13. Heath
I stare out at the water for a long time after Gabby leaves. I was surprised when I saw her car in the lot. What are the odds of us both coming here today?
It seemed like fate was finally on my side.
Until I opened my big mouth.
Of course I had to go and ask for more than she’s ready to give.
If I wasn’t certain she still loved me too, I’d give up. But I don’t think I could move on. She’s it for me. I knew it when I was eighteen, and it hasn’t changed in all these years. Being back home, so close to her, only makes me want it more. I can’t believe that she doesn’t still feel something. A love like ours doesn’t just disappear, does it?
My phone rings, and I pull it from my pocket. Mom’s face pops up on the screen. Swiping, I answer it. “Hello?”
“Heath,” Mom says, sounding winded. “Do you think you can come home? Something’s not quite right.”
I take off at a sprint. “I’m on my way. Do you need me to call 911?” Mom hasn’t been feeling well the last couple of days, but we both thought it was a cold and would run its course. Now I’m not so sure.
“No,” she says, her voice shaky. “I think I’ll be okay, but I’d feel better if you were here.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m going to hang up now and call Evan to come over until I can get there, okay?”
She takes a shaky breath. “Okay. Please hurry. But drive safely.”
“I will.” I hang up the phone and don’t stop running until I’m at the truck. Hitting the button to unlock the door, I slide inside, not taking the time to brush the sand from my body. I take a deep breath and pull up Evan’s number. It rings twice before he picks up.
“Heath, what’s up?”
I lose it. Before I can say anything, I’m sobbing.
“Heath! Hey, man, you’re scaring me,” Evan says. “What happened? Is it your mom?”
Through choked sobs, I manage to tell him I need him to go to her.
“I’m on my way,” Evan says. I can hear the door of his apartment slam shut. “You’ve got to pull yourself together. She’s going to be fine. You can’t drive when you’re like this, and she needs you.”
He stays on the line until I can breathe again. “Thanks, man,” I say, putting the truck in reverse and pulling out of the parking space. “I think I panicked.”
“You’ve needed to let all this out for a while. I’m not surprised you lost it for a minute,” he says. “I’m pulling into her driveway now.”
“Thanks, I’m on my way, but I’m hanging up now so I can drive. Call me if anything happens.”
“You got it,” Evan says before disconnecting the call.
Thirty-five minutes later, I’m pulling into the driveway behind Evan’s truck. I’ve barely come to a stop before I’m throwing it in park and opening the door. Running up the sidewalk, I push open the front door and stop in my tracks.
“Hey,” Evan says, holding Mom’s hand. “I’m thinking she may need to go get checked out.”
“Now, Evan, I told you I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Mom says, her voice weak.
“And I told you that we’d see what Heath thinks when he gets here.” Evan motions with his head to the dining room. “We’ll be right back.” He pats Mom’s hand before letting go.
I follow him. “What?” I ask, unable to get more words out.
“Her breathing seems pretty labored. I’m sure she’s fine, but I texted Karlee, and she said she thinks she needs to be assessed. Especially with her history of cancer and chemo.”
I nod. “Thanks. I wouldn’t have thought to ask Karlee.”
He pats my shoulder. “I’m here for you.”
We walk back into the living room, and I kneel down by Mom. “Hey,” I say, reaching for her hand. Her head is resting back on the couch and her eyes are closed. “Mom?”
Evan curses under his breath and I hear him on the phone with 911.
“Mom!”
It feels like an eternity, but finally, the ambulance shows up and the medics whisk Mom away. They say she’s breathing, but not well.
“Let’s go,” Evan says, grabbing my arm. “We’ll follow them to the hospital.”
We get outside, and Evan hops into the driver’s seat of my truck. “Seriously, dude? Sand?” He glances at me and cringes. “Sorry, not the time.” He follows behind the ambulance to Piney Brook General, where they rush Mom inside.
“You’ll have to go to the front desk and get her checked in. They’ll let you know something as soon as they can,” one of the medics says on his way past us.
I nod, but I can’t make my feet move.
Evan grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me in the direction of the sliding doors. “This way,” he says.
Once we are inside, I give my name and information to the man working the desk. “Have a seat and we’ll call you as soon as we can.”
I want to argue, but I can’t. Evan and I take a seat in the corner and wait.
After what feels like an eternity, a doctor comes through the doors and calls my name.
