Chapter 11 #3
“He’s right,” I hear from beside me, and I turn back to look at Rosco.
He leans in and kisses me on the cheek before stepping back.
“He’s a keeper, Poppy. Like I said, you deserve more.
” He winks at me and then gives Landon a nod.
“Thanks for the messages and the visit, Landon. I’ll check in with you again tomorrow, but if you need anything while you’re here, please reach out.
Even if it’s a bed for tonight. If you can stand a house with four loud, crazy kids, a dog who thinks she’s a human, and a wife who will fuss over you the moment you arrive, then you’re most welcome.
” He reaches his hand out over the bed, which Landon shakes.
“Thank you, but I won’t be leaving the hospital without Poppy.
I’ll walk you out,” Landon answers, then leans down and kisses me on the forehead and slides his arm from around me.
He stands, fixes my pillow, pulls the blanket up, and then starts toward the door so that Rosco follows.
As Rosco steps into the corridor, Landon looks over his shoulder from the doorway.
“I’ll be just outside the door and won’t be long. Close your eyes and rest.”
I want to argue with him that I’m fine and don’t need sleep, but I can’t. Because I’m too busy using all my energy fighting to keep my eyes open. Which is a fight I quickly lose.
LANDON
Closing the door to Poppy’s room gently is a challenge for me when I feel so agitated.
Taking three steps from her door, I cross my arms and stare at Rosco. “Volk is Dean, right?” I state.
“Yes.” He can tell I won’t let him out of here without having my own questions answered.
“What did she mean when she said, ‘the shit that went down’?” I feel like I’m standing on the outside and only getting half the story.
“That’s not for me to share.” He’s standing with his feet slightly apart and now crosses his arms too, letting me know he’s not a pushover. “Next question.”
The gentle man I just saw inside is gone, and the seasoned firefighter is now here.
“What really happened in that fire? Because I don’t buy that last part.
” I don’t want to outright accuse him, but I feel like something is being covered up, not necessarily by him, but I don’t trust Dean.
I don’t know much about him, just what Poppy told me at Christmas.
But in the five-minute encounter I had with him yesterday, I didn’t like what I saw, or the vibe I got.
“You know as much as I do right now. There is an open investigation, and if anything more comes to light, Poppy will be the first to know.” He’s trying to put me in my place, but I’m not having it.
Poppy might not be my girlfriend, but she’s mine, and I protect what’s mine.
“Love your loyalty to her, but she’s in no mental state to deal with anything heavy. So, until she is, you will be calling me first,” I answer.
“Look, Landon, I can see how much she means to you, but until yesterday, I didn’t even know you existed. I’ve been looking out for Poppy for the last seven years, and I will continue to do so going forward. So, unless you have any further questions, I think we’re done here.”
I have many but not anything he’s going to answer today, so I just shake my head.
“Take care of her but stay in your lane, Landon. And just to clarify, my firehouse and crew are not in your fucking lane,” Rosco states bluntly and then walks away from me toward the exit.
Once he turns the corner, I lean back against the wall and just take a minute.
I respect that he’s her boss, but that’s not going to stop me from doing what’s best for Poppy, which right now is protecting her from anyone or anything that is going to hurt her.
Trying to bring the rage that’s racing through my body right now down to a calmer level until I walk back into the room, I pull my phone from my pocket.
I pull up Adrian’s number. I know he’s staying with the boys tonight to give Felix a break because he has looked after them all day.
The video call connects, and I can hear the music from Mario Kart in the background and the boys excitedly yelling while they’re racing each other. I turn the volume down on my phone so I’m not disturbing anyone.
“Hey,” Adrian says, and I can tell he’s checking out what I look like. “Do I need to move to another room to chat?”
“No. And you don’t need to say it, I know I look like shit. It’s been a long day—well, two, really.”
“Okay, I won’t say it. How is she?” Adrian walks a little farther away from the boys, probably so he can hear me.
“She’s doing okay. Still sleeping a lot, but when she’s awake, she’s still the old stubborn Poppy I know.
Which is good and bad. She’ll need that bit of determination to get back on her feet.
