What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,76

to shot hello when her phone went off again. She unlocked it to read his message, taking off her helmet at the same time.

Hmmm. Tomorrow. That gives me an idea. Keep your schedule open in the evening.

What's happening in the evening?

Haven't you figured it out yet? When the sun goes down, you become mine, Saint Valentine. Talk to you soon.

Valentine wasn't much for cryptic responses, so she shrugged it off and put the phone away. When she looked up, Nurse Grace was coming down the stairs.

“How did things go today?” she asked, glancing in the living room and kitchen.

“Good! Really good,” the nurse said. “I'm so glad you finally took my advice and hired someone else, and you really picked a good one. I like Crockett a lot.”

Valentine had looked through lots of applicants at the agency, and had spoken to several in person. Nurse Amelia Crockett had seemed like a good fit, so she'd come to the house at eleven that morning. Grace had introduced her to their patient, then shown her the routine, familiarizing her with everything.

“That's awesome,” Valentine sighed, pressing her hand against her chest. “I'm going to be ... er, working some more hours, some on-call stuff, and I just didn't want to leave Gam-Gam alone or with Bailey for so long.”

“It's a good decision, though I'm sorry to hear it's so you can work more. You need a break,” Grace clucked her tongue at her. Valentine made a face at the phrasing, then she followed Grace into the kitchen.

“It's okay. This part of the job, I actually kinda like it, so it doesn't feel like work.”

“Oh, well that's good, I suppose. Just take it slow, alright?”

Valentine almost laughed out loud.

“Sometimes fast is good, Grace.”

Even though Nurse Crockett was familiarized with everything and had the situation well under control, Valentine gave her a break at six. While the nurse headed out to find dinner, Val took dinner up to her grandma by herself.

“How are we tonight?” she asked as she carried the tray into the room. “I feel like we haven't gotten to spend as much time together lately.”

It was true. After five months of spending what little spare time she had solely in her grandmother's company, it felt strange to be spending so many nights away. Her dinner date with Ralph, her nights with Ari, it had all happened so fast.

“No, I suppose we haven't,” Gam-Gam replied, struggling to sit upright. “Say, do you know my daughter, Patricia?”

Valentine smiled, then took her place on her stool.

“As a matter of fact, I did.”

“She had two daughters. Valentine and Janette, they'd be around your age. Lovely girls”

“That's me,” Val smiled big. “I'm Valentine.”

“You are?”

“Sure. You just said her daughters were lovely – aren't I lovely?”

“Well, yes, I suppose you are. I'm so glad you came to visit me.”

Valentine liked nights like these ones, no difficulties. No struggling. Her grandmother ate all her food and drank all her nutritional drink, and then still had energy to spare. It was only six-thirty, so Val went out on a limb and made a suggestion.

“Would you like to go for a walk, Gam-Gam?”

It wasn't easy, getting her dressed for the cold weather and then helping her down the stairs. She could walk, but she was unsteady on her feet. Weak. She couldn't go for long distances. Nurse Crockett showed up just in time to help load her into her wheelchair, then waved them away as Valentine pushed her grandmother down the block and around the corner.

“This is nice!” she exclaimed. “Isn't being outside nice? The fresh air?”

“Oh my, yes,” her grandmother sighed. “It reminds me ... I used to live on a farm, did you know that?”

“I did know that, yes.”

“It doesn't smell as good here, but it's still nice,” Gam-Gam nodded her head as they strolled along.

“Maybe we can do this more often,” Valentine suggested. “Maybe during the day some time? We could go see the lake.”

“Oh, I'd really like that! Did you know I can water ski?”

Now that Valentine honestly hadn't known.

“No! Really?”

“Yes. My girlfriends and I, we used to go out with my father and he'd tow us with the boat. We'd show off for the boys. I was the best,” Gam-Gam bragged. Valentine laughed loudly.

“That's amazing! You were kinda fearless, Grandma.”

“I kinda was,” the old lady agreed. “It's probably where you get it from.”

She said the statement so off the cuff, so nonchalantly, so lucidly, it stopped Valentine in her tracks. For a moment, just a moment,