Serene (Shattered Book 3) Read online

  ***

  “Okay, kids, listen to me carefully!” Dave – the physiotherapist said. “The pool is not very deep, you can swim and play in it, and your feet can easily touch the bottom. Miss Ryan, Dr. Burke and I will be watching you. If you want to get out of the water, just call one of us. Clear?”

  “Crystal!” The kids said in unison. I could hear the excitement in their voice.

  “This swim cap looks really funny on you,” I whispered to Ivy.

  She elbowed my side, smiling, “Shut up. I bet yours looks even funnier.”

  “Though I like the swimsuit,” I added. “I would prefer a bikini, but this one is great too.” It was black and outlined her chest and breasts perfectly. “Do you think we could stay in the pool after the class is dismissed?”

  “What for?”

  “Well…to swim of course. Just the two of us. Unless you have a better idea for what we could do in there, all alone.”

  “Don’t even think about it! I’m still angry at you, remember? Besides, how are we going to explain it to Dave?”

  “If his presence is the only thing that bothers you, I’ll talk to him. I’m sure he won’t mind us staying.”

  “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “Work is done for today, I’m all yours.”

  She smiled, but said nothing. Then she stepped closer to the pool, making a call to attract the kids’ attention. “Do you guys remember the rules of swimming in a pool?”

  “Be careful to not hurt anyone,” one of them said. “Watch the lane markers or listen to the beeping device at the end of the pool.”

  “Correct! Now enjoy your time.”

  “How can they see the lane markers?” I asked, curious.

  “Some of them have low vision, they can see the light as well as distinguish bright colors.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “What about you? Were you afraid of swimming after you lost your vision?”

  “You can’t even imagine. I was afraid of drowning mostly. Even though I always loved swimming and was a good swimmer. My first swimming time after the accident was awful. Can’t say I was excited, rather scared – my teeth chattered both from fear and cold. But, as always, Emery came to my rescue. She went to the pool with me and used all the techniques she could find on the Internet to help my fears disappear.”

  “When did you decide you wanted to help kids with the same problems as yours?”

  “About eight months ago. Emery insisted I attend one of the classes for blind people. It was all about the psychological side of the disability. But, in the end, I realized I didn’t need it. One day I accidentally entered the wrong classroom and there were kids of different age, talking about blindness. I thought ‘Why not try to help them?’. I had learned a lot of tricks on how to act ‘normal’ when being blind, I could share my knowledge with them. My first class consisted of five kids. Then the number grew to twelve.”

  “You like spending time with them, don’t you?”

  “If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t go for it. Hey, did Emery tell you about Jesse’s birthday party?”

  “Yes. I got my Bateman-shape invitation this morning. But there’s one more event I would like you to attend with me…”

  “Oh, what kind of event?”

  “Elizabeth’s fashion show. It’s on Sunday, three weeks from now.”

  “You mean you want me to go to Pittsburgh with you?”

  “Yes. It’s just for the weekend. Liz would be happy to see us.”

  “I don’t know… Do you think it’s a good idea? I mean you know how much I hate public events.”

  I wrapped one arm around her and said, “I’ll be there with you. You’ll be fine.”

  “Will your sister be there too?”

  “Yes.” I chuckled. “Is it a problem?”

  “She’s gonna ask questions…”

  “She already knows everything she needs to know.”

  “Could you be more specific, please?”

  “Well, she knows I can’t live without you, which is more than enough to stop her from asking stupid questions.”

  “So you can’t live without me, huh?”

  “I thought you had spent enough time with me to figure it out by now.”

  “Or maybe I just want to hear it more often...”

  “Consider it done.” I kissed her lips briefly and said, “How about we join the kids in the pool? I wanna see how fast you can swim.”

  “Be ready to lose this swim, Dr. Burke.”

  “If it means winning you instead, I will miss it a million times.”

  ***

  Ivy

  “So you and Mr. Doc…”

  I looked at Jesse and giggled. “We what?”

  “Having an affair, right?”

  “God, who taught you words like that? Dating – this is how I would call it.

  “Ok. So are you dating him or not?”

  “Kind of.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you are a bit too young to ask questions like that.”

  “I just turned eleven, remember?”

  “Yes, BIG BOY, but you are still too young to ask questions about my private life.”

  “If I’m going to walk you down the aisle, I need to know all about the guy you are going to marry.”

  “I thought your grandpa would walk me down the aisle.”

  “He’s the oldest man in the family, but I’m the head of it.”

  “Of course. Wait, did you say ‘marry’? Have I missed the part where a proposal was supposed to take place?”

  “I thought marriage was a logical next step after dating.”

  Emery chuckled, sitting next to me, “My noble boy, little do you know about dating and steps following it.”

  “How much does it cost to get married?”

  “If you ask your father, I’m sure he will say he’s still paying for it.”

  “That much?” Jesse frowned. “I have only twenty-something dollars in my money-box. Is it enough to buy an engagement ring?”

