Mercy stays awhile longer. Then she excuses herself to go and update everybody waiting outside. When we’re alone again, I take AJ by the hand.
‘When I’m all better, we should take a road trip,’ he says. ‘Just you and me.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘To find Noah.YourNoah. And maybe look in on my Noah on the way.’
I stroke his hair. I want to see him walking again first, let alone taking us on a trip.
‘I’m serious,’ he says, when I say nothing.
‘AJ, you’re strapped to a hospital bed.’
‘I’m not saying right now. But after we’ve moved in together. You know. Couple goals.’
‘Couple goals?’ I repeat, words I never thought I’d hear coming out of his mouth.
‘Look. I don’t mean to sound cliché, but… when your life is on the line, and you escape death’s fiery flames… you never wanna waste another moment of your life. So, I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, Hollie. I wanna make plans. Share adventures with you. Plus, I wanna make you happy. Finding Noah in California is a part of that.’
There’s a beaming smile on my face. ‘How soon can we leave?’
‘Uh. Well. Pretty sure there’s a tube inserted in my dick right now, helping me pee, so it’s prolly not the best time.’
I’m laughing when a group of doctors enter the room.
‘Smiles all round. That’s always a good sign,’ the older doctor says.
‘What do you say, doc?’ AJ says. ‘Can you take this floatation device off my head?’
‘It’s good news, Mr Callahan,’ the doctor says. ‘I believe we can.’
I swiftly move through the corridor at the medical center and out through the double sliding doors to the waiting area. Echo is waiting with Mercy and the others.
‘He can sit up independently,’ I announce when I reach them. ‘Move his neck from side to side with no issues. He’s out of danger. The doctors say he should be walking again a few weeks after the surgery.’
One by one, I embrace everybody. Mercy is crying again, but this time out of relief.
‘I’ll go outside,’ Echo says. ‘Update the crew.’
The moment he says so, there is movement at the main entrance. I see Echo’s face fall. When I turn my head, Evelyn Wallace walks through the double doors, my father trailing behind her.
‘What the fuck is she doing here?’ Echo grinds out.
I press my fingers against Echo’s forearm, in the hopes that it might stop him from acting rashly.
‘Please. Let me handle this,’ I say.
I turn and walk toward her. Dad catches my eye, his look apologetic. I ignore Evelyn’s presence and walk straight over to him.
‘I was hoping you might come alone,’ I blurt out under my breath, feeling guilty that I don’t even greet him.
He bows his head. He seems unusually subdued. ‘She insisted,’ he says hopelessly.
I look to my left. Evelyn has stopped dead just inside the doors. Maybe it’s because she’s been woken from her beauty sleep, but I swear she’s lost some of her usual menace. She’s makeup free, her hair scraped back off her face, her complexion oddly pallid.
I walk over to her. ‘Evelyn, it’s probably not a good idea… you being here.’
She turns to look at me. I frown. It seems like she’s been crying. ‘How is he? Your… AJ? Was he hurt?’
