14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Jon
The clock reads three-forty when the phone's persistent ring wakes me up. Thank God it wasn't a nightmare forcing me out of sleep, but a phone call at this hour can't be good.
"Hello," I say groggily.
"Sorry to wake you, Son," Dad's worried tone peels the cobwebs off my brain and puts me on high alert. "I need you to get out of bed and come over right now."
"What's wrong, Dad?" I ask, reaching for the jeans and T-shirt I wore last night.
"Sharon got a phone call from her stepdad. Her mother's been rushed to the hospital. It sounds like a pulmonary embolism. She's in surgery right now, but the doctors don't think she's going to make it. Sharon needs to get on the first flight back home as soon as possible. I want you to go with her."
I hang up and stumble into the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a military shower of no more than five minutes. I throw together a bag with enough clothes for a few days and write a short note for Loren that I tape to her back door. She'll see it when she comes out to water her plants in a few hours.
Sharon is sitting at the kitchen table when I walk in. Her hands are wrapped around a cup of tea as if to keep them warm. She's actively crying, and Mom is sitting beside her, rubbing her back, trying to comfort her. Dad's on the phone making reservations for the first flight available.
I walk up to Sharon, not knowing what to say or how to act. Things between us haven't been exactly normal the last couple of days. She stands up and leans into me. I wrap my arms around her as she melds her body with mine, putting her hands on my back. There's no space between us, not physically, not emotionally. I'm here with her, spirit, soul, and body. I'm hers, and she's mine.
"I'm going to go pack a bag for her," Mom says.
"I can do it," Sharon says between sobs.
"Stay with her," Mom says and walks away.
I look down at her tear-filled eyes.
"What happened?"
"My stepfather found Mom on the bathroom floor when he got home from work. He called 911, and she was taken to the hospital. They found a blood clot in her lung. Rick said she'll be in surgery for hours."
"The flight leaves in three hours," Dad says after hanging up the phone. "I'll drive you to the airport. Here are the keys to the house and the car."
***
Sharon is quiet during the flight but lets me hold her hand. She also rests her head on my shoulder and sleeps for an hour.
We land in Los Angeles at nine o'clock.
I do my best to give her space until she's ready to talk.
We take a taxi to my parents' house, where we freshen up and then drive to the hospital.
I reach for Sharon's hand in the car, and she lets me hold it, but she's still quiet.
"Are we okay, Sharon?" I finally ask.
"Thank you for being here with me. I'm sorry about Patrick. I'm sorry about my attitude."
"I'm sorry too," I say.
At the hospital, I open her car door and take her by the hand.
We go to the information desk, where they send us up to the fourth floor.
"Should we take the stairs?" Sharon asks.
"I'll be okay," I say, knowing that all my energy needs to be focused on her. I don't have time for any of my issues right now, and I refuse to be weak when what she needs is someone who can be strong for her.
On the fourth floor, we find the waiting room. Several people are grouped in one area.
"Rick," Sharon says, approaching the group. Rick gives Sharon a fatherly hug. He's a tall Hispanic man in his mid-forties with black hair and dark brown eyes. I can tell he's been crying and hasn't slept in twenty-four hours.
"Rick, this is Jon, Noah's big brother."
When I shake his hand, he gives me a look that unnerves me. I can't put my finger on it, but this man is judging me with his glance.
"Sharon," he says, “you've met my sister, Helen, and her husband, Frank.”
We shake both their hands before another man approaches us. He's taller than Rick, with black hair and Sharon's green eyes. There's no denying it. This man is a blood relative.
"Sharon," Rick begins, "this is your uncle, Caleb."
"My uncle," Sharon says, reaching for Calab's extended hand.
"I'm your mom's twin brother," Caleb says. "I came as soon as I heard."
"Thank you for coming," Sharon says before turning her attention back to Rick. "How is she doing?"
"She made it through the surgery," Rick says. "Doctor said the next twenty-four hours are crucial."
