The Last Page

Chapter 32 #2

Henry nodded and guided me into my old high school bedroom adorned with Taylor Swift and One Direction posters. He didn’t make a smart little remark, just pulled back the sheets and gently guided me in there.

“How?” was all I said.

“You weren’t answering your phone,” he said gently. “So I looked for your emergency contact in your file—”

“Invasive,” I said half-heartedly.

“Hey, I’m the owner of the store and I’m checking on the wellness of my employee,” he argued. “I called the home phone number listed in your employee file. And Jorge answered and told me, and I quote, that you ‘yacked’ into the toilet.”

“Not the best wingman,” I muttered as Henry laughed. “That didn’t mean you needed to come all the way up here.”

“As if I wouldn’t,” he scoffed. “I know you, Carmella, and I knew you’d be running around trying to take care of everyone else. And I wanted to be the one to take care of you.”

“My siblings are still sick,” I whispered. “I can’t be sick, too.”

“Nah, you can be sick all you want, honey. I’ll take care of all of you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I really want to,” he whispered. He leaned down to kiss me, but I turned away.

“You’ll get sick.”

Henry rolled his eyes, pressing his mouth against mine. “So I’ll get sick.”

Tears filled my eyes and I tried to blink them back, surprised by how much his words meant to me.

I hadn’t really thought much of it until Carlos said it, but I did want someone to take care of me.

Bring me soup and tea. Press a hand against my forehead with concern because they cared for me.

I didn’t know there was so much missing in my life until Henry came and filled each empty spot with love and color and life.

Unsure what to say, I replied, “I’m sorry that the drag queens were mean to you.”

Henry smiled ruefully. “So long as you don’t mind my feminine hips.”

“One of my favorite things about you,” I croaked, eliciting a laugh from him. “Did all the drag queens get too mad to participate?”

“I didn’t think I was qualified enough to judge their auditions. Joey and Ameerah volunteered and Julie’s watching over the store. I raced over.”

“Henry,” I whispered.

“You should sleep,” he whispered back. “I’ll check on your siblings and leave some tea on your nightstand, but you should really sleep. It’s the best medicine.”

I was too tired to argue. My throat was scratchy and my bones felt so heavy. I was already drifting from the emotional and physical exhaustion of today, so I nodded and said, “If you don’t mind.”

“Assume I never mind, Ella.”

I don’t know how long I slept, but I woke to the sound of Henry’s voice. I sat up, taking in the tea and Vicks VapoRub on my nightstand. Maya or Jorge must’ve told him to leave it there.

I followed the sound of Henry’s voice into Carlito’s room.

The door was cracked open, so I peered inside.

Carlos was lying in his bed, still clutching that same stuffed animal.

But Jorge and Maya had joined Carlos, looking much better.

They sat at the foot of his bed while Henry sat in a chair, a picture book in his hand.

He was reading Llama Llama Red Pajama.

It was a book we handed down from each sibling, one of the first I ever bought at The Last Page. My mom had spotted it on the children’s shelves and assumed it must’ve been Peruvian since it featured llamas. We all grew up hearing our parents read it to us.

Maya and Jorge shared a smile as Henry started to do the voices, Carlito falling asleep to the lull of his voice.

My eyes filled with tears, because if I closed my eyes, it was like Leo was telling the story.

There were plenty of times I forgot that Henry and Leo were related, but so many times where I couldn’t ignore it.

Henry had the same cadence and inflection Leo had when reading.

He licked his forefinger when he wanted to turn the page.

I wished right then, if not for me but the store, that Henry would stay in New York.

That he would take over storytime and give to those children what he was giving to my little brother.

I didn’t want to derail his life, take him from what he knew.

But maybe this could be something new for him.

Wouldn’t this, us and the store, be a risk worth taking?

When he finished and shut the book he asked, gently, “Another?”

I pushed my way inside and smiled at my three siblings.

“Carmelita, you didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend,” Maya pouted.

“You didn’t tell us when you had one either,” I said. I approached the side of Carlos’s bed and murmured, “Scoot over.”

“She has one now,” Jorge tattled. Maya hit him in the shoulder and he said, “Well, it’s not like you won’t break up with him and get a new one in the next month.”

