Page 44 of How To Fake A Fiancé

“Mom, you haven’t ruined anything. Matt did the right thing. Where is he?” I look around for my brother.

“He was ahead of the ambulance. Said he’d get me registered. I’m fine, honestly,” she tries to assure me.

That’s what she said right before she got her cancer diagnosis.

“Your health is more important.”

“You didn’t leave Kami at the restaurant, did you?” Mom takes her gaze from me to Kami who I realize is behind me. “I’m so sorry about all this, dear. I’m normally not such a klutz.”

“It’s no trouble at all, ma’am. We were more concerned about you.”

Mom then turns her focus back to me. “Go back to your date. I’ll be fine.”

“Let’s see what the doctor says, and we can go from there,” I state. As much as I would like to take advantage of Mom’s offer, I don’t want to leave her side if this whole visit turns into something life-threatening. But I don’t want to keep Kami hostage either.

“We’ll be waiting just outside, Mom.” Matt appears at the other side of the gurney, assuring her.

The doctors and nurses then wheel her into the ER, disappearing from sight.

I turn to Kami. I’m sure the last thing she’d want to do is wait around all night. “If you want to go home, I completely understand. I can drive you back.”

She puts a hand on my arm. That soothing touch again helps me to relax my muscles. Geez, I didn’t realize how tense I was until now.

“It’s okay. I’ll stay here with you.”

“Really?” This is coming from the girl who, just a few days ago, wanted nothing to do with me.

She nods. “I want to keep you company.”

The three of us go into a corner of the large waiting room. The place, even out here, smells of antiseptic and dread. Kami and Matt are sitting beside each other, while I pace back and forth.

Matt clears his throat, looking to me like I forgot about him. Shit, I did. “Kami. This is my brother Matt.”

“Oh, hi.” She extends a hand to him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” He smiles. “Finally, I get to see the woman my brother can’t shut up about.”

An hour later, Matt and Kami raid the vending machines, setting out a variety of snacks on a nearby coffee table. I stop pacing and walk over to them.

“I know this isn’t exactly a meal.” I feel guilty she didn’t get to eat real food tonight.

“It’s all good. I love Cheez-Its and powdered donuts just as much as the next girl.” She rips open a package of donuts. She’s not mad at me for choosing my family over a date? That’s interesting.

Matt sits beside Kami on one side while I sit on the other as we dig in. My brother spends the next fifteen minutes telling her every embarrassing thing about me he can remember. Normally, I’d be annoyed, but the longer he continues, the lighter emotionally I feel. Kami’s giggling and occasional bursts of laughter help to take my mind off the situation. All I focus on is her laughing and smiling. What would I give to hear that laugh every day? Another sound of hers that’s now become my favorite song. Though her screams of ecstasy will always be number one.

I can’t help but picture what life would be like if Kami were mine. My mom on the sofa with Matt’s kids. Matt and I having a few laughs over a beer. Kami, round with my babies and a large wedding ring on her finger, sits back beside Mom. She’s fucking gorgeous in this picture I’ve created in my mind. I feel warm inside, complete, happy. I picture being as happy as I was before Dad died. What a life that would be.

If I play my cards right, that fantasy could very much turn into reality.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for the Brown family.” A doctor walks over to us, bringing me back into reality and to the waiting room. The warmth and fuzziness I felt now recedes back into anxiety and fear as I stand to hear the news.

“Here,” I call out.

The doctor walks over to us as Matt presses a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Same. We’re her sons.”

“Good evening, gentlemen.” The doctor clears her throat as I wait with bated breath. “We have your mother stabilized for now, but when she came in she was a little dehydrated, and her blood pressure was extremely low. I see according to her chart, she’s taking medication for high blood pressure. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” I reply without hesitation.

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