"So she's going to be okay?" Sharon asks, the question filled with hope. I put my arm around her, wanting to protect her from the answer.
"They're not being very optimistic," he says, "but I am. As long as there's life, there's hope."
"Can I see her?" Sharon asks.
"Yeah," he says. "We've all been in to see her. They only allow one person at a time. Push that button behind you and let them know you're here to see her, and they'll buzz you in."
She leaves my side and presses the call button by the doors that lead to the ICU.
"Yes, how can I help you?" says a female voice.
"Hi, I'm Sharon Hansen. I'm here to see Carol Alonzo."
"I'll buzz you in, Miss."
"I'll be right back," she says, squeezing my hand before walking away. Her eyes are clear and beautiful. She's one of the strongest people I've ever met.
When the doors close behind her, I sit next to Caleb.
"Sharon looks a lot like you," I say.
"Thank you," he says. "She looks exactly like Carol at her age. The resemblance is remarkable."
"You had never met Sharon before today?"
"No. My sister moved away as soon as she married Sharon's dad. We tried to find her for years. I love my sister, but she's as stubborn as a mule. She convinced herself that the world was against her. That getting pregnant was the end of the world. She set out to punish everyone around her, and she knew the worst thing she could do to our parents was leave."
"Are your parents still alive?"
"No. Mom died ten years ago, and Dad died a year later. They never met Sharon."
"How did you find her?"
"I didn't. Rick hired a private investigator to find us after he married Carol, and I'm glad he did. If Carol dies, I want Sharon to know she's not alone. I'm married and have four kids close to her age, two boys and two girls."
"Why did Rick look for you? If you don't mind me asking?"
"He did it for Sharon."
I glance at Rick, who's studying me like a scientist studies a lab rat.
"I don't think Rick cares too much for me," I say.
"He's very protective of Sharon. It was one of the first things he said when we spoke for the first time. If meeting me would create problems for her, he'd rather I kept my distance."
"And now you're here."
"He called me last night, or this morning, I should say. I got here as soon as I could. So, how did you and Sharon meet?"
"She's my little brother's nanny."
"Oh, she works for you?"
"For my parents. We're friends."
"I thought the two of you were together," he says. "The body language."
"Pardon?" I say, feeling even more like a lab rat than before.
Caleb laughs.
"I'm sorry," he says. "I'm a family therapist, so reading body language is part of the job."
"What exactly do your professional body language skills tell you about Sharon and me?"
"You might not know this yet, but you two are in love."
"I know," I say honestly. "I've loved her since the day I met her."
"I've always been told my eyes are very expressive," Caleb says, "Even my patients tell me they can tell what I'm going to say before I say it just by looking me in the eyes. Carol is the same way. Neither of us has a good poker face. Something tells me Sharon is the same way. These green eyes are our family curse."
"That's how Sharon knows her mom doesn't love her."
"Rick mentioned something along the same lines. I'm sorry that bitterness took hold of my sister's heart and never let go."
"Are you going to be in town for a while?" I ask.
"As long as it takes. I want to be here for Carol, Sharon, and Rick. He and I have become good friends in the last year."
"Where are you staying?"
"I'm staying at a hotel down the street from the hospital."
"You're welcome to stay with Sharon and me. We're staying in my parents' old house. It's only about fifteen minutes away.”
"Thank you for the offer. Rick also offered his home, but I'm fine at the hotel."
"Let me know if you change your mind."
When Sharon returns, her face is puffy, and her eyes are red. Everyone in the room stands to hear the latest.
"How is she?"
"Has she opened her eyes?"
"Can she talk?"
"How does she look?"
Sharon's gaze locks on mine, and I pull her in protectively.
"You want to sit down?" I ask.
She takes a few deep breaths before speaking.
"She's attached to so many machines. I wasn't emotionally prepared to see her hooked up to a ventilator."
