Page 81 of Lucky in Love
He hated leaving while she was upset with him, but his mom was top priority right now. Alex would understand.
Without stopping, he made it to Hartford in under three hours and was by his mother’s side as soon as he could park and find her room.
Her eyes fluttered open when he touched her hand. “Long time no see.” She smiled weakly. “I’m sorry you had to come all this way.”
“Don’t be. It’s fine.” Brody had to swallow the lump in his throat. She looked so fragile against the stark white sheets. He should have been better about visiting. Better about spending time with her. It sounded like she would be okay, but that didn’t stop the guilt. Now that he wouldn’t have to travel so much, he vowed to make more time for her.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I must be on some pretty good drugs, because I feel nothing,” she said. “Have you spoken to the doctor? When can I go home?”
“Not recently, and I’m not sure. I’ll find him in a minute. What happened?”
“I was in a taxi coming home from the airport,” she said. “I didn’t see anything, but the driver said someone ran a red light and T-boned us.”
“That must have been terrifying.”
She nodded, her eyes growing heavy. When she fell asleep, he snuck out to find the doctor and get the latest on her condition.
“She’s lucky,” the doctor said. “Internal tests are coming back clear, so it looks like the broken leg is the worst of it.”
“That’s good news,” Brody said. “Any idea when she’ll be released?”
“Couple of days. Because of her age and the nature of the break, I’m recommending twenty-four-hour care for at least two weeks. Can’t risk a fall. The nurse will give you a list of home care agencies.”
“Thank you.”
Brody tried the Whispering Pines office again, but got no answer. He returned to his mother’s room and fell asleep in the chair in the corner.
An hour later, he woke with a kink in his neck. His mom was awake and held out a hand to him. He scooted the chair to be by her side.
“Hey,” he said. “Good news. The doctor says the tests checking for internal injuries are clear.”
“That’s great. What about going home?”
“Day after tomorrow maybe. He said you’ll need help for a few weeks once they discharge you.”
“I’ll figure something out.”
“What? No. Mom, I’m staying to help you. How is that even a question?”
“Are you sure? You’ve got so much going on.”
“I’m sure,” he said. “I mean, I’ll hire a nurse to help you with the, you know, bathroom stuff, but I plan to stay until you’re back on your feet.”
“I appreciate that. I love you, but not enough to let you give me a sponge bath.”
He chuckled weakly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” But of course, she saw right through the lie.
“Does this have something to do with that terrible review of the campground?”
“Sort of.” He shrugged. “That wasn’t the article I wrote. Someone changed it before publication and didn’t tell me. Alex seemed to accept my apology, but that doesn’t put the genie back in the bottle.”
“Ah, yes, that’s too bad.”
