Page 89 of It's Always Sonny

It’s not my mom. When three texts appear from Sienna, relief settles over me like a blanket of fresh snow.

SIENNA: WE FOUND HARRY!

SIENNA: He was in the hot tub! He said he got tired playing with the older cousins and decided to take a break. He was sitting in his underwear staring at the stars, happy as a clam when we found him. So naturally we all want to kill him. Where are you guys?

PARKER: We’re in a tent near the reservoir. Sonny was too cold to keep going. He’s hypothermic, but I think he’s warming up. We’ll wait it out here and then come back when the weather calms down.

SIENNA: What?! Is he okay? We’ll be right there!

PARKER: No, we can’t risk exposing Sonny, and we can’t risk anyone else getting caught in this storm!

PARKER: My dad’s a doctor and walked me through what to do. He’ll be fine, but I have to keep him warm. We can’t leave.

SIENNA: Are you sure he’ll be okay? Parker, you HAVE to take care of him.

I know we’re talking about his physical safety, but I can’t help but read her urging on another level.

PARKER: I promise I’ll take care of him.

SIENNA: Okay. Keep me posted and stay safe.

PARKER: I will. You guys stay safe, too.

SIENNA: <3

I put the phone down and slump against Sonny.

Harry’s okay.

Sonny’s warming up.

It’s all going to be fine.

My thoughts whiz in my brain. You can’t say that! He could have frostbite! He could lose a toe! He was right that the team could cut him for an injury like that!

Oh, and your dad has cancer.

No. I can’t think about that. He doesn’t get to drop that information on me when I’m begging him for life-saving advice.

How selfish can one man be?

I forcibly shove thoughts about my dad out of my head. He gets zero space in my head right now. Harry’s safe, so my focus can turn fully to Sonny.

I should have forced him to get his coat. Why didn’t I? Old Parker would have snapped and pointed, and he’d have put that coat on, thank you very much.

So why didn’t I?

We really have changed.

That’s it.

We’ve both changed. And we’re so busy trying to prove how much we’ve changed that it’s making us stupid. Not everything we did before was wrong simply because it happened back then. So much about us was good. Great, even.

“I’m sorry I’m so stupid,” I whisper against his shoulder. “Please be okay.”

“I’m okay,” he mutters. “And you’re not stupid.”

“What? Sonny!” I squeeze him so tight, I hear the breath rush out of him. “Sorry! Can you feel your toes and fingers?”

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