Page 49 of Holiday Hoax

“You were brought in around nine thirty, and it’s nearly one in the morning.”

“I’ll go get Stella and Nico,” Dad says as he walks out the door.

“Apparently your epi pen was a dud. Thank goodness you ate at the restaurant instead of just getting it to go.”

“I have more than one epi pen at home.”

“Still.” She pulls on her sweater sleeves. “I think they’re going to keep you for a day or two. Your heart rate plummeted in the ambulance, so you’ll see a cardiologist tomorrow.”

Stella comes around the corner followed by Nico and Dad.

“What’s going on, drama queen?” she jokes. “Couldn’t even let me be the sick one, always gotta show me up.” She leans down and hugs me.

“If we’re being technical, my allergies existed before your lupus diagnosis.”

“Stop.” Mom shakes her head at our antics. “You two can’t be serious about anything, even when you’re in a hospital bed.”

“It’s really late, you guys didn’t have to stay until I woke up.”

“We’re not the only ones here,” Nico says pointedly. “Your girlfriend is out in the waiting room.”

“Mia is here?” I sit up a bit straighter in the bed, memories of trying to call her while my throat swelled closed come rushing back. “Why isn’t she in here?”

“I didn’t know she was actually your girlfriend,” Mom says defensively. “You never told me you were seeing anyone.”

A nurse walks past and does a double take at all the people in the room. She presses her lips together in a firm line and walks into the room. “I’m sorry, but you can’t all be in here this late. Only one visitor is allowed overnight.”

“They’re just leaving. My girlfriend will be staying the night. Can you bring her down? Mia Mattia.”

She nods and looks pointedly at everyone else. Nico grabs my hand and bends down, “We’re going to have a long conversation about my sister when you’re not in a hospital bed.” He waits until Stella gives me another hug and then wraps his arm around her shoulders to lead her out.

“I think it’ll be better for me to stay,” Mom says.

“No. You’re freezing.” I point at the purple hue of her bony hands. “Go home. I’m going to be fine. I need to see Mia.”

“Come on, Delia,” Dad says as he holds open her coat for her. “He’s a big boy. We’ll come give the hospital hell in the morning.”

They each give me a hug before slipping out. I run a hand through my hair, looking at all the shit I’m hooked up to in the room. It’s more than a bit mortifying that this happened to me as an adult. I was twelve the last time this happened.

A combination of gasp and hiccup draws my attention to the doorway which Mia is standing in. Her gorgeous brown eyes are red-rimmed while tears begin to roll down her cheeks. She’s never looked more beautiful to me than she does right now.

“Ian,” she whispers as she slowly approaches me. She sets down her purse and coat in the chair my mom had been sitting in. “I’ve never been so terrified.”

“I’m sorry, baby.” I open my arms and pull her onto the bed with me.

She stiffens as I pull her back to lay with me. “I don’t think I should be up here.”

“I don’t give a fuck. The only place you should be is right here with me.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the phone when they called me. I should have, I was just sitting there and getting in my head about everything.”

I put my finger over her lips to silence her. “The only thing I could think of while my throat was starting to swell was that I never told you how I feel.”

“How do you feel?” She swallows nervously.

“I love you, Mia. I know we didn’t start out conventionally, but I love you. More than I thought was humanly possible. I wasn’t going to say anything because I don’t want to scare you, but I spent the day clearing space in my closet and emptying some drawers for you in the bathroom. I wasn’t going to ask you to move in or anything, but I was hoping to slowly convince you to leave things in my house until it was just easier for you to spend all your time with me. You make my house feel like ahome, not just by adding colors to walls but adding color to my life.”

“I—”

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