Nea ate her soup slowly. Everyone had left the room with the exception of Zayden. He sat by her bed watching her eat in a companionable way. She knew that he was waiting for her to finished so that they could have “a talk.” And so, she took just one small spoonful at a time, drawing things out as long as she could so that she could clear her head and decide what she needed to say.
“That must be cold by now,” he said leaning back and folding his arms. “Would you like me to warm it up for you?”
She gave a small smile. He must know that she was dawdling on purpose. “No,” she said, giving up. She pushed the bowl back on the hospital tray. “I’m done.”
“Can I get you anything else? More water? Something sweet? Annie said you could have some Jello or a popsicle if you wanted.”
He was being i
