Henry opened the door to his room slowly, and saw Emma asleep. He smiled softly and went to the side of the bed that the cart was on. While moving it a bit, he could see less soup in it than before, the broth had left residue on the sides of the pot. He smiled at it, then knelt by the bed and took Emma’s hand gently with one hand, and placed the back of the other onto her forehead.
Her eyes didn’t spring open, as he would have assumed her to have done if she was well, but they slowly opened, and looked at him. He smiled and felt that the temperature on her head had gone down a bit, but not a lot.
“Hello.” He said softly moving his hand away from her head, and to his tie which he loosened. He felt like smiling, he had surprises he had waiting for her.
Emma said nothing, but slowly moved her hand away from his. He looked at it as it moved to her chest to lie down, as if it were ashamed of having been touched.
“What do you want?” Emma said slowly, with a tone he could not decode.
“I came to see you… To see how you are doing.” He smiled at her once again, placing his hands, one on top of the other, where they once were with Emma’s hand.
She gave a forced chuckle snort, and looked away. He smiled then, to laugh at her. He then looked at the half a pitcher of water, and half full glass. He was happy that she knew a good thing when she saw one. He then looked back at her, finding her looking at him wearily, which made him smile once again softly.
“I have some things for you from people who care.”
She chuckle snorted again and looked down and away, this causing him once again to smile at her as if laughing.
“You do not believe me?” he exclaimed standing and going to the door and picking up his briefcase, “I think they both care vary much if they went to this much trouble….”
He took out the first surprise, yellow construction paper with crayon drawings on it by Kenna. He handed it to Emma for her to inspect. It was a strange Get Well card, not folded like one would expect of a “card” but just flat with “Get well” written on it, with a drawing of the house, her, Henry and Emma on it.
“I’ve told her not to, but she insisted.” He said kneeling beside her again, “She’s so stubborn…”
“What is this?” Emma said pointing to the person next to Henry, “I see Kenna, and you, but who is that?”
Henry took the card and pointed to Kenna, “See, she always draws the white in her hair….with white crayon on top of her brown.” Henry loved his daughter, but this was stepping on dangerous ground with Emma, “She drew me with glasses,” he said pointing to him, a stick figure with large round eyes, “and she drew you, with her hair… but black.” He said pointing to the figure who was to be Emma. It had white, with black on top of the head, “Her reasoning, was that her mother has hair just like her’s…”
Henry waited for Emma’s response. He had stopped looking at her. It was mostly out of fear of her anger of Rachel.
“Hummm,” said Emma with a snort, “I’m not her mother.”
“That’s what I told her.” He said quickly, “But I can’t change her mind, just as I can’t change anyone else’s.”
He chanced a look at Emma, she was eying the card again, and heard her sigh grumpily.
“I’m not her mother…”
It sounded a little more casual than before, but none the less, it had the tone of finality to the discussion for now. Henry put the card away and smiled brightly at her.
“That’s not what I wanted to really show you… I have another surprise!”
“Really Henry, I’m not in the mood-” she sounded annoyed.
But all Henry did was smile, and say as he went towards the door, “I think you will be when you see the next one…”
He picked up the eager cargo at the door, not finding it difficult to pick him up. He carried the little back cat into the room, and saw Emma’s eyes open wide.
“LB!” she said surprised and reaching with open arms to the eager cat, “Oh! How I wished you were here!” she placed her face into the body of the cat as Henry laid him in her arms, smiling. He could hear the purrs of joy from the animal, knowing full well Emma felt the same as the cat. She looked up for a moment, letting the cat lick her chin, and rub his head against her face, “Thank you.” She said in the smallest of voices, “I don’t know how you managed to convince him to come with you, but thank you.”
Henry knelt next to Emma and smiled softly at her. He loved to see her happy, even if it was in a faint, small, unnoticeable smile behind the cat’s body as it continued to purr and greet it’s mistress.
“I had a nice long chat with him, that if he came with me, I would take him to you.” He touched the cat’s head with a caring hand and cupped it as the animal mewed in pleasure, “He’s very smart… I think he understood…”
“LB is smart!” Emma said frowning, getting her defensive look on her face, “I mean, cats can sense a lot in a person!”
Henry then placed the hand that was on LB’s head, onto Emma’s face, cupping it gently, and barely touching her.
“They also say: cats can take after their owner…” he said softly, looking at her without a smile. He looked into her eyes, not ever once moving his gaze, wanting her to know that he meant her to be a special person… at least to him.
“OH!” said a voice from the hall.
Henry turned and saw Rosemary stumbling in over the other occupant of the cat carrier, a small, black, male kitten, to whom Emma had never really named since Henry gave him to her. At least, she had never told him a name.
“Ah, sorry about that…” Henry said going over to help his former mother-in-law. He took the kitten, who had a dark blue collar on, over to Emma, who looked up at Henry even more in surprise. He swore, for a moment, as he placed the kitten down, he saw a smile in her face, not from her mouth, but just her whole being lighted up with happiness. Henry smiled proudly, “The collars,” he said producing a green one with a gold fish on it. “Mother and Father send their love.” He placed the collar onto LB, making sure the little gold fish that had his name on it, was out in front.
“Fine way to kill someone Henry Tate!” Rosemary said pulling the man from the bed, “Go and clean up the mess in the hall!”
“Yes ma’am.” Henry said smiling as she went to sit next to Emma on the bed.
She started fussing and pulling off her shoes, still dressed for a day at the office, her hair still up. Henry smiled as Emma looked at her: answering Rosemary’s motherly concerns with short answers, and the cats settling down. The kitten was crawling around the bed, looking at his new surroundings, and LB yawning as he settled down on the pillows behind Emma. Henry slipped out of the room, and picked up the large cat carrier that was still in the hall. Luisa was standing there smiling brightly.
“You are so nice.” She said beaming.
“Just doing my job.” he said placing his free hand on her head briefly. He then removed it, pushing up his glasses saying, “Serve dinner here, clean up lunch, Rosemary will help. I have work to do in my study, so I shall serve myself on the way down. I will also take tea down there, so feel free to disturb me. If Emma asks, tell her I shall look in on her before bed.”
“Anything else?”
Henry looked up, then looked down, saw the cat carrier, and said, “My mother left some food for the kitties… Feed them will you? And find a blanket or something for the little one to sleep in by the fireplace… I’ll light it later.”
“Yes Mr. Tate.” She then looked at him with a slight questionable look, “Should I stay tonight Mr. Tate?”
“Only if you wish.” Henry said smiling, and placing his hand on her head again,
“You work hard, and Rosemary will be here all night anyway.”
“I shall stay in case Ms. Emma needs me then.” Luisa said smiling her bright smile, “I would think she would want it… If you called for Ms. Rosemary last night, you will need me again as well.”
“As stubborn as any woman aren’t you…” he said sighing playfully.
Luisa slapped his hand away playfully and looked away, “You are SO mean!”
Henry smiled and chuckled, “Yes… I am aren’t I?” he nodded his head in goodbye, “I’ll see you later then.”
Luisa smiled and turned to the bedroom as Henry went down the stairs.
Apple Blossom19 Community Member 
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