Chapter 34
thirty-four
LIAM
“Is Aunt Ellie gonna be okay?” Poppy asks again.
We’re in the waiting area, sitting across from Ellie’s parents. Ezra has been pacing, in and out of the room for the last twenty minutes. Every time his mom or dad try talking to him, he quickly wanders off.
“Yeah, angel. We just have to wait for the doctors to help her, okay?” I try to make it a point not to lie to my daughter. But right now, I don’t feel like there’s a choice.
Poppy moves from my chair to the floor where Ellie’s mom is sitting with baby Stevie, playing with a block puzzle. The sounds of wooden figurines knocking together fill the uncomfortable silence. Then distantly, I hear my name.
“Liam? Liam?” Maya’s voice gets closer until I can finally see her coming down one of the connecting corridors.
“We’re here,” I offer, even though she’s already spotted me.
She rushes over to us and collapses into the chair to my left. I can tell she’s been crying, wet streaks staining her skin. She wraps her arms tightly around me.
“Did you find Theo?” I ask. “Did you do…”
“Not yet. I needed to see you first.”
I pull away to create some space between us and reach up to wrap my hand around the back of her neck. “What’s wrong? What do you need?” I whisper.
“I’m just scared. After last night and…I’m just afraid of what might happen. What I could change. I’ve never had what we?—”
“Hey,” I say, attempting to soothe her nerves. “It’s just one more wish. It’s not powerful enough to make me stop loving you, not even close.”
There’s so much more I want to tell her, but I know that we’re already running out the clock. I let my eyes do the talking. I’m right here with you. I’m not going anywhere.
Her arms circle me again and she buries her face in my neck. I feel the wetness from her eyes slide down my skin, the puff of each quick breath she takes.
“Okay,” she whispers, steadying herself. “I wish that Ellie and her baby are okay, that the doctors do everything they can, and that the surgery is successful. I wish that their recovery is easy with no complications, and that Ellie and her babies live long and healthy lives. I wish that this wish doesn’t change anything else for me and my friends, that I don’t hurt any of the people I love.”
When she exhales, I can feel the weight of it, the fear and exhaustion and relief all tangled together at once.
“You did great,” I murmur into her ear. I drop a soft kiss on her forehead, let my lips linger there for a while while I silently pray for her wish to work.
Theo appears in front of us, a question in his eyes. I nod definitively, not letting go of Maya. He swallows a few times, his eyes unfocused as he sinks into the chair across from us.
Ellie’s dad wraps an arm around him and Theo immediately breaks down in tears. I look away, feeling like an intruder.
Poppy notices the shift in mood and climbs back onto my lap. I hold onto her and Maya with everything I have, desperate to keep them safe, never wanting to feel as powerless as Theo does right now.
Ezra jogs back into the room, a woman in blue scrubs at his heels.
“She’s okay.”
“What?” It’s a chorus of all our voices at once, everyone standing like we’ll hear better on our feet.
The doctor places a hand on Ezra’s shoulder and boldly steps in front of him.
“Mom and baby did great. Ellie’s going to be a little out of it for the rest of the day, but there were no complications with the surgery and her blood pressure is looking stable. We’ll keep a close eye on it, but I’m feeling very optimistic.” She turns to Theo. “Congratulations. You have a beautiful baby boy. He’ll need to stay with us for a few weeks until he’s stronger, but I can tell he’s a fighter. Would you like to meet him?”
Theo’s crying again but his face has completely changed. Hell, tears threaten to spill from my own eyes with all the emotions floating around this room. And when he rushes to Maya and throws his arms around her, I can’t hold the tears back anymore. He hugs her with a ferociousness I’ve never seen before.
Poppy’s clinging to my leg, unsure of what’s happening. I kneel down to tell her that Ellie’s okay and everyone’s happy. Maybe one day, Maya and I will tell her the rest.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Theo leave Maya to hug the doctor, then Ezra and his parents. I look up at Maya to catch her eye, to let her know how proud I am. Whether the outcome was because of her, or divine intervention or just a great medical team, I’m proud of the risks she took, of how much she wanted to help her friend.
But when I catch her gaze, her eyes are glazed over, focused on nothing. Her skin has gone pale, like she might be sick. “Maya?” I ask, but she doesn’t seem to hear me. It’s like she’s in some sort of trance. Poppy reaches over to tug on Maya’s leg but gets no reaction. And before I can even stand to see if she’s okay, she collapses right onto the floor.