Page 66 of A Perfect Match
Something painful burns hot through my chest for a brief second and then dissipates.Yes, it stings to admit, but I need to be realistic.
There is too much going on in my life for a fling, much less a boyfriend.The fact that I am scampering around trying to hide the evidence of this infatuation should be sign enough that it’s a bad idea.
If it were a good idea, it would come naturally.Easily.Without so much stress.
Because the truth is I don’t have the time or energyto figure it out.I just have time for my family and my business.And that’s the bottom line.
Griff and I pile into his car with the food for tonight.My thoughts turn darker as Bayshore Memorial comes into view, reminding me of all the unanswered questions that await us inside.Mom has been in a coma for three days now, and while the doctors say she’s stable and things are within the realm of normal, it’s hard not to imagine the worst.
The hospital corridors are quieter in the evening.The fluorescent lights cast everything in a sterile glow as we make our way to Mom's room.Maybe today will be the day she wakes up.I repeat it to myself like a mantra as we wind through hallways en route to her room.
Asher and Dane and Lia are already there when we arrive, seated on either side of Mom's bed.She looks small and fragile against the white hospital sheets.The steady beep of the heart monitor provides a rhythmic backdrop to the quiet.
“Hey, guys,” I say cheerfully, lifting the insulated bag of food.“Dinner’s here.Any changes or good news?”
Asher shakes his head.“No change.”
“But at least there’s nobadnews,” Dane adds.
I set the food down next to Dad’s hourglass then give Dane and Asher my standard-grade hugs, followed by an extra-long squeezy one for Lia.Then I move to Mom's side, carefully taking her hand in mine.
Jett breezes into the room a moment later, his handsome smile looking strained as he heads straight for the hospital bed to kiss Mom’s forehead.“Hey, fam.Got the cards.Sorry I’m late.”
“Where were you?”Griff asks as he pulls the crockpot of food out of the insulated bag.Dane works on setting out plates and silverware while Asher pushes together two small tables to create a sitting area.
“Out.”Jett flashes a cryptic smile that tells me he was probably hooking up with a new flavor of the week or something.
“That’s our sign not to pry,” I remind Griff.“Because when he’soutsomewhere, it means he’s usuallyinsomeone.”
“Jesus, Piper,” Asher hisses.“In front of mom?And Lia?”
I gesture to our mother.“She doesn’t mind.Besides, I’m sure she agrees.And Lia doesn’t understand the nuance yet.”
“She doesn’t,” Dane confirms.
“When did you get so crude?”Jett elbows me, and I stumble from the brotherly shove.“You’re not wrong, though.”
A nurse pops in to check Mom’s vitals as we serve plates of the beef stew I made.By the time the nurse wraps up, we’ve all mostly slurped down dinner.Then Bella and Jackson stroll through the door, eliciting a raucous round of hellos and even more hugging.
“I’m glad you guys could make it,” I tell Bella as I squeeze her.“Maybe all of us being here together will help her wake up.”
“God, that would be incredible.”Bella’s eyes are shimmering as she pulls back to look at me.“I never expected to be sharing game night with you guys in a hospital.”
“Hopefully it’s the last time,” I say as she and Jackson squeeze into extra chairs that Asher rustled up from somewhere.“Because you’re ready to wake up, aren’t you, Mom?”I tap the end of her hospital bed, but she doesn’t respond.
Lia snuggles into my lap as my brothers get things set up for euchre.I smile into her berry-scented blonde hair, thinking about how even though this evening feels like we’re making the best of a bad situation, I also feel like something is missing.
Something I’m not ready to admit to myself.
Bella opts for the first game, with Asher as her teammate, playing against Dane and Jett.Griff, Jackson, and I watch as they trade shouts and barbs and groans.
“So you do you use the hourglass for euchre?”Jackson leans in to ask me, jerking his chin toward Dad on the table.
“Oh, no.You don’t need an hourglass for this game.We brought it along because it has our Dad’s ashes in it.”
His brows shoot up and he nods slowly.“Okay.”
“We like to have it on hand so he’s with us when we play.And game night isn’t always euchre, so we do sometimes use it.We go through seasons of games.We were stuck playing Taboo for close to a year, and you need a timer for that one.Dad liked that game.”
