Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Emmy’s dad was still asleep when the rest of the family arrived at the hospital, so Emmy decided to take a stroll by herself to clear her head.
It had been a frenzied few days. She bundled up and, after promising Madison that she’d be okay on her own, made the ten-minute walk to the nearest coffee shop a few blocks down from the hospital.
The city streets were bustling, the whole world moving on despite Emmy treading water with her father’s health. The buzz of it actually sent a little life into her. The cold air hit her skin, and the jovial holiday decorations helped to clear her mind.
When she got to the shop, she treated herself to a gingerbread latte and stripped off her coat at a table by the window.
The sun streamed in, making her feel like it should be warmer outside.
It was hard to believe a snowstorm would be there in a few days.
She leaned back in the chair and took a sip of the sugary-sweet cinnamon-and-cream drink just as her phone rang.
Worried the call might be regarding her dad, she dug her phone out of her handbag. But she was even more surprised when she saw Charlie’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Long time no chat.” His voice made her feel as if she’d taken in a deliciously long gasp of fresh air after holding her breath for too long.
“Yes, it has been a long time.”
“So you’ve been busy.”
“I have.” She’d told him about the apprentice job, and they’d talked a few times, but she hadn’t filled him in on anything else.”
“Do you have something you want to tell me?” he asked.
His tone was too happy to be referencing her dad’s news. “I don’t know. Do I?”
“I saw the article in today’s New York Times’ style section.”
“What article?”
“Your name is front and center in their piece on ‘Cultural Impact and Major Fashion Moments.’ In the photo, the crowd is standing for your design. They’re saying that you’re the next big thing.”
“What?”
He laughed, making her stomach flip. “You haven’t seen it?”
“No!”
A few patrons looked her way, and she twisted toward the window.
“When I saw it, I had to call to say congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“And I’ve been meaning to check in anyway. I’m still answering questions for Bachman Global Services, and I had to call the Richmond office. Your sister mentioned your dad sold the house.”
“Yeah.” Their lives were moving in opposite directions, and now, with the sale of her childhood home, there was no chance she’d bump into Charlie.
“I guess that’s good,” he said.
“It was too much space for him.” She was saying the words, but all she could think about was how much she’d missed the sound of his voice. His happiness filled her with joy. She hadn’t felt that kind of pleasure in so long.
“How are you?” she asked, not ready to ruin his mood just yet with news of her father’s heart attack.
“I’m good. I’m buried in snow at the moment. Wyoming’s no joke in the winter.”
“I’ll bet it’s beautiful, though.”
“You should come see it.”
She closed her eyes, the sun streaming in on her face through the window. “I’d love to.”
“I actually put up a Christmas tree and everything.”
“That’s very adult of you,” she teased.
“And it’s so cold, I’ve been making hot chocolate in my I Love New York mug.”
She laughed. “You still have that?”
“Yep.”
She closed her eyes again and let the exhilaration of talking to him wash over her.
An ambulance whizzed by, its siren blaring.
“Are you outside your apartment?” he asked.
“No, I’m at Madison’s, in Richmond. But right now, I’m sitting in a coffee shop downtown.”
“That’s speedy. Weren’t you just in New York?”
She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Over her gingerbread latte, she told Charlie about her dad, leaving the show early, and staying with her sister.
Tears pricked her eyes, and her voice wobbled, but she felt relief talking to him.
They could pick right up where they left off as if no time had come between them.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “Is there anything I can do to help you with your dad?”
“I don’t think so. We’re just waiting it out. He woke up today, but he’s asleep again.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m exhausted.”
“I can imagine.”
“It’s good to hear your voice,” she said, suddenly wondering if all the working was worth missing out on moments like this.
“Same.” His soft breath came though the phone. “This is the first time in four years I haven’t seen you at Christmas. I wondered when our holiday streak would end.”
Emmy was glad he couldn’t see the disappointment that almost certainly flashed across her face when he said that. “I know,” was all she could get out.
Until now, she hadn’t had a chance to stop and realize exactly how much she missed Charlie. With everything she’d been through with her dad, she wished she could have his strong shoulder to lean on.
“Well, I don’t want to keep you,” he said.
You aren’t.
“I promise to do better at keeping in touch,” she said.
“Me too.”
She ended the call, her focus remaining on the dark phone sitting on the table. If only things could’ve been different with Charlie. What if they’d stayed close during high school? Where would they be today? Would her life have been different? She’d never know.
Throughout the day, they’d all taken turns staying at the hospital, and Madison and Emmy were on the final six-to-eight shift that evening.
Emmy and Madison were chatting quietly in the corner of their dad’s room when he roused again. He’d been in and out all day, mostly incoherent, but he called their names this time.
“Hi, Dad,” Emmy said, getting up. She leaned against his bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a bus.”
“Fair.” She nodded.
Madison came over and sat at the foot of the bed.
“I missed your show,” he said to Emmy.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t really in your control.” She gave him an empathetic smile.
He closed his eyes. “I’m so proud of you.”
His skin was almost translucent, and the dark circles under his eyes gave away the struggle he’d just been through. While he was awake at times, he was nowhere near out of the woods. The nurses had already explained that if he could remain stable, he’d have a long recovery ahead of him.
A pinch of panic took hold. She couldn’t lose this man. She needed him too much. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I keep getting visions of your mom,” he said out of nowhere, “and your face goes in and out on hers. She’s her, then you... It’s odd.”
Emmy wrinkled her nose. “That is odd.” She straightened his blanket. “Speaking of Mom, you were kind of out of it at the time, but you mentioned earlier that you saw her washing dishes, and she said that you needed to tell us. Tell us what?”
His face turned white, his eyes round. “Did I say anything else?”
“No.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Well, I don’t know what it was.”
“It’s okay, Dad,” Madison said.
His reaction was surprising. Was there something he wasn’t telling them?
The question lingered in Emmy’s mind all the way back to her sister’s house, as she got ready for bed, and until she finally fell asleep.