"We won't be able to afford it, I know." She looked worried. "And maybe it won't even work any better. But Dr. Nolan, Sam, he paid for the second medication even though I told him not to." She looked at me almost guiltily. "It was for Mama, though, so I let him." She looked down, biting her lip again.
"It was the right thing to do, Mar," I said. I knew she wouldn't do it again, though. And like she'd said, maybe the new combination of medication wouldn't make a difference anyway. Lord knew we'd been through enough medications that did nothing at all for Mama—some that even made her worse.
I eyed Marlo. "So, Sam . . . I think he really likes you."
She made a scoffing sound. "Sure, for now."
"Marlo—"
"No, listen. He's a nice guy and good-looking . . . But he's a successful man. He doesn't even belong here. Not really." She paused, thinking. "But he did help make the time there go by more quickly, so for that, I'm grateful."
"Thanks for taking this turn," I said. "Missing Christmas . . ."
She looked over at me sadly. "I had company at least, though. You, you were all alone in this trailer." She grabbed my hand. "I figured you spent it reading. Were you okay?"
I looked down, my cheeks heating.
"What's that look?"
I looked up and opened my mouth to speak, but hesitated.
"Tenleigh . . ." Marlo's voice held a warning note as if I better start speaking, and fast.
I smiled nervously. "I wasn't exactly alone. And I wasn't exactly here."
Her eyes grew wide. "What? Where the hell were you?"
She already knew Kyland had walked me home. I hesitantly told her everything that had happened before that, how I'd first met him just recently even though we were in school together and lived so close, what had happened at the library, the play . . . She was my sister, my best friend. I told her everything.
When I was finished, she studied me for a moment. "Wow, Tenleigh. I certainly missed a lot when I was lying around in that waiting room." She paused, seeming to consider all I'd told her. "And, at least he's been honest with you about where you stand. At least you know he's leaving. He's not trying to trick you into something and then take off like most of them do."
I nodded sadly. I couldn't deny that had been our collective experience thus far, but something inside of me still wanted to argue against it. Something inside of me still wanted to believe some men were good and honorable. And sometimes they stayed.
Only Kyland wouldn't stay. He'd made that exceedingly clear.
"Can you handle it, Ten?" Marlo asked softly.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "But that might have been the extent of things anyway. You know, Christmas is lonely, and we have this attraction . . ." I ran a finger over my lips remembering the feel of his mouth on mine. "It might have just been the timing of everything, you know? That might be the extent of my non-relationship with Kyland Barrett." I sat up straighter. I'd be fine, though. I always was. I'd be fine because I had no other choice.
Marlo smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to go lie down with Mama," she said, standing up, yawning. "I barely got any sleep at all in that hospital waiting room. Although it sounds like you didn't get much either."
After she'd shut the bathroom door behind her, I sat on the couch alone again. After a few minutes, I grabbed my book and lay back. I had trouble concentrating, thoughts of Kyland swirling through my mind, a feeling of melancholy overwhelming my heart.