“I need to be there,” I wailed, thinking of my dad in a hospital bed and my sister all alone. “I have to get back there now.”
“I don’t know anything. It may be nothing,” she said softly. “I don’t want to scare you, but I had to call you.”
“I’ll catch a flight home as soon as I can.”
“Jada, I called you from Max’s phone because I was charging mine. But it’s charged enough now, and I need to call the hospital back. Can you talk to Max?”
“Sure,” I said, throwing the last of my things into my suitcase and sitting on the bed, looking at Heather nervously.
“Jada?” he asked, his voice gravelly.
“Max?” I spun my ring around my finger, wishing I was home.
“It’ll be all right, Jada. We don’t know how bad he is or what is thematter for sure. Just stay calm, all right?” His Southern drawl settled my nerves a bit, and I remembered to breathe. “Where’s Cane?”
“He went for a run. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“When were you coming back?” he asked.
I sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “In a couple of days. We hadn’t decided. As soon as he gets back, we will head to the airport.”
“Keep me posted, okay? Have Cane call me when he gets back.”
“I will,” I said, my voice breaking before pressing END.
I threw Cane’s things in a bag haphazardly, grabbed my purse, and headed to the front door. I set our bags off to the side and paced the room.
“It’s going to be fine,” Heather assured me. “Kari will be there soon, right?”
I nodded, thinking the worst. “I need to get plane tickets. Where’s my cell?”
Heather shrugged, looking around. “Did you leave it in the bedroom?”
I raced down the hall, searching frantically for my cell. It was lighting up, alerting me of its location as I neared the bed.
Max: Southwest A1278 leaves at 3:45PM. Just use the self-check-in. I already bought them.
I smiled, looking up at Heather. “I hope my sister knows what a great guy she has.”
FORTY-FIVE
Jada
Kari pushed openthe door to Dad’s room, and we made our way inside quietly. He lay asleep on his bed, an oxygen tube up his nose and various monitors taped to his chest.
He looked pale and gray, not at all like the strong, vibrant man I once knew. I instinctively grabbed Kari’s hand. My heart broke at the sight before us.
The blood pressure cuff on his arm made a sound, and Dad’s eyes fluttered open. “Damn thing,” he muttered before he saw us standing in the doorway. His face lit up, and he tried to move before giving up. “There are my girls,” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
“Hey, Daddy,” I said, my lips trembling as I made my way to his bedside. “How are you feeling?”
“Like garbage.” He held out his arm as the cuff released the air. “You didn’t come all the way home because of this, did you?”
I nodded, looking at all of the wires extending from his body. “Of course I did. I was worried.”
“Ah, I’m a tough old guy. Don’t worry about me.”
“You didn’t do this on purpose, did you? Just to get her back here?” Kari winked at me.
