“I’m really fine. We got the boy out of the fire. I sustained a minor injury. It comes with the territory.”
Dad speaks up, “We’re coming up to see you, son.”
“No, Dad. That’s not necessary. Wait until I’m out of thehospital at least. They said I’ll be out in a day. This is all just protocol to make sure I’m breathing well enough. I’m fine.”
“I’m already loading the car with tumblers of water,” Mom says.
They’re coming. No stopping them at this point. They don’t know about Hallie. I’d better give everyone a heads-up.
“I have a …” I look at her. I’m about to say friend, but she’s so much more than that. “Woman in my life. She’s here.”
“What?” Mom’s tone has shifted from concern to dreamy. “A woman? Greyson. We didn’t know.”
“How would you? It’s … new.”
I look at Hallie, hoping she isn’t offended.
She smiles softly.
“Anyway, she’s got a daughter, so we’ve been keeping things quiet for now.”
“A daughter?” Mom says, she’s escalated to double dreamy.
“I hope you’re the one driving, Dad.”
Dad chuckles. “Your mother could float to Waterford.”
“Will she be there? Can we meet her?”
I look at Hallie. I want to send her home to rest—to care for herself and Mia. The two of them shouldn’t pay the price for my injury.
“I don’t know what the plan is yet. I’m just being admitted and then we’ll go from there.”
“Okay,” Mom says, her excitement evident even in that one word. “Well, if not today, then we’ll meet her sometime.”
I don’t answer her. Awareness of my impact on Hallie and Mia is taking me over like the spread of a virus. A heavy weight drops into my chest and my throat constricts.
I can’t be the one to hurt them.
All along, I thought Hallie was being responsible, but I had flashes of questioning her. She kept talking about the risk of me not being there for them. In my arrogance, I thought she was being overly cautious based on her history with herex.I’m not him. That’s what I’d tell myself.In time, she’ll see how different I am. I’ll never leave her. I’d never hurt or abandon Mia.But now, I see. It’s not only a matter of my loyalty. I could be injured and they’d both lose me. I could be the one to wreck them, regardless of my intentions to keep them protected.
“Are you okay?” Hallie whispers to me, her hand clasping mine and squeezing gently.
I nod. But I’m not okay. I’ll get through the aftermath of smoke inhalation. My leg will heal.
But I can’t promise her forever. I can’t even promise her past the next fire.
Mom’s talking. “Greyson, we know you’re fine. I just want to see it with my own eyes.”
“Okay,” I relent. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Love you, son,” Dad says.
“Love you so much,” Mom adds.
“Love you too,” I say.
We hang up. “My parents,” I tell her.
