Page 83 of Latte Girl
“Really, Mom?” Haileygroans.
“Selfish Steve?” I ask. “Do I sense another embarrassingstoryhere?”
“Can we please not discuss my ex-boyfriend?” begsHailey.
“Fine, fine,” Emma concedes. “I’ll wait for my next chance to embarrass you. Jordan, you must want to go see your mother nowanyways.”
She starts to get up from the table, but Hailey and I stay sitting. We look at each other and then backatEmma.
“Actually Mom, there’s something we’d like toaskyou.”
Emma gives us a quizzical look and sitsbackdown.
“This is a very long story,” Hailey begins, “but to cut it as short as possible, Jordan’s dad is a really bad guy who wants Jordan to think he’s responsible for his mom’s stroke. He hasn’t let him see her since she’s been here. Jordan didn’t even know where she was until a few weeks ago. His dad tried to use her against him so that he’d give up studying and work for the familycompany.”
Emma glances between Hailey and I, two deep furrows contracting betweenhereyes.
“I’m sorry, that sounds...difficult,” she says,addressingme.
I’m about to answer when Hailey starts speaking again. “It has been. Jordan finally left the company after finding out where she was, but he still doesn’t have a way to get on hervisitorslist.”
Understanding replaces the confusion on Emma’s face, and I see a spark of anger flash across her features. She gets up from the tableagain.
“Excuse us for a minute,” she says to me, and then turns to her daughter. “Hailey,overhere”
They move to the window, and I continue sitting in front of my half-eaten salad, watching as the two of them start gesticulating and shaking their heads. I imagine Emma must already be referring to me as Jackass Jordan, right up there with SelfishSteve.
Hailey’s voice rises loud enough for me to hear it. “Yes I’m sure! And no, he’s not!” shecallsout.
Her mom glances around and motions for her to be quiet. They keep whispering for a few more minutes. I get up from the table when I see them coming back. Emma looks like she’s on the warpath and Hailey stomps along behind her, her face almost as red asherhair.
They both reach me and Emma looks like she’s about to speak, but I hold up a hand to stop her. Honesty was the only thing that saved me last time I got in a mess, and I decide to try itagainnow.
“Emma, I know it’s totally out of line to ask for your help with this. If there were any other way, I wouldn’t have even considered asking you at all. I’m desperate, though. I love my mother as much as Hailey loves you and I have to see her again. I believe she’d want to see me too. If there’s any way for you to get that message to her, I can’t tell you how much it would meantome.”
I can almost hear the wheels of Emma’s brain turning as she considers what I’vejustsaid.
“My job is to keep the patients here healthy,” she says cautiously. “Even if I did decide to help you, how would I know that I wouldn’t be putting your motheratrisk?”
“To be honest, even I’m not sure of that. My dad has been controlling my access to my mom for so long that I don’t know what the truth is anymore. I do believe she at least deserves the chance to see me again, and if that’s not something she wants, I’m willing toacceptthat.”
Emma sighs and crosses her arms in front of her. “I’m not going to do something as drastic as sneaking you in on a trolley. I’m not going to give any messages, either. I’ll tell Rosalind that her son is here and that she can see him if she’d like.That’sall.”
I feel like I’ve stepped into a ray ofsunlight.
“Thank you,” I reply, as I struggle in vain to find better words. “Thank yousomuch.”
Hailey wraps her arms around her mom’s waist. “Thanks, Mom. You don’t know how much thismeans.”
* * *
“JordanKnox?”
I lift my head up and look towards the receptionist. We’re back in the lobby, waiting for news on how things went with my mom. Hailey nudges me and we both get up and head to thefrontdesk.
“I’ve just received a memo,” the secretary explains, “saying Rosalind Knox has granted you visitor’s access and would like to meet with you in her room. I’ll just need to sign you inagain.”
“Yes!” Hailey shouts, startling the secretary. “Jordan, you’re going to seeyourmom!”
