Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jack
I took Hope to one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Maialino, which wasn’t far from the hospital. As the hostess seated us, she gave me an odd look. What the hell was her problem?
Hope picked up her menu and looked it over.
“Do you know how to read?” I asked.
“I’m seven. Of course, I can read.” She shook her head as she looked at me.
I couldn’t help but smile because she reminded me so much of Lorelei at that moment.
She set down her menu and looked at me. “I can’t read this menu. The words are too big.”
“Okay. Let me help you.”
Our waiter walked over. “May I start you off with something to drink?”
“I’ll have a scotch on the rocks, please.”
“And for you, Madame?” he asked as he smiled at Hope.
Hope looked at me for a second and then at the waiter. “May I have a coke, please?”
“Of course.” The waiter gave a small bow.
“So, what would you like to eat?” I asked as I set down my menu.
“Spaghetti with plain sauce.”
“Oh. Well, I’m not quite sure if they have that here. How about a spaghetti with clams and a white wine garlic sauce?”
“Yuck.” She scrunched up her nose.
“Okay. The pasta with the lamb ragu, tomato, and grana Padano?”
“Huh?”
The waiter set our drinks down and asked to take our order. After placing mine, I asked him about spaghetti with plain sauce for Hope.
“Do you have spaghetti with just plain sauce?”
“Umm. I’m not quite sure. I’ll have to go ask the chef if he can do that.”
“Thank you, and please tell him I will pay whatever it costs to make a plain sauce.”
“Very well, sir.” He smiled.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and started checking my emails and messages.
“My mom said that it’s very rude to have your phone out during dinner and that you should be talking to the people who are with you face to face instead of being on the phone.”
I looked up, gave her a blank stare, and slowly slipped my phone back into my pocket.
“Are you driving me to school tomorrow?” she asked.
“I suppose I have to.”
“Do I have to go to latch key?”
“What’s latch key?” I frowned.
“I go there in the mornings before school starts because my mom has to be at work by eight o’clock, and school doesn’t start until eight fifteen. The ladies there watch us until school starts.”
“I see. Well, I suppose you won’t have to go to latch key while you’re staying with me. I can drop you off when school starts.”
She smiled, and the waiter walked over and placed our food in front of us.
“One spaghetti with plain sauce for the little lady.” He smiled.
“Thank you.” She giggled.
As we were eating our dinner, I heard a voice behind me.
“I don’t believe it.”
I looked up from my plate and saw Coco and Garrett standing there. I narrowed my eyes at both of them.
“What are you two doing here?” I asked.
“We just came from visiting Lorelei and decided to get something to eat,” Garrett replied.
“How is she? We’re heading over there as soon as we’re finished.”
“She’s still very sleepy and not feeling good. We were only there for about fifteen minutes. We brought her some flowers,” Coco spoke. She looked at Hope. “Hi there, sweetie. I’m Coco, Jack’s sister. This is our friend, Garrett.”
“Hi.” She smiled.
“I need a picture.” Coco grinned as she handed her purse to Garrett. “Hope, do me a favor and go sit next to Jack so I can take your picture.”
“Coco, stop!” Jack commanded.
“Oh no, big brother. This is too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
Hope slid next to me and turned so she was facing Coco.
“Jack, lean in a little.”
“Coco, I’m warning you.” I gritted my teeth.
Hope looked up at me, smiled, and Coco snapped the picture.
“That was lovely. One more with both of you looking at the camera.”
I took in a sharp breath.
“Smile, Jack.” Hope placed her hand on my cheek.
I looked at Coco and forced a smile as she took another picture.
“Okay. Our table awaits us,” she spoke as she took her purse from Garrett. “It was nice to meet you, Hope.”
We entered Lorelei’s room, and she was sleeping. I told Hope to be very quiet so we didn’t wake her. She looked pale, and it hurt me to see her like that. Suddenly, I didn’t care about anything else but her. I didn’t care about the company, what was going on, nothing. I only wanted her to get better.
“Hope, come with me,” I spoke as we stepped out into the hallway. “We have to go home now. It’s getting late. I’ll tell the nurse to tell your mom that we were here, and I promise I’ll bring you back to visit her tomorrow after school.”
She gave me a sad look as she slowly nodded her head. “Wait,” she spoke. “Can I lay Luna next to her?”
“You sure can but make sure you don’t wake her up. Your mom needs all the rest she can get right now so she can get better.”
I followed Hope back inside Lorelei’s room, and she carefully placed Luna beside her.
“Now my daddy can be with her while she gets better.”
My heart ached when she said that. A feeling washed over me that I’d never felt before. This little girl, Lorelei’s little girl, was probably the most thoughtful person I’d ever known. Walking up to the nurse’s desk, I told Lorelei’s nurse to be sure to tell her that we had been there when she woke up. We met Tony outside and headed home.
I sent Hope upstairs to get into her pajamas. As I was pouring myself a scotch, she came down and sat on the couch.
“All ready for bed?” I asked.
“Yep. Can you read me a bedtime story? My mom reads to me every night.”
Oh shit. She’s kidding, right?
“Umm. Sure. Did you bring any books?”
“Yeah. I brought Charlotte’s Web. Wilbur just met Charlotte.” She smiled.
“Shouldn’t you be reading that yourself? Practicing?”
“I read a lot of other books, but every night, my mom reads me to sleep. She said it’s our quiet time together.”
This was something I didn’t want to do. The only thing I read was the newspaper or the internet. I sighed.
“Only a couple of pages, okay?”
“Okay.”
I walked up the stairs, and Hope followed behind. When we reached her room, she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. I looked at her and narrowed my eye.
“Did you brush your teeth?” I asked.
“Yes. Right after I changed into my pajamas.”
She handed me Charlotte’s Web and I opened to the page that was bookmarked.
“I’ve never read this book.”
Hope laid her head on her pillow, and I sat down on the edge of the bed and started reading from the pages. I had read ten pages of the book when Hope asked me to stop.
“I’m going to sleep now.”
I placed the bookmark on the page where I left off and pulled the covers up over her. As I got up from the bed, she reached her hand out and grabbed mine. I turned and looked at her.
“Good night, Mr. Sutton,” she sleepily spoke.
I stared at her for a moment as she closed her eyes.
“Good night, Hope.”