“None of them are up to snuff,” Maya said with a shrug. “Until one of them reaches my standards, I’ll keep looking.”

I locked eyes with Henry, who watched as Carlos climbed into my lap, snuggling into my neck.

“Feeling better?” he asked quietly, and I nodded.

“Much.”

Henry stood and said, “Well. I’ll leave y’all be. It was nice hanging out with you guys.”

Carlos sat up. “No way,” he protested. “Ella still has a fever.”

“We don’t want to keep him,” I said gently.

“Why wouldn’t we want to keep him?” Carlos asked, confused.

“We don’t want to take up more of his time,” I clarified.

“We’re not keeping him,” Carlos said, testing the phrase on his tongue. He turned to Henry. “You like being here, don’t you?”

“I do,” he said honestly. “But if y’all want family time—”

“I want something other than soup. Can you cook?” Jorge asked him.

Henry locked eyes with me. “I’m alright.”

“If you’re better than Ella, I vote you stay,” Jorge said.

“Me, too. I like Ella’s boyfriend.”

“Maya,” I admonished.

“I want another story,” Carlos said. He turned around in my arms and grabbed my face. “I like the way you tell them, but he does funnier voices.”

“What the hell?” I said with a frown. My throat was all nasally from my congestion. “I do great voices.”

“Yeah, but he does really good ones.” Carlos brightened. “You two should read one together.”

I smiled. “Someone’s feeling better.”

Carlos shrank back and started to fake cough. “Oh. No. I think I need to miss church tomorrow.”

I laughed and hugged him tight. “Pick out a book for us to read together,” I said to Carlos. He crawled across his bed to the stack of books he kept on his windowsill. He looked at each of them thoughtfully, occasionally flipping through them, just like he would at the bookstore.

“How’re you two feeling?” I asked Jorge and Maya.

“Better,” Maya said. “Still sleepy.”

“I feel fine,” Jorge said. “I think I just needed to sleep it off.”

“Thanks for taking care of us.” Maya turned to Henry. “And for all the tea you brought me.”

Henry waved her off. “Carmella did all the hard work. I should be thanking y’all for introducing me to Vicks VapoRub.”

Maya laughed. “Our parents call it their magical elixir. I don’t know if it’s a placebo or what, but every time my mom puts it on us, I always feel better.”

Henry turned to me. “How’re you feeling?”

Maya and Jorge had their backs turned, talking to each other. I didn’t want to worry them, so I waved my hand, as if to say “so-so.”

Before he could respond, Carlos thrust a book in his hand and said, “I want you two to read this one.”

I started to get up, but Henry stopped me. “You stay there, you’re still sick.”

“You can take my spot,” Carlos said eagerly. He pulled back the blankets and patted the spot right next to me as he moved to sit with Maya and Jorge. Henry met my gaze, asking my permission, and I nodded once imperceptibly.

I scooted over in the bed, leaving room for Henry. It was funny how much I missed this, even though we’d only spent a few nights apart. The way his body warmed mine, the buzz of anticipation, hoping he’d touch me somehow.

Carlito picked out a classic: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Henry began reading, handing the book to me when he finished a page. We went back and forth like this, trying to do the funniest voice. Soon enough, we had Carlos giggling while Jorge and Maya would share a smile. We fell into a rhythm, picking up where the other left off quickly.

“I take it back,” Carlos said once we finished. “You both are good at voices.”

Henry and I smiled at each other. I was in love with him.

Right here and now left no doubt. I loved this man who’d played football when he was in college and loved numbers more than anything else.

Who sped over in a taxi to check on me. Who did funny voices for my siblings while I slept, just to make them feel better.

“Hermanito, let’s go downstairs and grab a snack,” Maya said gently, snapping us out of our spell. “Jorge and I will make you something.”

“Will it be as good as Henry’s food?” he asked as Maya carried him out of the room.

“Probably not,” Jorge said with a sigh as he followed them. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at Henry once they were out of earshot. “You might be bigger than me, but if you hurt my sister, I’ll break your arm. I know people.”

