Page 62 of The Last Key
When I find the waiting area, Devon is sitting next to Justin across from his mom and Gladys.
Gladys looks up and sees me first, shooting me a wink. Then she elbows Sharon, who looks at me and smiles. Off their looks, Justin turns and looks at me, smiling knowingly. Devon, who is still engrossed in his phone, hasn’t looked up. Quietly, I walk over and sit down next to him.
“Couldn’t even message me, huh?”
He spins to face me with wide eyes, sputtering for words. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on the plane?”
I shrug and smile. “Found a parachute.”
“Kend…”
“I—”
“Is this the family of Lon McGregor?”
We all turn toward a doctor who has stepped into the room.
“That’s us,” Sharon says, gripping the edges of her chair and pushing herself up to stand as Devon stands, ready to jump in and help her.
I stand too and take his hand. I have so much respect for the way he gives his mother space even when it’s hard for him. He wants to help and protect her, but she wants to hold on to her independence. It takes strength to recognize how to help someone and both be there but not overstep. I squeeze his hand harder as I realize just how much of a toll all this has taken on him. He hid it well, and I wish he wouldn’t have. Being a caregiver is hard. When my grandmother was at the end of her life, my mom and my aunt took care of her nonstop. They refused to hire an aide, switching off time with her. It took so much out of them. Devon isn’t even thirty, and he’s doing it for both of his parents. He deserves to have someone to take care of him. Even if he’s not particularly good at letting anyone do that. I’m just going to have to force it on him.
“Your husband is doing well overall. We’re going to keep himovernight for observation. We did both a CT of his head and an MRI. The CT showed no trauma, and we’ll have the MRI results back in a day or two. The MRI will indicate if he’s having a flare-up, so we can be prepared.”
“Okay, thank you, doctor. When can I get back to see him?”
“They’re in the process of getting him a bed for the night. For now, you can come back to his room in the ER. Just one at a time.”
Devon nods at his mom, and she slowly follows the doctor down the hall. Once she’s out of sight, his gaze turns back to me.
“Seriously, Kend, what are you doing here?”
I put my free hand on my hip and narrow my eyes at him. “We can talk about that after you tell me why you didn’t call or message me.”
He stares at me for a second, then sighs. “Come on. Let’s find somewhere private.”
I nod, and though I’m feeling more than a little frustrated with him right now, I don’t let go of his hand.
We end up in the backseat of his 4Runner.
“I’m sorry,” he says after a moment. “I should have talked to you as soon as I heard about my dad. I didn’t want to worry you before your interview.”
“This is more important. Things like this willalwaysbe more important,” I say, hand still wrapped around his. I’m mad, but we’re in this together. Whatever it is.
“Why didn’t you get on the plane?” he asks softly.
“Because I didn’t want to. I stood in front of the airport and felt like I was leaving my home—the life I really wanted.”
His eyes widen. “Really?”
“Yes. In the last week and a half, I’ve been happier than I have been in a long time. I enjoyed my life in New York, but I wasn’t happy like I am here. Brighton feels like home. It’s where I want to build a life. With you.”
“But not just because I’m here, right? Because I don’t want you to stay just for me.”
I tilt my head as I take him in. “No. I just told you, it’s everything. You are a part of that happiness, not all of it.”
He lets out a long breath. “Okay, good. This is where I want to be, too.”
Well, he could’ve told me that.
