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She felt him stiffen. Clearly, he didn’t want to be in the limelight. Nevertheless, he stepped forward. He didn’t pause for effect or look at the clicking cameras as he cut the ribbon. As applause rang out, he handed the scissors back to Alice and resumed his position beside her. She wanted to elbow him, but was wary of provoking him further. Gavin was making it clear he wasn’t happy about being here and had other things to do.
“You can go,” she said just loud enough for him to hear.
He looked down at her. She didn’t have to see his eyes to know that he was pissed. He had been tense from the moment she arrived. He cupped the back of her neck and squeezed. A warning. She grit her teeth. This was the first time she had left Nora to go on an outing. It was a big day for her, and she wouldn’t let him ruin it.
“Come on, there are so many people to meet!” Alice exclaimed.
She slipped out of Gavin’s hold and went with Alice. She felt someone breathing down her neck and glanced back to see Blade on her heels. At the end of the corridor, Gavin paced as he talked on the phone. Good riddance.
Volunteers handed out gift baskets and goodie bags to patients. On the basketball court, NBA star Michael Heatton helped patients shoot baskets. The celebrities were out in full force, taking group photos or sitting at the bedside of the recovering, sick, or dying.
She spotted Kody and Carmen in a little girl’s room. Lyla knew from the meeting that meeting Kody was the cancer patient’s dying wish. The wan girl perched on Kody’s lap and beamed at the camera while her parents stood against the wall with tears in their eyes.
Alice grabbed two bouquets of sunflowers and handed one to Lyla.
“Let’s go spread some sunshine,” Alice said so enthusiastically that Lyla couldn’t help but smile in response.
Alice fearlessly walked into rooms to talk to patients young and old. Blade scanned the occupants before he waited in the hallway. Alice made everyone feel special. Something about her spirit lit up the room and made everyone believe that everything would be okay. These people were going through the worst time in their life. The Pyre Foundation was here to offer support, hope, and let them know they weren’t alone. Even as she handed out sunflowers, the patients showered her with gratitude and love. She was overcome with emotion as she listened to their hardships and tried to offer words of comfort.
She didn’t know how to respond when a patient clasped her hand and said, “You and your husband are doing God’s work.”
Alice was bursting with light. “She sure is, Maggie. I’ll see you next week.”
“Yes, child!” the old woman called as they walked out of her room.
“Next week?” she murmured.
“I visit the hospitals in my spare time,” Alice said as she marched her down the hallway, stopping to direct several volunteers before she continued.
“What spare time?” Lyla muttered.
“I know, right? It’s important for me to remember that there are people much less fortunate than me. Hospitals are one of the loneliest places on earth.”
Alice stopped to talk to some volunteers and directed Lyla to continue visiting patients. Lyla paused in front of a room and faced Blade
“Where’s Gavin?”
“Attending to business.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
“He needs to meet these people.”
“There are millions of people like this,” Blade said. “Gavin’s helping in his own way.”
Blade’s phone rang. She sighed as she walked into the room by herself and spied an old man sitting up in bed reading a newspaper.
“Hello. How are you?” she asked with a smile.
The man dropped his newspaper and surveyed her through narrow eyes. “You aren’t a nurse. What are you doing in here?”
She was a bit taken aback by his rude tone, but reminded herself that he was in pain and probably going through a lot. “Today, we opened up a new wing of the hospital, and we’re spreading a little joy.”
She offered the flower.
“If you want to spread joy, there’s something else you can do for me.” He looked pointedly at his lap.
