Page 30 of Flawless Aria

Stroke. Fuck! Mom had a stroke. It’s all my damn fault because of all the lies and deception. She’s been stressing out making wedding plans and I’ve no idea if there’s going to be a damn wedding. If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself. Never.

When I see Melody come flying around the corner, I open up my arms and she crashes into them. Sobbing like her heart’s breaking. As much as I could join her, I can’t. I need to be strong for Jim and Mel. Mom, too, because I have a feeling that this is going to be the beginning of a very long road.

ARIA

Silas sentme an email this morning with the ad copy for the article I wrote. The one about me and Jax. It’s going to be in the June issue ofGlamify. I’m ecstatic that he didn’t nix my idea. Since Jax normally reads all of my articles, he should know the couple is actually us. That should make for some good conversation.

I must admit, I like working from home. At first, I was upset and thought I was being punished. Until Silas let me know I’m the only one he trusts not to screw off and still make my deadline. It’s a roundabout compliment, but I’ll take it.

Everyone told me just to stay in my pajamas all day, but I refuse to get in that habit. Once I start, it would be a hard habit to break. It’s the reason I stuck to my normal routine; the only difference is I work from home instead of jumping in the car to drive there. Some days I wear makeup, some days I don’t. That’s about the only thing that’s changed.

Now it’s lunchtime so I’m more than ready to finish the rest of my salad I picked up yesterday. Taking a full hour is no longer necessary since I enjoy getting off work early. Shh, don’t tell the boss. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

After grabbing everything out of the fridge, my phone rings. No worries. I can eat and chat at the same time. Contrary to what some people think, I can multitask.

“Hey, Mom, great timing. I was about to eat lunch.”

“Sweetie, I just wanted to let you know that Jim called. Trish had a stroke and she’s at the hospital.”

“Oh no! Did Jim mention how she’s doing? Poor Jax, I’m leaving right now. I need to be there for him. Are you going?”

“No details. Just that they gave her some medicine and they’re running a bunch of tests. My poor Trish. She must be so damn scared. I don’t want to be in the way. Can you call me when you find out anything?”

“Absolutely. I got to go. I’ll keep you posted.” Luckily, I’m dressed and ready to hit the road.

My heart goes out to all of them. I’m sure Jax, Melody, and Jim are beside themselves with worry. Trish is the glue that holds that family together. They’d all fall apart without her.

Stop, Aria. Don’t even think those nasty thoughts. She’s a fighter and a strong woman. She’ll get through this; I know she will.

I’ve always hated walking into hospitals. My mom told me that I had a bad experience when I was around eight. Ever since then, I avoid it all costs. Upon questioning, she refused to tell me about the incident. I might not know why I fear them, but I’ve done some research and nosocomephobia is the fear of hospitals. Just the name is scary in itself. And I’m sure the smell of antiseptic and the hustle and bustle compounds the problem. Making it more overwhelming than need be.

The doors open wide with a whoosh as I step through. My palms are sweating and my heart’s pounding. I do my best to ignore it as I approach the desk.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Trish Mathews’ room.”

“Are you a relative of Ms. Mathews?” Not quite but soon to be.

“I’m engaged to Jaxon Carter. Ms. Mathews’ son.” Holding up my ring, I wiggle my left hand. I’d say she’s quite impressed by the antique ring that’s adorning the fourth finger on my left hand.

Another nurse steps around the desk, “I was just going to her room, follow me.” I’m relieved that I have reinforcements. It gives me a chance to prepare myself before walking into her room.

“You’ll need to wait outside for now. Only one visitor per fifteen minutes. I’m sure you understand that immediate family comes first.”

“Of course. I’m here for my fiancée and to support the family in any way that I can.” I stop dead in my tracks as I round the corner and see Stephanie sitting next to Jax. Holding his hand? What the ever living…

“Aria, you’re here.” In an instant, I’m engulfed in his arms. If looks could kill, I’d be dead because my sister’s not too happy I’m here. We step away from the others to speak in private.

“Jax, how’s your mom? The nurse mentioned only one at a time can visit.” I catch Stephanie staring at me. I’m not here to fight with my sister. I’m here for Jax.

“Considering the state she’s in, she’s doing well. Jim thought quickly and gave her some aspirin before calling nine-one-one. As soon as they got to the house, they gave her that medicine to break up blood clots. She’s resting right now since she’s exhausted from the whole ordeal.”

“Do they have any idea what caused the stroke? Will she need to have surgery?” Maybe I’m asking too many questions. The results probably haven’t even come back yet. Mrs. Mathews always looked like the picture of health, so for something like this to happen, it’s very scary.

“What if she’s stressed from making all these wedding plans?” Jax says. “I keep blaming myself since I’m the one who keeps changing things up. And I know she was really upset about the tour schedule. Insisting on that damn destination wedding and I kept fighting her every step of the way. God, if she ever finds out that this was just a fake engagement…”

Pressing my fingers to his lips, I whisper, “I wanted you to know that our fake relationship is very real to me now, Jax.” This might not be the time or place to tell him those three little words, but I’m so ready. I open my mouth to let him know when Melody comes flying out of her mom’s room.

“This can’t be happening. We could have lost her today and I…”

---