“Go,” Evan says. “I’ll wait here.”
I nod and make my way to where the doctor is waiting.
“I’m Rosanna Atkins’s son, Heath.”
He motions for me to follow him through the double doors. “Heath, your mom is currently stable, but she’s got pneumonia. Unfortunately, with her chemotherapy and radiation, her lungs are weak.”
My heart slams into my ribcage before stopping all together. The doctor must see my panic because he stops and puts his hand on my arm.
“She can pull through this,” he says.
Finally, my heart beats again. “I sense a but . . .”
He nods. “We need to transfer her to Little Rock. They have an impeccable pulmonology department and state-of-the-art ICU. She’ll be able to get the best care there.”
Little Rock. That’s three hours away without traffic. “How long will she be there?” I ask.
“I’d expect at least ten days.” He motions down the hallway. “Would you like to see her before we transport her? She’s awake, but she’s weak, and she has an oxygen mask on.”
I nod. “Please.”
The doctor stops and motions to a partially closed door. “She’s in there. You can only stay for a few minutes.”
I nod. “Thanks,” I say. I step into the sterile hospital room and fight back the tears that want to fall. I’m scared, but I don’t want Mom to know. “Hey, Mom,” I say, picking up her hand. “You gave me a bit of a scare.”
She shakes her head. “I . . .”
“It’s okay,” I blurt. “Don’t use your energy to talk to me now, but we’ll be discussing your practical jokes later, okay?”
She nods.
“They’re going to move you to the hospital in Little Rock.”
She nods again.
“I’ll be right behind you, okay? I’m just going to get some clothes from the house, and I’ll be on my way.”
She shakes her head.
“No arguing.” I pat her hand. “You’d do the same for me.” I lean in and give her a kiss on the forehead. She closes her eyes and sighs.
“She needs her rest,” a nurse says, stepping into the room.
“I’ll see you soon,” I say, placing another kiss on her cheek.
Stepping into the hallway, I take a deep breath. I don’t even know if they’ll let me stay with her in the hospital. If not, I’ll just get a room nearby. There’s no way I’m going to be hours away when she needs me.
I step into the lobby and motion to Evan. He jumps up and meets me at the exit doors. “What’s happening?” he asks.
“They’re moving her to Little Rock,” I say, my long stride eating up the ground to where the truck is parked. “She needs more intense care than they can offer here. Something about ICU and pulmonology.”
Evan nods. “What can I do?”
“Take me home. I need to pack.”
The trip home passes in a blur. I can’t help but wonder if the cancer is back. She’s been doing so well—all her scans were clean—but there’s always a chance of it returning.
“Do you need to call someone at your job?” Evan asks, pulling into the drive.
I get out my phone and pull up Bradley’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Bradley. I hate to do this, but my mom’s in the hospital and they are moving her to Little Rock. Is there any way I can have the next week or two off?” I’m asking, because I really like my job, and hope that I’m able to come back to it, but Mom comes first.
“Of course,” he says. “I don’t know how much paid time off you’ve accrued, but don’t worry about your job. We’re almost done with the interior of the play center. We’ll be fine without you for a couple of days. Take all the time you need.”
Relief floods me. “Thanks. I . . . Thanks.”
“You bet. Go take care of your mom. Let us know if there’s anything you need.”
I hang up and jump out of the truck. I rush up the sidewalk to my front door. Once I’m inside, I make sure things are set for me to be gone for a bit, and throw some clothes and necessities into a bag. I grab Mom’s book and knitting supplies, just in case she starts feeling better and wants to have something to do.
“You want me to drive you down there?” Evan asks from his seat at the dining room table.
I startle at the sound of his voice. “I forgot you were still here.”
He laughs. “Yeah, not surprised by that, actually. You’ve been half out of it since you called me.”
I roll my head on my neck, trying to release some of the stress. “I’ll be alright,” I say. “I don’t want to be a pain, and that’s a long drive.”
He stares at me for a minute before pushing to stand. “If you’re sure.”
I nod. “I’m sure. Thanks for everything today.”
He walks over and pulls me into a hug, slapping his hand on my back. “I’ve got your back, brother. Let me know when you get there and keep me updated.” He steps back.
“I will.”
We step outside, and I lock up the house. I open the truck door and throw my bag into the passenger seat. Taking one last look at the house, I back out of the drive. It’s going to be a long ten days.