Page 88 of Taking Care of You
“What are you doing here?” I mutter.
“I came to see you. And see if we can fix what we broke.”
We? There’s nowe. I’ve done nothing but try to stay out of her way. She was the one who hunted me down and tormented me, foryears. Then the cherry on top was her tossing my shit outside.
I should have known she'd do this; deflect everything and take no responsibility for what she's done. As the adult, she should know better, should do better.
“No.” She looks shocked but it’s how I feel. “Not unless you’re going to get sober and work on yourself.” I look at her and hope she sees how much I mean it. “You need help, Barbara.” Her eyes go hard but I don’t back down. “If you get some help, then we can talk about it. But I have a lot of healing to do from everything you’ve done to me. It’s not something I can forgive right now.”
For what seems like an eternity, she stares at me, a look of frustration on her face. I want to look away but I don’t. I maintain eye contact so she knows how serious I am.
When she sees I’m not backing down, she deflates slightly. “Fine. I’ll get help. I’ll come check on you again.”
“Don’t. I don’t…I can’t have you here.”
“I’m your mother!” she shouts and I startle, wincing at the sharp pain in my ribs.
From the door, I hear, “And not a very good one.”
I see Grace standing in the doorway, flowers in hand and fire in her eyes. “You threw your son out on the street like trash. You don’t get to waltz in here and yell at him. You need to leave. Now.” She walks over, slamming the flowers down on my tray table, and coming to stand beside me. “You okay, Koby?” I nod, happy someone is here with me, wishing I didn’t let my father leave.
When my mom continues to stand there, Grace looks over at her. “Is there a reason you’re still here?”
My mother looks like she wants to start yelling again. I press the call button and a nurse pops in, like she’d been standing outside the door the whole time. “You feeling okay?”
I shake my head. “I’d like her to leave, please.” I lean closer to Grace, my eyes never leaving my mother’s. She doesn’t look happy, but I don’t give a shit. She needs to leave and never come back.
The nurse looks at my mother, who still hasn’t moved. “Miss? You need to leave or I’ll be forced to call security.”
With a huff, my mother turns and stomps off, sending a seething look over her shoulder at Grace. Grace looks unbothered. She stands strong under my mother’s gaze.
After she’s gone, Grace rubs my hand. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. How did she know you were here?”
I shrug as my father comes into the room. “Hey, Dad. Dad, this is Grace, Ethan’s mother. Grace, this is my dad, Leonard.” Grace is hesitant to shake his hand, so I clear the air. “He didn’t know she kicked me out until I told him,” I explain. “He works a lot, but he tried. It’s not his fault.”
Taking me at my word, she nods as they shake hands. Stepping away from my bed, they lower their heads and talk. I close my eyes, tired from the commotion and drift into sleep.
An hour later, the nurse wakes me, checks my vitals, and gives me pain meds. My dad is stretched out on the couch in the room; head back, mouth open and snoring. It would be funny if I didn’t think about how tired he must be. All those years of working and doing overtime. This must be the most uninterrupted sleep he’s had in a while.
“You have a visitor,” my nurse whispers to me. “She’s been waiting for a few minutes but I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Who is it?”
“A young lady named Crystal.” I raise the bed slowly and nod. The nurse smiles at me and walks out. Shortly after, Crystal comes barreling around the corner.
When I see her face, I warn her in a whisper, “If you start crying, I’ll cry, then they’ll have to sedate both of us.”
She nods, quickly wiping away the few tears that slide from her eyes. “What? I’m not crying. My eyes are sweating.” I chuckle a little and hold my arms out to her. She hugs me gently, sniffling when she pulls back. “I tried to come yesterday, but my dad told me to wait. I’m skipping school, but there's only one class left.” She sits on the side of my bed and wipes at her eyes again. “I was really worried, Koby.”
“I’m sorry, Crys. I’m okay, though. Doc said I’ll be fine in a few weeks.”
“A few of Dawn’s friends had just told the guidance counselor some of the stuff she was saying, about killing Ethan, right before she hit you. From what they said, she’d been saying it since the party at Ryder’s, and they got worried that she was serious when she stormed off. It’s all over the school that she told anyone that would listen that she would make sure you two weren’t together.”
Grabbing her hand, I tell Crystal, “Thank you for telling my dad. He came here right away and told me you waited for him to come home. How long were you sitting on my porch?”
“Long enough for my ass to go numb.” We both laugh quietly and I pull her in for another hug. “I’m glad you’re okay, Koby. I’m glad I still have my best friend.”
“Me too, Crys.”
