Seeing her Dad lying in the hospital bed was excruciating for Hope. He looked so weak and helpless, but he still managed to cheer her up. She felt so much better for seeing him and it put her mind at ease. At least she knew he was being taken care of. She told him she'd visit him every day until he was out, but her Dad explained that he was now on a waiting list for a triple heart bypass and it could take months, sometimes years.
Hope needed to get ready for her dinner with Orson. She decided on skin tight jeans, boots and a sequined top. She brushed her long hair and fixed a purple hair band on her head. No need for make-up, she hated the stuff.
She found it surprisingly easy to talk to Orson. He was a very open person and she liked that.
"I can't believe it didn't work out between you and Reggie. You were the golden couple in high school. We all thought you'd go the distance." Orson said.
"Yeah well, he decided just wasn't happy and left." Hope didn't like talking about him. Now that she'd met Donatello, she wasn't even sure how real it was with Reggie.
"If you were mine, I'd never let you go." Murmured Orson.
"Wow, what a line!" Laughed Hope.
They had a wonderful evening and he even walked with her to the door of her childhood home.
She turned to face him and the look in his eyes said he was going to kiss her.
Hope didn't know what to do.
She hadn't been kissed in such a long time, but the only person she wanted to be kissed by was Donatello.
Then again, when was that ever going to happen?
As Orson pulled closer to her she parted her lips slightly.
His met hers for a few seconds and then it was over.
That was nice, she thought.
She'd more or less forgotten what it was like to be normal. And that's how Orson made her feel. She liked it.