“Should we call her?”
“Yeah. Let’s video call.”
“What if she can’t answer?” he asked, the worry in his voice clear as a bell.
“Then she won’t answer, but you ripped my ass for making decisions that weren’t mine to make.”
“Look at you growing up, Papi.”
I rolled my eyes. He wasn’t wrong, but it also wasn’t a done deal. I would probably screw up more times than I could count on both hands.
Declan placed the call, and we huddled in together, leaning back against the sink.
“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of her mouth, and I scowled. She had nothing to be sorry for.
“Sweetness, I’m instilling a rule. You’re not allowed to apologize. Ever. Not unless Hayden or I tell you to. Do you understand?”
My breath caught. Her eyes opened so wide I thought her eyeballs would pop out of their sockets, but she nodded.
“Words, colibrí. That’s a rule now, too.”
“I understand.”
“Good girl. Now, you said you didn’t know what to do. What did you mean?”
“He signed a DNR years ago, but the hospital here didn’t know about it until after the fact. Now, they want me to make a decision, and I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Oh, sweetness. That’s gotta be rough. Hayden and I can’t decide for you, but we can listen as you talk through the options.”
She took a shuddery breath. “I feel like I need to turn the machines off.”
When she didn’t continue, I asked, “Do I hear a but you didn’t say?”
She nodded, her eyes widening slightly before continuing, “Yeah. I don’t know if I can do it.”
“What are the doctors saying?”
“That he could recover, but the stroke robbed his brain of oxygen for a while. He already has issues due to Alzheimer’s. If he’s suffered a brain injury from the lack of oxygen, it could further diminish his quality of life.”
What a shitty situation to be in. I felt for her.
“I wish we could be there, colibrí.”
“There’s no need. There’s nothing you could do but sit here and watch me wring my hands. I much prefer you keep Katie safe so I don’t have to worry about that on top of all this.”
“We can do that, sweetness, and we’ll be in Nashville in a few days.”
“I think I’m gonna go. Thank you for calling.”
“If you need to talk, call us. Understood? And if you need us there, let us know, and we’ll figure something out.”
She nodded. “I will.”
Declan hung up, and I stormed out of the house. Fuck this shit. She needed us, and we weren’t there. I’d failed her already. Same as I failed myself and Declan, and our relationship.
What did I have to give either of them?
Not a damn thing.
