Someone Lost, Something Gained

The party winds down around two in the morning. Parents carry their sleeping children home, and Veda assured everyone that cleanup can wait until tomorrow. She and Niall thank each of the guests personally for coming; their presence has made the day perfect. Even when Nonna nearly crushes Niall’s ribs with her embrace, his smile doesn’t dim.

Veda helps Hattie put away the leftovers, then the trio makes their way up the stairs. Hattie waves lazily as she disappears into her room on the second floor, David Barkie hot on her heels. Niall leads Veda up to her room. Neither of them speak as they ready for bed, but she can’t stop thinking about the kiss. The one that said so much, repeating the ‘I love you’s they exchanged before all of the neighbours.

“I was wondering where that ran off to,” he comments lightly, tugging at the hem of the Eagles shirt Veda changed into.

She shrugs. “Couldn’t find my scrub top, so I borrowed one from you.”

“Can’t say I mind. I like seeing you in my clothes.”

“I like wearing your clothes. Makes me feel like you’re with me, even when you’re not.”

She curls up close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She hadn’t lied - the day was perfect. Everyone accepted him so easily. She admitted the truth, and he confessed his own. She wishes Granddad could have witnessed it. He would have loved Niall, made him feel comfortable and like he’s part of the family.

Running her fingers lightly over his bare chest, Veda exhales slowly. “I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for you, too.”

He sighs, placing his hand over hers. She closes her eyes at the steady beating of his heart beneath her palm. “I’m only sorry we met under the circumstances we did.”

“I’m not. You... you showed me what it’s like to have someone care for me so much. I mean, I had Hattie, and I had the neighbours. But I grew up with them. They’re supposed to love me and want the best for me. You didn’t have to. You do anyway.”

“I always will, love. Mostly because you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time:”

“I love you.” Veda chews on her lower lip then pushes herself up onto one elbow. “I thought it would scare me, loving you this much. With who my family is, y’know? But it doesn’t. I’m not scared at all. Loving you is, well, it feels like the most natural thing I’ve ever done.”

His lips curve into an achingly tender smile, and he pushes her hair over her shoulder. She shivers as his fingers brush against bare skin. He pulls her down for a kiss so gentle, she yearns for more.

“I’m absolutely terrified of loving you. You deserve to be cherished, appreciated for how wonderful you are. If I lose you, I lose someone amazing and strong and selfless. I would never forgive myself for that.”

She blinks back the tears even as she promises she will always be right here for him. Always be within reach. She can’t lose him, either. He is what she’s needed for the past twenty-five years, and she’ll be damned if she lets him go.

“Let’s go back to bed,” Niall whispers into Veda’s neck the next morning, his breath tickling along her skin. Devil that he is, his lips press against the curve of her shoulder, teeth following shortly after.

“I can’t, babe. I’m awake for the day.” Veda sets her toothbrush into the holder, turns to face him. “I can never fall back asleep once I wake up.”

“Who says we have to sleep?”

Veda groans and drops her head back, knowing he’ll see it as a sign of weakness. Victory on his part. His smirk burns into her skin, and his hands settle on hers hips as he sends her head spinning. She digs her fingertips into his shoulders, exhaling unsteadily, and lets him pin her against the bathroom door.

“I love you, and I want to show you how much.”

The words are soft, but the tone is anything but. It’s desire and need wrapped up in a pretty Irish-accented, blue-eyed bow. This is a losing battle, she knows this. Still, she puts forth the effort to not cave.

Unfortunately, her best-laid plans go out the window when his hands slide around to rest just below the curve of her ass.

“Going to work, V. See you tomorrow.”

“I hate your cousin,” he groans before continuing dropping kisses to Veda’s throat.

“Oh, and Niall? No more leaving hickeys on my cousin. She’s a respectable lady.”

Veda giggles, gasping when Niall lifts her easily. The wood of the door is hard and uncomfortable behind her back, and Niall is just as unyielding in front of her. He fits himself between her thighs, and her breath loses its steadiness as she wraps her legs around his waist.

She somehow manages to call back, “Fuck you, Hatchling. He can mark me up as much as he wants.”

Hattie gags, shouts that they’re absolutely disgusting, then the front door slams shut. Veda wraps her arms around Niall’s neck, tugging him in for a hard kiss. He chuckles against her lips before pulling away.

“I can mark you up?”

“Yes, please.”

By the time Veda steps through the doors of Saint Francis, Niall has done exactly what she pleaded for him to do. He painted her body with multiple bruises sucked into her skin, no rhyme or reason to placement. The one on her hip was because she squirmed and told him it tickled. It didn’t tickle for long.

He’d even taken a picture of his handiwork before allowing her to get dressed.

