Page 63 of Home to Me

Except for the people in her life she cared about, those close to her. They were her Achilles' heel. They were her only weakness. Worry and fear over their safety and wellbeing was the only thing that could bring her carefully guarded control, tumbling down to the ground in pieces in mere moments.

She couldn't fall victim to that here. She didn't have the luxury. She didn't know what was wrong with Ben, but she did know that he might need her, and she knew that if he needed her, then she needed to be there. No question, no debate, and certainly no falling apart. She needed to be strong for Ben.

When the taxi arrived at the hospital and pulled up in front of the long walkway that led to the double glass entrance doors, she threw a wad of cash at him without even waiting to hear the total and jumped out of the car, sprinting towards the doors.

She assumed by the fact that she didn't hear his voice calling after her, but rather tires squealing as he quickly pulled away, that she’d given him more than enough—probably far, far too much. But she didn't care. Not one little bit.

She barely registered the whoosh sound the doors made as she hurried through them, forcing herself to slow to a brisk walk.

She walked up to the information counter and asked where room two twenty-one was, mentally noting the directions the volunteer gave her, and then set off at a rapid pace to find the room.

When she finally located it, she rushed in the door, knowing that she was wild-eyed but unable to calm her nerves, only to see Ben looking very shocked to see her—but he wasn’t the patient in bed.

No.

He was sitting in a folding chair beside the same girl she’d seen him go into his hotel room with, and in the bed lay an older woman who looked very thin and frail.

Lauren stopped in her tracks. The scene was not computing, and she tried to process what she was seeing.

The room was silent except for her labored breathing.

The woman in the bed turned her head to see the visitor that had just slammed her way into the room and a small smile crossed her face.

“You must be Lauren,” she said, and the weakness in her voice belied the spryness of spirit her twinkling eyes revealed. “Since my son has obviously lost his manners, let me introduce myself. I’m Alana, Ben’s mom, and this is Ben’s sister Brianna.”

Lauren still couldn’t find words.

Ben was okay.

Nothing had happened to him.

So why did she suddenly feel like she was going to cry?

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Ben couldn’t have been more surprised if it was the Pope who’d just burst through the doors of his mother’s hospital room.

He was trying to put it all together, Lauren standing here in the same room with his sister and mother.

The setting was so surreal. Was he imagining her or had he just entered some kind of alternate universe. Either of those explanations seemed more plausible than what appeared to be reality. The theme to the The Twilight Zone began playing in his mind.

Through his altered state he heard mother say something and saw Lauren's eyes fill with tears. Seeing her upset was like getting dunked in ice cold water, snapping him out of his shock.

“Lauren?” He heard the strain in his voice as he stood to cross the room and pulled her into a hug.

He felt her tears on his shoulder, and he drew back to look at her.

Lauren's eyes jumped back and forth between his mom and sister, and her cheeks were beginning to color with embarrassment.

He heard her say as she wiped her eyes, “It’s so nice to meet both of you. I am so sorry to intrude... It's just that they just told me Ben was at the hospital. I thought… I just assumed it was…” Her voice trailed off.

He saved her from trying to go on, “You thought I was the one in the hospital.”

“Yes.” She barked out a bitter laugh, relief written all over her face. “Seems silly and alarmist now, I realize. God, I feel so silly. I'm gonna let you get back to your family.” She pulled away from Ben, turning her attention again to his mother and Brianna. “It was really nice meeting both of you.”

She moved towards the door, and he heard himself say, “Stay.”

What?

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