Page 55 of Unforgettable
The question was direct, but gentle.
Randi’s breath caught. She looked away, uncertainty rising quickly beneath the surface. It had been so long, and the vulnerability of it felt unfamiliar, almost overwhelming. She didn’t answer, and she didn’t move.
Brew read her hesitation immediately.
He stepped closer, lifting his hand to her chin with a touch so light it guided rather than insisted.Just enough for her to meet his gaze again.
Then, instead of what she expected, he leaned forward and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.
The warmth of it settled deep, unexpected and steady.
When he pulled back, there was the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.
“Next time,” he said, his tone light but certain, “your turn.”
Then he stepped away, turning with an easy confidence that felt almost deliberate, leaving her standing there as he walked off, a quiet whistle following him down the sidewalk.
Randi remained where she was for several seconds, her fingers lifting instinctively o her forehead. A small, unguarded smile found its way across her face before she even realized it.
The next morning, her phone buzzed.
A message from him—a simple, playful gif. that made her laugh out loud, surprising even herself. A second message followed.
Thank you.
Hope to do it again.
She stared at the screen for a moment before replying.
I’d like that.
Nearly a week passed before she saw him again.
The children’s ward welcomed her back with the same warmth she had come to expect. Laughter filled the room; drawings scattered across the tables as the children proudly showed her what they had created. She had spent the better part of the morning sketching a caricature of them, her movements still clumsy, not perfect but moreconfident, and her presence easy among them.
“You made me look better,” one little boy said, holding up his drawing.
“You are better,” she replied, smiling.
It was time for her to leave though. The two hours she had been there had passed by quickly.
“Do yew gots ta go,” he asked, noticing as she began to collect her drawing pencils.
She patted his head tenderly.
“Yes, I must. But I promise I’ll be back in a few days, okay,”
His big brown eyes were sad but he nodded in reply.
The other goodbyes came with the same promises she fully intended to keep.
“I’ll come back,” she told them.
“You better,” another child said.
She laughed softly.
“I will.”
