But it wasn't Logan. It was Camila. She was at the hospital, her voice strained, explaining that everyone had gathered there in an emergency. She had to take Alice, and Logan had brought the twins.
Bonnie Turner had suffered complications during her heart surgery. The procedure had to be halted, and she was now in the ICU in critical condition.
I drove straight there, finding the entire Turner family huddled in the waiting room.
The moment I walked in, Aurora’s face lit up. She broke into a huge smile and ran to hug my legs. LittleAlice, Michael and Camila’s daughter, did the same, chirping a cheerful “Aunt Evy!” that felt starkly out of place in the somber room.
Anna got up from her chair and approached me, too, though with far more restraint.
“Evy, can we go? It’s so boring here,” she whined.
“Of course, sweetie. I came to take all three of you. But can you wait just a little bit longer for me?”
Anna let out a frustrated huff and quickly signed my request to Aurora.
Camila came over and pulled me into a tight hug. “Thanks for coming. Are you sure about taking all three? I didn’t even have time to call my grandmother. She’s in for a surprise when she gets home from the bookstore.”
“Jenna loves having her great-granddaughter over. And I know she’ll adore meeting the twins.” I gave her a reassuring squeeze. “How is she?”
“We don’t know much. Which… probably isn’t a good sign.”
“My God… she’s so young.”
Camila just nodded, her eyes red-rimmed. Even without knowing Bonnie well, the gravity of the situation was written on every face in the room.Everyone was devastated—even Logan, which proved that beneath his selfish exterior, he did, in fact, have a heart.
He, Michael, and Trinity stood in a protective circle around Sebastian, who looked utterly broken, his face buried in his hands, unresponsive to his mother’s soothing words. It was a heartbreaking sight. I sent a silent prayer that Bonnie would pull through.
“Camila?” A woman’s voice drew our attention. We both turned to see Layla, Camila’s colleague from the Turner architecture firm, approaching. She pulled my friend into a quick hug.
“Lay, what are you doing here?” Camila asked, surprised.
Layla stepped back, and I could see she’d been crying. “I brought my mom for her treatment. And to try to talk her out of her decision. She says this is her last session; she’s done.”
“Is she stopping because it’s working?” Camila asked gently.
Layla shook her head, her expression grim. “She’s stopping because she’s too tired to keep fighting.”
“Oh, honey… I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not giving up on her. But what about you? Why are you here?” Her eyes finally landed on me.“Evelyn! I’m so sorry, I’m so out of it I didn’t even see you.”
She hugged me too. I’d only met Layla at Camila’s wedding, but I felt like I knew her from how much Cami talked about her.
As she pulled away, Layla glanced at the twins playing with Alice. “Oh, your daughters are just beautiful, Evelyn. Cami, you never told me she had kids! I only found out from that article online.”
“They’re not—” I started, then caught myself.The lie.“I… I asked her not to say anything. It was a secret from their father.”
“I’m glad you told him. So many men shirk their responsibility, but it’s not fair for women to carry it all alone.”
“Yes. Well, he’s… stepping up now,” I said, the words tasting like ash.
Camila quickly steered the conversation back to Bonnie, and the two of them started talking in low, worried tones.
I glanced across the room and found Logan already looking at me. I gestured for him to follow me, excused myself, and walked down a quieter hallway. He joined me a moment later.
“You’re a doctor,” I said, getting straight to the point. “What’s Bonnie’s real prognosis?”
“Not good,” he said, his voice low and weary. “I spoke with the surgeon. There was a complication. They had to close her up without finishing the procedure.”
