The First and the Last

I watched Luke as he got me an ice pack for the slight bruise on my knee, then an ice cream cone too. He walked back to me, a smile on his face, as he handed them both to me.

"Let me put this on for you, okay?" he said as he sat on the other side of the bench, then gently brought my feet to his lap. He moved it so my knee was right in front of him, and he slowly dabbed at the bruise.

"Does it hurt?" he asked me, briefly looking up to check my face.

"Are you not angry? I mean, I made all that fuss for nothing. I always make a fuss and..." My tears choked on the remaining words, and before I could bring my hand to wipe the tears away, his hand was on my cheek and he wiped them off.

He leaned closer, one hand resting on my knee, and he kissed just under my right eye.

"You sort of remind me of my dad, Karla. I guess he so badly wanted to make up for my mum's absence that he sometimes panicked for the smallest things. I would get into a fight where we pulled each other's hair and woul