McKenzie stirred, her eyelids fluttering open for a second, and tears stabbed at Peyton’s eyeballs. ‘Hello, baby,’ she whispered.
A small smile flitted across her daughter’s face before her eyes drifted shut again, and Peyton dropped her forehead to McKenzie’s chest, shutting her eyes, riding the surge of relief as the cold, hard grip of worry slackened its hold.
And that was pretty much where Peyton stayed, right by her daughter’s side, holding her hand as McKenzie slept and her nurse came and went. The nice even beep of her saturation monitor was a familiar comforting noise, which Peyton eventually drifted off to. She’d not had a lot of sleep these past few nights thinking about all the things that could go wrong and it had caught up with her.
‘Peyton?’
Waking with a start, Peyton looked around to find Valentino standing by the chair, his hand once again on her shoulder. Slightly disorientated, she sat up straight, glancing at McKenzie. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yes.’ He smiled and,lordy, he had such a great smile. ‘Everything’s great.’
‘What’s the time?’
‘Just after one.’
Peyton nodded, her brain slowly clearing of the sticky fog of sleep. He must be finished his morning list and doing his post-op rounds. He was wearing the same clothes as earlier sanstie, showing off the bronzed column of his throat, which she had the strangest urge to press her face to and shut her eyes.
He crouched beside the chair and spoke in a low murmur so as not to disturb a still sleeping McKenzie. ‘It all went really well. In a few weeks we should be able to switch the device on.’
Peyton was suddenly overwhelmed by the gift his skilled fingers had given her daughter, a rush of emotion swamping her chest as tears filled and stung her eyes. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, the tears spilling down her cheeks.
‘Hey, she’s okay,’ he murmured as Peyton’s face crumpled, and he pulled her head onto his shoulder. ‘Everything’s okay.’
She nodded as she leaned into his embrace, a sob escaping. Then another. Because for the first time in years, Peyton believed that it was really, actually going to be okay. And she had Valentino Lombardi to thank for it.
Today was the big day. Or the next big day, anyway. And it was utterly surreal for Peyton, walking into St Auburn’s, McKenzie in tow, three weeks after her operation, pressing the lift button for the fourth floor, stepping out, turning right and walking through the open doors marked Audiology.
The same path she’d trodden three days a week for the past couple of years. Except it wasn’t. Everything was different.
Today was the day they’d know whether the operation had been a success or not. Today was the day McKenzie would hear.
A week ago Valentino had seen McKenzie for her routine two-week post-op check. He’d been pleased with her progress and they’d set this date for the activation of the device.
‘Hi, Peyton. Hello, McKenzie.’ Greg Palmer, the team’s social worker, was first to greet them. He grinned at McKenzie as he signed. ‘Today’s the day, huh?’ he said to Peyton.
Peyton gave him a tight smile as McKenzie went straight to the corner of the large entrance lounge to where she knew the puzzles were kept. ‘Yes.’
He squeezed her arm. ‘It’ll be fine.’
Peyton nodded as she pressed a trembling palm against her stomach. Of course it would be okay. ‘I’m a little early. Is Ellen in yet?’
Greg frowned. ‘I think Valentino’s going to do the honours.’
‘Oh.’ She hadn’t counted on that. Ellen was one of the two audiologists in the department and today was her day on, so Peyton had just assumed… Valentino must have made room in his schedule to be there for McKenzie.
The knot of nerves in her belly twisted even tighter.
Today, if all went according to plan, was probably going to be quite emotional. And she’d cried in front of Valentino one too many times as it was.
‘I think he’s already in his office.’
Peyton shot a nervous look towards Harry’s office.Valentino’soffice. She wanted to go in, was eager and excited on one hand but scared and nervous too.
What if they got no result?
‘Go,’ Greg urged, squeezing her arm again. ‘It’ll be fine.’
Peyton took a deep breath and nodded. ‘Come on, McKenzie,’ she said, crossing the room to her daughter and crouching down next to her. ‘Let’s go and see Dr Valentino,’ she signed.
