“I thought you were going to stay at the hospital,” I said as we met in the living room. “All they had was a chair,” he said, stretching out his back. “And my back is killing me. December has her phone, though, and I made her promise to call.” I’d forgotten that Lance had injured his back a few years ago in a waterskiing accident. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. Come to think of it, my back wasn’t feeling all that swell either. “I meant to borrow an air mattress for you to use like we did over the summer,” Lance said as he retrieved a prescription bottle from a kitchen cupboard. “The couch is fine,” I assured him, not wanting him to worry about something so trivial. “She was okay when you left?” “Yeah,” Lance said with a heavy sigh. “I’m hoping she’ll sleep better if she’s not worrying about me.” He offered me their bed, but I refused. He needed it more than I did. We both turned in, and while the couch wasn’t all that comfortable, it was better than the rocking chair.
