Page 67 of Free to Fall

Laura:

My cousin. A drink. Right down my back.

Liam:

Ah.

Even as little blue dots move, I picture Laura’s clothes molded against her. It causes a tightness behind my jeans. Just then, Bailey’s name is called. Regretfully, I type to Laura:

Liam:

We’re being called back.

Laura:

Let me know how it goes!

How it goes is that we’re at the hospital for another three hours as we’re sent up to Dr. Rosenthal’s office so Bailey can be cut out of her casts. Despite the very interesting manner our texts were taking earlier, I wouldn’t trade anything for the beaming smile on my daughter’s face as they cut her out of the fiberglass and fit her for the synthetic casts. Her legs have healed.

But it’s nothing in comparison to her heart.

A porter is pushing Bailey along and I shoot off a new text to Laura. It’s a picture of Bailey in her new “Boots, Daddy! It’s like I’m wearing big gray boots!”

What I get back is:

Laura:

Congratulations!

Laura:

One of Dr. R’s nurses called me earlier.

Laura:

There may be a surprise waiting when you get home.

We drive back to the house after a day that ended up being infinitely more exhausting than we expected—both emotionally and physically. I’m carrying Bailey in from the garage when I stop short.

There’s a bouquet of yellow balloons tied together with little lights on green strings. They’re resting on an Amaryllis Bakery box. And there’s not one, but two notes.

I lean over Bailey’s shoulder as she reads hers where Laura encourages her. As I slit the envelope holding mine, my heart thumps against my ribs when I read,

Liam,

You deserve as much credit as Bailey does. This hasn’t been easy on your emotions.

Congratulations on this next milestone.

Soon, this will just be a bad memory.

Laura

As awful as my daughter’s pain has been, it’s brought this compassionate woman into our lives. Tapping the note against my palm, I’m not entirely certain I want to forget that.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

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