“Who on Earth do you know?” I cried.

“Alex’s older brother is scary,” Jorge protested. “He boxes.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Jorge,” Henry said quietly.

Jorge studied him for a moment before nodding, satisfied, and closing the door.

Henry sat up and turned to me. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m okay.”

“I’d rather you tell me the truth,” Henry said. “From here on out.”

I wanted to blurt out that I loved him. That I really thought he should stay. That he wouldn’t be so lonely because he’d have me and I’d make sure he never felt that way.

Instead, I said, “My throat hurts. I still feel feverish.”

“I’m sorry, honey, what do you need?”

Just you, I thought.

“A world-famous Henry Martin grilled cheese might just cure me.”

He smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Anything for you. C’mon, let’s go back to your bed.”

As if I was fragile, he kept a hand on the small of my back as he took me back to my room. I slid under the covers of my bed, sighing with relief, and Henry sat on the very edge.

“You didn’t touch your tea.” He frowned.

“I wanted to check on the rest of the kids first.”

“I’ll make you another one,” he said. He picked up the blue bottle and said, “What do I do with this?”

“It usually goes on my feet, my chest, and back.”

“Okay. Turn around.”

I rolled onto my side and Henry lifted up my high school T-shirt until my back was exposed. He uncapped the bottle and began rubbing it into my skin, starting in the middle of my back. I hissed at the cold cream.

“Sorry,” he whispered as he made languid strokes up and down my back.

I closed my eyes at the sensation. It may have been the most intimate thing someone had ever done to me.

Softly work out the tightened muscles, soothe my skin, as if it was nothing.

Once he finished, he pulled down my shirt, and said, “Turn over.”

His gaze held mine as his hand slipped underneath my shirt, rubbing the cream over my chest. None of it was sexual, but gentle. I could’ve teared up at how softly he treated me, even though he knew I was strong. I already felt better, the cooling sensation taking over my body.

“Henry,” I whispered, tears brimming. “You didn’t have to come and rescue me.”

“We’re a team,” he replied. “I’m not rescuing you. I’m subbing in.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. Not a single other person.”

“Me too. I regret the fight I got in with Leo, but it brought me here. It brought me back to him in the way I wanted, if that make sense? I get to choose to be here this time.”

Hesitantly, I said, “Can I ask what happened between you two? And you don’t have to answer—”

“No, no, I want to,” he said. He studied me for a second before he said, “Scoot over a bit?”

“You’ll get sick.”

“If you have it, I want it.” He slid into the bed beside me and immediately I rested my head on his chest. It was better than any medicine or tea. He sighed heavily, wrapping his arm around me, and told me the bitter truth.

Henry pulled me against him a little tighter and said, “Even now, I’m so ashamed of how I acted.

It wasn’t that I hated the store. It was that I wanted to choose the store.

I wanted to be able to come back to The Last Page of my own volition.

I didn’t want to fill out the footsteps that my dad never got to walk in.

And you know, maybe Leo was on to something—because I did come back. And I ended up loving it.”

He gave me a sad smile and wiped tears away from his eyes. “Sorry. I haven’t even told my mom what happened. I’m sure Leo did, but I was too embarrassed.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest.

“He must’ve left me the store in his will because he knew I’d love it,” Henry said, looking up at the ceiling. “That I would’ve chosen this eventually if I could. I was just too young and blind.”

“You were a kid, Henry. He forgave you. He told me all the time how much he missed you. He knew that.”

“I just wish I could’ve had one more lunch in his office with him.

One more hug, one more word of advice.” He shook his head.

“I should’ve answered his calls. But the fight was overexaggerated in my head and my anger turned into sadness and I didn’t know how to handle it all.

Every time I tried to answer the phone or even call him, it’s like my bones would turn into liquid.

I’d lose myself in a spiral of depression that I couldn’t pull myself out of.

And now there’s nothing I can do about it except save the store. ”

“We will,” I whispered. “His magic will live on.”

Henry pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I wondered how the hell I got so lucky to have someone so understanding and passionate about this right alongside me.

“I think even Leo knew this,” Henry murmured. “But you’re the magic that lives on, Ella.”