the pain lessened. He repeated the process until she informed him the pain had gone, then started working on the other knee. Once the tub was full, he shut off the water and rubbed down Roxie’s entire body, minus (to her relief) where her shorts and sports bra covered her. The pampering felt good enough to let her shut her eyes and rest.
“We can’t afford to have you fall asleep just yet,” Aerigo said with a hand resting on Roxie’s shoulder. His eyes were now glowing a pale blue. “I apologize for having to push you like this.” He unplugged the drain and stood. “Change your clothes and say your goodbyes.” He left the bathroom and shut the door.
Chapter 5
Soon after Aerigo closed the door, Roxie heard a knock. She sat up slowly, fearing any sort of movement would cause excruciating pain. Her joints and muscles felt no worse than someone who’d returned from a rigorous day at the gym after a weeklong vacation. Uncomfortable, but bearable. Now that she was feeling better, she couldn’t help but marvel at her quickly she’d healed. Maybe not being human would have its perks after all. “Come in.”
The bathroom door opened and Grandma poked her head in, her hazel eyes puffy and watery.
Roxie’s eyes and nose stung at the sight but she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry.”
Grandma pushed the door wide, plopped a folded towel and pile of Roxie’s clothes on the toilet lid, dropped to her knees beside the tub and wrapped her frail arms tight around her, sobbing.
In her seventeen years’ existence, Roxie couldn’t recall Grandma ever crying so hard. Sure she got teary-eyed watching a movie or two, but never anything this uncontrolled. Should she hug her back? Snap at her to stop crying? Cry with her? Just get up and walk away? Roxie gingerly returned the hug, not wanting to cause more inadvertent damage. She rubbed the dear old woman’s back, her grandmother’s thin muscles tightened with every sob. Grandma hugged her even harder, her sobs becoming interwoven with unintelligible words. After several repetitions of the same vocal patterns, Roxie realized what her grandmother was saying. She let go and Grandma sat up as well. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I’m sorry,” she said in a thick voice. “I wanted to be—be brave and strong for you on this—today. For so long.” She took a deep, wavering breath and repeatedly rubbed her eyes. “But when Aerigo carried you in... you were all black and blue. I thought you were dead.”
“I’m still alive, Grandma,” Roxie said. Although I don’t know how. She tried to imagine how she’d react if she’d seen Grandma in her place, and knowing that was only the beginning. Scared, worried, and at a loss for how to help. Just the same. “Maybe you should come with us. Wouldn’t it be safer? And you wouldn’t have to worry about me as much.”
Grandma managed a smile as tears kept coming. She placed a hand on Roxie’s cheek. “I would love to come with you but I need to stay here.”
“Why?”
“You have a hard task set before you. I’d only be a distraction. It’s more important you focus on what lies before you.”
“But I’ll be distracted worrying about you.”
Grandma let out a tear-choked laugh. “Human or Aigis, my family’s blood is definitely a part of you. Excessive worrying is a family trait.” She wiped her face again. “Get dressed, dear. If you need any help, just call for me. I’ll be in the kitchen packing the two of you some travel food. Bring out your toothbrush and hairbrush when you’re done.” She rose and touched Roxie’s pile of clothes before closing the bathroom door behind her.
Roxie pushed to her feet with aid from the side of the tub, her every movement marked with the pain of muscle strain. It would’ve been easier to ask for help to get dressed, however she wanted to prove that she was still able to take care of herself. She shimmied out of her soaked
“We can’t afford to have you fall asleep just yet,” Aerigo said with a hand resting on Roxie’s shoulder. His eyes were now glowing a pale blue. “I apologize for having to push you like this.” He unplugged the drain and stood. “Change your clothes and say your goodbyes.” He left the bathroom and shut the door.
Chapter 5
Soon after Aerigo closed the door, Roxie heard a knock. She sat up slowly, fearing any sort of movement would cause excruciating pain. Her joints and muscles felt no worse than someone who’d returned from a rigorous day at the gym after a weeklong vacation. Uncomfortable, but bearable. Now that she was feeling better, she couldn’t help but marvel at her quickly she’d healed. Maybe not being human would have its perks after all. “Come in.”
The bathroom door opened and Grandma poked her head in, her hazel eyes puffy and watery.
Roxie’s eyes and nose stung at the sight but she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry.”
Grandma pushed the door wide, plopped a folded towel and pile of Roxie’s clothes on the toilet lid, dropped to her knees beside the tub and wrapped her frail arms tight around her, sobbing.
In her seventeen years’ existence, Roxie couldn’t recall Grandma ever crying so hard. Sure she got teary-eyed watching a movie or two, but never anything this uncontrolled. Should she hug her back? Snap at her to stop crying? Cry with her? Just get up and walk away? Roxie gingerly returned the hug, not wanting to cause more inadvertent damage. She rubbed the dear old woman’s back, her grandmother’s thin muscles tightened with every sob. Grandma hugged her even harder, her sobs becoming interwoven with unintelligible words. After several repetitions of the same vocal patterns, Roxie realized what her grandmother was saying. She let go and Grandma sat up as well. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I’m sorry,” she said in a thick voice. “I wanted to be—be brave and strong for you on this—today. For so long.” She took a deep, wavering breath and repeatedly rubbed her eyes. “But when Aerigo carried you in... you were all black and blue. I thought you were dead.”
“I’m still alive, Grandma,” Roxie said. Although I don’t know how. She tried to imagine how she’d react if she’d seen Grandma in her place, and knowing that was only the beginning. Scared, worried, and at a loss for how to help. Just the same. “Maybe you should come with us. Wouldn’t it be safer? And you wouldn’t have to worry about me as much.”
Grandma managed a smile as tears kept coming. She placed a hand on Roxie’s cheek. “I would love to come with you but I need to stay here.”
“Why?”
“You have a hard task set before you. I’d only be a distraction. It’s more important you focus on what lies before you.”
“But I’ll be distracted worrying about you.”
Grandma let out a tear-choked laugh. “Human or Aigis, my family’s blood is definitely a part of you. Excessive worrying is a family trait.” She wiped her face again. “Get dressed, dear. If you need any help, just call for me. I’ll be in the kitchen packing the two of you some travel food. Bring out your toothbrush and hairbrush when you’re done.” She rose and touched Roxie’s pile of clothes before closing the bathroom door behind her.
Roxie pushed to her feet with aid from the side of the tub, her every movement marked with the pain of muscle strain. It would’ve been easier to ask for help to get dressed, however she wanted to prove that she was still able to take care of herself. She shimmied out of her soaked
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