I couldn’t hold in my laughter anymore—especially not when I could feel Hudson’s body vibrating next to me. Once I let loose my first peal of giggles, it was a domino effect in the waiting room, until everyone—even Rory—was cracking up, tears streaming down our faces thanks to something other than concern and fear.
“Y’all better not be laughin’ at my expense,” Nat said from over my shoulder.
I glanced back at her and swallowed down my first inclination todosomething, because my sister’s eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, color high on her cheeks. But she had her arm linked in Asher’s, her hand clutching his forearm as if she were pulling all the strength she needed from his body right into hers.
And I knew calling Nat out wouldn’t help anyone—my sister needed to act like this was no big deal. Since I had been failing left and right, letting down the people I loved, I sure as hell wasn’t going to fail this. Giving my sister the veil of strength she obviously needed was something I could do.
I waved her off. “Nah, we’re laughin’ at Rory.”
“Oh. Well.” Nat’s lips twitched as she glanced at our eldest sister. “Carry on, then…”
That only made everyone laugh harder, and soon we were all trying to catch our breaths between guffaws.
The weight that’d settled in my stomach since the phone call this morning receded, and I hoped it was doing the same for everyone else. We’d needed that levity. Desperately. Even though—especially because—Daddy was still in surgery.
“Y’all are gonna have to quiet down.” A nurse—one I hadn’t seen before—stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed at us. “This is theICUwaiting room, and y’all are carryin’ on like you’re at a honky-tonk. You’re disturbin’ others.”
I glanced around and noticed it was just our family, a lady wearing headphones while knitting up a storm, and an older gentleman in the back corner, his snores heard all the way across the room.
“Who, exactly, are we disturbin’?” Nat asked, pointedly looking around to the people sharing the space with us who very obviously didn’t give a shit.
The nurse sniffed and lifted her chin higher. “Others. Now, quiet down, or I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”
Rory stood so fast, Nash had to reach back and steady her chair so it didn’t fall to the floor. “I beg your pardon, Miss—” Rory glanced down at the nurse’s ID card “—Beth, but we’re not goin’anywhereuntil we know our daddy’s okay. Then andonly thenwill we consider gettin’ out of your hair. And until that time comes, my family and I are gonna enjoy one another’s company as best we can while my father is in life-saving surgery!” Her voice rose with every word until she was nearly shouting.
She seemed to realize that and straightened, clearing her throat. Lifting her hand, she fluttered it toward the nurse in a shooing motion. “So, buh-bye. Run along now.”
Rory crossed her arms and glared at Beth until she finally relented with a huff and headed back to the nurses station.
A hush fell over our group until Nat spoke up, laughter in her voice. “Holyshit, I can’t believe that just happened. Who evenareyou?”
Will laughed. “I forgot you haven’t seen her in action since…”
“Since I lost my mind?” Rory asked dryly.
“No, sugar,” Gran said. “Since you finally grew a set of lady balls.”
I chuckled along with everyone else as Hudson leaned close, whispering in my ear, “Your gran is the best.”
The tickle of his breath sent shivers through me, and I turned my head to meet his gaze, my eyes dropping to his lips. He traced tiny circles at the base of my neck with his thumb, reminding me of when he made that same motion on a very different body part. My God, how could I be so terrified and still want him this much?
“I don’t think I could love you more, Gran,” Asher said, his deep, rumbling voice snapping me out of my trance.
I whipped my head to him along with everyone else, as if we’d all just remembered he was there. His hand was in the pocket of his battered jeans, his old Rugrats T-shirt stretching across his chest. It was too short for him, the hem barely hitting the waistband of his jeans, and the screen print on the front was cracked and faded. I was pretty sure he used to wear that in his early high school years, and he’d grown a hell of a lot since then. He’d very obviously grabbed the closest pieces of clothing and jumped in his car without giving another thought to anything but being here with Nat.
“Yet you never come see me,” Gran said, admonishment in her tone. “And you haven’t even given me a hug.”
Without another word, Asher strode to her and swept her up into his arms, and then it was a hug-fest where everyone got their turn welcoming him home. As I watched my loved ones talk and laugh, the center of my chest tightened with longing.
I wanted that. Wanted desperately to be the person my friends and family called when they needed someone. Wanted, even, just to be a person someone thought of.
All my life, I’d been nothing more than an afterthought. I loved my sisters beyond measure, but they outshone me in all things. Because of that, I’d never truly been seen.
Except by Hudson.
But then he’d gone away without a backward glance, his duty to himself outshining anything we’d had.
And even Will—the person who was the other half of my heart—practically ignored me both times she’d fallen for Finn, as her world had begun to orbit around him. I knew Will hadn’t done it maliciously. It was simply because she didn’t need me anymore. My sister had found, and then reconnected with, her person.
