Page 80 of Just One Moment

Ipanicked.

Whatelse do you do when you hear that your mom is in the hospital?

Ifmy mind was working in overdrive from last night, it’s gone completely off the rails now.

Assoon asIhung up the phone,Iwas throwing on my coat and flying down the stairs.Quinndidn’t hesitate as she followed me into my car, andIwas too rattled to remind her she had a bakery to open.Wemet my brothers at the hospital in record time, andPatrickmanaged to get in contact withFlorenceto let her know.

Now, the sickening fear fromPatrick’sphone call has died down, butI’mstill on edge.

“Wouldyou all stop fussing over me.I’mfine,” my mom chides and shoos us away from her hospital bed.

“Nothappening.We’veall aged twenty years.Weneed to wrap you up inBubbleWrap, you nuisance,”Boothteases, butIcan see he is weighed down with worry likePatrickand me.

She’snot fine, but it’s not as bad as my intrusive thoughts led me to believe.Shewas taking out the trash when she slipped on a pile of rotten leaves on her driveway, leaving her with a broken tibia, sprained wrist, and a nasty cut on her chin.Accordingto the doctor, it was a clean break, and by the time we made it to the hospital, she was already getting her leg casted while cheerfully chatting away to the orthopedic nurse.

Ourmother is formidable.Butso wasDad.Ourworry and panic aren’t misplaced, and she knows that.Thefact that she fell and injured herself while alone—so similar to how we lost dad—has us all reliving our darkest memories.

“Hey,Claire,”Quinnsays softly as she returns from the cafeteria. “Allthey had was diet, is that okay?”

“Ohyes, that’s perfect, sweetheart.Thankyou.”Shetakes the can of soda fromQuinn, but my little brother promptly snatches it out of her hand and pops the cap before handing it over. “Booth,I’mnot broken.”

“Getused to it,Mom.BecauseI’mmoving in with you.”

“Youare not!” she shouts.

“Iam,”Boothcounters.

“Ido not need you babysitting me,” my mom gripes.

Theybicker for several minutes, but ultimately, she agrees toBoothliving with her for the next two weeks, and despite her annoyance,Momgets her precious baby boy back under her roof.Shewould never admit it, but she’s been suffering from extreme empty nest syndrome sinceFlorencemoved out.

I’vehardly said a word since getting here.Thelonger we sit in this hospital room, the more my skin feels like it’s being stretched.Italked with the doctor when we first arrived, taking mental notes of her recovery, physio appointments, medication, and what to avoid as she heals.

Luckily,Momis discharged a short while later andQuinnandIare sitting in my car, waving goodbye to my family as they leave the hospital parking lot.

I’mgrateful to be out of there, butI’mso mentally drained that silence seems like the best option right now.

Despitemy mom being in good spirits and the doctor giving her the all clear,Ican’t shake off the grief that’s slowly been trickling in.

Thecall was too similar to the onePatrickmade the day we lostDad.

“Graham?”Quinn’ssoft voice cuts through the quiet like a breath of fresh air, but the fog overhead starts to close in again.

Withall the effortIhave left,Ishift to face her.IfIwasn’talready struggling to speak, her beauty would leave me speechless.

“Doyou want to talk about it?”

AllIcan do is shake my head.

“Whatdo you want to do?”

Myhead tilts a fraction, enough to tell herIdon’t know.

“Thatmust have been scary.”Shesighs. “WhenI’min need of a distractionIlike to do something that stops me from thinking.UsuallyIbake something for myself or do one of those adult coloring books.Whatwould distract you right now?”

You,Iwant to say.She’sthe perfect distraction from the agonizing memories surfacingfrom seeing my mom injured.Butthat’s not fair to her.Iwant so badly to explain howI’mfeeling and to apologize properly for last night.Nothingsounds right asIrecite it over in my head and the silence being dragged out becomes painful.

Notwanting to sit here for much longer,Igo to start the engine whenQuinnshuffles to her knees and jerks her head toward the backseat. “Moveyour seat back.”

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