Page 28 of Hearts on the Mend

“Being a helper is tricky. Means you can’t always be where you want to be. She’s at the hospital taking care of sick people.”

“I’m sick.”

“So I’m your helper. You can call me Nollie if you want. My baby sister used to call me that.”

“Nollie? Okay.” She giggles. “My dad said firefighters are helpers. He worked in an ambulance once.”

I’m weirdly nervous. I don’t want to overstep or overshare. And I don’t want to make her feel bad for wanting her mom when she’s sick.

“I have an idea…”

I gather couch cushions and pillows and build her a fort with sheets and blankets. Once she’s comfortable, I give her a Popsicle and Pedialyte. That’s when I’m rewarded with a smile that hits me right in the gut.

Shit. I shouldn’t care, but I do.

“Make sure you keep drinking,” I remind her. “I’ll just be out in the hallway, okay? If you need me or get lonely, call out. I’ll come right back.”

I’m halfway out the doorway when her little voice says, “Hey, Nollie?”

“Yeah?”

“You know how people have secret handshakes? We can have nicknames. You can call me Rue. But that’s only for you.”

She’s wrapped in a strawberry blanket, snuggling Noodles, so small beneath the sheets stretched above and the tower of pillows stacked on either side of her.

I blink, freezing for a second. I have no idea what to say to that, so I just nod.

I don’t hear a peep from her as I return to work.

It’s not until two hours later that Cassie comes through the door. Her hair is a mess, her scrubs stained.

I hold my finger up to my lips. “She’s sleeping,” I whisper.

Cassie tiptoes down the hallway and peeks into the living room. Ruby is snuggled up in her fort, clutching onto Noodles.

When she turns back to me, tears spring to her eyes. “Thanks. And I’m so sorry, Nolan. Never meant…”

I feel exhaustion rolling off her, know it deeply. I can’t fix it either.

“It’s fine. Her fever hasn’t broken yet, but I’ve been making sure she’s hydrated. She’s been eating a little. She hasn’t thrown up.”

She steps onto the heel of her mauve Hokas, slipping her feet out. “I need a shower. Everyone had the flu today, and I feel disgusting.”

“Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on her. Then I’m heading out for the night.”

She pauses on the stairs, her hand clutching the railing. “Where are you going?” Cassie shakes her head, frustration rippling across her shoulders. “Nope. Not my business.”

“Just going out for a beer with my brothers.”

Something flashes across her green eyes. Relief, maybe. She looks once down the hallway. “Not a lot of progress, huh?”

“Walls are in terrible condition, and I’m doing what I can, but we’re going to need a steamer to get off this layer of wallpaper before I can repair all the cracks. I can do that this weekend, maybe sooner, as long as Ruby feels better.”

“Matt said that he would pick her up this weekend…” She pauses, a low groan rippling from her throat. “Never mind. You don’t want to know any of this.” Cassie blows out a defeated breath, and god, she looks tired. Not just tonight-tired. Bone-tired. The same exhaustion I’ve had to make peace with after years of fighting fires. There are stretches where hours melt together and crawling into my sleeping bag feels like an all-inclusive vacation.

“Jesus, why is this so hard?” Then she looks at me, really looks at me, her green eyes warm and endless. I wish she hadn’t. “Nolan, you’re such a good guy. I like you, and I think if things were different, we’d even be friends.”

Friends. My stomach sinks. Friends that fuck, maybe.