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I settled back into the too sratefully watched Bax’s chest rise and fall until I drifted off at so to him breathe It wasn’t comfortable and I never slept deeply anyway, so I ide-awake as soon asout of ure out what tievery vertebra into try and curl up for a catnap I rubbed a hand over h e-mail on my phone when the door snicked open and a familiar shock of red hair appeared

Dovie tiptoed in, silent as a cat until she saide-awake and watching her She blinked slowly and shrugged without guilt

“I don’t go to bed without him”

She er to brush it across Bax’s star

“He’s worried he can’t keep you safe” It was a rough whisper but she heard it and nodded She kicked of her canvas tennis shoes and hopped up on the edge of the bed

“I know he is, but I can keep both of us safe until he gets better And he’s just going to have to get used to it”

Baxin his sleep and instinctively reached for her She gingerly lay down next to him and put her hand on his chest that was concave and thinner than it had ever been “We take care of each other That’s what love in this place looks like You have each other’s back”

She sighed softly as Bax turned his head and rubbed his nose in her wild hair Neither one had ever looked so rerit of their everyday They just looked like a couple united and in love It twisted soh hell to get to this place It was a victory hard won

“I’onna take off since you’re here with hiht be more of a handful once he isn’t tied to a hospital bed”

She giggled a little bit and waved me off in the dark “I like it when he’s a handful It’s my favorite when he makes me work for it”

“You guys are perfect for each other”

“No, we are so not, but we aren’t right for anyone else, so I guess that means we’re stuck with one another until the end of time”