Page 11 of Choosing My Happiness
“Well, we…Eric, Perez–sorryBull–and I…we’ve been doing that.” She paused. “But…”
“Yes?” I prompted her.
“Your dad is sick, Daisy…realsick. I thought I’d let you know. He’s gotten bad and is pretty much permanently in the hospital. I’m–I’m not sure how much longer he’s got, and I don’t want you to miss out on saying goodbye.”
I was glad I wasn’t driving yet. I’d forgotten about Dad’s illness. He had been stabilised and was on a plan to stop smoking when I left. Then with all the chaos, and the fact that Blaze was more family to them than I was, I had just pushed the thoughts of my parents out of my mind.
“It’s looking pretty serious Daiz. Your mom is, well…” Janie seemed to struggle finding the words.
“Mom is delusional that he’s going to be fine and someone’s going to magically snap their fingers and nothing will be wrong with Dad.” I groaned, rubbing my forehead.
Janie gave a nervous laugh.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” She took a breath. “It might be the last time you can see him, Daiz. I know you couldn’t before you left last time. I didn’t know if it would matter to you.”
I gripped the steering wheel to ground myself and drew in a breath through my nose. I wasn’t feeling tired anymore. Weary, yes, but not tired.
Janie continued. “Perez and I, well it is a bit crowded here, but you’re welcome to stay here if you want to come and visit, or there’s the clubhouse.”
“No thanks to the clubhouse.” I was quick to reply to that last suggestion.
“We made some big changes there, Daiz. It’s a safe place now.” She chuckled. “There’s also Midwife’s place. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you staying in a spare room. He lives alone and really spends more time over here anyway.”
“Midwife?” I asked, the name tickling my fatigued brain.
“He was the prospect who was with you when you gave birth to Baby James. He’s VP now.”
I remembered the calm grey eyes and strong arms holding me, and the low voice that kept me from falling apart. The features that haunted my dreams every now and then.
“I remember him,” I replied. “How did he get the road name of Midwife?”
Janie chuckled sadly. “Someone used it as an insult against him, so he took it and owned it. It suits him. Hecares.”
A strong feeling of yearning ached in me as I thought about him. I shook my head. I’d probably built him up into a hero and he probably wouldn’t have the same good memories.
“How about we play it by ear, Janie. I’ll head back into work and first see how much time I can take off. I’ll call you after I know more,” I replied to Janie.
“Okay Honey, I’ll be waiting.” She hung up.
I sat for a moment, trying to take it in.
My dad had gotten sicker. He and Mom probably had ignored medical advice and gotten worse, which I should have expected. My parents lived in a world of their own that only Blaze understood. I’d left so quickly 4 years ago that I hadn’t even said goodbye to my family, and I couldn’t call them. He and Mom were too tight with Blaze for me to remain in contact with them. They would have told him exactly where I was, and encouraged him to bring me back to the person I was when I left. But for all their faults, they were my parents. I would likely regret not saying goodbye. I got out of the car and headed back in to talk to the Nurse Unit Manager about leave.
Two hours and 4 cups of coffee later, I had the car packed. I called Janie just after I started the car.
“Hey Mumma, letting you know I’m on my way.”
“Wait, what? Are you driving? Didn’t you say you worked last night?”
“Yeah, but I’ve got coffee, so I’ll be fine.”
“Oh hell no. I’ll call Midwife to arrange for someone to come and drive you.”
“Janie, who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
We’d both changed. The old Janie wouldn’t have tried to boss me around. She would have hidden behind Bull and gottenhimto offer the driver. The old me would have taken it.
“A precious fucking flower,” she snapped back at me.
