Maggie put Layla in the empty bed next to mine and sweetly insisted on sleeping with me in my hospital bed, and even though I was covered with hornet stings it felt great to snuggle with her.

Around 7:30am a nurse entered the room. She checked my vitals and asked us if we would be eating breakfast. We said yes and then she said that Sam’s daughter, Beth, had asked if she could drop by for a visit. We said of course and then started getting ready for the day.

Breakfast came and it wasn’t bad, but it definitely was hospital food. Layla didn’t like it much so we were looking forward to checking out and getting a real lunch, maybe back at Alma’s Diner.

Just as Maggie had finished dressing Layla, there was a quiet knock at the door and Maggie said, “Come in.”

Carrying a large mason jar of fresh-cut wildflowers was a woman in her late thirties, and she introduced herself as Beth, Sam’s daughter.

Stopping in the middle of the room and looking at me, she said, “I just wanted to drop by and thank you for savin’ my daddy, and I picked you some wildflowers from the farm.