Page 101 of Somewhere Without You
Katherine’s gaze dropped to her cup.“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
We sat in silence, the soft shuffle of nurses and doctors outside filling the quiet. I didn’t tell Katherine about what I saw while I was out. And she didn’t ask. Part of me wanted to keep it to myself, to hold onto it. She probably wouldn’t have believed me anyway.
“Emily,”my sister’s voice trembled.“I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you like I should’ve. The truth is, I didn’t know how to be. I let things that weren’t worth my anger take over, and I. . .”Her shoulders slumped.“I ran away. From Gran. From you. From myself.”
I didn’t know what to say. The words were stuck in my throat, tangled with the weight of everything that had been left unsaid for so long.
“I was angry too,”I admitted finally.“I didn’t know how to deal with it either. And maybe that’s why I pushed everyone away.”
Katherine’s eyes lifted, her expression raw.“I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I should’ve been here. I should’ve been the one helping you pick up the pieces.”
I shook my head.“We were both lost, Kat. I can’t blame you for that. Idon’tblame you for that.”
There was a long pause, the kind that stretched between us like a thin thread. Finally, Katherine reached across the bed, her hand shaking slightly as it rested on mine.
“I’m here now,”she whispered, her voice thick with regret.“And I’m not going anywhere.”
I curled my fingers in hers, the memory of what our mother had said while I was wandering, echoed in my mind.
You’re not meant to stay here.
“Gran might have raised us, but you were always the one who kept us together,”I said.“You had to grow up too soon, long before you were ready. Now you’re a mother, a wife, and you’ve built a beautiful life, a beautiful family. You’ll always be my sister, Katherine, but I grew up too. It’s not your responsibility to take care of me anymore.”
Katherine’s eyes softened, a hint of vulnerability flashing across her face. She opened her mouth, then paused, as if weighing her words carefully.
“I never wanted to stop taking care of you,”she said, struggling to keep her composure.“It’s just. . . I didn’t know how to help without making everything worse.”
My thumb brushed gently over her knuckles.“You didn’t make anything worse. We both have our own paths now. But I need you to know I’m okay. I’m stronger than I was before, and I can stand on my own now.”
She let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly.“I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting to protect you. But I get it, Em. You’re not the same girl I left behind. Maybe I’m not the same either.”
“Good,”I said with a soft smile, my heart lifting a little.“We’re both finding our way.”
A gentle knock at the door broke the silence, pulling our attention toward it. A petite nurse in pale blue scrubs stepped inside, her eyes immediately zeroing in on the Starbucks cup.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that,”she said with a playful smirk, making her way between me and Katherine.“How are we feeling today?”
“Fantastic,”I said, wincing as I tried to sit up straighter.“Never better.”
She glanced at the monitor beside my bed.“Vitals look good,”she said, scrolling through the data.“Your doctor will be in to see you at some point today. If he likes what he sees, you should be cleared to go home in a few days.”
A silence settled between us, broken only by the rapid tapping of her fingers against the keyboard.
After a moment, she glanced up again.“There are two detectives here to speak with you. They’ve been lingering at the nurse’s desk all morning. It’s up to you. If you want to meet with them, I can let them in. Otherwise, I can tell them to come back later.”
I hesitated.“What do you think?”I asked, looking to Katherine for guidance.
She gave a small shrug.“It’s your choice. You don’t need me to help you make it.”
I gave a brief nod to the nurse, who was still standing nearby.
Katherine flashed me a reassuring smile as she made her way to the door.“I’ll be right here,”she promised—then quietly stepped away, not because she needed to, but because she knew I was finally ready to stand on my own.
Fifty One
Aspromised,thedischargepapers came through early Thursday morning. I’d need to see a regular doctor weekly for the next month along with physical therapy. But overall, I was recovering well.
The door eased open and Dani poked her head inside, hesitant but hopeful.
