Angel of Mine (7 page)

Satisfying at least part of her curiosity, I tell her, “I first saw him at the park about a week and a half ago. He just moved here, and we have run into each other a couple of times now. I bumped into him on my way to the mall, and we went for coffee.”

My cheeks heat as I think about how close we literally came to bumping into each other, and just the thought of how close we were sends tingles through my body once again.
Get a grip Ally; you’re in a hospital bed, for heaven’s sakes, talking to your mother. You’re getting all hot and bothered over a boy. So not appropriate
.

As I cough to mask my discomfort my mum asks, “Did he see?” I need no clarification to understand what she is asking me. I instantly know because we have been through this enough.

“I trust him. He even went to the lengths to tell the lady I helped a cover story so that she wasn’t suspicious. He says he won’t tell, and I believe him. Everything is going to be okay.”

She looks at me trying to decide whether I’m telling the truth. I must have convinced her because she nods her head and responds, “Okay honey, I believe you. I’m still not happy about it, but I do trust your judgment. Get some rest and later we will talk some more.”

Just then, Theo pops his head back in the room to let me know he doesn’t want to intrude and is heading home. He seems nervous as he looks back and forth between my mum and me. “Um, I ah, I wrote down my number for you. Would you call me when you are up to it and let me know that you have recovered?”

Taking the small piece of paper from his hands, I smile and tell him I will. Mum must pick up that he feels awkward, and I could hug her when she relieves his unease by saying, “Thank you for taking such good care of my baby.”

He lets out a jittery, “Anytime,” and with a small wave of his hand, he steps out of the room. Mum settles back down beside me, and I close my eyes once again.

The next morning, I wake up in my own bed feeling much better and decide to give Theo a call. I owe him an explanation, and a massive thank you at the least. He seemed eager to see that I was okay with his own eyes, and I agreed to meet him at our spot at the park.

I dress in a cute little yellow sundress that Mum says brings out my eyes, and try to brush the hair over my forehead in a way that will hide the nasty looking mark there.

As I approach, I spot him under the oak tree where I first met him, watching me as I make my way over. He reaches for my hand as I get near. I take it and let him pull me into him for a quick hug. “Hey you.”

I step back and look up at him, “Hey. It’s great to see you. Thank you so much for all of your help the other day.”

He looks at me intently, “Of course, you didn’t even have to ask.”

Deciding not to leave him in suspense any longer, I declare, “I have something I need to show you.” He looks at me expectantly as I gather my thoughts and try to work out the best way to explain.

I survey my surroundings, trying to find something that will help do the job. Dry leaves crunch under my feet after a summer of minimal rainstorms. Autumn colours litter the landscape as far as the eye can see. Finally, I find what I am looking for. Although a little shrivelled, this little flower is the one rare spot of colour and beauty standing out against its dismal background.

“Pass me your water bottle please.” Dutifully he passes it over, and I unscrew the top to get it ready. Already knowing the outcome of this little experiment, I want that water available to me straight away.

“Don’t take your eyes off the flower.” He nods and looks to where the depleted lily is situated. Slowly raising my hand, I crouch and move it over the petals in deliberate circles.

Tingles start travelling through my fingertips as they heat up. A slight glow illuminates around my hands, and that familiar blissful feeling flows through my veins. A smile creeps over my lips, and I am enraptured as the flower comes back to life before our eyes. With no more brown edges taking over the petals, they are now full of colour and perfect. This never gets old to me.

Hearing a gasp beside me, I am helpless to pay it any attention yet. My lips tighten as they begin to crack, and dryness overtakes my throat. Unable to swallow, I cough weakly and lift the water up to my mouth, drinking it in greedy gulps.

“Ally, what just happened? Are you okay? Did you do that?” He fires question after question, and I lift my hand up to halt him.

I give another cough and attempt to speak, my voice coming out raspy. “I’m fine, just a bit dehydrated after healing that flower.”

His eyes are wide, but I can tell it’s not from fear; there is a look of pure adoration in them. “Wow. How? Why?” He stumbles over his words.

“I’m not sure how or why. I’ve just been able to do it ever since I was little. The first time we discovered it was when I was about five years old. A family friend fell off the swing at the park. It gave Mum and her friend the shock of their lives when, all of a sudden, it was me with the broken arm instead of him.”

Shaking his head, he looks unbelieving even though he has seen it with his own eyes twice now. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me, every time you somehow magically heal someone, you get all their problems?”

“Yes, I’ve never been able to find a way around that part of the gift.” It feels strange to be able to talk to someone other than Mum about this after all these years, but for some reason unbeknown to me, I trust him.

“Why do you do it then? I mean if it keeps hurting you, doesn’t that hold you back?”

“There’s a feeling I get inside that compels me to help. I don’t even think about how it will affect me. I think it’s just a part of having the ability.” Theo is quiet a minute as he scrutinizes the flower and sorts through his thoughts.

After a minute, he plucks the flower and tucks it behind my ear. Picking up my hands in his own, he lightly massages them. He then lifts them up to his lips, placing a brief, soft kiss on both of them before letting me know what’s on his mind.

