Bree
The drive to Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa is forty minutes of pure torture, and getting in to talk to someone about Nancy’s status is a whole ordeal. By the time a doctor comes out to the waiting room to speak with Benny and Colby, it’s late.
I hang back, waiting until they’re finished getting their update.
“Can we see her?” Colby asks.
“She’s sleeping now. If you want, you can come into her room, but I’d prefer she sleeps.”
“Of course,” Benny says. “We’ll be quiet.”
The doctor gives them the room number and directions on how to get there, then heads back inside.
Colby runs a hand over his face, then pulls out his phone. “I’d better call my dad. He’ll want to know.”
“Ask him to call my dad, too?”
“Sure.”
Benny looks at me. I take it as a signal and head toward him. “How is she?”
“Stable. They’re keeping her for observation now, but she’ll need to have surgery tomorrow.
One of her arteries is blocked, so they need to do an angioplasty and place another stent.
But the doctor thinks she’ll be fine. It all seems very routine to him.
I guess her numbers recently indicated this was a possibility, but she was keeping it from Colby and me. ”
“How are you holding up?”
“Better now.” He tries to smile, but he sounds so tired.
Colby gets off the phone with his dad, and we head back to the room. Benny tells one of the nurses we’re family. She doesn’t question my presence, but she does give me a double take.
Benny pushes the door open quietly. A machine beeps in the corner and the room is sterile, smelling faintly of whatever was recently used to clean it. The window is dark, the shade still up, so I make a mental note to close it before we leave.
Nancy’s lying in bed, her skin pale and silver hair splayed on the pillow behind her. She blinks her eyes open, taking us in.
“Hi, Grandma,” Colby says, going to her side. Benny stands beside him, and I go to the foot of the bed.
Benny reaches for her hand. “You worried us.”
“Dr. Ford knows what he’s doing.”
Benny’s jaw clenches.
“We’re just glad things are looking okay,” I say. “You really freaked us out.”
Nancy gives me a funny look. “You’re still here.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere for a while.”
“What about your little dog?” she asks.
I have to fight amusement that Nancy’s lying in a hospital bed and this is what she’s worried about. Does she think I’m going to leave them all for Peanut? “I need to go pick her up and return some of my sister-in-law’s clothes, then you’re stuck with me.”
She relaxes on the bed, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. “That’s what I hoped you’d say.”
Nancy’s surgery goes well, and we take turns keeping her company.
Colby found a hotel nearby to stay at when we aren’t at the hospital.
I drove home one morning to say goodbye to my sisters and pick up clothes and toiletries for the guys.
We spend the days following the surgery taking shifts sitting with Nancy in her room, reading to her, singing to her, and playing Mad Libs from a book I found in the gift shop.
Four days later, I take an Uber to the hospital to join Benny during his shift, a Chipotle order swinging in a bag from my hand. The staff has been wonderful, respecting our privacy. But when I reach Nancy’s room, I find Benny and Colby standing outside the door, deep in conversation.
My steps slow, my heart beating rapidly. “Everything okay?”
“Dr. Ford is releasing Grandma tomorrow.” Benny takes my hand, an action that’s so familiar again it’s soothing. “We’re deciding who’s going to stay with her.”
“Me.”
The guys both look at me.
“It makes sense,” I tell them. “I need to get out of Colby’s house anyway, and I would love to hang out with Nancy.”
“It’s more involved than that,” Colby says. “She’ll need help.”
“I know. I’ve been thinking about this all week. I want to do it.”
Benny’s eyes gleam with affection. “You’re so sweet, but it should really be one of us.”
“Why? I love her too. You moved here last time this happened and you both have been taking care of her for the last few years.” I’m being kind of flippant about it to keep things light, but I mean every word deeply. “Let someone else have a turn.”
I can see I’ve stunned them, so I hand off the Chipotle bag to Colby and push Nancy’s door open. “We’ll let her decide.”
“What?” Nancy asks when I come into her room. The color is coming back to her cheeks, but she’s still weak.
“We’re fighting over who gets to stay with you. I want it to be me. You get to choose.” I fold my arms over my chest. “What do you say? Girls night every night? Your nails look like they could use a fresh coat.”
Nancy tries to read my face.
I cross the room, taking her hand. “You mean a lot to me. Let me do this.”
She gives a slow nod. “I want Bree.”
I flash Benny and Colby a victorious smile. “I win!”
Nancy’s hand tightens around mine. “You’re one of us now, Bree.”
“Good.”
“Maybe one day we can get Benny to make it permanent.”
“Okay, slow down, Grandma,” he says, his cheeks growing pink. “Let’s get you home and healthy.”
She smiles. “Now I have something to work toward. I want to dance at your wedding.”
I laugh, my voice ringing out in the room. Benny comes behind me and wraps his arms around me. “I’ll make sure Dr. Ford knows.”
Colby starts doling out lunch meals, and Nancy turns on the TV, looking for something to watch.
Benny buries his face in my neck. “Love you,” he whispers.
I turn slightly. “Not as much as I love you.”
He presses a kiss beneath my ear, and I think I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. Well, almost…I still need my precious Peanut.
“Hey, Nance. How do you feel about dogs?”