Something True (3 page)

“Go ahead and have a fry. I know you want to.”

“I don’t want to eat in your car.”

“Don’t worry about it. Crumbs vacuum.”

Shelley’s lips twitched and she reached in the bag. She bit into a long, golden fry and almost sighed.

“Ha! You’re eating. We’re having dinner together.” Liam grabbed a fry and popped it into his mouth.

“Liam, you are incorrigible.”

“Absolutely. And don’t you forget it.” He winked.

 
~ * ~ * ~

 
Shelley hoisted her guitar case out of the trunk and slammed the trunk shut. As she walked toward the entrance of the hospital, she mentally girded herself. She loved children, but seeing them sick or in pain was excruciating. She needed to strike the right balance, friendly and empathetic without letting her emotions overwhelm her. She was there to lighten things up, not add to the burden.

Often after she left, Shelley cried until the ache in her heart eased. She figured it was the price she paid. Making the children forget for a little while was worth the heartbreak. Their laughter and smiles lingered with her long after the pain.

The security guard waved as Shelley walked through the lobby. She was a familiar visitor. Sometimes she brought other musicians with her, but not everyone was up to the challenge of a hospital concert. Her skin tingled in anticipation. She enjoyed performing and children were a loyal and giving audience.

She tapped her foot as the elevator ascended, going over her playlist in her mind. The more mobile children would be gathering in the playroom, and she’d give a performance there first. After, she’d visit other children in their rooms one-on-one.

The elevator doors opened and she spared a glance for the giant fish tank. The children loved to watch the colorful blue and yellow tangs swim and hide among the plants. She couldn’t blame them. The flowing fish were mesmerizing.

The happy laughter of children greeted her as she stepped into the playroom. She never ceased to be amazed how normal the kids were. Even dragging IV poles or rolling around in wheelchairs, they were still children—wanting to laugh, play and have fun.

“Shelley! Shelley!” Many of the little faces were familiar, but a few new ones peered her way with dubious expressions.

“Sing
Dixie Dog
! I wanna hear that one.” A small girl with dark curly hair waved her arms.

“Not that one silly. She should play
The Treehouse
. That one’s the best.” The boy’s know-it-all tone did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the curly-haired girl, who continued to bounce up and down.

Shelley laughed. “Don’t worry, guys. I’ll play them both.”

A little girl gently tugged on her sleeve and whispered, “I had bananas for breakfast today, Shelley. Just like the song.”

Shelley smiled. “That’s terrific. I hope they were tasty.” The girl nodded before slipping away to sit with the bubbling group of children.

Shelley decided she’d open with the rousing song about bananas. It usually helped to warm the kids up. She’d save the slower songs for the end, when the children needed to wind down. As she surveyed the room, her spirits lifted. It looked like today would be a good day. She took her guitar out of the case and sat down cross-legged on the carpet. The kids crowded in around her. A volunteer helped position a few children in wheelchairs closer to the action.

Shelley plucked a few strings and adjusted the keys to tune her instrument. She strummed a few random chords before she transitioned into
Bananas for Breakfast
.

I like bananas for breakfast
 

I like to eat them every day
 

I like bananas for breakfast
 

My mommy makes them eight different ways
 

I like bananas on toast
 

I like them with peanut butter too
 

I like bananas with yogurt
 

Don’t you wish you had some too?
 

Several children shouted “Yes” together. Shelley sang the chorus again and the children clapped along. She encouraged the kids to participate.

“How do you like bananas, Britney?” Shelley singled out a girl she’d spent time with before, knowing she’d provide a fun answer.

“On cupcakes!” Britney’s hair sparkled with glittered clips.

Shelley dutifully sang, “I like bananas on cupcakes.”

Shelley turned to a boy on the edge of the carpet who didn’t look too shy. “What’s your name?”

“Jared.” He sat up straighter, proud to be singled out.

“Jared, how do you like your bananas?” Shelley asked.

“Fried.” Jared clapped for emphasis.

