Page 104 of Take My Hand

“Good to see, son,” he says.

“Good to see you too.” I clap him on the back before letting him go.

My eyes drift toward Will, who still appears to be sleeping.

Fuck, he looks so young, so defenseless lying there on the white, sterile sheets with an IV in his arm and a heart rate monitor clasped to his finger.

“Has he been sleeping for long?” I ask my parents.

“No, just dozed back off a bit ago. The nurse came around about an hour ago for a check and he went back to sleep shortly after,” my dad answers, turning his head to look over his shoulder at Will.

He looks just as exhausted as my mom. The front of his sweatshirt has a coffee stain on it and dark stubble lines his jaw.

“Do you guys want to run home for a bit? I can take over here for a while,” I offer.

My parents exchange a weighted look, before my mom diverts her attention past my shoulder and her face lights up despite the circumstances.

“You must be Carter,” she says, already reaching out and gathering her in for a hug.

“Shit, sorry,” I say, feeling guilty that I forgot Carter was standing behind me and for not introducing her when we first walked in.

“Language,” my mother chides me.

“Shoot,” I correct sarcastically.

She rolls her eyes as she pulls back from Carter.

“Carter, this is my mom, Helen. And my dad, Scott.”

My dad steps in front of me to hold out a hand to Carter, which she shakes with a small smile.

“It’s nice to meet you both, despite the circumstances,” she says quietly, conscious of Will sleeping next to this whole interaction.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you and although I wish it didn’t have to happen like this, I’m happy you’re here with my son,” my mom tells her, rubbing a hand over my shoulder.

It feels good, despite everything, to be back with them for a bit.

“Do you want to go back to the house for a rest? You couldn’t have slept well on the plane,” my dad says.

I shake my head. “No, I want to be here to talk to him when he wakes up.”

My parents look at each other, doing that silent communication thing they do after almost thirty years of marriage.

“Alright. If you don’t mind, then we’ll run home and freshen up a bit. Lucas left late last night but he said he’d be coming back this morning. We’ll bring him with us in a few hours.”

“Love you,” I tell them as my dad grabs my mom’s purse.

“Love you, too,” they echo back as they turn to leave.

Words that we always make sure to say to each other at the end of every phone call, every time we run out for an errand, every airport drop off. They were words that we used to say to each other here and there growing up, relying more on feeling the love we all have for each other as a family rather than expressing it verbally all the time.

But after Will’s graduation day, we all saw how quickly it could be the last time we talk to each other, and now the words fall from my lips on instinct every time I say goodbye to my family.

The door clicks shut softly behind them, and Carter turns to me.

“How about I go find us some coffee and something to eat?” she asks, rubbing her hand over my back.

“Thank you.” I tell her. She kisses my cheek and dips out, leaving just me and my little brother alone with the beeping monitor as the only sound in this cold room.

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