Page 59 of Never Too Late

There’s movement, and then Maya is back. I don’t know how I know that, I just do.

The air feels different, I guess.

“Okay. Let’s try this another way.” She moves closer while she’s talking and then crawls into the bed with me, pulling me into her arms. My body cries out in agony at the movement I haven’t been aware enough to feel in so long. “I’m going to get you up before Jake comes back. Just you wait and see.” Then Maya is pinching my arm, and I feel it twitch involuntarily.

Yes. I try to scream, but nothing comes out.Keep it up, Maya. I’m almost there.

“I know you can hear us. But have you been paying attention to the words? Have you even been able to understand what’s happening?”

Her voice breaks, and I wish I could open my mouth to answer.

No.I shatter a little more with every passing second.

I haven’t been able to process anything anyone’s said to me until today.

Keep talking.

“Well.” Maya runs a hand down my head like I’m a child needing comfort. Right now, I think I need more than I’ve ever needed in my entire life. “Let’s see what you’ve missed. Ray keeps trying to delay the start of the trial by doing ridiculous things. First, he tried to kill himself. But as much as I want to believe that it was an actual mental health crisis, I don’t believe it. Then his lawyer tried to claim his confession was coerced and the judge saw through it. Then I guess he fired his latest lawyer who suggested he take whatever plea deal the district attorney offered him to spare the families of his victims from having to relive everything during the trial.” She squeezes me and I feel it more deeply than I’ve felt anything since the fire.

“We weren’t close before my attack. Hell, even after my attack you weren’t my best friend. But every day we spent together because of Jake and Brian, I fell in love with you a little bit. It’s okay if your soul mate is a friend, you know that, right? I love Brian more than anything. But you? You’re the sister I’d have picked for myself if I could. And I got you. Now, you have to wake up. Because who is gonna be the auntie that my baby needs if it’s not you?”

“Oh my God. It worked. You’re up!” She falls out of the bed trying to get to the door. “We need a nurse in here. She’s awake!” she screams into the hallway and leaves the door open before turning back to me.

“Water,” I croak. My throat feels like someone has stuck steel wool down it and scrubbed.

Maya is pushed out of the way before she can get close. Multiple nurses are crowding around my bed, trying to help but only making my heart race and panic bite at every inch of me.

“Get your ass out of the way. She asked for water.” Maya shoves a nurse out of her way, getting a few hard stares as she brings a cup with a wet Q-tip like thing to my lips.

A few painful seconds later, my mouth and throat work together to bring a few precious drops of water into my mouth. It both soothes and burns as it goes down, but I keep working it even with so much pain tears start leaking from my eyes.

“Oh my God, girl. You’re up. I have to call Jake.”

“Jake.” My voice is broken and rough.

“Hold on. He’ll come right back. Just a minute and he’ll be here.” She walks away and leaves me to the mercy of the relentless nurses.

They prod me, take my vitals, and then they’re gone just as quickly as they appeared.

I close my eyes again, only to hear my best friend laugh.

Maya walks back into the room with a smile on her face.

“Baby?”

Her smile grows brighter, and she rests her hand on her stomach. “Yes. It’s a lot, I know. They told me I wouldn’t be able to have one on my own. Or there was a really low chance of it. But, I guess, the weird and emotional sex that I’ve been having since you went into a coma did the trick. Now the baby magic worked again and you’re awake.”

“Before you break your throat anymore by trying to talk when you’re exhausted, the little girl you were trying to save in the fire is fine. She went home with her parents the day after the fire. I got one of the nurses to tell me that she only suffered smoke inhalation. You can see your awesome cast. Your arm is broken in two places, but it’s been healing since you’ve been lying in bed this whole time. Way to go.” I look up at my best friend, silent gratitude in my eyes for the way she’s spelled out everything I needed to ask but couldn’t find the strength to form the words for.

I reach out for Maya’s hand as best I can, which ends up just being me flopping my casted arm a few inches on the bed at my side. Luckily, Maya knows what I’m trying to do and takes my hand, squeezing my fingers between her own.

“You’re going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay. But I think you’ll probably be joining me on bed rest. We can hang out together all the time and get fat. Yay!” She starts sniffling, and I know that there’s something she isn’t telling me.

“Crying?” I ask, unable to say anything else. I want to know why my best friend is crying.

“I’m just so happy you’re awake. We were all so worried.” Maya sniffs and then uses her sleeve to wipe her nose, like a child would. I smile.

“How long?” I’ve lost track of time with my eyes closed and not being able to move.

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