If only Olivia had gone with them on the boat, this might not have happened. At the very least she would know what had.
When she returned to Luci’s bay, the curtains were slightly ajar. Oliva peered inside, hoping to find her still sleeping beside the nurse. But Luci was awake, sitting up in bed. And it was not the nurse who was sitting with her. It was Perry.
“Here you are,” he said, standing. It was then Olivia saw the book in his hand. He held it up, sheepishly.If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Olivia glanced between the two and hurried to Luci. “Sorry,ma chérie. I just went to callGrand-Père. Did you just wake up?”
Perry stepped aside to make room for her. “When I stopped in to check on you both, the nurse said you’d stepped out. I figured Luci would be bored when she woke up, so I went to the gift shop and found this book. It used to be one of Emma’s favorites.” He looked at Luci. “I think she likes it.”
To Olivia’s relief Luci didn’t seem as upset. In fact, she appeared more relaxed and alert. “Thank you, Perry. That was terribly thoughtful.”
“You’re welcome.”
Perry looked large and out of sorts standing beside the bed with the mouse book. She almost regretted interrupting them. “Did you finish the story?” Olivia asked.
He held up the open book. The illustrated page showed the mouse drawing with a green crayon. “Not quite.”
“That’s my favorite part! Keep going.” Olivia gestured to the chair.
Perry sat back down, and in his deep voice picked up where he’d left off.
Olivia settled onto the bed beside Luci, her mind a tangle of details. She tried to focus on what was happening in front of her: Luci tucked against her side, alert and safe. The clock ticking on the wall, every second bringing her closer to seeing Jake.
As Perry read on about the little mouse who wanted more and more, Olivia leaned back against the pillows. Luci snuggled in. Perry’s voice was melodic. Olivia was taken aback by the gusto with which he narrated; never would she have guessed he had it in him. When he got to the part about the mouse asking for a glass of milk, Luci giggled aloud. Against the buzzing and hum of the emergency room backdrop, it was the smallest sound. So faint that if Olivia hadn’t been able tofeelthe laughter course through her daughter, she wouldn’t have known. She looked up. Perry had heard it, too. He smiled at Olivia over the book. Then he went on.
Page after page, the little mouse asked for more. And each time the boy gave it to him.That is love, Olivia thought, just before she closed her eyes.
Emma
Ihope you’re okay. What happened 2U?
It was the first message she saw on her phone after the accident. Emma gasped, and set it down. Then she picked it up and reread it, to be sure she wasn’t seeing things.
It was from Sully, sent around ten o’clock the night before. Her mother had brought her phone to the hospital that morning, along with a ham and cheese croissant, her favorite thing from Starbucks.
“Where did you find my phone?” Emma asked.
“Grandma brought it over. It was left at her house.” Amelia stared at her hands in her lap, something she did whenever the accident came up.
“Grandma?” And then Emma remembered. She had set it on her grandparents’ patio table, right before she went out in the boat with Jake and Luci. Normally she’d have brought it with her, stuffed in the back of her shorts pocket, but her dad had noticed her holding it. “Why don’t you leave your phone?” he’d suggested. “You don’t want it getting wet or falling overboard.” Always the risk analyst. Now she realized it had been a stroke of good fortune. If she’d had the phone with her, it would probably be at the bottom of Candlewood Lake right now.
So, Sully had heard about the accident. News on their narrow strip of lake traveled faster than sound across the water. Despite the pain that radiated through her cheeks every time she moved any part of her face, Emma smiled. Sully was checking up on her. She put a hand to her cracked lip. God, she was glad he couldn’t see her right now.
There was only one other text, and it was from Alicia. From the night before. “Want to meet at the beach tomorrow?” Apparently, Alicia had not yet heard about the accident. Emma felt terrible. She hadn’t hung out much with Alicia, having been so distracted with Sully and the others. She started to text Alicia back, then stopped. Where should she begin? With Uncle Jake driving them out to the cove, or the part where Luci sat on her lap and waved at the water-skiers?
Luci. Sweet little Luci who didn’t talk but whose big brown eyes said everything for her. Emma had been pointing out some of the big fancy houses along the shore before the accident, and Luci had seemed so excited. She’d even laughed, out loud. It was the first time Emma had heard her actual voice, and it sounded like what Emma imagined a fairy’s voice to be.
She groaned at the memory and put her hand to her head.
Her mother hopped up. “Honey, is the phone screen giving you a headache? Oh God. The nurse said that electronics should be limited. Here, why don’t you let me take that for you.”
“Mom.”
“Are you texting a friend? Because I could type for you, if that helps. I won’t even read them, I promise.” Emma could see the need in her mother’s eyes to do something. Anything. This was one of the worst parts of the accident, aside from the obvious: her busted-up face and the pain. And of course, the worry about Luci and Uncle Jake.
Her stomach turned, and she set down her croissant. “I can’t eat,” she said. “I feel nauseous.”
Her mother swept away the offending breakfast sandwich, and took the phone from her hands, too. What difference did it make? It wasn’t like Sully McMahon would ever come here to visit her in the hospital. Would he? Her heart skipped at the mere notion. But oh my God, if he saw her face. Now,thatwould kill her.
