FUSE by Deborah Bladon Read Free Book Online Page B

there on time."
    "I'll get it." I step around her. "I'll get mine too. I'm going with you."
    ***
    "H ow many letters do you have in there?" I pull on the edge of her purse. "You've read four different ones since we got here."
    She smiles sweetly at me as she pats the hand of the elderly man sitting at a table near the window of the recreation room. "Seven. I brought seven today."
    "You wrote every one yourself, didn't you?" I don't honestly know why I'm asking. I've sat quietly by as she's read each one. Each was personalized and spoke of details about the patient's life that she could only have gained by spending hours listening to them talk about their past.
    She leans closer to me, dropping her voice to a low whisper. "They're all forgetful. Some have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Some just can't hold onto their memories the way they wish they could. I write the letters, read them and give them to them so they can remember."
    Of course she does. She drinks cocoa and handwrites letters to forgetful older people. How is it that I even met this woman? It's as though we were thrown into space from two opposing planets and we both happened to end up at the pub that night.
    "You're an incredible person, Zoe," I say it because it needs to be said. "I've never met anyone quite like you."
    The soft smile she gifts me in return is breathtaking. "I need to finish reading my letters. You can wait for me in the reception area out front if you want."
    She's giving me an out. She's likely noticed that I've been nervously tapping my foot against the faded tiled floor since we arrived. I didn't know what I was diving into when I offered to come with her. I told her I'd call for a driver, but she refused the idea. When I tried to hail us a cab, she was already trudging up the street towards the subway. She does things her own way and if I want a place in her life as a friend, I'm going to need to adjust to that. I see it. I like it. I admire and respect it.
    "I'll sit over there in the corner until you're done." I motion towards a row of plastic chairs pushed against a wall covered in yellowed paper with drawings all over it.
    "You're sure?" She bats her long eyelashes at me. "You can go if you want. I know the way back to Manhattan."
    "I'm not going anywhere." I push her hair behind her ear. "Take your time."

Chapter 11
    Z oe
    He told me he'd wait for me but when I glanced up after reading the last of my letters to an elderly woman who had nodded off in one of the oversized chairs in the recreation room, I'd turned around to find him gone. I'm disappointed. I wanted him to stay. I was looking forward to walking back to the subway with him and riding the train back into Manhattan. On the way here, he'd sat close to me, his thigh touching mine. It was an innocent act that was born out of the space confines of the crowded, late afternoon rush of the many commuters hurrying home from work, but it was comforting to me. I liked when he touched me even if was coming from a place of friendship.
    I move across the room to pull on my coat. A quick glance at the windows tells me that it's past dusk now. I'll have to get home, change clothes and head into work at the pub almost immediately.
    I round the corner towards the reception desk when I see him again. He's standing with a dark haired woman. She's the director of the facility. She's excited as she speaks to him.
    "Zoe," she calls to me with a wave of her hand. "You brought Brighton Beck to us."
    In that instant he turns towards me and I catch a glimpse of the smile that radiates from his eyes and onto his entire face. He's happy. I can sense it even if I don't know what true joy means to him. He looks lighter and more relaxed than he did this afternoon when we were edging around the details of his past relationships.
    "You two have met," I say because it's the only thing I can think of. I was convinced he'd gotten bored and had ditched me, along with our promised friendship. Now, I see him