Page 3 of Forget Me Not
Megan was my colleague and best friend. We met when I returned to college for my last year. She was like an aunt to Danny and would likely freak out when she found out about this incident. After carefully loading Danny into the backseat, I climbed into the driver’s seat and took a breath.
“Mom, am I in trouble?”
“What? Why on earth would you be in trouble?”
“Because we’re both missing school.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Danny was one of the brightest students in the school. Which is why he had skipped a grade and was in the fifth grade. At almost ten, he was one of the youngest students in his class. In our town, the school housed kindergarten through seventh. Because I taught sixth grade, Danny and I got to go to school together every day. Glancing in the rearview mirror, my breath caught as his blue eyes stared back at me. Danny was the spitting image of his father. Same brown hair and crystal blue eyes. The moment I gave birth, I knew that God had blessed me with a tiny piece of Danny. Catherine and David were ecstatic when I had found out I was pregnant. Two months after burying his father, and still overcome with nausea and depression, his mother made me go to the doctor. It was there I learned I was carrying a piece of the only man I would ever love. Even now, I could see his father in him. Danny had been gifted in his academics, and now his son was following in his footsteps. Pulling into the ER, I parked and helped him out of the car.
“How about we go get ice cream after this?”
“Really?”
“I think we deserve a treat after the day we’ve had. Come on, let’s go find out if it’s broken.”
We were ushered into a room shortly after we arrived. I was currently pacing the floor, my nerves on edge as I waited for the nurse to bring Danny back. They had gone to take x-rays of his arm, to confirm what the doctor already suspected as being a fracture.
“Mrs. Phillips?”
I turned to face the doctor, who had stepped into the room. “It’s Miss Stanton.”
“My apologies. I assumed…” he rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. “I’m Dr. Austin Craig. Have a seat.” He motioned toward a chair. “As suspected, Danny’s arm is fractured. Unfortunately, it’s his growth plate and I’m going to need to operate to place some pins to keep it from healing crooked.”
“Wait.” I sighed. “Surgery? I thought it was just a fracture.”
“It is. But because his growth plate is affected, I have to ensure healing doesn’t make it worse. The only way to do that is surgery. I’d like to schedule him as soon as possible. Do you need to call his father?”
My heart pounded against my ribs at the mention of his father. “His father passed away in a car accident.”
“Wow. I keep putting my foot in my mouth.” He looked truly embarrassed. “Well, is there anyone you need to call?”
“Maybe his grandparents. I haven’t told them about this yet, because I thought it was just going to be a cast. Surgery?” I ran my hands through my hair. Dr. Craig must have sensed my panic because he pressed his hand to my knee.
“Look. This is normal. The surgery is routine and won’t take long. I promise you he’s in expert hands.” He let his hand linger for a moment before pulling it away.
“Okay. Thank you. Can I see him first?”
“Of course. I’ll have the nurse come and prep him soon.”
I watched as the doctor left the room. He was an attractive man, so it was hard not to let your eyes linger. I hadn’t dated anyone since Danny’s death, devoting myself entirely to our son and my job. I couldn’t imagine myself being with anyone else—yet, for the first time in a while, I had actually noticed a man. I slipped my phone from my pocket and made the call I was dreading. I knew Catherine would flip out.
“Mackenzie? Aren’t you at work?”
“Hi, Mom. I’m in the emergency room. Danny fell and broke his arm.”
“What?” Her voice pierced my ears through the line. “David! It’s Danny. He’s hurt.”
I could hear David in the background as Catherine explained what had happened. As I expected, they hung up intending to come here. I didn’t mind. They were the reason I was who I was today. If it hadn't been for their constant nagging and support—I might have never survived my pregnancy and college. I smiled as the nurse wheeled Danny into the room. He was smiling and chatting up the nurse.
“Guess what, Mom? I need to have surgery. Doc says he’s going to turn me into a bionic boy with a metal arm.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Me? No way. This is cool. None of my friends have had surgery before.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his bravery. Catherine and David barreled into the room, fawning over him as they listened to his tale of becoming a superhero. I didn’t have it in me to tell him otherwise.
“Alright.” Dr. Craig winked as he stepped into the room. “Are ya ready, little man?”
