Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
JAY
Jay walked with brisk steps though the lobby. The woman behind the main desk welcomed him with an enormous smile of recognition. Jay remembered her too, and her caring nature during the short time he was an in-patient resident.
“Mr. Avery! So happy to see you,” she said.
“Hi, Faith. It’s great to see you too.”
“Dr. Larson told me you’d be stopping by today. You can head straight back to his office. They’re waiting for you.”
An alarm buzzed and the large automatic doors to the right of her desk opened. Jay gave a nod and continued on. The door to Dr. Larson’s office was wide open, and two men inside chatted quietly. Jay stopped at the threshold and knocked on the doorframe.
“Gentlemen, apologies for my tardiness,” Jay said.
Dr. Larson stood and met him at the door, his hand outstretched.
“Jay! It’s so good to see you. And you’re right on time. We’ve only been talking for a few minutes.”
Jay stepped inside the office and approached the other man, carefully inspecting his wheelchair. It was sleek, shiny, and looked like something created by Harley-Davidson.
Jay extended his hand with a genuine smile. “It’s good to meet you, Calvin.”
“Please—everyone calls me Cally.” The man gripped his hand, firm and confident.
Jay swallowed, feeling the weight of what he knew he’d soon hear. Details of the night of his crash. The same night as Hope’s. A night he’d worked hard to compartmentalize.
“I wasn’t sure I could do this,” Calvin admitted, voice breaking. “Not face-to-face. Not after everything.”
“You don’t have to be sure,” Jay said softly, keeping his own voice steady. “We’re both here now. That’s what matters.”