The operation went well, and tomorrow we’ll talk to the doctors to make a plan to get her out of here.
What that plan is I have no idea, so I’m sorry.
I know I’ve left you juggling the bar and the boys, which is a lot. ” I feel terrible saying it.
“Pfft, these two are a piece of cake. I don’t know what you’ve been complaining about all these years,” Adrian says sarcastically.
“Yeah, right. By the way, Mrs. B knows now. I’ve managed to get her to stay in Boston until at least tomorrow until we know more.
But if you see that woman walking to her car with a suitcase, call me.
” We both laugh a little because Poppy is just like her mother in the stubbornness department, so I wouldn’t put it past her to just decide she’s driving here anyway.
“Bet that conversation went well,” Adrian replies.
“Not really, but as a parent, I understand how hurt she must feel. Anyway, I just called to speak to the boys. I want to tell them where I am and about Poppy, so stay close in case there are any tears.” He nods and then calls the boys to the phone.
I can’t help laughing when I hear the boys groaning that he’s making them pause the game.
“Dad!” Kade yells into the phone way too loudly. Luckily I have the volume down.
“Hey, buddy, not so loud, okay,” I tell him as the phone wobbles a little, and then it’s turned sideways and I see Nash’s face beside his brother.
“Hi, Dad.” He’s more reserved than his brother.
“Hi, Nash. Hope you boys are being good for Adrian?” I start off gently.
Both of them begin talking over the top of each other. I try to follow both conversations at once, but I’m too tired and just give up.
“Okay, just hush for a minute, I need to talk to you about something.”
It takes a few seconds longer for Kade to stop than Nash, but finally, they’re both paying attention to me.
“Daddy is in Rochester which is where Poppy lives.” Of course, Kade jumps straight in to cut me off from talking, desperate to tell me something.
“And where she’s a firefighter.” He looks proud of himself for remembering that.
“Yes, buddy, but I need you to just let Daddy talk for a minute and then I’ll tell you when you can talk again. Understand?” I can see Nash looking at his brother, annoyed that he interrupted me.
“Okay, but did you take a photo of the firetruck?” Kade blurts out again.
I groan and try again.
“Not yet, but I will before I come home. Now no more talking, it’s Dad’s turn.” I see him open his mouth, but Adrian clamps his hand over it, and we all start laughing.
“Okay, how about if you stay quiet while I’m talking, you can stay up for an extra ten minutes tonight.
” Kade and Nash nod, while Adrian asks why he’s being punished.
But I don’t reply because I know I have a very small window of opportunity to get out what I want to say before Kade won’t be able to help himself.
“Now, the reason I’m here is because Poppy got hurt at work, and she needed me to come and help her.
” I’m not sure that Kade understands what I just said, but I can see Nash, my little softie’s eyes getting wider, and he already looks worried.
“But Poppy is okay, so there is nothing to worry about. She has a broken leg, but that means she now has a really cool cast on it that we can write our names on and draw beautiful pictures for her.”
Adrian’s hand is still loosely over Kade’s mouth, but he still goes to talk.
Nash elbowing him in the side shuts him up, though.
I’m not stopping, otherwise Kade will certainly start talking.
“Now, remember when we first met Poppy when we were waiting to see Santa and Nash was a little scared?” They both nod, and Nash looks down toward the ground.
“And Poppy said when someone holds your hand it stops you from being scared.” With that Nash smiles a little as he remembers.
“Well, Poppy asked me to fly here to Rochester to hold her hand because she was feeling a little scared. Kind of like when you fall over when you’re running and you graze your knee.
If someone holds your hand and kisses your sore, it makes you feel better again.
That’s what Poppy needed. For me to come and hold her hand and make everything better.
” And I just hope they don’t ask why the person she needed was me and not Mrs. B.
Kade is now squirming like he needs to go to the toilet to pee, which he always leaves until the last minute because he’s too busy playing. “So, is it okay if I stay here for a few days to hold Poppy’s hand?” I give Adrian a slight nod so he knows he can set Kade free.
