Page 69 of Promise Me Forever

Within a few minutes, I’m at Mom’s bedside, holding her hand and telling her I’m sorry. She’s in and out of consciousness, a plastic oxygen mask on her face, the monitors she’s hooked up to bleeping and flashing in a sickening chorus. She turns, sees me, and squeezes my fingers. She tries to pull off her mask, but I hold it in place.

“No, let’s leave that exactly where it is, shall we? I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner, Mom. I love you so much. I can’t believe this has happened.”

She gestures me closer, and her voice is just above a whisper. “It’s okay, honey. I’ll be fine. But this birthday sucks ass.”

I can’t help laughing, probably way harder than the comment deserves, but I’m so damn relieved that she’s talking. That she’s still here. She’s still her.

“Miss Ryder?” a nurse asks, approaching me from the doorway.

“Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. I didn’t have cell reception, and then I had errands, and then I was in Wanda’s, and…”

“Hey,” the nurse says as she guides me out into the hallway, her sneakered feet squeaking on the linoleum. “Slow down. It’s okay. Some people take days to respond to us, so you’re doing well.” She waits for me to nod before continuing. “Your mom was brought in to us this morning with an acute exacerbation of her COPD. She had chest pains, wheezing, and she was having trouble breathing.”

“What was her O2?” I ask, no stranger to this stuff.

“It was eighty-two when she arrived, but we’ve stabilized her. With the oxygen and the steroids, she’s up to eighty-six now. Still not great, obviously, and we need to do some more tests to see what’s going on with her, but please try not to worry too much.”

That’s easy for her to say, I think, glancing back at my mom. It’s not her mother lying there.

“My dad has it too,” she adds, smiling at me sympathetically. “And I see cases like this every day. It’s a bad flare-up, but I think she’ll be fine. She’s in the best place.”

“It’s her birthday, you know. I bought her sunflowers, but I… I don’t know where they are.” I could have dropped them in the bakery, in the house, or even in Mrs. K’s car. I don’t suppose it matters. I’ll get her more flowers.

“It must be so hard to have your special plans derailed by all this. I’m really so sorry. Maybe she’ll be feeling better later and you can bring her a cake.”

The warmth and assurance in her tone lifts a small bit of the weight from my shoulders. “Thank you, Nurse. I really do appreciate your kindness.”

“Of course. There is little worse than seeing our parents so vulnerable. I know it isn’t the best time, Miss Ryder, but when you have a moment, I do need to get some information from you.”

Of course she does. Thank goodness I have a good job with a fantastic healthcare package. I would have found the money we needed regardless, but it’s one less thing to worry about, and I’m grateful.

I tell her I’ll go with her now, and the mundane act helps to calm me down. Emily and Kimmy both send their love and ask me to keep them updated, and Drake has responded to the message I sent earlier.

You are a shameless siren and I had to leave the board room as soon as I saw you in that dress. There will be consequences. And you will enjoy them. I’ll call you later do discuss terms.

Normally, I’d be thrilled. I’d feel that familiar sense of warmth run through me, the delicious tingle between my legs, excitement about seeing him later. Now, though, I just feel… I feel empty.

I dial his number, not expecting him to answer but wanting to hear his voice on the recording. Even listening to him say “Hi, you’ve reached Drake James” might ground me. I will tell him about my mom tonight, obviously, but not while he’s so busy. Iknow his schedule inside and out—I’m the one who set it for him—and today is an absolute doozy with back-to-back meetings.

I’m so surprised when he picks up that I don’t speak.

“Cat got your tongue, vixen?” he says, his voice liquid chocolate. “In which case, lucky cat.” I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. “Amelia? Are you there? Is everything okay?”

“Um, no,” I finally say. “Not really. My mom’s in the hospital. I wasn’t going to mention it… What are you doing answering your phone anyway? Shouldn’t you be in the Vickerson deposition right now?”

“It got pushed back so I was grabbing a coffee. What do you mean, your mom’s in the hospital? What happened? Which hospital? I’ll be right there.”

“No, no. Please don’t do that. There’s no need. I know what today looks like for you, and there’s nothing you can do here anyway. She’s okay. She had a bad flare-up and got brought in by ambulance, but she’s okay.”

I don’t tell him how I found out or how devastated I am knowing I let her down. I know he’ll understand, but I don’t want to cry on the phone. I don’t want to be weak or to need him as much as I do. What if he lets me down?

“Amelia, have I ever given you reason to believe that I’m a heartless bastard?” he asks, raising his voice slightly to be heard over a blaring horn and muffled shouts.

“No, of course you haven’t. I don’t think that about you at all. I just know that your work is important, and I don’t want to drag you away for nothing.”

“You are not nothing, mi rosa. Now, where are you? I could get one of the other secretaries to call every hospital in New York, starting with Brooklyn, but it would be far easier if you just told me.”

Giving in, I tell him. He says he’ll be here as soon as he can, then hangs up, probably to call Constantine.

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