“I wasn’t going to do this,” she says. “I’ve been trying to avoid coming in here, but then I kept coming up with random reasons to walk by, which is so entirely stupid. I’m over him. It’s beenyears.Of course I’m over him. But I think…I just need to know that he’s doing better. Not from the surgery. Which…I did hear it went well. I just mean…from before.” She meets my eyes, and suddenly, I’m right back in high school telling her that Theo doesn’t want to see her again. Rebecca was far too patient with Theo back then. She tried so hard to be what he needed, but he was wrestling with demons that were much bigger than what any of us should have had to handle. He turned so far inward, the only thing he managednotto give up on was hockey. And that was only because I didn’t give him a choice. It’s a credit to her character that after how he treated her, she still cares about him at all.
“Is he doing okay?” she asks. “Is he…happy?”
I consider how to answer. Theo doesn’t know she’s here, doesn’t know she’s asking, and I don’t want to betray his privacy. But she also went through a lot for him—more than she deserved. “It took a while,” I say. “But he’s doing a lot better. He’s happy.”
She sniffs and lifts her gaze to the ceiling like she’s trying to fight back tears. “That’s good. That’s what I want for him—that’s what I’ve always wanted for him.” She lifts a hand to her forehead and lets out a little laugh. “I was supposed to scrub in for his surgery,” she says. “I mean, what are the odds? That of all the ORs in the country…” She takes a deep breath. “Anyway, thank you for the information. And I’m sorry to barge in on you like this.” She looks over at Sarah. “Also, I read about your wedding online and you were such a beautiful bride, and I really hope the two of you are very happy.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, suddenly realizing I never introduced Sarah. “I should have introduced you. This is my wife, Sarah, my brother-in-law, Miles, and the Jaguars’ head trainer, Nico Alvarez. This is Rebecca Bradley. We went to high school together.”
She takes a deep breath. “It’s nice to meet you all,” she says. “I feel like I’m making a really terrible first impression.”
“Not at all,” Sarah says. “You’re totally fine. I know a little something about how these guys can get under your skin.” She tilts her head toward me, and Rebecca laughs.
“Ha. Yeah. That’s an understatement,” she says. “I should get back to work now, but thank you for talking to me. And not making me feel silly for needing to ask.”
“No problem,” I say. “It really is nice to see you again.”
She stands and adjusts her nursing badge. “I was really glad to read about the two of you making it to the NHL. I know how badly Theo wanted it, and I have a feeling he got it because you didn’t give up on him. He’s lucky to have you, Carter,” she says, then she moves to the door. “It was nice to meet all of you.”
“Um, just for the record,” Miles says as soon as Rebecca is gone, “I don’t think she’s really over him.”
I let out a chuckle. “Yeah. Me neither.”
A few minutes later, another nurse shows up, this one fully prepared to take us to see Theo, who is finally out of recovery.
Nico and Miles stay back in the waiting room, and Sarah offers to do the same, probably wanting to give me time alone with my brother. But I quickly dismiss the idea. I want her beside me. She’s been my lifeline the past few hours—I’m not about to give her up now.
“Is he awake?” I ask the nurse when we finally reach Theo’s room.
“He’s still a little groggy,” she says. “But he’s awake.” She pauses, hand on the large wooden door. “He needs his rest, so a short visit would be best.”
Seeing Theo in a hospital bed, IV attached, oxygen cannula in his nose, feels like a punch to the gut.
My stupidly strong, annoyingly boastful brother looks terrible. His skin is pale, and he has dark circles under his closed eyes. His left arm and hand are heavily bandaged, resting on a pillow at his side.
Sarah and I hang back while the nurse approaches. “You’ve got some visitors, Theo,” she says, and Theo opens his eyes. He scans the room, eyes finally landing on me, then he smiles.
“Took you long enough,” he says, his voice raw and scratchy.
Sarah sits in the chair near the foot of the bed while I step up and take Theo’s hand. His grip is stronger than I expect it to be, and it sends a surge of emotion through my chest.
He’s okay. He’s here, and he’s okay.
The nurse takes a second to hang a new bag of IV fluids, then she moves to the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes for another vitals check,” she says, then she leaves us alone.
“Way to scare me half to death,” I say to Theo, and he gives me a tired grin. “Sarah’s here too, and Nico and Miles are still in the waiting room. And Coach Kimzey will be back in the morning.”
Theo leans to the right and looks around me. “Hey, Sarah,” he says, and my wife stands, moving up beside me.
“Hey, Theo,” she says, her voice soft.
Theo drops my hand and points between the two of us. “So…where are we at with this?” he asks, his words slurring the slightest bit like he’s still a little bit under the influence. “Have we gotten to the part where you two just admit you’re in love with each other? Or…not yet?”
My face heats even as I look over at Sarah to see her pressing her lips together, clearly fighting a smile.
“Seriously?” I say to Theo. “You’re just asking right in front of her like it’s no big deal?”
“What?” he says. “It’s a fair question.”
