Louisa calledtheir mother from the car, and since she was already at the hospital, wedecided to head there first.
The ride to thehospital was spent in tense silence and I had to forcibly stop myself fromfilling the quiet with chatter. This was virtually impossible for me, especiallywhen Louisa started to cry.
Huck was inbetween us in the back seat, so he took her hand and squeezed it. “He’s goingto be fine, LouLou.”
“Until I geteyes on him, I just don’t think I can believe that,” she said with a sniff.
I turned my headto the window, fighting my own tears. I couldn’t bear the thought of anythinghappening to my dad and I almost had a panic attack at the thought. But I hadto keep my shit together and be strong for Huck and Louisa because this was notabout me.
I felt Huck’shand on my thigh and took a deep breath, leaning against him before meeting hiseyes.
“You okay?” heasked.
“I’m good,honey.” I forced a smile. “I’m here foryou.”
We pulled up tothe hospital and with a promise from the driver to wait for us, we headedinside.
“I’ll hangback,” I said when we arrived at the surgery recovery floor.
“You won’t,”Huck said with a frown.
“This is not theway I wanted to meet your parents, honey.” I took his hand. “It’s way too muchstress for your mom. Let her lead. I’ll be right here. But she needs peoplearound her that she knows. Plus, your dad had surgery, and he’s in a vulnerableposition, he won’t want a stranger in there. Trust me.”
“Ineedyou, though.”
I smiled,pointing to a chair in the waiting room. “And I’ll be right there.”
“Hucky, come on,”Louisa prodded.
“I also think Ishould hold onto your cut,” I said.
“Why?”
“Because yourdad just went through surgery. Do you really want to have the conversationabout prospecting while he’s in the hospital?”
“You may have apoint,” he said, shrugging out of it and handing it to me. “I don’t like goingback on my word, though.”
“You’re not. I’mholding it so you can take care of your family. You can put it on the secondyou’re out of his room.”
He frowned, butfinally leaned down and kissed me gently before following Louisa through thedouble doors that led to their father’s room.
* * *
Huck
I followed mysister, further away from Daisy, which I was not happy about, and found myfather’s room two doors down the hall on the right.
We knocked quietlyon the door and peeked inside to find my mother rushing out of her seat with aquiet cry to wrap her arms around us. “You’re here.”
We hugged hertight and I swear, she’d gotten stronger with how hard she held onto both of us.
“Where’s Daisy?”she asked once she’d let go.
“She wanted tomake sure she didn’t overwhelm you and she wasn’t sure if Dad would feel weirdbeing in a vulnerable spot. She’s in the waiting room,” I said.
“Well, if shepromises not to look under my sheet, I’m good,” Dad rasped.
“Daddy!” Louisacried, rushing to the side of his bed, and gingerly hugging him.
