Nicole kept her breathing even and slow. She was glad when Cleo came by. He left them alone and Cleo filled her in on the other things he had gone out his way and done. Cleo even helped her to the bathroom which she'd been too embarrassed to ask him to help. There was one connected to the room.
Nicole tried to speak, but was only good at muttering one word sentences with hand gestures. Cleo let her know she was at one of the houses he was fixing up. Nicole was shocked to know he was the one who had bought the houses next to Cleo. He was working night and day on them and his other projects, until she had came here. He never left the house now at all and had said he'd gotten someone to assist him on the other projects.
Before leaving the bathroom, she paused at the mirror and was shocked to see herself. Cleo explained she had taken the liberty of doing that. Nicole had never had her hair done except to have her ends cut and her hair washed and pressed. Other than that, she oiled it every three days and put it up in a pony tail or corn rolls.
"Do you like it?" Cleo asked.
She nodded her approval.
Cleo helped her back to the bed and tucked her in. "I'll be back in a couple of days. Don't try to rush yourself. If you need me, make him come get me, okay?"
She assured her she would.
#### The next morning while he was passed out in the chair by her bed, she got enough strength to make it to the bathroom by herself. When she came out, he was by the door and startled her making her trip over her feet, but he caught her and carried her to the bed. Her throat was feeling much better, but she didn't strain it by fussing over him carrying up. When he laid her in the bed, he didn't draw away and she didn't force him to move his arms from around her.
They stared long into each other's eyes. His then wandered down to her lips and she felt him edge closer.
"How do you feel?" he asked genuinely concerned.
"Fine." She cleared her throat. "I feel good."
The intenseness in his eyes affected her greatly, but she hoped he didn't notice and think her shivering was because the room was cool, when it was her body reacting to his proximity. How could she possible be thinking of making love to him at this point in time although the nurse said she was fine to carry on any usual activities? The nurse had even noted her boyfriend seemed very concerned about her well being and would need "comfort." She hadn't gotten over the idea of the nurse thinking she was his girlfriend let alone assure her she wouldn't be doing any "comforting."