  “Depends on the ring you want to buy.” I smiled. “May I ask who the lucky girl is?”

  “Mary Seaton; she’s my classmate, and we are dating.”

  “Since when?” Emery asked, genuinely surprised.

  “Since this morning, when she brought a caramel-top cupcake with a candle for my birthday. I guess it means she likes me. I like her too; she has a beautiful smile.” He opened another present and said to his mother, “Do you think Mr. Doc is a good choice for Ivy?”

  “I think he is.”

  “Does anyone want to know my opinion?” I asked, pretending to be offended.

  “Not in this particular case, aunty,” Jesse responded. “See, you are a bit helpless when it comes to men. That’s why you need our professional help.”

  “Professional?” Emery laughed. “Why don’t you go open the rest of your presents, matchmaker? Have you seen what Stanley bought you?”

  “I have. His present was the first one I opened.”

  Surprised, I said, “Were not my presents the first you opened?”

  “Not this year. Like I said - I need to know all about your future husband, and his present was supposed to impress me.”

  “Has he succeeded to impress you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Does this mean I have your permission to date your aunt?” Stanley asked, entering the room.

  “Not so fast, Mr. Doc. I’m still watching you.”

  We all laughed.

  “Okay, guys, it’s time for a birthday cake,” Emery said. “Let’s leave this entertaining conversation for later.”

  Jesse and my sister went to the dining room, and Stanley and I followed them.

  “Remember the night we met?” He asked, holding my hand.

  “Of course I do.”

  “What did you think about me?”

  “I thought you were the first man in years I was afraid to disappoint.”

  “But
you didn’t know me. Why would you care about my opinion?”

  “I don’t know. I just felt like I wanted to impress you.”

  “Well, you did a great job. I was more than impressed.”

  ***

  “This bed is enormous,” I said, standing near one of the beds that Stanley wanted to buy. I couldn’t even tell where it started or ended.

  “That’s the point – I need a big one.”

  “Big and enormous are two different things.”

  “In this case, size does matter, Sweetheart. I’ll take it,” he said to the salesman.

  I followed the two of them to the register, whispering, “Are you going to play football on it?”

  “What I’m going to play on it, we will discuss later, and not in the store.”

  God, I hoped the salesman didn’t hear his response. My cheeks turned red.

  “You are blushing.” Stanley just had to pay more attention to my more than obvious embarrassment.

  “No, really? I regret the day I agreed to help you find a new bed.”

  “Your blush is so cute. It makes me think of all the other things that make your cheeks redden.”

  The lady, standing behind me, giggled. I didn’t know how old she was, but I felt like leaving the store right away. But since I was there with Stanley and couldn’t find my way out on my own, I had no other choice but to stay and wait for him to pay for the damn bed.

  “I hope this was the last purchase for today?” I asked when he and I headed for the parking lot.

  “I need you to help me choose one more thing – an easel.”

  “What for? Do you want to try painting me?”

  “Only if you agree to pose naked. And I want you to have a place to pain in my apartment. I never saw you working on an easel.”

  “Also naked?”

  He laughed. “The less clothing you will be wearing when working, the better. It will give me a better view to enjoy.”

  “Considering the first time we met there was very little clothes on me, I guess you never stopped thinking about undressing me completely.”

  “Guilty.”

  Being back at Stanley’s, we cooked dinner and unpacked a few more boxes that were shielding the view opening to the night city. The easel that we bought was now standing at the floor-length window. I couldn’t wait to try working on it.

  “Tell me something I don’t know about your blind life?”

  Stanley and I sat on a couch, with two glasses of wine in our hands. It reminded me of the night we shared dinner in my apartment, the night when we first kissed. It was so unexpected, but definitely welcomed.

  “At the very beginning, when I was training to find things, Jesse loved replacing something I was looking for with something like jelly or liquid glue. It made both of us laugh a lot.”

  “I bet.”

  “More than once I entered the men’s bathroom thinking it was the women’s. And I never know what I put in my coffee – sugar or salt. Because again, thanks to Jesse, the two cups are always mixed up. He still believes it’s funny.”

  “What about your everyday routine? Is there anything special I should know about it?”

  “What are all these questions about?”

  “Well, I want to be ready…”

  “For what?”

  “For the day you agree to fall asleep in my bed and never leave afterwards.”

  “Does this mean… You want me to live here, with you?”

  “Yes. Is it too early to ask for it?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, but… Sharing a place with someone like me is more like a challenge than pleasure.”

  “I already know that all the things you use every day should always be in the same place. I don’t think it’s hard to get used to it.”

  “Actually, it is. It took me months to remember where everything should be.”

  “I have an idea… What if I stay in your place for a while? To see how everything works.”

  “But you do realize it’s gonna be my bed you are going to fall asleep in, and not your super-modern, ‘kingdom-size’ one?”

  “I’ll survive. As long as you agree to share a bed with me, I don’t care about the rest.”

  “Well…okay then.”

