“Dana, I know you’re worried and upset, but you can’t control when people get sick or when some asshole decides to run a light and hits your sister.”
“I’ve got to go,” Dana said. “I need my stuff.”
“Can you give me ten minutes? I’ll call Kyla and repack my bags.”
“Can you call her and get me a flight?”
“Yes, Dana.”
Samara moved around the bed to get her phone.
“I’m going to get an Uber and just head to the airport so that I’m there when it’s booked. I’ll pay you back whatever it costs. I just need to get on the road. I need to bedoingsomething.”
“Dana, I’m coming with you, okay? Ten minutes, and I’ll have a car outside and my bags packed, I promise.”
She dialed Kyla’s number and held the phone to her ear.
“She’s my big sister, Samara.”
“I know, baby,” Samara said, taking Dana’s hand.
“Can you please… stay here? I don’t mean it to sound… I just… I don’t think I can handle you being there.”
“You can’t handle–” Samara shook her head while the phone rang. “I’ll stay out of the way. I just want to be there for you, and for Lainey and Paige.”
“I know, but it’s all too much. I can’t really be with you there… in the hospital. You can’t be my girlfriend there, and I just…” Dana faded out and opened her suitcase. “I need to…” She couldn’t finish that sentence, either.
“It’s okay. I get it.”
Samara didn’t, really, but Dana wasn’t in a state where they could continue this conversation.
“Samara?”
“Kyla, hey. Sorry, it’s so early.”
“What’s up?” Kyla asked.
“I need a flight booked back to New Orleans as soon as possible. Private or commercial; whatever leaves the soonest.”
“What? You just got back to LA. What’s–”
“Kyla, now,” she said.
“Okay. Okay. Private will leave whenever you want. It might just take a minute to get a pilot and a plane. You don’t have a service on speed dial like I suggested you get the last time you wanted to fly private.”
“You can lecture me later. Can you please get Dana on the next flight out of LAX, then?”
“Sure.JustDana?”
“Yes,” she said with a lump in her throat. “It’s a family emergency.”
“So, you didn’t just kick her out of your house at five in the morning?”
“Kyla, please…” she said softly and turned away from Dana, who was still packing. “Something happened back in New Orleans, and she needs to get back as soon as possible.”
“Shit. Okay. I’m on it.”
“Can you send her the confirmation and everything? And maybe send it to me, too, so that I have her flight info?”
