Free Vivid by Jessica Wilde Page A

could even begin to understand what he's going through. Not even me."
    "It's okay for him to be angry," she said.
    "It is and he probably will be for a long time. Once he adjusts, it will get better."
    "You're good for him."
    "What?"
    "As his nurse, you're good for him, but he needs a friend, too. Just ... be careful," she said, her brow furrowing in concern. "I don't want you to get hurt."
    "Mom, he's my patient. And believe me, I don't think he would want anything to do with me in any other way."
    She grumbled something under her breath about looking in the mirror, then stood as she picked up her purse. "That boy may be blind, but that doesn't mean he can't see you."
    "That makes no sense."
    She rolled her eyes and rinsed her empty coffee cup in the sink. "I thought your father was blind as a bat when I first met him. Well, technically he was ," she said with a chuckle. "Had those thick Coke bottle glasses. I knew, in my mind, he was seeing what he wanted through those things. But that man didn't take his eyes off me whenever I was in the room." She sighed and got a faraway look in her eyes, like she was replaying the very first moment she fell in love with my dad. "He couldn't see a damn thing without those horrible glasses. That's how he knew I was the one."
    I frowned. "I don't understand."
    She smiled and wrapped her hands around my shoulders. "He said to me, 'Alaina, I know you're the one because when I can't see you, I still feel you. I still love you more than I did yesterday and not nearly as much as tomorrow'. And you know what, Grace?"
    "What?" I whispered.
    "I finally believed him."
    She stared into my eyes as if she was waiting for something. Anything that would make me understand.
    "He fell in love with the pieces that weren't visible. I had to learn to accept that, sometimes, it's not about beauty. It's about the heart of someone. You have the biggest heart I've ever seen, Grace. That boy over there feels it."
    "How do you know?" I asked, skeptically.
    "Because he wouldn't be waiting by his window every night for you to sing."
    My mouth hung open in surprise. "That's ... how ..."
    "Mom's know everything," she said, shrugging as if I should already know that by now. Her arms wrapped around me and squeezed tightly. "I love you, Grace. You're beautiful, inside and out. Just be smart. That boy may look strong, but he's extremely fragile."
    I sighed. "It sounds like you're more worried about me hurting him ."
    She shrugged again. "Go see Keara. Dad left the Honda for you to use today. I'll bring home some sushi tonight."
    "YES!" I shouted with a fist pump.
    Mom laughed her way out the door while I was left in the kitchen debating on whether to go see Keara now or invite her over for sushi later. If I went now, I wouldn't dwell on my mother's words and the thought of Merrick ever feeling anything for me that wasn't in the realm of a patient-nurse relationship.
    But then, sushi always fixed everything.
    My phone rang before I could decide, Emma's name flashing across the screen.
    "Hello?"
    "Grace, hello dear, how are you doing today?"
    "I'm good, Emma. How are you?"
    "Oh, I'm good. Just trying to decide if I should strangle Merrick now or let you do it on Monday."
    I chuckled into the phone and walked to my room to finish folding laundry. "Is he having a bad day?"
    "God, yes. If bad is even the right word for it. He's locked himself in his room and told me to go away. I was only trying to help him with Braille and he got frustrated."
    I loved Emma Thatcher, but I understood Merrick's frustration. She could be a little overbearing with her children and that's exactly what made her so wonderful. No matter what they did, she was first in line to love them. My mother had always been the same way.
    She continued talking as I glanced over at the window, seeing Merrick's blinds shut tightly.
    "I was wondering if your mother had anything at the library that may be able to help. I know sometimes there are resources that make