“Any news on your results?”
“Not yet,” I told him miserably. I wish I knew already. Either yes or no, just hurry up and put me out of my misery. If I’m not a match, then just tell me already so we can start hustling on plan B.
“Yeah, me either,” Franklin replied as my head swiveled so fast on my neck it almost snapped right off.
“What do you mean, you either?”
“Me and some of the guys we went and got tested yesterday.”
“Why?”
“Because if you’re not a match and one of us are, we want to help.”
“Franklin …” I didn’t know what to say. I knew these guys were my family and around here we took care of family, but this was going above and beyond. I couldn’t ask them to do this for me. For Isla.
“Now don’t go all cry baby on me. Let’s just wait and see if any of us can help her.”
“Thank you,” I managed to choke out just as a call came through and we were back out on the streets trying to focus on the old lady who’d taken a tumble down the stairs.
Today was a blur. From the moment that first call came in we hadn’t stopped long enough to pee. It was insane. I was blaming the weather. It’d turned cold, one last bitter blast of winter and people were over it. They were driving too fast on wet roads, sliding into poles. They were slipping on the wet pavements, too busy to look where they were going. Then there was just the normal chaos. Franklin and I had just helped deliver a woman’s baby in her lounge room because the little guy just couldn’t wait. My hand still hurt from where she squeezed the life from me as contraction after contraction hit her.
But through it all my phone remained silent.
In a way it was a good thing. It meant that Isla had gotten through her day at school completely unscathed and would now be safely at home with Mrs. Neal but at the same time it meant that my results weren’t in yet. They’d said three to four days, but it was killing me all this sitting around, feeling useless. I was her dad. I should be able to fix things. I needed to be able to fix things, it was who I was, it was my job, and I was completely powerless to do it.
We were an hour late finishing up and I was ready for a hot shower and some food. The packet of peanut butter cups I’d had for lunch had long ago worn off and I was starving.
Luke:Just finishing up now and on my way
Charlotte:No worries. Isla’s already in bed. I’ll start dinner
Luke:I can pick something up?
Charlotte:I’ll cook
Charlotte:See you soon
Knowing my girls were at home waiting for me had me hauling ass. After waving a quick goodbye I was out the door and on my way. I hadn’t planned on stopping but sitting at the traffic lights opposite the bakery that made Charlotte’s favorite macarons, when I saw the lights still on, I stopped.
Pushing open the door, the smell of disinfectant hit me. The chairs were upside down on the tables, music I’d never heard before and never wanted to again pumped through the speakers while the young girl behind the counter danced along with the beat, wiping the counter tops with an extra bit of jazz.
“Hi!” I called out louder than normal. The last thing I wanted to do was to creep up on her and scare the poor girl half to death.
When she didn’t notice me, I tried again only for her head to pop up, a terrified look in her eyes and when she stepped backward, she knocked the broom and sent it clattering to the floor.
“Sorry, I called out, but you didn’t hear me over …” I couldn’t finish my sentence. How did I say over this music when to me it just sounded like noise that would give me a headache if I was in here for longer than five minutes? Damn it I was getting old.
Still obviously startled, she walked over and turned the noise off, thank God, before coming back in.
“I thought I locked the door,” she said her eyes darting everywhere. Calm down lady. I wasn’t going to hurt anyone, and I certainly didn’t bite.
“Are you still open?”
“The coffee machines are off, but I haven’t started the cases yet. Anything that’s there is still for sale.”
“Any pistachio macarons?” I asked hopefully.
“I’ve got four pistachio and two raspberry left.”
