Free Love Is More Than Skin Deep (A Hidden Hearts Novel Book 4) by Mary Crawford

“I’m aware of that.”
    “This is going to sound really stupid, but I’m twenty-eight years old and this is the first Teddy Bear I’ve ever had,” I admit sheepishly as I carefully remove the little bear from the box. I gasp when I see the rest of the little soft sculpture. He has little-bitty patched overalls on and he’s propped up against a pile of books made from felt.
    “Ketki decided you would appreciate him because you are a teacher. Her favorite teacher loves to read.”
    “This is adorable. Thank you so much. Let me find somewhere to put this, so that he doesn’t break.”
    Mark puts his hand on my shoulder as I start to get up. “I know it looks fragile, but it’s really not. I discovered this guy when I was doing some social training with Ketki when she was younger. He makes dollhouse furniture and the characters to go in them. They are incredibly durable, so feel free to take your Teddy Bear with you, if you’d like. He’s the perfect pocket-sized companion.”
    I hand it to him as I instruct, “Please put it by my purse, I don’t want to forget my good luck charm.” I stand up from the chair and give him a brief hug. “It means the world to me. Speaking of good luck, I hope you find the best jurors in the world and the judge sees things your way.”

    So cold. I’m so damn cold . It’s never this way on television. After I was placed in foster care, I went on a television binging streak and watched as much TV as I possibly could. I watched everything from Tom and Jerry cartoons to unauthorized biographies and everything in between. I was particularly interested in medical horror stories because of my brother’s death. As a result, I’ve seen a lot of footage of operations — both real and pretend—and no one ever warns you about how cold you will be.
    I’m shaking so violently that the scrub nurse is having a difficult time getting all of the leads and monitors attached to me. She brings me another warm blanket and tucks it around my body. Her serious eyes constantly assess my condition. After a few moments, she checks in with me, “Feeling any warmer?”
    “You can probably tell if I sugarcoat things to make this a little less awkward?” I stammer through chattering teeth.
    Her eyes crinkle with mirth over her surgical mask as she confirms my hunch, “I should hope so, or I have no business in the nursing business. Tell me a little bit about what’s going on.”
    “I don’t know. The blankets are helpful, but I feel like my bones are made of icicles.”
    “We sure don’t make it easy on you, it’s not a sauna in here, that’s for sure. Some patients may be extra chilly because of a little bit of anxiety.”
    “That’s putting it mildly. I’m a big girl and I thought that I would be able to handle this, but I’m actually pretty scared. For the first time in a long time I really wish my mom was here. And that's really pretty foolish, because too much water has passed under the bridge and choices have been made that can’t be undone — but for today at least I wish I could turn back time.”
    She reaches out and squeezes my hand as she says, “I rarely run across a single soul who doesn’t wish the same at some point or another, myself included. I wish I could do more, but we’ll do our best to make you feel comfortable.”
    As much as I hate myself for it, a tear leaks from the corner of my eye. I take a deep breath and try to compose myself before I respond, “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without people like you and Dr. Charleston. Despite what it looks like, I really am okay with this. I’ve just never done the whole big surgery thing before. I appreciate your patience.”
    The nurse smiles behind her mask as she pats my arm.  
    “The doctor is going to give you some medication in your I.V. now and it’s going to make you incredibly drowsy. I want you to think about all the happy things in your life.”
    Her suggestion is so similar to the one that