“Well, what did you want me to say, that you look shit? Because that’s never going to happen.” He stares at me like I’m crazy. “I don’t care about your hair being perfect, or that you have a few bruises coming out on your neck. To me you always look beautiful. Got it?” His tone tells me I’d better not disagree with him as he picks up his phone and sits down on the side of the bed in front of me again.
“Whatever,” I snap back at him.
My brain might not be functioning at peak performance, but it’s not going to stop me from being my usual annoying self, pushing back at his bossiness. I’m sure he secretly loves how I stand up to him. Well, that’s what I tell myself, anyway.
The way he’s sitting on the bed puts a plain wall behind him, so there will be no giveaway to where he is. The line starts to ring through the speaker on Landon’s phone. The moment itconnects, he plasters a big smile on his face like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“Oh, Landon, what a surprise.”
Hearing my mother’s voice as she answers his FaceTime creates a reaction in me I wasn’t expecting. Tears start rolling down my cheeks, and I desperately want her arms wrapped around me. I feel like I’m five years old again and have just fallen and scraped my knee, rushing to her to kiss it better and to hold me close in a warm, loving embrace.
“Happy birthday, Mrs. B, I hope you’ve been having a lovely day.” He reaches out and starts wiping away my tears that are streaming down my face, with his thumb.
“Oh, I had a sweet visit with the boys this morning. Felix brought them over to give me some beautiful cards they made. They were so proud of their artistic talent.” I hear her giggle a little because I’m sure they are one-of-kind pictures. “The boys said you had to leave before they got up this morning, which was a surprise…” Then I hear her hesitate a little. “Umm, Landon, what is that beeping alarm, do you need to turn something off?”
And I suddenly feel sick in the stomach as he starts talking.
“Yeah, about that.” He stops and takes a deep breath. “I’m actually in Rochester right now, and before I explain any more, I just need you to know that Poppy is fine. But maybe you should sit down on that chair behind you.” If this wasn’t so serious, I would be laughing at the sweat on his brow and slight hesitation in his voice.
“Landon Wood, you tell me what’s going on right this minute,” she yells forcefully at him. “Where’s Poppy, because those beeps sound a lot like a hospital, now that I think about it.” The panic is rising in her voice.
“Just take a breath, Poppy is fine, and she is right next to me ready to wish you a happy birthday, but first I want to explain what happened.” Landon reaches for my hand and givesit a squeeze of comfort because he knows how upsetting this is, hearing her on the other end of the call.
“I’ll breathe when I know what the hell happened.” And now her voice is wobbling a bit.
“Poppy was in an accident at work yesterday and is currently in the hospital recovering from some smoke inhalation, a concussion, and a broken leg that?—”
“Yesterday!” Mom yells hysterically. “What do you mean yesterday? Why am I just finding out now? Why didn’t they call me? Wait, why are you there, how did you find out?” Oh yeah, she’s pissed. She has that high-pitched shrill tone in her voice that doesn’t happen very often.
I can see by the worry lines in Landon’s forehead that he’s uncomfortable about the reply to her question, but he still answers her truthfully.
“Poppy called me.” His hand clutches around mine that little bit harder, and I’m not sure if it’s to reassure me or him.
“Poppy calledyou. Hmm, did she now. Right, we are about to have some serious words. You put that daughter of mine on this call right now!”
Landon looks at me for permission, and I give him a little nod. As he starts to hand the phone to me, I can still hear my mom yelling.
“I’m so angry at both of you, just wait until I get there. You are both in so much trou…” She stops mid word and gasps loudly, her hands grabbing her cheeks the moment she sees my face.
“Hi, Mom.” I was trying to stay calm, but instead, the words come out so shakily that I burst into tears and so does she.
And all I can think is I’m glad Landon told her to sit down, because I’m not sure she’s breathing properly from the shock.
“Oh, my baby. My little Poppy,” she mumbles, and her hands drop from her face. Instead, she wraps her arms around herself, trying to hold it together.
Landon gets up then gently slides my hips across the bed a little further, then does the same with my legs, being ever so careful. Covering me again with the blanket, he sits back down on the bed but not in front of me like he was. Instead, right next to me this time. Lifting his arm up, he pulls me into his side and lays my head on his shoulder. I’ve never been more thankful for him being here than I am right this minute.
“I’m okay,” I manage to get out to Mom as Landon starts to wipe my tears away from my cheeks again.
“You’d better be,” Mom replies as she reaches for a tissue from the table next to her couch where she’s sitting, pulling herself together a little. “I’m packing my bag right now.” She sits up a bit taller in the seat.
“No,” I protest at the same time as Landon.
“No,” he says more calmly than me. “Don’t you dare get in that car.”
The look of shock on her face tells me she’s hurt too.
“Let’s talk first. I can explain everything, and then we’ll make a plan. Okay?” Landon takes control of the conversation again, and my energy to keep my eyes open is waning fast.