Thankfully, none of her coworkers seem to notice that Veda repeatedly touches each mark on her skin, that she smiles to herself with a slight shiver down her spine. That she seems far more distracted between patients than usual.

“Oh. Hi.”

Patrice smiles softly from the chair beside the bed. Veda’s heart thunders beneath her ribs, all thoughts of Niall fleeing from her brain. She’d never expected to see the in-home nurse again. Yet here she sits, in the same room. Her black hair is in the same bun Veda remembers, her dark eyes just as soft and liquid.

“Hey, sweetheart. It’s been a while.”

Veda nods, swallowing harshly. “Yeah, uh, six months.” Before the tears can come, she reverts to professionalism. The default. Safety from her own emotions.

Patrice answers the information about the insurance, passes over the card without hesitation. No other words are spoken while Veda jots down the number and company. She thanks Patrice for the time then heads to the door. Patrice follows.

“Mind if I come over tomorrow? I want to catch up. And apologise.”

“There’s nothing to apologise for, Patty Melt. You did your job, that job ended, and you had others to tend to. I understand. But yeah, you can come over.”

Veda turns away from the other woman’s bright smile. If she doesn’t, she might just spill everything right here. She has other rooms to get to.

By the time Veda gets home, she’s too exhausted to even send a text to Niall saying she loves him. She tries, but she falls asleep on the couch before pressing send.

Patrice shows up at half-ten the next morning, and Veda shuffles toward the kitchen with the woman following. Once the coffeepot is brewing another round, she leans against the counter and yawns. She’s already gone through one pot, but there isn’t enough coffee in the world to combat how tired she is.

“I see your blood is still about ninety percent caffeine,” Patrice chuckles.

Veda shrugs. “Gotta get my energy somewhere, right?”

“Listen, Veda. I should never have left you alone after Percy passed. I should have check in on you more.”

“I get it. I do. Like I said last night, you had other jobs to do. Jobs that were paying you. Looking after me was never in your job descendant I was never angry with you.”

“I thought about stopping by a few weeks after. I didn’t think you’d want to see me. After all, I was the last person with him besides you.”

Veda crosses the kitchen, lowering herself into the seat next to Patrice, and reaches out for the woman’s hand. “He adored you. You know that, right? You were the only other person that he trusted to care for him.”

“He was amazing.”

“He was. He was also stubborn as a damn mule. we had another nurse before you. She didn’t last a day before Granddad sent her packing. He said she may be competent, but she had ‘shifty eyes’. Then you came along. You didn’t put up with his nonsense, and he loved that. He considered you family.”

Patrice’s smile trembles, and she sniffs and wipes at her cheeks. “For what it’s worth, I loved that old cuss. He made my days brighter.”

“Ah, yes.” Veda nods knowingly. “You fell for the ol’ Percy Mitchell charm. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.” Sighing, she stands and makes her way to the coffeepot. “I don’t think I would’ve liked to see you. It would’ve been too hard, I think. Then when I saw you last night, I was surprised, but there was no pain. No more than I’m used to.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve healed, honey. I can only imagine how hard it was on you.” Patrice sniffles once more, turning the conversation to a lighter topic: How Veda has been doing.

“Well, let’s see. My cousin Hattie moved in. I have a restraining order against my family. I went and fell in love like an idiot, and my best friend still lives all the way in California which is just rude of her.”

“What do you mean, you fell in love? Veda, that’s great!”

“Yeah, it’s awesome. He’s amazing, and he has the cutest dog ever.”

Patrice snorts, shaking her head. “Shock of the century. You’re a sucker for cute dogs.”

“Why does everybody say that? I mean, it’s absolutely true, but it’s just mean to point it out.”

Veda laughs and tells Patrice about Niall. Her heart aches the longer she talks; all she wants is for him to be here, right now, with her. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible. She just has to wait for their schedules to align once more.

Patrice asks how they met, and Veda pauses then taps her finger on the tabletop. It should be difficult, speaking of the time after she lost the most important person in her life. But it isn’t. She feels the phantom pain, the chill of waking up to her grandfather dead. It isn’t nearly as overwhelming.

As Veda tells her of every kind thing Niall has done since he burst onto the scene, Patrice’s eyes fill more and more with tears. A soft smile tugs at her lips, and she scoffs when Veda says it wasn’t love at first sight. Even Veda has to agree that the foundation was there from the moment he loaned her his jacket, all because she ‘looked cold’.

“I’m so glad to see you happy, baby. You deserve it.”

Veda ducks her head, cheeks burning. As much as she loves her life now that there is colour in it once more, she can’t help but feel selfish. She should still be mourning Granddad. Not finding peace after he’s passed. He was everything to her for so long, and she should feel the waves of devastation that losing him brought.

Instead, she’s found hope. A deeper connection with her community and her cousin. Love she never dreamt of ever having.