Page 102 of The Island Villa

Was there any activity more soul-destroying than waiting for news of a loved one in a clinical, impersonal hospital corridor? People scurried past, all wearing different expressions. Worry, purpose, determination. Every time someone new appeared, her father would glance up, hopeful, and then slump again when the individual didn’t even glance in his direction.

It felt incongruous sitting in a soulless corridor in the floaty summer dress Maya had picked out for her. Everyone who passed glanced at them and Adeline wished she’d paused long enough to grab a sweater or to change into jeans and a T-shirt. Something less celebratory. Because what was there to celebrate?

Stress formed a tight band around her ribs. It was difficult to breathe. She was a coper, and yet right now she wasn’t coping.

She shifted on her seat and felt the heaviness of her phone in her pocket.

On impulse, she pulled it out and opened the message Stefanos had sent after their trip to his house the day before. He’d promised to cook her dinner the following evening. She glanced at the clock and realized that tomorrow was now today.

She hesitated, but the yearning to talk to him was stronger than the urge to handle this alone.

Unable to stop herself, her fingers moved on the keys.

My mother collapsed. I’m at the hospital.

She pressed Send and immediately regretted it. Why had she messaged him? What did she expect him to do? She should be handling this alone, the way she handled everything else.

She was about to message again and tell him to ignore her message when his response pinged on her phone.

On my way.

Just three words, but never had three words had such a calming effect.

He was on his way. Coming here, to the hospital.

The terrible tightness in her stomach eased. She could finally breathe again.

She could have told him not to come, that she was fine, but she wasn’t fine and she could do with his particular brand of steady support.

She messaged back.

Thank you.

It felt like hours, but finally a doctor appeared and walked toward them.

Andrew shot to his feet so quickly he staggered, and Adeline grabbed him.

“Take a moment, Dad.”

“Tell me. Is she...?”

“She is doing well. It was a panic attack.” The doctor spoke excellent English and Andrew stared at him as the words slowly penetrated.

“Not her heart?”

“No, although the symptoms can be surprisingly similar. With a heart attack, pain is often experienced in other areas as well as the chest—jaw, arm, neck. During a panic attack, the pain is usually in the chest.”

“But her heart was beating so fast.”

“That can happen in response to emotional distress.” The doctor paused. “I understand that she was upset about something immediately before experiencing the symptoms. She wouldn’t talk about exactly what happened, but perhaps addressing that might help. I want to keep her in while I wait for some of the test results to come back, just to be safe, but after that you should be able to take her home.”

“Home?” Her father let out a shaky sigh and turned to her. “She’s not going to die, Addy?”

“No, Dad, she’s not going to die.”

Her relief was every bit as great as her father’s.

They hugged, and then her father lifted his head and reached out an arm to Cassie who was standing alone and a little apart from them.

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