“Oh, that’s a good one.” Shelley sang the next line and repeated the chorus again. A half-dozen kids chimed in with their suggestions and then Shelley moved on to the next song. She made sure to sing
The Treehouse
and
Dixie Dog
, her latest release.

All too quickly, she bid goodbye to the children and she made her way to the nurses’ station. This was the toughest part of the visit, seeing children who were so ill or incapacitated they couldn’t make it to the playroom.

“Who do we have on deck today?” Shelley asked the duty nurse.

“There’s a boy, Aiden, in 304, who had surgery on his stomach. He can’t eat, the poor thing.” The nurse’s bright pink scrubs glowed under the lights.

“That sounds rough.” Not being able to eat was the pits.

“Yeah, but he should recover. It’s tough explaining to a little boy why he can’t have anything. I bet his mom would love a break. She’s been here round the clock since he was admitted.” She tossed a paper in the trash. “And, of course, there’s Maddie,” the nurse said in a voice mixed with empathy and frustration.

Shelley sighed. Maddie had been at the hospital for months with one complication after another. Shelley had visited the little girl at least a dozen times and made little headway. Maddie didn’t seem to respond to her. She wasn’t interested in music. She didn’t seem to be interested in anything. Shelley wished she could reach her.

“I’ll stop in and see Maddie.” Shelley was determined to keep trying.

“There are two others, but they are in isolation for now.”

“Sounds good.”

Shelley walked down the hall, trying to determine who she should see first. Maddie, she decided, while her energy was still high from the performance in the playroom.

Shelley poked her head into Maddie’s room. The curtain hid the bed from view. Shelley knocked on the door frame and stepped inside. She parted the curtain. No visitor sat in the side chair, which was unfortunately the usual situation for Maddie.

Maddie’s eyes met Shelley’s and there was no sign of welcome.

“Hey, Maddie. How are you today?” Without waiting for a reply, Shelley took a seat. “Can I play for you?”

Maddie shrugged, her face expressionless.

“If you feel like joining in, you go ahead, okay?”

Maddie’s eyes darted away, staring blankly out the window. Sadness pulled down the corners of her mouth.

Shelley pasted a smile on her face, showing none of her inner turmoil. If ever a little girl needed a friend, Maddie did. Shelley positioned her guitar and plucked out the notes of a familiar children’s song. She sang, her voice sweet and even, occasionally glancing at Maddie to see if there was any response.

Frustration rose inside her, but Shelley didn’t let it show. “Do you have any requests?”

Maddie shook her head.

“Would you like me to keep playing? Or we could play a game if you want.”

Maddie picked at the blanket with her fingertips.

“I’ll play a few more songs. How does that sound?” Without waiting for an answer, she began to play
The Treehouse
. For a moment, she thought she saw a spark of interest in Maddie, but it was gone before she could be sure.

A few songs later, Shelley put her guitar aside. “I hope you enjoyed the music, Maddie. Maybe next time, you can come and listen in the playroom.”

Shelley tried to muster new energy as she walked to Aiden’s room. As she entered, she knew this visit would be different. Aiden played with toys on his bed, while his mother sat close by.

“Hi, Aiden. I’m Shelley.” It was hard to banish Maddie’s image from her mind and focus.

“I know you. I know you.” The little boy’s eyes brightened with excitement.

“Oh, do you now?” His interest boosted her mood.

“We have some of your music,” Aiden’s mother explained.

“That’s awesome. What would you like to hear?” Shelley was still surprised when she met a stranger who knew her music. She didn’t think that surprise would ever go away.

The rest of the visit with Aiden passed quickly. His enthusiasm buoyed Shelley and she left feeling elated, but tired. The children required so much energy. It had gone well today. The kids had been wonderful. If only she could get through to Maddie, that would be an even greater accomplishment. The sad little girl tugged at her heart. It was the children like Maddie who needed to connect most of all.

 
~ * ~ * ~

 
Shelley slipped into the seat of her car and pulled the door shut. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She wanted to ignore it, but her curiosity compelled her to her to look at the screen. It was her sister, Kate, a talented photographer. Kate was having her first major showing at a local gallery, and Shelley spent hours on the phone reassuring her. She was probably in a panic over matting for a piece. Her normally level-headed sister had been in a tailspin since being offered the show.

