43. Indy

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Indy

" I never went to prom," Sunday says as she pins little flowers in my hair. Sunday and Stevie came over this afternoon to help me prepare for the dance at the hospital tonight.

"I didn't either," I laugh lightly as Stevie finishes my eyeliner. "Thank you," I say softly as Stevie nods.

"You guys weren't missing much," Stevie mutters as she puts the makeup back in the bag on the coffee table. "So, how are things with you and Derek?"

I can't hide the grin on my face as I think about how amazing everything has been. "Oh god," Stevie groans and rolls her eyes. "I am so happy for you, but also, I hate you." Sunday laughs as she finishes my hair.

"Don't worry, Stevie, your big burly man will come along soon."

"Why does he have to be big and burly?" I ask while looking down at my light purple dress.

"You know how Baka is," Stevie huffs. "Gonna need a big man to handle her ass." Nodding, I let out a laugh.

"I don't think they make a man big enough to handle her."

"Wow," Derek breathes as he walks into the house, his eyes fixed on me. "You look, wow." I give him a shy smile as I hug the girls before waving them off.

"So," I sway side to side as I stare up at him. "What are you going to do this evening?" Derek's taking me to the hospital, and I made him promise not to sit in the parking lot waiting for me to be done.

"I'll probably go to the gym, shower, and wait for you to text me."

"How boring," I state flatly, causing him to chuckle.

"I'm sorry? Okay, I plan to travel, see the world, explore places I've never been and witness a natural wonder of the world." He gives me a playful smirk, and I nod.

"Perfect. Was that so hard? Now, just make sure you're back to pick me up by nine. I'm going to require a massive quesadilla and all the chips."

"I don't have the stuff to make that." He states, helping me into the seat.

"Nooo, but there's a restaurant that does take out."

He groans before backing out of the driveway. "You're lucky I love you because I was going to make spinach salad for dinner."

I rear back and give him a look of disgust. "If you ever make me a spinach salad, I will assume you no longer love me."

Derek chuckles while shaking his head. "It's really not that bad."

"It's not that good either. My love language is melted cheese, you know this, daddy."

"I will give you a thousand dollars to drop the daddy thing." He groans playfully, and I wrinkle my nose.

"No can do, Big Daddy D."

"Reegan!" I squeal as I hug the frail girl tightly to my chest. Reegan instantly begins to sob, which in turn causes me to choke up.

"I thought you forgot about us." She whispers, and I shake my head.

"Never. I missed you every day." I say softly into her cap. I want to ask why she's here with an ID bracelet but decide against it. This is a day when the kiddos get to have fun and not think about their illnesses. The darkness that attaches to them is the same as mine, and I know how important it is to quiet them when possible.

The party is beautifully decorated. The hospital staff turned the cafeteria into a large dance floor, decorating it with twinkle lights, balloons, and streamers. I giggle as I spin around with Reegan and another little girl, April. After the song ends, I give them a curtsy before Helen, the hospital's administrator, walks over and gives me a hug.

"I'm glad you are back," she says in a strong voice as she looks down at me. Helen is a tall, powerful woman with a heart of gold.

"Me too," I say softly as I look out at the kids dancing and playing around.

"I wanted to talk to you about what it would take to have a couple more people on your team and make this more full-time." I look over at her and raise a brow.

"Helen, it's a non-profit." She nods while lowering her face mask and taking a sip of her drink.

"I know this. So, let me know how much we can give to make this a more consistent thing. The kids do better when you are here, Indy. Since you've been gone, you can see a difference. And you know how important just having a positive attitude is. Even the staff morale is different. What you've done here, it's important." I nod softly as I look out at the kids again.

"Let me think about it. It's a big undertaking, and I would need a lot of help." Helen nods and gives me another hug.

"Of course, take your time. You have my number." I give her a small wave as she walks away, and my eyes scan over the kids and even some of the faculty as they begin to dance again. My eyes soften seeing Reegan and her father embrace in a dance. She looks over at me and gives me a small wave that I return.

"You want to dance?" Derek's soft voice causes me to jump, and I nearly pee myself. I spin around and have to do a double-take. Derek is standing in a three-piece suit with a black face mask on.

"W-what are you doing here?" I breathe out as I walk to him.

"Well, I've traveled. I'm here exploring a place I've never seen before while witnessing a natural wonder of the world," He states, his eyes never leaving me. Leaning in, he whispers, "And I really want to dance with the pretty princess." He runs a finger over my jaw, and I want to cry.

"Really? You want to dance with me? In public?" I hear him huffing out a laugh as he holds me close while we begin to sway.

"Like that was ever a concern. Darlin', I want to be the man who gives you grand gestures, makes you feel special, and lets the world know how amazing you are. It's just going to take me a little longer to get there than most." He spins me under his arm before pulling me back to him. "I promise you that if you stay with me, I'll work every day to be good enough for you. Because that's all I want."

I pull down my face mask and tug down on his own. "You already are," I whisper before pressing my lips to his.