Page 35 of Daisies & Devin

Ihung my head and stepped out into the hallway echoing with monitor beeps andthe footfalls of nurses. I settled into an uncomfortable chair a few feet fromhis room, and I dropped my elbows to my knees.

Thethird fall this year. Every fall had been another roll of the dice.The first wasn’t bad; he’d twisted his ankle while my parents were visiting. Thesecond was worse, resulting in a laceration to the head and a few stitches. Butthis? This was bad, and I knew as well as anybody, that they would only getworse, if he were left unsupervised.

Butthat house … He had lived there with my grandmother for fifty-something yearsbefore she passed away. For him to leave that place, meant for him to leavethose memories behind, and I could only imagine that, for him, it felt an awfullot like letting her go.

Myhands blanketed my face as I heaved out a leaded sigh. Worry pricked at mybrain and an ache pinned holes through my heart. I hated this, watching the manwho bought me my first guitar get older. I hated watching him become more humanand less likeSuperman.

Aset of footsteps walked hurriedly toward me, and thinking it was my mother, Idropped my hands from my face to see Kylie. Dressed and made-up for her datewith her purple hair curled and framing her face.

“Icame as soon as I got your text,” she said, sitting beside me and pressing ahand to my hunched back.

Ishook my head, immediately feeling guilty for ruining her night. “You didn’thave to come.”

“Yes,”she insisted, nodding. “Yes, I did.”

Icouldn’t help the tickle of triumph, knowing she’d leave her date for me, untilI reminded myself that she’d only done it out of concern. “Well, I’m sorry forruining your date.”

“Oh,stop it. Nothing is more important than you, and you know that,” she saidgently. “How’s Billy doing?”

“Notgreat,” I said, rubbing a hand against my chin. “It’s not safe for him to be athome anymore and we’re going to need the army to get him out of there.”

“Hehas a lot of memories in that house,” she replied, melancholy coating hervoice.

“Iknow. That’s what makes this so fucking hard. Pop’s probablygonnahave to force him, and it doesn’t feel fair,” I said,placing my hands on the armrests and squeezing until my fingers shook. “Heshould be allowed to make the decision for himself; he’s not a fucking child.But … he’s a danger to himself now, so here we are.”

Kylieplaced her hand over mine. The silk of her skin contrasted with the roughnessof my own, and the tension in my limbs dissipated. Just a little, but enoughfor my fingers to ease their grip.

“CanI talk to him?” she asked, and I shrugged, because what harm could it do?

SoI showed Kylie to his room.She gave Billy a small wave from the doorway and he shooed my mother awaybefore beckoning Kylie over to the side of his bed.

“Getover here, darlin’,” he said, and she shot me a hopeful look before walking overand taking a seat. “You came all the way here to see me?” He laid his palm openon the bed—an invitation.

Shetook his hand and my heart puddled in my chest. “Devin told me you were hurt,so I came to see if you were okay,” she said.

Hescoffed. “Of course, I’m okay. Don’t listen to these people. I lived throughsome of the craziest shit when I was on the road. A little fall in the showerisn’tgonnastop me.”

Kylielaughed. “I didn’t doubt it for a second.”

Momand Pop took that as their cue to grab some coffee from the cafeteria. Pop toldme on his way out that Trent and his parents were on their way to the hospital,and they would meet them in the lobby. The room was left to the three of us,and I cautiously walked to Billy’s side, sitting in the chair my father hadoccupied.

“So,um … Devin tells me Mr. O’Leary wants you to leave your house,” Kylie mentionedgently, and I braced myself for his backlash. She didn’t waste any time cuttingto the chase, and I hoped he wouldn’t feel attacked, for her sake.

Butto my surprise, Billy only sighed and nodded. “Seems that way. They don’t thinkI can handle myself anymore,” he told her, and then he inclined his head,adding, “I think they might be right.”

Kyliesmiled gently. “You had a good, long run in that house.”

Henodded. “That, we did.”

We. Idropped my eyes to his hospital blanket, draped over his lap, and I thoughtabout my grandmother. She was a bohemian queen in long dresses and flowingwhite hair. She sang along with his guitar, baked the best cookies instereotypical grandma fashion, and she was his number one fan. They weresoulmates, and I couldn’t begin to imagine how alone he felt without her.

Myjaw clenched, and I coughed, needing to stand up and look out the window. My reflectionwas paled and somber, and I continued to listen to their conversation, watchingthe window’s replication of Kylie, with her pretty face and purple hair.

“IfI’m being honest, darlin’,” he continued after a few seconds, “it stopped beingmy home when my wife passed on, but who wants to give all of that up, youknow?”

Kylienodded, and in the reflection, I saw the twitching of her lower lip. “Yeah, Ido. I think that’s what happened to my mom, after my dad died. I mean, thathouse isstillset up as though he just left.”

Billynodded. “It’s hard.”

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