Page 58 of The Last Key
“I do.”
He blinks at me. “But you also don’t?”
I clear my throat. “I don’t want to hold her back from her dreams. I’m so fucking proud of her. She worked somany shitty jobs to get to this point. This is her dream. Why should I take that from her just because I don’t want to go to New York?”
I wince as the words leave my mouth. In turn, Justin’s eyes widen.
“Wow. Have you told Kend that?”
My lips pull into a flat line. “No. Because it’s not just about me.”
“Right, it’s about both of you. Your opinion matters, too. Why don’t you want to go to New York?”
“I—” my phone goes off before I can answer. Seeing my mother’s name, I quickly swipe it off the counter and answer. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”
“Devon, honey,” her voice is urgent, and I immediately stand up, heart racing. “Your dad had a fall.”
“How bad?” I ask, hurrying toward the front door. Concerned, Justin hops off his stool and follows me.
“Not sure yet. He lost consciousness for a minute, but he’s awake now. The ambulance is here, but you know the drill. They won’t let me ride with them.”
“I’m leaving now. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
“Don’t drive like an idiot. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
“What happened?” Justin asks as I grab my keys and dash out the door, sprinting down the walk to my 4Runner.
“Dad fell. I need to get my mom so we can meet the ambulance at the hospital,” I call behind me as I jump into the driver’s seat.
Justin runs around the front and hops in the passenger side. “Okay. Do you need me to call anyone? Kennedy?”
I hand him my phone as I start the car and back out of the driveway.
“I’ll call her later. Just let me know if my mom calls or texts.”
Justin side-eyes me but doesn’t argue.
Maybe I should call Kennedy, but she’s probably already boarding her flight. There’s nothing she can do. I’d rather notupset her before her interview. I want her to kick ass, even if I’ve realized I really like the life I’ve built here, far more than I liked living in New York.
Fuck, this is too much right now.
My phone goes off, and I look over at Justin, who is reading a text.
“Your mom said Gladys was close and picked her up. They’re headed to the hospital and want you to meet them there.”
I shift in the seat, not moving my gaze from the windshield. “Okay.”
Taking the turn for the hospital, I focus only on getting there quickly. Thankfully, since it’s a Wednesday morning, there isn’t much traffic.
I’m rigid in my seat as I stare at the empty road in front of me. I shouldn’t be this worked up. It’s not the first fall my dad has had. It won’t be his last. Maybe that’s the most upsetting thing. There’s nothing I can do to help him. To slow the progression of this disease. I didn’t expect it to take so much of him so quickly. This is just one fall, but all too often, one fall leads to another and another and he’s in a flare-up, or worse, another downslide.
As I pull into the parking lot, my stomach churns. I wish Kennedy were here with me. I’ve gone through this alone for years. I have my mother, Gladys, and many wonderful folks around town who help and support us, but emotionally, I’ve gone through it all alone.
It’s your own fault she’s not here.
I wanted her to take the interview. She’s worked too hard to let it pass by, but what if she gets this job? Will it be more long hours where I barely see her? Or worse, if something like this happens, will I have to fly back alone because she can’t leave her job? Now I feel like an asshole again for even thinking that. She deserves to have everything she wants in her life.
