“Come on, admit it. You were contemplating the same idea.”
“Fine, I was. You beat me to it.”
We both glance back toward the dance floor to find Easton walking toward Paige, holding Isaac in his arms, and I can’t help the gloating grin that lights up my face.
“I know I give him a hard time, but that brother of mine is not so bad.”
“Of course he’s not. He’s my son.”
“You’re so funny.”
“I try.” Mom shrugs and I wrap my arms around her, giving her a squeeze. “When do you think it’ll be your turn to find a man?” she asks as she pulls back, her mischievous grin making me laugh.
“Not tonight, that’s for sure. I’m going to dance some more; want to come?”
Mom glances over her shoulder toward Phil, and he waves from where he’s talking to Addie’s husband, his loving expression making my chest ache.Do I want that?God, I think I do. “I’m in,” Mom says, grabbing my arm for support, pulling me out of my head. “I haven’t embarrassed your brother nearly enough today.”
My smile widens as we walk toward the dance floor, and it expands farther when I catch Easton’s glare. I’ve signed myself up for some major payback, but I don’t care. Seeing him dancing is worth it.
Mom sways to the beat, her feet unmoving while her beaming smile warms my heart. She can’t move like she used to; she lacks the control over her body that she once had. But I know that being out here with the rest of us is important to her. If I have to hold her the entire time, I will.
Paige’s mom joins us after a couple of songs, and I stupidly find myself looking for Sal. Wondering where he is. Who he’s with.
My attention shifts for less than a minute and when I look back, my world spins on its axis, with everything moving in slow motion.
Mom’s knees buckle as she falls toward the ground, knocking the side of her head on the steps leading to the bar.
My chest heaves as I rush forward, dropping to the ground beside her, seconds before Easton does the same. “Mom? Mom?”
I grab her hand as Easton lifts her slightly, cradling her head in his arms. “Mom, can you hear me?” Easton asks, his voice much less panicked than mine.
She doesn’t answer, but squeezes my hand, pulling a relieved sigh from within me.
“She squeezed my hand,” I rush out, my eyes still wide with panic as I search the room for Phil.
Easton’s sigh matches my own, and he leans closer to whisper in her ear. “You’re going to be okay, Mom. Just rest for now.”
Phil and Addie push through the frantic bodies, joining us on the floor. And when it all gets too crowded, I stand and step back, my mind whirring with all the things that need to be done. “Can we get the music turned off and the lights brightened over the dance floor?” I call out, turning in circles as I bark instructions at anyone who will listen.
“We need to clear the area. Please.” I turn to look for someone who might have a phone and find Blair holding up a cell, showing me that she’s already calling 911. I mouth thank you and search for Paige next. “Paige?” I wave to get her attention, and she gives me the thumbs-up, letting me know she’s listening. “I think you mentioned your uncle’s a doctor?”Paige frowns momentarily before nodding and whispering to her mom, the two of them disappearing into the crowd, and it takes a second for me to realize her reaction may have been because it wasn’t her that told me that fact. Only I can’t think about that now.
After creating a circle of space around my family, I find a cushion from one of the lounges and hand it to Easton, moving on to calming Addie down. Easton and Phil take over caring for Mom, along with Paige’s uncle, all of them assessing her condition while we wait for an ambulance to arrive.
I’m not sure how much time passes, and though it feels like a lifetime, it’s probably no more than fifteen minutes later that Mom’s being wheeled away toward the exit, with Phil holding her hand.
“I’ll go with her to the hospital and call you as soon as I know anything,” he tells us with a smile. “She’s still squeezing my hand. She’s going to be okay.”
I stand, frozen, unable to look out the windows until the flashing lights disappear from my peripheral vision.
I have to stay strong. I have to. I’ve always been the strong one. I can’t stop now. With a deep breath, I convince myself I’m okay. Only when I finally look up to find half the room staring back at me, my composure lasts all of thirty seconds before my entire body trembles from the shock.
My throat constricts, the air catching in my lungs, making it harder to breathe. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to talk myself down.I’m okay. I’m okay.
“Keeley?” Luke’s voice cuts into my thoughts, and I open my eyes to see Sal pushing through the crowd from outside, his determined gaze locked on mine. Luke must notice my attention being pulled away, because he turns and steps aside just as Sal reaches us.
“Fuck, Keels.” Sal grips my shoulders, his fingers warming my skin as he stares into my eyes. Tears blur my vision, but I can see enough to catch Sal’s anxious expression before he pulls me into him, wrapping me in his arms.
I bury my face in his shirt as my emotions overwhelm me, but it’s not until Sal whispers in my ear that I completely fall apart.
