Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 118733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
What she needed, no one could offer her. She needed to go back in time to her first migraine, to the time when she could’ve gone to the doctor for help. Palmer couldn’t dwell on what she couldn’t change, though, and pushed herself forward. For the rest of her days, she’d live life to the fullest and be the most positive person she could. She at least owed it to herself to go out with a smile.
The knock on her door brought a smile to her face. In the very short amount of time she’d known Kent, he’d given her some hope. He couldn’t cure her, but he was determined to give her a lifetime of memories in the time she had left. He was, by far, the most selfless person she had ever met. As she unlocked the door, she thought he should have a key to her apartment.
Kent greeted Palmer with a smile that made her knees shake. He was dashing, with an air of confidence that Palmer wished she had. He carried himself in a way that made him look fearless, yet he had a softer side to him. She sensed he cared deeply about her and would do anything to make her last days worth living.
His arms were full of books, as were his hands. She took the two coffee cups from him and set them on the island in her kitchen. He dumped the pile he carried onto her small dining room table and sighed.
“Good morning.” Kent pulled Palmer into a hug. Startled, it took her a second to wrap her arms around him, but once she had, she sank into his embrace. This was new to her, a physical connection to someone she barely knew. Palmer wasn’t a toucher. She didn’t randomly touch people to get their attention. Call it an adverse effect of growing up in the system. The director of her group home didn’t go around offering affection, and the only people Palmer would’ve ever considered asking for a hug from would’ve been a teacher. Yet, she never had the courage to speak those words.
Kent let her go, and the grin he had when he walked in was still there. Palmer didn’t know who to thank for his presence, but she was grateful. She still wasn’t sure about his offer and felt like he was giving up his life for a complete stranger, even if it was a few days a week and for a limited time.
“Thank you for the coffee.” Palmer took a sip and closed her eyes as the rich flavor met her taste buds. “This is good.” She held the cup out to look at the logo.
“I’m surprised you don’t go there. It’s not far from the bank.”
“Don’t be surprised,” she said. “I don’t do a lot of the things a typical person would do. I’ve learned this recently. I’m boring and live by a routine because I thought that was how adults did things. On Saturdays, I go to the café down the street and order a cinnamon roll with a cup of coffee or tea. The same brands I have in my cupboard.” Palmer glanced at the cup she held and then took another drink. “The other night, I sat on the couch and tried to look at my life from an outsider’s point of view. Do you want to know what I saw?”
“What’s that?” Kent asked.
“I saw someone who waited until she had an end date to start living, and then it hit me that’s not the case at all. I’m only living because of you. If you hadn’t offered to travel with me, I’d still be sitting on the couch, making plans for what hospice center I’m moving to. You’re the knight in shining armor I didn’t know I needed.”
Kent went to Palmer and set his hands on her upper arms. “Just call me Super Kent.”
Palmer repeated his new moniker over in her mind, and that’s when it hit her. “Kent,” she said softly. “You’re my Superman.”
He was, and he knew it. “The next time I talk to my mom, I’ll thank her for naming me Kent. It seems she knew what she was doing.”
“Will you tell me about your parents?” Palmer asked with genuine interest.
“I will, but let’s save it for one of our drives,” he said. “Speaking of which, I have some news. Let’s sit down.”
They sat around the table. Kent moved his books to the side and relaxed against the chair. “Before, I suggested we go somewhere every couple of days, and plan a couple of weeks on the East Coast. Do you remember?”
Did he ask if I remembered because memory loss is part of my symptoms?
“I remember,” Palmer said. “My memory is still intact.”
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure. Anyway, that plan is off the table.”