Farrow moved to keep her hand on his chest, feeling comfort in the smooth rise and fall. After the first five minutes of her watching him, and feeling his heart, she decided she couldn’t sit up for one more moment.
The former sniper assassin slipped off her shoes and crawled into bed above the covers next to the soul she’d fallen in love with. With a sigh, she snuggled against Alik’s firm body and put her hand back on his chest, determined to keep vigil over him as he slept and she rested, dreaming of life when they weren’t being hunted.
Would there ever be a time when they could just be Alik and Farrow? Could they ever go on a date to dinner and the movies like a normal couple? Would they survive to even have a chance to try?
Farrow frowned in her half-sleep.
Don’t think that way, Farrow. Live in the here and now. Right here he’s safe and alive beside you. Now you have some peaceful alone time. And if this is all you ever get, if a bomb goes off outside the window at my back, then you will have known love and peace. You will shield him with your body and die happy for it.
Chapter 35 “One may smile, and smile, and be a villain!” W. SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet
“Okay, little Miss,” drawled the contractor who had introduced himself as Chuck, “the front door, master bedroom and bath have all been modified to accommodate a wheelchair and a wheelchair capable person. Joey is finishing installing the ramp from the driveway to the house right now.”
“Looks good,” Meg said with a nod, studying the contractor’s work. She pushed the lever down on the front door and watched it spring open just enough to be easily manipulated. “What’s this handle for?” She pointed to a kitchen-drawer type handle mounted on the door toward the side with the hinges.
“Oh, that is so when your ma comes into the house and needs to shut the door, she doesn’t have to reach way over there for the handle.” Chuck demonstrated how to use it.
“Genius!” Meg nodded excitedly.
The master bedroom was on the opposite side of the house, isolated from the other bedrooms, so no long corridor had to be adjusted. All Margo had to do was wheel through the front door, turn to the left and pass the front sitting room to get to her bedroom. Meg walked the path, making sure there was nothing to hinder her mother’s movement.
“Yeah, little Miss, we just took the liberty of removing the rug runner y’all had down this way so your ma can just wheel herself nice and easy over these wood floors. And it’s a good thing you already had wooden floors. A wheelchair will rip up a carpet faster than a feral tom cat on catnip!” The contractor laughed at his joke while pulling his work pants over his ample belly and absent hind-end.
He was a nice older gentleman. The few wisps of white hair were combed over just right, reminded Meg of a cartoon character. But it was his bushy gray brows over squinty eyes that were his most noticeable feature. Meg had to resist the urge to tackle the man with a pair of scissors for a good ol’ fashioned groomin’. Every time he spoke, she forced herself not to stare at the wiggling caterpillars on his forehead.
“Here, let me show you what we did to her shower,” he offered and waddled himself into her mom’s bedroom. Meg bit back a giggle at the sweet old guy’s gait and followed him.
“See, miss? We removed the glass door and put in a shower curtain, so all she has to do is wheel herself to the opening and transfer to a shower seat. The handheld shower nozzle is connected to a long hose, so she can reach it, use it and turn it off all in her seat.” The way the contractor spoke, Meg could tell he was truly passionate about his work. She sensed his daughter had been wheelchair bound so he knew firsthand what had to be done to make a home livable.
“As for the commode, we took out the old one and installed a taller one, for easier transfer. We also put in these reinforced, wall mounted handrails for her.” Meg was nodding and smiling, amazed at all the old guy got done in such a short time.
“I also took the liberty of adding wheelchair accessible ramps to each of the doorway thresholds she will have to cross in her chair. It should make for a smoother ride.” He shrugged while scratching the back of his head. “Let’s just say that’s included in the cost of widening the doors to thirty-six inches.” The genuine smile he offered showed off some coffee stained teeth. But he was sweet and meant well.
Now I have to resist the urge to attack him with an electric toothbrush, floss and a teeth whitener! She inwardly groaned at her compulsions.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness,” Meg smiled widely at the contractor who obviously loved what he did for a living, though he was now a widower and his daughter had long since passed away from the illness that forced her into a wheelchair.