Chapter 2 - Uncle Grumpy
Roman came back the next evening.
And the next.
And the next.
Always at 7:10.
He never arrived early.
Never arrived late.
At first, everyone watched him.
By the end of the first week, everyone watched Lily.
Because she was changing.
Not medically.
But she was speaking again.
Arguing again.
Laughing again.
One evening, I walked into room fourteen and found Lily painting Roman's fingernail purple.
I stopped.
Roman looked miserable.
Lily looked delighted.
"What is happening?"
"She blackmailed me," Roman said.
"I negotiated," Lily corrected.
"She threatened to throw my music box in the trash."
"You left it here. That makes it partly mine."
Roman looked at me.
"Do children always argue like lawyers?"
"Only the smart ones."
Lily grinned.
She finished painting his thumbnail.
"Perfect."
Roman stared at it.
"It's terrible."
"It's fabulous."
He looked at me.
"Can I remove it?"
Lily pointed the polish brush at him.
"Try."
Roman slowly lowered his hand.
"I'll keep it."
I laughed.
Lily did too.
It was the first time I heard her laugh without forcing it.
Roman never brought expensive gifts.
That surprised me.
He could have filled the room with toys.
Instead, he brought a deck of cards.
A book about constellations.
Smooth stones from a river.
A disposable camera.
The camera became Lily's favorite.
She took pictures of everything.
Her pudding.
Her slippers.
The rain.
Me.
Doctors.
Roman.
The first time she took his picture, he frowned at the developing Polaroid.
"You look angry," Lily said.
"I usually am."
"You should smile."
"I don't smile."
"Why?"
"Bad habit."
She held up the picture.
"You look like someone who yells at waiters."
"I tip well."
"That's not the same thing."
He almost smiled.
Lily caught it.
"There!"
"What?"
"You smiled."
"No."
"You did."
"Impossible."
She leaned toward me.
"Hannah, did he smile?"
"Absolutely."
Roman gave me a warning look.
I ignored it.
Lily taped the Polaroid to the wall.
Underneath, she wrote:
UNCLE GRUMPY.
Roman stared at the words.
"Uncle?"
"It's a joke."
His expression changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Lily did too.
"You don't like it?"
Roman sat back.
"I didn't say that."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're lying."
"I lie professionally."
That made her laugh again.
But something had shifted.
Later, after Lily fell asleep, Roman stood beside her bed.
He looked at the sign.
UNCLE GRUMPY.
I crossed my arms.
"You want to tell me why that bothered you?"
"No."
"You know something about her mother."
Roman looked at me.
"I know many things."
"She deserves answers."
"Not yet."
"You're not her family."
His eyes hardened.
For the first time, I saw the man everyone feared.
"Be careful, Nurse Pierce."
I held my ground.
"No. You be careful. She's nine. She's sick. If you're hiding something that could hurt her, I need to know."
His anger disappeared as quickly as it came.
He looked toward Lily.
"I'm not here to hurt her."
"Then why are you here?"
Roman reached under his shirt.
A thin leather cord was around his neck.
Something metallic rested beneath his collar.
He touched it.
Then released it.
"Because some mistakes don't stop haunting you just because twenty years pass."
I stared at him.
"What mistake?"
He looked toward the Polaroid.
"Tomorrow."
"You'll tell me tomorrow?"
"I'll decide tomorrow."
Roman left.
The next night, Lily immediately noticed the leather cord.
"What's around your neck?"
"Nothing."
"That's definitely something."
"You're nosy."
"You're suspicious."
She reached toward it.
Roman gently caught her wrist.
Not hard.
Just enough to stop her.
Lily stared.
Roman released her immediately.
"Sorry."
"Why can't I see it?"
"It's personal."
"Treasure?"
"No."
"A gun?"
I nearly dropped the medicine cup in my hand.
Roman blinked.
Then he laughed once.
"No."
Lily smiled.
"What is it?"
Roman stood.
"Goodnight, Lily."
"You're leaving?"
"I'll be back tomorrow."
She watched him go.
Then turned toward me.
"Hannah?"
"Yes?"
"He's hiding something about my mom."
I said nothing.
She looked back toward the doorway.
May you like
"I can feel it."
So could I.
