I step closer to the bed, keeping my movements slow and gentle. “Hello again, Bridget.”
Her eyes find me again, struggling to stay open. “You’re real big,” she says, almost childlike. “Erin said you were big. Like a… a mountain.”
Despite everything, I feel the corner of my mouth twitch. “Did she now?”
“Don’t listen to her,” Erin says quickly, her cheeks flushing. “She’s on a lot of medication.”
“Mountains are good,” Bridget continues, her voice fading. “Safe. You keep Erin safe?” Her eyes try to focus on me, and there’s something fierce there despite how weak she is.
“I will,” I tell her, and I mean it with everything I have. “I promise.”
“Good.” Bridget’s hand twitches in Erin’s grasp. “She deserves… deserves to be happy. Even if I’m…” She trails off, her eyes closing.
“Hey, none of that,” Erin says, her voice thick with tears. “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to get better.”
“Liar,” Bridget whispers, but she’s smiling slightly. “Love you though.”
“Love you too,” Erin chokes out.
I watch them together, and something in my chest cracks open. This is what Erin’s been carrying. This is the weight she’s been shouldering alone. While I was busy being jealous about her fuckin’ phone, she was watching her baby sister die.
Bridget drifts off again, her breathing evening out into sleep. Erin sits on the edge of the bed, holding her hand, reluctant to let go.
“She’s been like this for a few days now,” Erin whispers. “Some days she’s more lucid. Other days, she doesn’t even know where she is.”
I’m quiet for a moment, processing. “Your mam wasn’t honest with us.”
Erin stiffens under my hands. “I know. I’m sorry.” She sighs. “My mom has reasons for joining our family to yours, and I didn’t want you to think we were using you, or?—”
“Erin.” I turn her to face me. “Before? Wewereusing each other. But that doesn’t matter now because what we have hasnothingto do withour families. I’m going to help because you’re my wife. Because Bridget is my family now too. You understand?”
Her eyes fill with fresh tears. “You don’t have to?—”
“I want to.” I cup her face in my hands. “Whatever she needs. Whatever you need. We’ll figure it out.”
She breaks down completely then, sobbing into my chest while I hold her. I let her cry it out, all the fear and stress and exhaustion she’s been holding in. My god, if this were one of my sisters—if Bronwyn or Kyla—I can’t complete the thought, but my throat is tight, and my eyes are blurry.
I let out a shuddering breath of my own.
Bridget’s my sister now.
Eventually, she calms, hiccupping slightly. “I need to stay a bit longer.”
“I know.” I check my watch.
Fuck.
Thirty-three minutes until the tribute.
I look at Erin—exhausted, heartbroken, finally trusting me with the truth. I look at Bridget, so small and fragile in that bed.
I walk over to the bed and tuck a blanket closer around Bridget. She looks up at me and smiles. “You’re sweet,” she says, before she turns her head back to the pillow and falls back asleep.
Erin snorts softly behind me. “She’s definitely delirious.”
I tug a lock of her blonde curls and shake my head at her, then sigh. I do have to go. I don’t want to but…
She’s mywife.