“Hello?” Shelley had time. She was willing to serve as a sounding board.

“Shelley, you won’t believe it!” Kate’s voice bubbled with excitement.

“What? Did something already sell on preview?” Several people had already expressed interest in purchasing Kate’s work, and the show wasn’t even officially open. Shelley was confident that show would be a huge success, but Kate wasn’t going to believe it until after the show opened.

“Oh … no. But that would be great, wouldn’t it?” Kate’s voice drifted.

“So, what’s up then?” Shelley asked.

“You!” The excitement was back in Kate’s voice.

“Me?”

“Have you checked iTunes?
Dixie Dog
is number one in children’s music. Number one!” Kate shouted.

“Right now? Are you serious?” Shelley knew that downloads of
Dixie Dog
had been increasing, but she’d never expected this.

“I’m totally serious. I saw it. Woot!”

Shelley smiled. She imagined Kate bouncing up and down in her mind’s eye.

“You pushed Raffi out of the number one spot. I took a screen shot just in case.” Kate’s pride in Shelley came right through the phone.

“You did? Cool. You never know when Raffi is going to come surging back.”

“I also called Mom. She wants us to come over for a celebration dinner.”

“Oh? Did she mention again how I wasted my college degree playing at the library?” Shelley’s parents weren’t against her musical career but they hadn’t been overly encouraging, either.

“Come on, Shelley. You know she’s moved past that.”

“Mmm, I suppose.” Shelley didn’t believe it yet. Her parents thought she should obtain an advanced degree in early childhood development and start writing pop psychology books on child rearing and using music to accelerate learning. Her father constantly reminded her that there was good money to be made in non-fiction.

Kate rushed on. “How many downloads do you think that is? Am I crass to wonder how much money you’ve made?”

Shelley chuckled. “No. Not since I know it’s because you want me to be able to pay my rent and not end up sacked out on your couch.”

“You could use a new car, too,” Kate suggested. Shelley’s car wasn’t a rattletrap, but it had a lot of miles on it.

Shelley rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it’s new car money.”

“It’s still amazing. When should we celebrate? I’ll bring cake.”

“Ah, you do bake a mean cake. Let me get back to you, okay?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Shelley ended the call and her thoughts turned to Liam, even though she didn’t want to think about him. He made her feel excited and queasy all at the same time. He’d come into the KC’s Kidz office several times, working hard on each occasion and stopping by to chat.

To Shelley’s overactive imagination, it almost seemed like he sought her out for conversation.
Don’t be silly
, she admonished herself. Liam was trying to polish up his image, and she was a means to an end. She wondered why a little part of her didn’t want to believe it.

Chapter 3

Liam poked his head into Shelley’s office. “I want to go with you to the hospital, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Shelley shrugged as she threw a few papers into her messenger bag and zipped it closed. “Okay.”

Shelley’s quick capitulation made him suspicious, but he was eager for the opportunity to show her what he could do. Or maybe just to show off. He resisted the impulse to take her hand as they headed down the hall. He doubted she’d welcome it yet. Shelley was a puzzle—a beautiful puzzle he felt compelled to solve.

They exited the building onto the sidewalk. “Shall we take my car?” Liam loved his Ferrari. The engine purred like a cat and the car hugged the ground like a lover.

“Err …” Shelley’s steps slowed.

The low-slung vehicle was none too roomy, but Liam liked the intimacy it created—with the right passenger. “It drives like a dream.”

Shelley perked up. “You’re going to let me drive?”

Liam looked pained. He never let anyone drive his car.

Shelley laughed. “Don’t worry, Speed Racer. Will both guitars fit in the trunk?”

Liam’s face fell. “Actually, no. I guess we’ll have to take your car.” Liam retrieved his guitar from the passenger seat and placed it in Shelley’s trunk. He held out his hand.

“What?” Shelley asked.

“The keys.” While Liam occasionally had a driver, especially while on tour, he preferred to drive himself.