“Um, thanks. Is it… may I speak with her?”
“Of course. I’m handing her the phone right now.”
The line went silent for a moment before I heard a sleepy, “Alex?”
“Hi, Mom. How are you feeling?”
“Hi, honey, I’m feeling okay. Pain is under control. I’m a little groggy. What’s wrong?”
I chuckled. Leave it to a mom to notice something had happened with just a few words. “Um…” The words lodged in my throat.
“Alex?” Her concern loosened my tongue. The last thing she needed was stress on top of trying to heal.
“Ryder’s dad had a… um… he had a stroke.”
“Oh, honey…”
“Yeah, I don’t know much right now, but he’s in the ICU.”
“Oh, you can’t even be with him right now. I’m so sorry, honey.”
“Yeah, it sucks. I’m in the waiting room, just… waiting. I’ll come to you as soon as I can, but I promised Ryder I’d be here when he came out. He was… rattled.”
“Of course he was. Honey, I am fine. They are taking good care of me. You stay there and take care of your man, okay?”
“Are you sure? I feel—”
“Don’t you dare say guilty, Alex. I am fine. Do you hear me? I am fine, and your man is not. Be there for him.”
My throat thickened until I could barely squeak words out. “I-I love you, Mom,” I managed.
“I love you, too, honey. I’ll make sure the nurses get in touch with you to give you my room number when I’m moved out of here.”
I blinked away a rapid rush of tears. “Okay.”
We said our goodbyes and ended the call. I blew out a stuttered breath, shut my eyes, and rested my head against the wall behind me.
And then I heard the whir of the double doors swinging open. I flew out of my seat so fast my head spun.
Ryder strode through the doors and stopped a few feet away from me. He looked devastated and gorgeous simultaneously. My heart leaped into my throat as we stared at each other. I’d had three hours to prepare, and yet I couldn’t think of the best thing to say.
In the distance, someone’s phone rang, snapping us out of our trance. We moved at the same time, practically throwing ourselves at each other. The second we crashed together, I wrapped my arms around him in a vicious hold, and he did the same.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
And then I realized my words didn’t have to be said in any special way. All I’d done for Ryder was sit in a chair and wait for him, and that was enough. I was enough, just as he’d told me dozens of times.
“Are you okay?” I asked as we clung to each other.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s bad, but we won’t know how bad for a few days. They have him sedated right now.”
“Your mom and sister?”
“Can we sit? I feel so drained.”
I released my hold on him. “Of course.” Wrapping an arm around his waist, I guided him to the supremely uncomfortable chairs that had been my home for the past few hours.
“Um…” he said once we were sitting, facing each other as best we could. I took his hand and held it tight. “I talked to Vera. She’s in Canada with her friends but is trying to get back. She’s probably on a plane now. My mom is a mess. She’s freaking out about business shit mostly.”
