Page 60 of Mic Drop

“Well, not as good as UC,” my sister winks at me. “But they were fun. King and Angie too. You have some cool friends,kiddo.”

“I try.” I’m amazed at her candor. It feels like we’re beginning to overcome the fact that we grew up a decade apart. I approach a subject that might blow everything up. “Did you see our father at the wedding?”

Kara stills. “I did. He was talking with Ma for a while, then he slipped out. I didn’t talk with him. Did you?”

“No. I saw him at a distance with Ma, but then Bennett and I had to leave. Why did he come?”

“I don’t know. He showed up to my wedding too. Do you remember that?”

“No.” A second ticks by. “Why?”

“I honestly have no idea. I don’t want to ask Ma now, in her condition.”

“Yeah.”

We lapse into silence again, the medical team leaving Ma’s room and allowing us to re-enter. This time, she’s sleeping. Kara sits on one side of her while I take the other, each of us holding her hands.

We talk in lower tones about my sister’s family and their plans for summer vacation. I discuss growing the clinics. Day turns to night. I suggest Kara go home and she does the same for me. Neither one of us takes the other up on the offer.

Kara falls asleep in the chair to the sound of Ma’s machines. I try to stay awake, but fail.

Something touches my shoulder, and I bristle awake. “Shhh. I didn’t mean to wake you,” a dulcet tenor voice whispers in my ear.

I swivel my neck, trying to get some of the kinks out. “Bennett. You came.”

“Worst fucking gig of my life. When I couldn’t get back in touchwith you, I had Elias find out your mother’s status from the hospital. I’m sorry.”

I squeeze Ma’s hand, which is still warm. “She’s a fighter.”

“Like mother, like daughter.” He crowds onto the chair, picks me up, and settles me onto his lap. “Better.”

Across the way, Kara stirs. Her hand goes to the back of her shoulder. “Ouch.”

Bennett asks, “Want me to give you a massage?”

A pinprick of jealousy races throughout my body that he’d offer such services to another woman. Then I realize he did it for family. He’s coming to understand what the term means. I turn and kiss him as Kara declines.

Ma opens her eyes and pulls the oxygen mask off her face. “Kara.” She turns her head to me. “Jenna. Bennett. You’ve made me the happiest woman ever. Continue to change the world. I love you all so much.”

“Ma,” Kara and I begin.

Then the machines blare. Her hand goes slack. Her gray eyes become unfocused.

No, no, no! This isn’t supposed to be happening! I leap into the air to try to hug her, get her to respond, anything, when Bennett pulls me away. “Sweetheart.” His lips brush the top of my head as I fight against him.

The medical team rushes in and orders us out of the room. In a daze, Bennett carries me out. Well, I’m in a daze. Kara looks defeated. Bennett looks like someone ran over his dog.

In the hallway, we huddle in a three-way embrace. Send up prayers that Ma will pull through. Bennett’s holding both of us when the doctors reappear in the hallway. A different doctor walks over to us.

“I’m sorry. Faith passed ten minutes ago. You may visit with her as long as you wish.”

I burst into tears, crumpling. I would have hit the floor but for Bennett, who caught me and kept me upright. Kara’s the firstto regain some sort of composure and asks if she can go in to see her. All I can do is cry. Bennett tells her we’ll go in when she’s done.

“Do you want to sit?” I shake my head. “Then hold onto me.” I do as he tells me. I’ve lost all higher faculties. How could this have happened?

“We were supposed to have time.”

“I know. This isn’t fair.”

---