  Was I sure I didn’t mind him sharing a place with me? I don’t know. But I was dying to give it a try. After all, if he didn’t like something, he could always go back next door.

  “One warning, Stanley – if my sister comes to visit me…”

  “I promise to not walk around your apartment naked.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Is there any logical explanation for wearing a blindfold at nine in the morning, when at work?” Emery walked into my office with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. I didn’t see it, but I could smell the aroma.

  “I need to learn a couple of things. I’ve moved in with your sister,” I said, trying to get from the window to my desk without smashing anything in my way. My first attempt ended up with a bruise on my side – I forgot about the file cabinet standing between the window and the desk. If there were an elephant in the room, I would no doubt forget about it too.

  “You what?” The sound of a saucer clanking against the glass surface of my desk was too loud to pretend I didn’t hear it.

  “Did you just spill my coffee?”

  “How the hell do you know that? Or better question – why am I the last person to find out about you and Ivy living together? Not that I mind it, but I feel like she doesn’t need me anymore, which is kind of offending. I hate secondary roles.”

  “Sorry, we didn’t have time to tell you about it.” Finally, I tapped my chair and sat down, taking off the blindfold. “Ivy says I need to get used to certain things about her lifestyle. So I thought I would start with a blindfold. I know it’s not the same as being legally blind, at least I can imagine what it’s like to be her. And honestly, I have no idea how she’s doing it. I mean it took me three steps to smack into the file cabinet, when she walks around her apartment as if she can see everything even better than I can.”

  Emery chuckled. “It took Ivy a little longer than three steps to get used to her new life. By the way, why her apartment and not yours?”

  “I thought it would be easier for her to have me around when in her territory, at least for some time. After all, she never shared a place with someone else after she lost her vision, especially with a man. Living at your place doesn’t count. Besides, you know how disorganized I can be at times. My new place is still a mess.”

  “Yeah, well, good luck to both of you.”

  “Is it just my hearing or did you really put a good dose of sarcasm into your words?”

  A knowing aka devilish smile spread across her all-knowing face. “It’s just your hearing.”

  “Thanks anyway. I will definitely need some luck. Now, what’s my schedule for today?”

  ***

  Ivy

  I reached for my toothbrush and found nothing.

  What the hell?

  “Stanley?” I called from the bathroom. “Come here, please.”

  “What is it?”

  “Where did you put my brush?”

  “It’s right here. As always.” He took my hand and put my toothbrush in it.

  “Did you move the tooth mug?”

  “No.”

  I cursed aloud and with an effort opened the toothpaste tube; my hands shook slightly.

  “Are you okay, Ivy? You look a little nervous.”

  My stomach shifted uneasily in response. I felt like I was about to get sick. Again.

  “Are you nervous about the flight?”

  It was Sunday morning, and Stanley and I were packing for our trip to Pittsburgh.

  “It’s not about the flight.” I sighed. “It’s what will follow it that scares the hell out of me.” It was partially true, but the real reason for my nervousness was better to be a secret for now.

  “The fashion show?” Stanley clarified.

 
I nodded.

  He stepped closer and locked me in his arms, rubbing my back gently. I prayed I wouldn’t vomit right on his shirt.

  “I told you there’s nothing to be worried about. Crystal and Liz will be there to tell you everything about the show. And I will do my best to make you feel comfortable.”

  “You said your parents would be there too…”

  “Oh, is this why you can’t stop shaking? Because you’ll be meeting my parents?

  Another unsure nod followed.

  “Okay… Listen to me, Ivy Ryan. My parents know me well enough to believe that the girl I bring home is special in every meaning of the word. Guess why? Because I never brought my girlfriends home. I talked to my mom last night and she said they can’t wait to get to know you.”

  “What if they think I’m not good enough for you? You know… Dating a blind girl often becomes a perfect reason for rumors and judgments.”

  “Don’t be silly. My folks are far more open-minded than you think. Your blindness can’t eclipse the light that your soul radiates, and I’m sure they will see it. Besides, I know that Crystal has told them a lot about you. And knowing how much she loves me, she would never say anything inappropriate about the girl I’m about to introduce to my parents. Does any of the above make you feel better?”

  “A little.”

  Stanley gently touched my face and kissed my lips. “I never thought you were a coward.”

  I chuckled. “It’s because we never went to meet your parents before.”

  I remembered the day Kean and I went to meet his parents. Nervous was a major underestimation of how I felt that day. But not even those emotions could be compared to my current state. I knew it wasn’t just about the fact of meeting Stanley’s mom and dad. Everything about our trip was going to be new to me, or to be exact – new to the blind me. And considering my sickness wouldn’t give me a break, I hoped the trip wouldn’t become a complete disaster.

  “Are we going to stay at Crystal’s?”

  “Yes.”

  “How big is her house? Are there a lot of fragile things in it? I don’t want to break anything.”

  Stanley chuckled. “I’ll tell her to take them all away.”