take care of her consumed me, and I smiled.
“Hope it’s okay,” she continued. “I know you’ve been really busy for the last few days helping your Dad sort out the insurance stuff after the fire. I just didn’t know where else to go.”
I tried to be reassuring as I nodded. “Is your Mom busy?”
“Yeah, I guess.” She looked unsure of herself, sidestepping from one foot to another. “She’s not my first call when I need to talk, anyway.”
I nodded again. I’d only been living with Rory and her family for about a month or so, but it was obvious she wasn’t very close with her mother. Anna must’ve had her when she was pretty young, and their relationship wasn’t as close as the bond Rory had with her grandmother.
“Anything I can help you with?” I asked, trying my hardest to cover up the Santa suit lying on the bed. So far, so good. It seemed like Rory was too caught up in her own stuff to even notice it.
“Not really.” She sighed and rubbed the bruise on her arm. “I mean, I’m fine, but I guess I just need someone to talk to.”
She sat down on an armchair in the corner of the room, and I plopped down on the bed, directly on the Santa suit. My eyebrows furrowed together. I was worried now. Rory was usually so happy-go-lucky, and I wasn’t used to seeing her this upset.
“What’s up?” I said.
She fidgeted, biting her bottom lip and staring at the floor before finally speaking up. “It’s Grandma,” she said softly. “She had another checkup the other day. We got the test results from the doctor, and they…aren’t great.”
I could hear her voice getting shaky, and in that moment, I didn’t give a fuck whether she saw my Santa suit or not. I just wanted her to be okay, so I got up and walked over to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder as I kneeled down in front of her.
“What happened with the results?” I asked.
“Well, it’s probably nothing.” Rory’s voice was so shaky it was killing me. I hated seeing her like this. “Just some discrepancies from the last time they took the tests...and she’s so freaking stubborn, she won’t listen to the doctors at all. She says she feels fine and that she’s been taking her meds, so therefore she is fine…but the results apparently say otherwise.”
“I’m sure everything’ll be okay. Tests can be wrong.”#p#分页标题#e#
”I guess…but I’m not sure. I think maybe she’s been forgetting to take her meds every day or something. I know I’m probably overreacting, but I just worry about her, you know?”
“Yeah, I know exactly how that feels,” I said. I really did. “Try not to worry, I’m sure everything will be just fine. She’s a tough one. Remember the way she lectured me when we first met? I thought she was going to reach across the table and put me in a headlock.”
Rory nodded, half-smiling and sniffling at the same time, and that drew the line for me. Without meaning to, I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. It was probably a huge mistake, but the way her eyelids fluttered open to look at me made my heart melt and my cock stiffen.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
I smiled. It was nothing. I’d just wanted to make her feel a little bit better.
Her eyes floated away and landed on something behind me. She only looked worried for a moment longer, after which her look was replaced with one of surprise.