Page 282 of The Maxwell Brothers
"Oh my God. It’s my sister. I'm so afraid to answer."
"I'm here with you, Liz." He put a hand on my thigh. "I'm here with you."
"I know." I tried to ignore the nausea and the burning sensation in my eyes. The last thing Rose needed was my panic.
Taking a deep breath, I answered. "Rose, how are you?"
"It's all good. She's not in any immediate danger. I know Mom told you. I figured you’d be freaking out."
“Mom said something about fever.”
"They tested her, and she has RSV. It’s a respiratory virus. Looks far worse than it is." Her voice was shaking. "Oh God, Liz. She was burning up, and I was panicking. It was awful."
"But she's gonna be fine, right? That’s what matters."
"We're going to be in the hospital for a few days so they can administer medication, but know that she's not in any immediate danger. I've got to go now."
"Of course. Keep me posted.”
"I will."
My body was still on edge as I hung up.
“Good news?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s not life-threatening.”
"You're still trembling. Come on, let's get you inside the house. Get you something to eat."
"I don't know why I can't calm down," I said.
“It’s the adrenaline, Liz. It’s going to take a while. Come on. I’ll take care of you.”
We both rose at the same time. He was holding me by the waist. I loved being here in his arms. I felt protected, like nothing could happen to me.
As soon as we entered my place, he led me to the kitchen.
"You have any food?" he asked.
"I have some leftover casserole in the fridge. You can heat it up in the microwave."
"I'll do that. Sit down.”
After heating the casserole, he sat down next to me. "Come on, eat. Just a few bites."
I did as he said because, honestly, I felt like some comfort food would do me good. He sat next to me patiently while I ate.
"Do you want some?" I asked.
"No. I already had dinner. You seem better now."
"I am. Thank you, Declan, for this evening. Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here. I was in such a frenzy. I couldn't even breathe."
“You were afraid. It’s normal."
I put my fork down, sighing. "You know, when I was talking to Mom on the phone, I wanted so much to be strong, and I couldn't." I blinked back tears. He put his fingers on my face, catching them.
"We can't always be strong, Liz. And that's not a bad thing. I don't think your mom called because she wanted you to be strong. She just wanted you to know."
