Page 88 of After All This Time

My sister’s lips wrap around the straw, sipping on the water. “Where the hell am I?”

Mom looks at me and back at Lizzie. “You’re in the hospital, honey.”

“Why am I in the hospital?”

Mom glances at the floor, closes her eyes, and falls onto the floor. Celia helps her up, guiding her to the chair pushed under the desk across from Lizzie’s bed.

Celia sits down on the chair in the corner of the room.

“There was an accident,” I say.

“Is Mom okay?” Lizzie squints her eyes tightly. “Wait, an accident? What kind of accident? Where’s Dad? Is he here?”

My shoulders tense up as my chest constricts.

Dani walks over to me. “You need to sit down.” Dani smiles at her mom as a gesture for her to stand with my mom.

Once I sit down on the chair that Celia was just sitting in, my chest heaves faster. Dani notices and she sits down on my lap.

No questions asked.

She gently places her hand on top of mine as she leans back, moving her mouth closer to my ear. “Breathe.”

God, I love it when she touches me.

My breathing slows, getting back to normal.

Holy shit, Dani’s sitting on my lap. Now is not the time to freak out about this. It’s about being there for your sister. She’s your priority. Focus, Noah.

“Dad’s not here,” I spit out.

A confused expression takes over Lizzie’s face. “What do you mean he’s not here?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Dad and I were in the car on our way to the grocery store and now I’m here.”

I gulp hard. “You don’t remember anything?”

She shakes her head as a silent answer to my question.

“That’s okay.” I take a deep breath and let it out. “You and Dad got into a car accident. Dad’s injuries were really bad. He was in critical condition when he arrived here like you were. Unlike you, he was on the receiving end of the impact. He got more of it.” My hand is shaking as I’m looking at the bed. “Dad’s gone, Lizzie.”

Her eye twitches. “You’re lying.” She scratches underneath her ear, lips trembling. “Noah Matthew Kaplan, tell me the truth.” She looks at Mom. “He’s lying, right? Please tell me he’s lying.”

I find my eyes gravitating in Dani’s direction because I can’t bear to look at my sister right now.

This is why I was terrified to tell her.

She’s fractured on the outside and now she’s completely broken on the inside like I am without the fractured part.

I’m just broken.

Leaning back on the top edge of the chair, I take Dani with me and wrap my arms around her even tighter.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispers in my ear.

I slowly close and open my eyes, breathing in and out.

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