Chapter 40 Josh
JOSH
I nearly burst out laughing when Melanie asks if I have my guitar.
Of course I do, in the cab of my truck. We find a quiet spot in the hospital atrium and play, drawing the attention of a few others in the area.
It is good practice, and I can’t help but notice how much more relaxed Melanie is playing in public now.
We spend most of the time waiting for Frank, playing through Saturday’s setlist. As soon as she starts singing, several heads turn.
My voice is momentarily gone—I’m captivated by the angelic sound coming from Melanie.
If I thought I was sure about us before, it’s hearing her sing our words now that solidifies it for me.
I still need all my questions answered, but I love her. I’m not leaving her.
When we hear from the doctor right around the three-hour mark, I think I see the tension in Mel’s shoulders physically melt away. Frank is in recovery and did great. He is resting comfortably and had a stent placed for the small blockage in his arteries.
Melanie is desperate to see him, so we walk back to the cardiac floor and plan to wait in the waiting room until they call us to come back. As soon as we walk through the entryway, we find Joan sitting in a chair and quietly knitting.
She must sense us because she looks up.
“Oh, hello, you two.” She offers us a shaky smile. “I just thought I would come here and wait. I should have gotten your phone number yesterday.”
Melanie takes the seat next to Joan and gives her hand a quick squeeze. “It’s okay. Dad’s recovering. They said we can see him soon.”
Relief moves across Joan’s features, which leads me to wonder just how serious the two of them are.
“Oh, good.” She sighs. “I was so worried.”
“The doctor said he’d explain more when they come up but that he had a stent placed and he’ll need some cardiac rehab,” I explain further.
“Well, good. We can help him with all of that, right dear?” She turns to Melanie and Mel’s face softens.
“I think he would like that very much.” She puts her hand on top of Joan’s, and the two women smile at each other.
“Is there family of Frank Glick here?” A voice interrupts.
We all turn to find two doctors standing in the entryway. One of them is a tall, lean man with light brown hair and kind eyes. The other is a slight young woman, with dark eyes and a surgical cap.
“That’s us,” Melanie says, rising quickly to meet them.
“I’m Dr. Comfort,” the man says. I almost laugh at the irony of his name—a cardiac surgeon with a name like Comfort. But I stop myself when it’s clear that actually is his name.
The doctor continues, “This is Dr. Stowe, one of our cardiac residents. She assisted with the catheterization today.”
“Hi. I’m Melanie, Frank’s daughter. This is Josh and Joan.” Mel gestures toward us.
“Good to meet you. So, the procedure went very well. We found a significant blockage that was blocking about eighty percent of the blood flow to one of his coronary arteries. We were able to place a stent and blood flow was restored immediately.” He pauses, letting that sink in.
“He was awake the entire time and is doing great. We’re going to monitor him closely for a few hours, but everything looks really good. ”
“Is that permanent? The stent?” Joan asks, surprising me.
“I was going to ask the same thing,” Melanie says, glancing at me.
“Yes, the stent is a tiny mesh tube that stays in place permanently to help the blood flow. He’ll need to be on blood thinners to prevent clotting around it. That’s all very normal.”
“When can we see him?” Melanie asks, not bothering to hide the urgency in her voice.
“He’ll be in recovery for about an hour and then we’ll move him up to his room. He’s tired, but his spirits are good. He’s already asking when he can eat.” Dr. Comfort chuckles.
“How long does he have to stay?” I ask.
“He’ll stay tonight for observation, and then, provided there are no further complications or bleeding issues, he’ll be able to go home in 24 to 48 hours,” Dr. Stowe chimes in.
“And then, once he’s home?” Melanie quirks her eyebrows in concern. “What will that look like?”
“Well, we’d like him to enroll in cardiac rehab, which offers exercise, diet and lifestyle, and emotional support,” Dr. Comfort says.
“He won’t be able to drive or lift anything more than ten pounds for a week or so.
We’d love for him to start slow walks daily.
And he’ll be on some new medications that we’ll go over with his discharge.
Make sure you ask all the questions, so you know how to best support him. ”
“Thank you so much, doctor,” I say, offering my hand.
