Page 23 of Someone to Watch Over Me

After I stretch out on the bed, I check the new texts on my phone.

One is from Roni, another of my Wild Widows friends.Hey, gang, does anyone want to go in on a gift for Adrian and Wynter? I checked her registry, and the super cool stroller she wanted is still up for grabs. Let me know who’s in.

One by one, the replies had come in: Brielle, Joy, Gage, Derek, Christy, Hallie, Iris, Kinsley and Naomi are all in.

I type my reply.Count me in, too.

While I have them, separate from the new parents who don’t need to hear my drama on top of welcoming a new baby, I decide to update them on what’s going on.

I was going to text you all today to tell you my friend (and roommate) Tom had a cardiac emergency last night. I came home to find him unconscious on the living room floor. Thankfully, we got him to Inova quickly. He had a stent procedure to open a blocked artery and is recovering. As am I after a tough night that was made easier by Iris and Gage, who came to my rescue.

The responses come flooding in.

From Brielle:Oh no, Lex! What can we do for you?

Joy:So sorry, honey. Can’t imagine how tough that must’ve been for you. Sending much love to you and your friend.

Hallie:So glad to hear he’s on the mend. Sorry you went through that.

Roni calls me.

“Hey, aren’t you busy working at the White House?” She’s the communications director for First Lady Samantha Cappuano.

“Never mind with that. How are you?”

“Better than I was last night. Still a little shaky, but I suppose that’s leftover adrenaline.”

“Damn, Lex. I can’t believe you came home to find him that way.”

“It was pretty terrifying.”

“What can we do for you?”

“I’m good. Iris and Gage took great care of me last night, and I saw Tom this morning. He’s doing well. His sisters are with him.”

“Well, that must be a relief.”

“It is. For sure. It’s just that…”

“What, honey?”

“I also found out there’s a significant history of early death by widow-maker heart attacks in his family. His dad and two of his uncles died in their forties, and one of his aunts had bypass surgery.”

“This is a lot after what you’ve already been through,” she says, seeming to choose her words carefully.

“Sure is. He… he said some stuff this morning, about how much he cares about me and how sorry he is to have done this to me.”

“That’s very sweet.”

“He’s so sweet and kind and thoughtful. He’s wonderful.”

“I love that for you. Do you?”

“I don’t know. A big part of me feels nowhere near ready for what he seems to want.”

“Which is also fine.”

“Yeah, I know, but now there’s this heart thing, and I don’t know ifmyheart could withstand losing someone else I might love.”

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