"I'm sorry," says Rick. "That's my fault. I should've warned you. She just had major surgery. She needs all the help she can get to keep her alive and to make sure she heals."
"She's still sleeping," Sharon says.
I think that answered all the questions. We can't know how she's doing if she's not awake.
I sit with Sharon, holding her hand until we see a doctor coming this way.
Rick approaches the doctor, followed by Caleb and Sharon.
"Are you Mrs. Alonzo's family?" the doctor asks.
"Yes," says Rick. "I'm her husband; this is her brother, Caleb, and her daughter, Sharon."
"I recommend you all go home and get some rest. Chances are, Carol is going to sleep through the night. We'll know more in the morning. You will be more help to her if you're well-rested."
"Thank you, Doctor," Rick says.
The doctor walks away, and Rick turns to talk to the group.
"I'm going home, sleeping for a couple of hours, eating, and showering. I'll be back this afternoon and stay with her as long as they let me."
"Can I take you all out to eat before we head home?" Caleb asks.
"We have to go check on the kids," says Rick's sister. "Thank you for offering, though. We appreciate it."
"Rick, what about you?"
"I'm exhausted. I'm literally falling asleep as we speak. I'll take a rain check."
"Sharon, can I take you out to eat?
"Yes, I would like that."
"I will go back to the house," I say.
"You're not coming?" Sharon asks.
"You two have a lot to catch up on. I'll see you back at the house."
***
I leave the hospital and stop by the supermarket to buy groceries to stock up the empty refrigerator and pantry at home.
After I put everything away, I call my parents and fill them in.
"Take as long as you need," Dad says before handing the phone to Mom.
"That poor girl," Mom says, "She's losing all the people she loves. Keep us posted, Sweetheart."
"Can you do me a favor?" I ask. "Can you check in on Loren every day? Just call her and make sure she doesn't need anything."
"Yes, of course. We can do that. You don't need to worry about anything here. Sharon needs you."
"Thanks, Mom."
When Sharon returns home, she looks tired but happy—her time with Caleb helped her feel better.
"What are you doing?” she asks, sitting beside me on the couch.
"I'm sorting the piles of mail we're still receiving at this address. So much for the change of address we filed at the post office."
"It's mostly junk mail," she says, looking through one of the stacks.
"I know your mom wasn't awake, but did you talk to her anyway?"
"I did because if she dies, I don't want to leave anything unsaid. I started with my earliest memory. I must've been about three the first time I sensed her coldness and had enough use of logical reasoning to realize she didn't love me."
"What happened?" I ask when her eyes look off, recalling something painful.
"I don't know," she says, "but to this day, it makes my heart sink when I think about it. I might not remember her words, but I remember how they made me feel. I remember walking away feeling like I'd been slapped in the face, but she never touched me. After that, my guard was up, and my ears were open to every verbal slight she hurled my way. I spent a lot of time talking to her about how her words wounded me and her emotional absence made me feel unloved."
When a tear rolls down her cheek, I wipe it away with my thumb and pull her in so I can hold her.
"I'm tired," she says into my chest, "but my mind is reeling."
"We can do something that doesn't require any thinking so you can unwind."
"What exactly did you have in mind?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
"We have two options," I say, walking to the television. "We can watch a movie, or we can make out."
When I turn to look at her, she seems shocked, and her eyes are wide. I wink at her before laughing.
I turn the television on and start flipping through the channels.
"How about this western with Clint Eastwood?"
"I was going to choose kissing," she says.
When I whip my head around and gape at her, she winks at me and starts laughing.
I sit next to her and put my arm around her. She fits perfectly in my arms. After ten minutes, I can feel her body relaxing next to mine. Her deep and even breathing tells me she's fallen asleep.
She shifts her weight closer to me when I try to move away.
"Don't leave," she says groggily.
I find a pillow, set it at one end of the couch, and then pull both of us back until we're lying down together. Her body is light. With almost all her weight on top of me, I'm still able to get comfortable and soon drift off to sleep, too.