His sweet words come out in hushed tones right beside my ear. “Not only are you caring, but you’re also selfless. Your love knows no bounds even to complete strangers. You are phenomenal, like a beautiful angel sent from above, to make this world a better place.” He pulls back to look at me before continuing, “But who looks out for you Ally? I didn’t like seeing you hurt yesterday.” His words completely endear me to him.

My pulse is hammering away in my chest, and my sight locks on his lips, mesmerized by them. I can’t believe a boy just kissed me, even though it was just on my hands.

He lifts one hand to brush the hair gently away from the stitches on my face. “I don’t want something like this to happen again. I won’t let something like this happen again.” He skims his lips across the spot just above the gash, and I melt into him.

He doesn’t hesitate in wrapping his arms around me, and I nuzzle in, breathing the clean scent of his shirt. “Thank you,” I whisper, swaying on my feet. I’m a little dizzy and not sure if it’s from his flattering comments or if I just need more rest after my ordeal yesterday and the extreme dehydration that I just experienced.

Pulling me tighter to him and holding me up right, he orders, “You’re dead on your feet after all you’ve been through. Come on. Let’s get you home.

My phone ringing from my bedside table wakes me this morning. Annoyed that I forgot to put it on silent before bed, I roll over and glare at it. The ringing stops, saving me from throwing it across the room. My sight moves to my alarm clock that reads 8:00.

Sitting up, I rub the sleep from my eyes. My hot pink walls irritate me, and I wonder why I ever thought this colour was a fantastic idea. The mural of the sun and sparkly butterflies mock me even further. It is way too early to be looking at something so bright, and I realize that I seriously need to redecorate.

When I yawn and go to stretch, my phone rings again; I flop back into the mountain of pillows that surround me and then reach across for it. Theo’s name flashes across the screen. Barely stopping myself from jumping up in anticipation, I manage to hold myself at a sitting position with only a few bounces on the spot instead.

I take a deep breath to calm my increasingly racing heart before answering with a timid, “Hello?”

My nails quickly find their way to my mouth and I chew like crazy, waiting to hear what he wants. His familiar deep voice rumbles across the line. “Hi Ally. It’s Theo. How are you feeling today?”

Instantly better now that you’ve called. Your voice has brightened my whole day.
Those are the first things that come to mind, but I go with a safe approach and say, “I’m doing much better today. Thank you.”

“That’s great Ally.” He must have moved his mouth away from the phone because I hear the muffled clearing of his throat. “I was hoping you might be up for a picnic today. I’d like to take you on a date.”

My bouncing gets higher as my excitement builds, and I accidentally fall off the bed with a loud crash onto the hard wooden floor.
Whoops.
“Ally, what was that? Are you okay? Ally?”

Scrambling back on to the bed, I lie so that I don’t look like a fool. “I’m fine… Uh, I just dropped something by accident.” My voice is a little jumpy, and I take a deep breath to try to steady it. “A picnic sounds lovely. What time? Should I meet you there? Would you like me to bring anything?”

“I’ll take care of everything and will pick you up from your place around midday, if that’s okay?”

Glancing at the clock again, I mentally calculate how long that gives me to get ready.
Hmm, just under four hours should be plenty of time.
“That will be perfect. I’ll see you soon Theo.” After he says good-bye and we hang up, I make a mad dash to my closet.

Searching for something to wear on my first real date makes me wish I had a close girlfriend to help with times just like this. I don’t get too depressed in the thought though because I’m too ecstatic that Theo asked me out.

I yank a sundress off the hanger thinking that the colour of it is a perfect match to Theo’s eyes, and scan my shelves to locate some black tights to wear underneath it. Once found, I lay the outfit down on my bed, and head for the bathroom to get ready.

Taking my time, I wash my hair in my vanilla shampoo and conditioner. All my favourite lotions and potions help make my skin smell delicious and feel soft and smooth. Once I’ve done a thorough job, I step out of the shower and sink my feet on to the woollen rug in front of the mirror.

Wanting not to go over the top but still look nice, I pull out my hair dryer, foundation, mascara, and lip-gloss and get to work. I’m happy with the result, and think I look pretty, but not too made up.

The sounds from the TV out in the lounge make me remember that I haven’t told Mum I’m heading out for lunch yet. She lifts her head as I enter the room. “You look dressed up Ally. Are you going out somewhere?”

My smile is so wide that my face actually hurts. I nod my head. “I have a date.”

Her face looks weary as she questions, “The boy from the hospital?”

With a few steps, I’m sitting down beside her on the couch. Placing my hand on her knee, I answer, “His name is Theo. Remember Mum? We are going on a picnic. He should be here to pick me up any minute.”

Mum places her other hand on top of mine and rubs it in a comforting way. “I’m happy for you sweetie. He seems like a truly kind, caring guy. After he took you to the hospital the other day, I am tremendously grateful to him. Just make sure you are still cautious though, okay darlin’?”

I stand up to pace anxiously while I wait. “I will be Mum.”

She stands up and pulls me into a hug. “Calm down. You look beautiful, and besides, it’s just a picnic. There’s no reason to be so worried. It’s going to be great, and you will have so much fun.” She kisses the top of my head, soothing me, and I feel the nervous energy as it makes its escape from my body. She can read me like a book and always knows exactly what to say.