“Yeah, can we talk to Poppy, where is she? Can we come visit her too on the airplane? I can make her some cookies.” Kade doesn’t stop, not even to take a breath, and I can see him still dancing on the spot.
“Kade, toilet now, and I’ll answer when you get back,” I tell him.
“But—” he starts to protest.
“Now, Kade, go.” And then his brain finally tells him he’s about to wet his pants, and he’s gone in a flash.
“Seriously, one day he will get past this,” I mumble under my breath and turn my concentration to Nash.
“You okay there, buddy?” I ask him, waiting for him to work out what he wants to say. Nash is my deep thinker, a thoughtful soul, but also full of big feelings.
“Is Poppy really okay? She’s not going to die like Mommy, is she, and never ever come back again?
Because I don’t want Mrs. B to be sad like I was.
” I can see the tears starting to well in his little eyes, and it breaks my heart that I’m not there to wipe them away.
Adrian kneels beside Nash and puts his arm around his little shoulders.
“I promise you, Nash, that Poppy is going to be just fine. She will be back visiting us in Boston very soon. This isn’t like Mommy, so don’t you worry about that, okay?” He stares at me with those big eyes to see if I’m lying to him.
“Where is she, why can’t I see her? You said you were holding her hand,” he asks as Kade comes running back to stand next to his brother. And I know the only way they will believe what I’m telling them is to show them.
“Poppy is asleep, so if you promise me you can be very, very, very quiet, and Kade, that means not one word, then I will take the phone in so you can see her for just a quick second. Do you think you can be completely silent?” They both nod their heads like crazy.
I hope I won’t regret this.
Very gently opening the door, I peek in, and just as I suspected, she’s fast asleep.
Looking at the boys on my phone, I bring my finger to my lips to signal it’s time to be quiet and then press the button on the camera to turn it around so they can see her.
I can see the relief in Nash as his little lips finally tilt upwards in a bit of a smile. But Kade is just looking intently at her, like he’s trying to work it all out in his little head.
And just as I’m about to push the button again to turn the camera around, Kade yells as loud as he can into the phone.
“Wake up, Pop—” is all he gets out before Adrian’s hand claps over his mouth again.
I swear this kid’s going to be the death of me.
Poppy gasps, and her eyes open so wide.
“Kade. Where are you?” she says, frantically looking around the room, and the heart rate alarm on the monitor starts going off again. Great, I’m about to be lectured by the nurse again about keeping her calm.
I push into the room and rush to her bed.
“It’s okay, he’s fine. Sorry to startle you.
The boys are on the phone.” I push the button now so they can see me giving them the biggest “you’re in big trouble” look without saying a word.
“And Nash was worried so wanted to see you, and then Kade got excited, and you know how that goes.” Taking my usual seat on her bed beside her, she leans toward me, but I don’t cuddle her like I have been. I don’t want to confuse the kids.
“Let me see them.” Her voice is a bit croaky from being asleep, but as soon as I move the phone so she can see them, all hell breaks loose.
“Poppyyyyyyyyyyy!” they both scream at the same time.
“Aww, my beautiful cheeky boys. Just seeing you makes me feel so much better.” She reaches for my hand and laces her fingers in mine as the boys both start talking so fast and at the same time.
Poppy is so focused on my phone she doesn’t even notice the nurse come in, glare at me, reset the alarm, and then leave again.
But I don’t care. Because as much as I wanted to scold Kade, this is the happiest I’ve seen Poppy since I got here.
It ignites a spark in my chest of what our life could be like as a family. The four of us curled up together on the couch, talking just like this. Loud, chaotic, and full of the craziest stories. I got a glimpse of it at Christmas, and now I know I want more.
There’s a reason I couldn’t move on after Poppy left. I tried, but something was holding me back, and now I know what it was.
It was the slightest chance I could have this again.
Me, Poppy, and the boys.
I want her with us and not just for a short time. I don’t know how, I don’t know where, I just know I need to make it happen.
I can’t walk away from this hold she has on me.
And just when thought I finally had my life sorted out.
Today just cemented how wrong I was.