Page 21 of My eX-MAS Emergency

“It was mostly Uncle Tristan. Maybe you should kiss him.”

I grabbed my heart, feeling like I was going into cardiac arrest. If she kept saying things like that, I was going to become a patient in my own ER. “Quinny, why would you say something like that? You know how I feel about him.”

She folded her arms and gave me such a stern look. It was like she had channeled my mother, right down to her crinkled nose. “I think I do know how you really feel about him. And maybe if you were brave enough to look at him, you would see how he really feels about you.”

I stood immobile and flabbergasted. Why would she say something like that to me? I truly hated him. He left me no choice. If not, his cruelty would have crushed me. I had no idea what lies he was telling her. But … “I know how he feels about me. He left no doubt thirteen years ago.” My voice betrayed me and wavered with emotion.

Her facial features and stance softened. “I don’t know what he did back then, but he’s sorry. You should give him the chance to apologize.” She walked off and left me in a daze after her figurative mic drop.

I gripped the chair closest to me. I didn’t sign up for this when I told Quinn I would move back home. The awkwardness I’d counted on. But this. This was almost more than I could handle. Tristan Granger wrecked me in ways I didn’t even know were conceivable. I promised myself I would let no one make me feel so breakable again. Especially the man I’d once loved so wholly, I’d never once questioned how he felt about me. It had never even occurred to me there would be an end to us. To me, it was impossible. Just as impossible as Tristan still caring for me.

CALISTA

DEATH BY PUMPKIN PIE WAS not a bad way to go. I shoved the plastic fork in the pie for another bite of heaven.

Jules sat next to me in the ICU waiting room and did the same. Her family, including her mom, sisters, and their families, had all gone home for the night to salvage the Thanksgiving holiday. They had designated Jules to stay behind. She seemed to be resigned to this being her lot in life—the forgotten one.

I felt bad for her. It was like her family was saying, Since you don’t have a family of your own, you must enjoy spending the holidays alone. Maybe she did. I didn’t know her well enough yet to tell. But for me, I hated spending the holidays alone. A few times, I begged Stella and Quinn to come visit me, but Stella always made up some excuse for why she couldn’t come. A couple of years ago, she flew Quinn out to see me for Christmas. Deidra and Max came a few times over the years. Other than that, I hosted a lot of Friendsgivings in break rooms or my small apartments. Still, nothing was like being with those you loved most. Even if I was kind of hiding from my family right now.

“How’s your dad doing today?” I asked after swallowing.

Jules’s shoulders rose and fell, while her lip trembled. “He can barely speak, and what he can say is hard to understand. He seems like he’s lost his will to live.”

Depression in stroke patients wasn’t uncommon.

“And …,” she hesitated to say, “his doctor is saying things that lead me to believe he’s not sure he will recover. My mom doesn’t want to believe it, but I just have this feeling,” she choked out.

I took her hand with my free one.

Poor thing was shaking.

“If you want, I could talk to his doctor. Not sure if they will talk to me. Some doctors get weirdly territorial about these things, but I’m willing to try.”

She squeezed my hand. “That would be great. Thank you.”

We each stabbed our forks into the pie sitting between us on the small table topped with old issues of Better Homes and Gardens. Personally, I couldn’t shovel it in fast enough. It had been a long day, and Quinn’s words were still ringing in my head. Hence the reason I hadn’t gone home yet. That, and I felt like Jules could use the company.

After a few moments and an almost devoured pie, Jules asked, “So why are you eating your emotions?”

I laughed. “Am I that obvious?”

She set her fork down in the pan and nodded.

“You don’t need to hear about my problems.” My ex-emergency, per se, was nothing compared to what she was going through.

“Honestly, I would love to think about someone else besides myself right now.”

I understood that feeling. Sometimes it was easier to focus on someone else’s problems rather than on your own. “Mine seem trivial compared to yours.”

She grinned. “I love trivial.”

I sank into the uncomfortable purple floral chair and sighed. Before I said a word, I looked around to make sure we were alone. The waiting room was devoid of people, and except for us and old reruns of Friends on the TV, it was quiet. “I’m not sure if you know or remember, but I used to date Tristan Granger,” I whispered his name like I was saying something untoward.

She thought for a moment before biting her lip. “Actually, I remember my parents talking about it. It was a big scandal in their circles.”

“Are they friends with the Grangers?” I cringed.

“Just acquaintances. My family doesn’t do well enough to be friends with them. But …,” she seemed embarrassed to say, “word got around.”

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