Chapter 30 #2
After a few seconds of looking back at her mom and sister, I respond, “Emery and Kenny, do you remember ’em attackin’ you?”
She blinks a few times and then moves her hand to the side of her stomach. “They took me in the parkin’ lot at work.”
“Yeah. Do you remember where you were going?” Delilah asks.
Harlow’s eyes widen and then she looks between her sister and mom.
“Daddy. Is he okay?”
The room stays silent long enough for Harlow to figure it out. Tears fill her eyes within seconds and they fall down her cheeks. She closes them for so long, I worry she’s fallen back asleep.
“What happened?” she finally asks.
I’m glad she seems more aware than we expected, but I hate that it’s the first thing she has to hear after she wakes up.
Mrs. Fanning explains everything from the moment she went to check on him and realizing he wasn’t breathing to calling 911 and then finding his empty medicine bottles.
From what Harlow’s shared with me, this was always a fear of theirs.
“You can still say goodbye if you want to,” Mrs. Fanning says. “We have a little time before they remove it.”
“Will they let me sit in a wheelchair so I can sit with him?” she asks, and when she makes a slight movement to adjust, she winces in pain.
“Take it easy. Lemme help.” I stand, fluffing her pillows that are secured by her side to keep the ice packs in place.
Once she’s comfortable, Mrs. Fanning tells her that they’ll do whatever they can to accommodate her as long as she doesn’t overdo it.
Then we go through the events of Wilder and me finding her, what injuries she’s sustained, and what her recovery for the next several months looks like. I tell her everything Sheriff Wagner said about Emery’s and Kenny’s charges and that they’re going to pay for what they did.
“I can’t believe this happened again.”
“But you fought back this time, Harlow,” I remind her. “You got some good hits in and didn’t make it easy for him. Even after you were in pain, you put up a fight. I’m so proud of you.”
“Is it weird that I’m glad Daddy doesn’t know about this? He’d be so distraught knowin’ he couldn’t protect me from ’em again.”
Her mom and sister cry with her, holding her hand and giving each other a safe space to let out their emotions.
“Daddy knew you were in good hands.” Delilah looks at me with sincerity. “He told me the day after I found out about y’all that he knew Waylon would take good care of you.”
That makes me choke up, knowing I not only let Harlow down, but her father, too.
After another hour of talking about the incident and her dad, Mrs. Fanning says she wants to go home and freshen up before returning this evening to say goodbye. She also wants to make some phone calls, get their pastor to come, and notify a few friends.
I hate this for her. No one should have to go through this.
Delilah offers to go with her, so I stay with Harlow for some alone time.
“Are you doing okay without the morphine?”
“Unless it numbs the heartache I’m feelin’, morphine won’t be enough anyway.”
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am. For what you’re goin’ through. For what happened to you. For keepin’ a secret from you.”
“Well, you’re only responsible for one out of the three.”
“You’re the strongest person I know, baby. You’re gonna get through this. I know it’ll be hard, but if you’ll let me, I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”
She swallows, fighting back her emotions as if she’s saving them for what’s coming later.
“I’d like that.” She squeezes my hand. “But if Ellie asks, tell her I made you grovel.”
I laugh for the first time in days because of course she’d be the one to do it. “I dunno what that means, but I’ll say whatever you want.”
Later that evening, after Mrs. Fanning and Delilah return, we get Harlow situated in a wheelchair. I can tell she’s trying hard not to complain about the discomfort, but I see it written all over her face.
Before they go to Mr. Fanning’s room, Delilah brushes Harlow’s hair and braids it for her. Then she covers her in a blanket from home so she has something comforting to hold while she sits next to his bedside.
I can’t even pretend this isn’t affecting me. Getting to be around him, even for that short period while we played board games, was an honor. It was obvious how much he loves and adores his family.
But I hate that he had to suffer in pain every day.
It’s not fair. None of this is for any of them.
But I’ll be here to support her and help her fight through the pain for the rest of our lives if she lets me.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Harlow says softly.
Her nurse pushes her wheelchair out of her room and then brings her to Mr. Fanning’s on a different floor.
I stand behind Delilah and her mom, keeping my distance so they have enough space around his bed.
“His doctor will be here in thirty minutes, but please feel free to take all the time you need,” the nurse says before shutting the door.
It’s silent for the first several minutes. Harlow holds his hand and stares at him while she quietly cries.
“Mom?” Harlow grabs her attention. “We should tell Daddy it’s okay to go. He needs us to say the words so he knows we’ll love him no matter what.”
Delilah breaks down and it’s impossible not to at this point.
Harlow goes first, choking through her words, but she eventually gets them out. Delilah goes next. Then Mrs. Fanning.
And if it’s possible, I lose it even more after hearing his wife say goodbye to the man she’s been married to for thirty-three years.
“Waylon…” Harlow calls for me, and I quickly wipe my cheeks and kneel next to her. “You haveta tell him, too.”
Fuck me.
I nod, trying my best to get it together.
When I can finally speak, I step closer to his bedside.
“Thank you for sharing your family with me, sir. I promise to take care of ’em for as long as I live.” I close my eyes, trying to breathe through the tears so I can say my final words. “You’re free to go, Mr. Fanning. I’ll take it from here.”
“That was beautiful, Waylon,” Mrs. Fanning says, pulling me in for a hug.
“It was,” Delilah says, patting my arm. “You’re a good man, Way-Way.”
I choke out a laugh at her trying to ease the tension.
“Dad woulda loved hearin’ you say that.” Harlow grabs my hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I mouth the words.
When their pastor arrives, he reads Bible verses and prays over Mr. Fanning. It’s a bittersweet experience because while it’s sad as hell, there’s also something beautiful about being surrounded by your loved ones while you leave this earth.
And less than an hour later, he does.
Peacefully in his sleep, he passes with his wife and two daughters telling him they love him and that they’ll see him again someday soon.