Page 42 of Getting it Right (Addy's Rollercoaster)

I thought of him often but rarely dreamed about him, and wondered what had triggered the dream. It was a good one. I wanted to close my eyes and go right back to sleep, but as the sole proprietor of a business, I couldn’t ignore an early morning phone call.

“Hello,” I choked out, my voice froggy.

Having recognized the number, I sat up straight, my heart ramping up quickly from slow speed to high. Rachel knew my hours. She never normally called me before ten in the morning.

Her voice shrill, she cried out, “Addy, I need you. Daniel, he’s ...” Then she began to sob.

“What about Daniel?” I asked, icy fingertips slithering down my spine.

“I couldn’t wake him. He was right beside me in bed. I was reading and thought he’d fallen asleep, but he’s gone. I can’t believe he’s gone. Oh, Addy.”

Her voice shook like I did. But I had to be strong.

“Where are you now?”

“At home. The ambulance just took him away.”

Tears burned my eyes and strained my throat. A few weeks ago, Daniel had a spell after working out, and had numerous tests done. Rachel had been worried about him, and Claire had been too.

“I’ll be right over.” I threw my legs over the side of the bed. “Give me twenty-five minutes.”

“It takes thirty minutes just to drive from Southside.”

“It does if you go the speed limit,” I said determinedly.

“Be careful. I can’t ...” Rachel trailed off again, sobbing. “I need you. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“You don’t need to do anything right now. Just sit tight. I’m coming over.”

Thankfully, my old Explorer started up without a hitch. The new battery had done wonders for it.

Door to door, I made it from my Southside apartment to my sister’s mansion in Lakeside in twenty-one minutes. She threw open the side door before I could knock, and we crashed together, sagging into each other’s arms.

“I’m so, so sorry, Rach.” I hugged her tight, thinking how frail she felt. Why did she feel so frail? Was this what losing your other half did to you?

Sobbing, she choked out, “I just can’t ... I don’t want to go on.”

“It’ll be okay. We’ll get through it together.” My heart broke, the slumbering broken pieces that remained shattering for her.

“How can it ever be okay?” She clutched at me, her tears dampening my T-shirt. “How can I live without him?”

“I don’t know, honey.” I stroked her sun-streaked blond hair. “But we’ll figure it out.”

“It hurts, Addy. It hurts so much. I feel like I can’t breathe.”

“Let’s get you to the couch.” I threw my arm around her and walked her to the sunken living room. Urging her to sit down, I tried to release her. “Let me get you something to drink, honey. Some hot tea.”

“No. Please. Just stay with me.”

“All right.” I sat next to her and pulled her close.

Drawing long, soothing patterns on her back with my palm, I murmured about my love for her. Eventually, her full-body sobs turned to smaller, more contained ones.

“Where’s Claire?” I asked.

Rachel sniffed. “In her room.”

“Is she okay?”

---