“Promise me you won’t let them forgetme.”
She brushed her thumb across Sarah’s cheek. “That’d be impossible. They’re going to carry you around with themforever.”
“Thank you,” shewhispered.
She kissed the back of Sarah’s hand. Even though she felt like she’d said the right thing, how the hell was she supposed to comfort her? There were no words. No handbook. No how-to guide for the terminally ill. Her morbidity crept in and she selfishly couldn’t help but hope that when it was her time it happened quickly instead of slowly dragging out over the course ofmonths.
Now she had to dump more bad news on her cousin. “We need to talk about somethingelse.”
This was going to suck, but she needed to know. They’d never talked about what legal provisions Sarah had made for the kids. It was her fault. She kept thinking if she didn’t talk about it, it wouldn’thappen.
“Eddie was released fromprison.”
Sarah’s eyes flew open. “What?” she gasped. “No. No!” She shook her head. “He’s not supposed to be out for another five years. He can’t beout.”
“I know,” she said softly, trying to calm her down. “Iknow.”
Sarah sucked in air, hyperventilating. The machines beside her bed started beeping and Denise hit the call button. “Calm down, honey.Please.”
Fear shone from her eyes. Sprocket stood and woofed as Nadia opened thedoor.
“What’s—” Rushing to the bed, she lifted the oxygen mask hanging from the rack next to it. She fit it over Sarah’s head and turned the valve on thewall.
Sarah inhaled deeply, never breaking eye contact with Denise. Her breath fogged up the clear plastic with each heavyexhale.
“What happened?” The nurse reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out astethoscope.
“I had to give her some bad news.” Denise shoved her hands into her pockets and scrunched hershoulders.
Nadia held the earpieces over her ears. “Let’s avoid doing that again,okay?”
Denise nodded. It was a lie. She hadmore.
Nadia listened to Sarah’s chest, then removed the stethoscope and wrapped it around her neck. She grasped her tiny wrist and looked at her watch. After several seconds, she looked back at Sarah. “You okaynow?”
Her breathing had evened out and her cousinnodded.
Nadia removed the mask from her face. “I’m going to hook you up to the nose hose.” She opened her mouth, but the nurse cut her off. “I know you don’t like it, but you need to wear it for awhile.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
Nadia wrapped the clear plastic hose around each of her ears and adjusted the flow of air. She looked at Denise. “Not too muchlonger.”
Denise nodded and waited for the click of the doorclosing.
Sarah’s eyelids sank closed. “Tell me the rest.” The blue circles under their depths seemed even more pronounced than they had only minutesago.
Resuming her position on the bed, Denise wrapped her hands around her cousin’s again. “He skippedparole.”
The weak hand clenched. “How do youknow?”
“The FBI came to the house looking foryou.”
She opened her eyes and tears spilled over. “How did they know where to findme?”
“Several ways, I’m sure, they’re the FBI.” Sarah didn’t smile at her poor attempt at humor. “He’s been calling the house.” Denise licked her lips. “Kaden’s talked to him a couple oftimes.”
Sarah’s hand crashed to her chest. “What?”
