She nodded. I almost laughed.
"I've spent the last hour thinking he was dead."
Her face softened. "He's not."
"Good. So where is he?"
Sophie took a breath. "The thing they found was a tumor."
I didn't speak.
"It was benign."
Air left my lungs.
"Okay."
"But the surgery didn't go exactly as planned."
I looked at the cane again.
Sophie continued. "He woke up with weakness on his left side. His speech was badly affected too."
My stomach dropped.
"He spent months in rehab."
"Is he okay?"
"He's better."
"That's not what I asked."
She nodded. "He's okay."
Then I heard a faint scrape behind me.
I turned.
Adrian stood in the hallway.
For a second, neither of us said anything.
He was thinner.
There was a brace around his left ankle.
His left hand rested against the wall.
But it was him.
Same eyes. Same crooked half-smile.
"Hi," he said.
The word came slowly.
I stared at him.
Then the first thing out of my mouth was, "You are an idiot."
Sophie covered her mouth. Adrian blinked.
Then smiled. "Fair."
I crossed the room.
