Page 90 of The Road to Home Base
“You’ll be okay,” Alex said and ran his hand down my arm. “Collapse afterward. Be strong for her. It will mean a lot. Trust me.”
I breathed in and let it out slowly as the door buzzed. I pulled it open for Alex, who ambled at a slower pace. We reached an elevator and took it to the seventh floor, then down a carpeted hallway to apartment 707 in brass numbering. I rapped my knuckles on the wood door. A threadbare welcome mat lay under our feet.
The locks unlatched and the door opened. I braced myself. Steeled my nerves like I was going up to bat.
Paola had her hair tied up in a messy bun. She wore black leggings and a loose, oversized, cream-colored knit cardigan. Her eyes were bloodshot, cheeks rosy red. But she smiled when she peeked into the hallway to see us. I stepped forward to hug her first. She felt so small and frail in my arms, like a breeze or a sneeze would disintegrate the tape that held the pieces of her together. I released her, then whispered to be gentle with Alex, who was still in recovery.
Her apartment was simple but tastefully decorated in an array of colors that assigned a subtle exuberance. I closed the door as Paola finished hugging Alex. She sniffed, then wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
“I made tea. Would you like some?” she asked. Her voice cracked, a rawness underlining the sounds of a grieving mother.
“We would love some,” I said. She escorted us to the living room where we sat on a cozy love seat with round throw pillows. The apartment smelled faintly of fresh flowers, though I didn’t see any around.
Paola came back and handed us each a steaming ceramic mug of tea. She sat opposite us on a recliner, a low-rise woodentable between us.
Where to start?Howto start?
“I’m sorry we couldn’t make it to the service,” Alex said. “We were…”
Paola closed her eyes and shook her head. “It is quite all right. I saw the news.” Then she smiled. Sympathy from a mother who lost her son. Such courage and selflessness. “You’re here now.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Romo, I—”
“Please,” I interrupted, “call me Rome.”
She nodded. “Rome, I… he…” She squeezed her eyes shut and we stayed silent to give her a moment. She sat up straighter and cleared her throat. “Dannyadoredyou beyond words. What you did that day in the hospital… it gave him a flare of life. I had my baby back for a few days. It was wonderful.Magical.” She laughed. A small sound, but it carried the weight of much more. “He wanted to be buried with the jersey. I am not kidding.”
At that we both cracked a smile. I wanted to laugh. Heck, I wanted to cry. But I held it in. “Oh, gosh, knowing that, I could have had them make a smaller one.”
She wiped the air with her hand. “No worries. He held it right until the end.”
A lump had been growing in my throat. The image of little Danny holding onto my jersey cracked the dam that I had futilely constructed. “Oh,” I said softly. Alex reached over and squeezed my knee. “I’m… glad I could, um…” I blinked and looked away. The lump grew something fierce. Felt like my Adam’s apple would bust out from my throat. I swallowed. Took control. I wouldn’t break down in front of a mother whose son had died. It didn’t feel right.
Mr. Perfect, I thought.What Alex calls it when you put aside emotion. I looked back at Paola. Let Mr. Perfect speak. “I’m glad I could give him that kind of joy, especially at the end. I’d do that a thousand times if I could.” My brow went up. “In fact, I meanto.Wemean to.”
Paola shifted in her seat and cocked her head sideways. “What do you mean?”
I looked at Alex. He nodded. I said, “We’re covering your medical bills. All of them. You won’t have to pay a cent to the hospital or any medical service.” Her mouth had slowly dropped open. Her wrists went limp and the mug she was holding tipped over a fraction, tea spilling to the floor. She swore and put the mug on the coffee table. Alex hobbled to his feet to fetch a towel.
I continued. “We already cleared it with the hospital. It’s… actually already taken care of. You’re debt free from the hospital. And I understand you’ve been out of work? I’d like to make sure you’re on your feet when you’re ready. There’s a phenomenal career service center that I can link you into. You’d have the perfect job in no time.”
Paola was on her feet with her arms open. I met her halfway. Where she was once frail at the door, a fierce strength empowered her. She nearly crushed me with the ferocity of that hug. Mumbled words tumbled from her mouth. A lot of thank-yousrolling over her quick tongue. Alex had dabbed up the mess from the tea until she pulled him in for a group hug.
She pulled away first and wiped her cheeks. “You’re a hero, Rome. Truly. You don’t know how fearful I was to get started again. People in my position… it is very hard for us.Sohard.”
Finally, after a long bout of silence, Alex spoke. “You know of others? In your…situation?”
Paola nodded. “There’s a support group. Many mommies and babies.” Shetskedand shook her head. “They will be happy for me, though.”
Alex had been looking at me. I saw the wheels in his head spinning with a plan.
“We started a foundation,” Alex said. “Everything will be taken care of and addressed through that. You might see somepaperwork come in the mail. There’s nothing for you to sign, but there might be a few legal documents you should hold onto. And ifanythingcomes from the hospital, any bill that we may have missed, you have my number. Please,please, don’t hesitate to text or call.”
We stayed for another thirty minutes. Paola regaled us with stories of Danny and his quirky personality in the hospital until he couldn’t shine his light anymore. I am proud to say I held it together. The lump in my throat never went away, and I could feel that my eyes remained glistening, but not a single tear fell.
Before we left, Alex made Paola promise him to text if she received any surprise bills. Another round of hugs, the thirtieth round of thank-yous, and we were back in the car driving through the streets of Revere.
“What were you thinking about back there?” I asked Alex. I reached out to hold his hand.
“Opportunities.” He brought up my hand and kissed it. “Gotta think about it first, though.”
