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She had his keys in her hand, and she opened the door quickly before tossing them somewhere on the floor. She needed both arms to help him now, and every muscle in her body strained with the effort. She could tell he was close to passing out, and Leah glanced at the numbers lighting up above their heads, willing them to go faster. Leah took a tiny breath as she reached over and resumed rubbing circles on the small of his back. I need you to walk with me,” she said, wrapping her arm around his waist.
She had no idea how she was going to hold him if he couldn’t walk, but as she took a step, thankfully he followed. Those words had soothed him so many times, but today they rolled off him like drops of rain down the window—fleeting and futile. Dr. Racine approached Gram’s side of the bed, placing his hand on her shoulder. “It won’t be too much longer now,” he said gently. Bryan’s face was thinner than Danny’s memories, something he’d gradually grown accustomed to, but today his jaw was covered in a light five-o’clock shadow.
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Her eyes scanned the road frantically, trying to find an open space on the cramped little street, but there was nothing. The cars were lined up bumper to bumper along the sidewalk, the only openings being the entryways for those houses that had garages. When the last car had passed, she exhaled, turning to look through the passenger window at the little yellow one-story house. Although she’d been making this trip ever since she could drive, never once had she actually parked the car. It was always a slow crawl down the street, a few quick seconds to take it in, and then back to real life.
He was leaning most of his weight on her as they walked into the lobby, and as they stood waiting for the elevator, Leah’s legs began to tremble with the task. At least now she knew why he’d been served. This wasn’t the place that had cut him off. The only good news was that she knew he hadn’t driven to McGillicuddy’s, so the other bar had to be within drunken walking distance. But instead he slunk out of the chair, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her against him.
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The woman chuckled—a soft, sandpapery sound—before she nodded, and Leah pulled her brow together. Leah pursed her lips as her stomach churned. Instead, she gripped the top of his pants and yanked somewhat forcefully. They jerked over his hips, and she immediately pressed her lips into a hard line as she closed her eyes. Leah rubbed her hand over her forehead before she slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door, and she placed her hand on his lower back, rubbing soothing circles. She gritted her teeth together, trying to focus on getting them across the street.
She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she took her foot off the gas pedal and allowed the car to coast unhurriedly down the narrow one-way road. She made her way through the living room and over to the tiny kitchen, opening his fridge and grabbing a bottle of water. As she walked back to his room, she stopped in the bathroom and grabbed the small wastebasket. Leah gently slid her hands out of his grasp as she tried to refocus on undoing his buttons, but she could feel her heartbeat kick up in her chest.
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She noticed the outline of his wallet through the back pocket of his pants, and Leah bit her lip before she reached over and slid her hand into his pocket, removing the wallet. “Don’t you apologize,” Danny murmured into her hair. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He pressed his lips to the crown of her head, and Leah squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach that the intimate gesture invoked. “Thanks,” she said before she turned her attention back to Danny, sliding her fingers under his chin and lifting his head. He opened his eyes, smiling softly as he focused on her face. You’re going home,” she said, taking the drink from his hand and placing it on the bar.
His hand slid up her thigh again, and Leah ignored it, focusing all her attention on undoing the buttons. He didn’t want her, and they weren’t anything to each other. She was just going to make sure he was comfortable, and then she was going to get the hell out of there. She didn’t want to be affected by him anymore, but she felt her heart drop at his words. By now she was using all her strength just to keep him steady as they stumbled down the hallway toward his door.
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The shutters—although the same brick color they always were—were brand new. In fact, the windows themselves were new too. The one she remembered to be in the kitchen was now a pretty bay window with a few small pots of daffodils lined up along the sill.
She brought her hands up to his biceps to brace herself, and he buried his face in her hair as he inhaled deeply. “You’re here,” he said again, and this time it sounded like a prayer. Danny walked the few steps over to the chair and sank down into it, pressing his hands into the tops of his thighs to try and stop them from trembling. She glanced around, her vision blurred from her unshed tears. The block of concrete, the one they had imprinted with their handprints and initials, was gone. Her chin quivered slightly as she lifted her eyes, looking at the opposite end of the yard.
She should have been happy that someone was taking good care of it. “Hey,” she said again, bringing her hand to his face and turning him toward her. It took his eyes a second to focus on her, and when they did, he smiled sadly. He reached up and took the end of her hair between his fingertips. “That’s helpful, Danny,” she sighed, looking around the car.
Not his breath in her hair, or his hands on her body, or those words on his lips. He dropped his head, resting his forehead on her shoulder as he fisted the side of her sweatshirt. “The other bar,” he mumbled, and Leah closed her eyes, sighing heavily. But with Bryan in front of him, everything was suddenly sharp. His impassive face provided the blank canvas for Danny to recreate image after image of his friend—happy, sad, confused, angry, amused—all crystal clear and perfect. Whenever he’d leave after a visit, Danny would always promise himself that this time, he wouldn’t forget.
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