“Put that away, lady. Lunch is on me.”
Rebecca retrieved the money from the table and put it back in her purse. “You ain’t gotta tell me twice,” she said with a chuckle.
Paula forked the last bite of her salad and then used a napkin to wipe her mouth. She dug inside her purse and pulled out a few bills. She put the money on the table and stood. “Come on. I know you can’t stand being late.”
Rebecca grinned and got up to follow her friend out of the restaurant. She pulled out her phone to request an Uber, but she was late and didn’t have time to wait for one to arrive. She decided to take a taxi instead. Since they were downtown, taxis were everywhere. So, when one rode by, she waved it down. The driver didn’t see her right away, so he pulled over near the corner.
Rebecca hugged Paula and promised to call her later before taking off in a jog toward the taxi. But before she could reach the car, she was struck with a wicked bout of nausea that stopped her in her tracks. Her vision blurred, and her heart was racing out of control. All of a sudden, she could feel herself falling. She reached out for something,anything, to grab a hold of, but there was nothing. She hit the ground, hard, and clutched her chest. The pain was so sharp that if she could’ve screamed, she would have.
Paula suddenly appeared over her. “Call 911!” she screamed.
It had become clear. She was having another heart attack. And it had also become clear that the attack was like no other she’d had before. She was in so much pain that if she could’ve reached in and snatched the sick organ from her body, she would have done so immediately.
“Call 911!”
Paula was inconsolable, crying and screaming for help. Rebecca reached for her. Something in her needed to comfort her hysterical friend. She wanted to tell her that all would be okay, but she couldn’t speak.
“Stay with me, Rebecca! Do you hear me? Stay with me!”
That was the last thing Rebecca heard before losing the battle to stay conscious, but the last thing she saw before the world went dark was Nick Cato’s beautiful face.
CATO
It had only been an hour, but to Nick, it felt like a lifetime. He was staring at the stale beige walls of the hospital waiting room while pacing back and forth.
“Hey, brother,” Vince called softly, placing his hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Why don’t you let me take over? I’m sure I can wear down the floor tiles just as good as you.” He urged him to the chair he’d abandoned twenty minutes ago. “Come on. Take a seat.”
Nick wanted to resist, but he didn’t because he knew Vince was just as anxious.
He took a seat and stared down at his feet since there was nothing new on the dreary wall for him to see. He’d been staring so long that he knew every crack, every speck of dirt, and every paint chip.
“Can I get you guys some coffee, a snack, or something?” Tanya asked.
Vince walked over to his wife and kissed her forehead, and Nick couldn’t help the feeling of envy that warmed his face.
“No. I’m fine, sweetheart.”
“Nick?”
“No, thank you, Tanya. I’m okay.”
She turned to leave just as Dr. Han, the obstetrician, entered the waiting room. Nick stood on shaky legs and waited for news on his family.
Dr. Han pulled her surgical cap from her head and smiled, but Nick couldn’t allow himself to relax until she was actually speaking good news.
“Would you like to meet your son, Mr. Cato?”
Nick inhaled a sharp breath. His heart skipped a beat. “My son?” He’d heard her. He simply wanted her to repeat what she’d just said.
“Yep. Your son,” she repeated with a smile.
Nick turned to Vince and Tanya. “I told you it was a boy!” he shouted in celebration.
He turned back to the doctor. “My wife?” The miracle of his son’s birth had him hoping for another one.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Cato. Your wife’s condition has not changed, but your son is very healthy.”
Nick sighed. He knew the day would come when he’d have to let his wife go, but he wasn’t sure he could.