“Of course, absolutely. I’ll let the nurses know to come get you when they’re moving him to his room.” The doctors turn to go, and Melanie lets out an audible exhale.
“He’s okay,” she whimpers.
I pull her close to me and kiss her temple. “He’s okay.”
* * *
Mel and I decide to stay one more night in the hotel. The plan is to come back tomorrow and hopefully take Frank home. After spending all day watching the rise and fall of his chest, we let him and Joan have some quiet alone time.
“Try to rest, Daddy,” Melanie says, kissing his forehead.
“Joan, are you sure you’re okay to drive back to Cape May tonight?” I ask, watching her closely.
“I’ll be just fine, Josh, thank you.” Joan pats my arm, like I’m not a foot taller than her.
“Okay, well call me if you need anything,” I say, meaning it.
I offer Frank a fist bump. “Frank, my man. You are a warrior.”
Frank huffs a tired laugh. “Hardly. I wouldn’t have gotten through it without you all.”
“We wouldn’t have been anywhere else.” Melanie squeezes his hand. “Josh and I will be back tomorrow to take you home.”
We say our goodbyes, and then Mel and I are on our way back to the hotel and suddenly the air between us is thicker.
“I am DoorDashing us dinner,” Melanie says, clicking her seatbelt into place.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to…” She pauses, then quietly continues, “to say thank you for everything.”
I glance at her and her eyes glisten. “God, Josh, I don’t know what I would have done without you here.”
“You would have figured it out,” I tell her, because I believe it. “You’re stronger than you think.”
“No, I’m not.” Melanie shakes her head.
“You are.” I press. “Liam told me how you held him up all those years ago.”
“For other people maybe. I’m never strong for myself.” Her hands are in her lap, twisting together.
I don’t argue, I pull into the hotel lot and cut the engine. The silence between us shifts. Heavy, but not cold. Just full of everything left unspoken.
We sit for a minute, neither of us eager to get out of the truck.
Then we’re speaking at the same time.
“I’m sorry—” we both say.
Mel lets out a soft laugh. “You first.”
I clear my throat. “I was just going to say, I’m sorry I stormed out the other night. I should have stayed. Should have talked it through.”
Melanie sucks in a shuddering breath. “I’m the one who should be sorry, Josh, not you. I’m so sorry I have kept this from you all these years.”
Her voice cracks. Mine almost does too.
“We were young,” I say, choosing the same words Melanie used the other night.
“I was also terrified and heartbroken and so…lost. A little part of me died that day. I lost Cara and our baby and then…you.”
Something inside me breaks.
“You never should have lost me,” I say, my voice low.
Melanie sniffles and I realize silent tears are falling from her eyes. I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn to face her.
She turns toward me, wiping her eyes. “I had just gotten used to the idea of having a baby. I know that sounds crazy, but I thought we’d make it work. I’d be pregnant all senior year and then take care of the baby while you finished high school. And then we could get married.”
Melanie looks at me through her long, wet eyelashes.
“I thought before we told Liam and Cara about us, I’d tell you.
I’d made up this whole vision in my mind that you’d be so happy.
But really? You’d probably have been terrified.
” Melanie shakes her head. “Then, in the hospital, when I saw the bleeding, my whole world just came crashing down. But I still thought I’d tell you when things were better.
And then one day, you were just gone. My dad found your letter in the mailbox. ”
My throat tightens, the weight of regret hitting like a punch. “I’m so sorry,” I say, reaching for her hand. “I would’ve been there, Mel. I would’ve done anything. You know that, don’t you?”
Melanie nods but she can’t stop the flow of tears now.
I feel tears of my own pricking the back of my eyes so I reach for her hand like she might slip away again.
She breaks all the way then and I do too.
I pull her into me, and we come undone. We cry for what we lost. For the kids we were.
For the life that never had the chance to happen.
When Melanie’s sobs quiet, she pulls back just enough to look at me.
Her palm finds my cheek, and she brushes the wetness away. “I never thought I’d have another shot with you. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I meant that much to you back then.”
I meet her eyes, no hesitation. “You meant everything to me, Melanie. You still do.”
And then my mouth is on hers and it’s like coming up for air after being underwater too long. It’s her. It’s always been her.