Page 72 of The Wedding Hoax

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked as I looked over at her. “Did you need me to get you anything?”

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “Are you feeling okay? You look like you barely got any sleep.”

“That’s because I barely did.”

“Simi.”

“Mom.” I faked a smile. “I think it’s okay if I’m worried about you.”

“You don’t need to be worried about me. I’ll be okay.”

“But you don’t know that for sure.”

“Just like you don’t know for sure that I won’t be okay.” She lightly chuckled as she spoke. “And yet, you’re so convinced that the worst thing is always going to happen.”

“I just want you to be okay,” I murmured. “I need you to be okay, Mom.”

“Is everyone ready to go?” Harry asked as he stepped into the room. “Eileen? Are you ready? Simone?”

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. “You’re talking like you’re coming with us.”

“That’s because I am.”

“You’re not going to work?” I shook my head. “I thought you had to stay on top of the next release of LA Now.”

“I do. And I am. But I can still make time for what’s important.”

“Okay. As long as you’re sure…” My words trailed off. “Well, in that case, yeah. I think we’re all ready to go.”

“Great. I’ll call the car.”

* * *

“Mom? Wait,” I pleaded with her right before she finished checking into the hospital for her surgery. “Just—hold on.”

We’d arrived at the hospital a few minutes early, with Harry standing behind my mom’s wheelchair as I trailed behind them both. I was too anxious to pretend like I wasn’t, but I also didn’t want my energy rubbing off on my mom.

Except right now, I didn’t care about any bad energy. As I watched a nurse come to bring my mom back into the surgery room, something snapped inside of me.

“I love you, Mom,” I said as I reached down toward her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Simi.” She returned my hug, her arms comforting and warm. “And I’ll see you in a little bit.”

I nodded before I let her go. The nurse offered me a small smile before she ushered her into the back of the hospital, their frames soon disappearing down the hallway.

I felt Harry’s hand reaching for my own, and he folded his palm into mine.

“She’s going to be okay.” His voice was low. “This is the best hospital in the state. Hell, I think it’s one of the best hospitals in the world.”

“That doesn’t matter.” My words shook as I spoke. “Sometimes things go wrong and there’s nothing anyone can do for you. I was up all last night reading about how easy it is for spinal surgery to go wrong, how easy it is to mess it all up—”

“Walk with me.”

“What?”

“Walk with me,” he repeated. “I’m a little hungry, and I’m pretty sure I saw a few vending machines down this way.”

“Okay.” I was thrown off by the sudden change in conversation, but I still walked with him. We didn’t stop until we reached a row of vending machines, the hospital’s lights reflecting off their glass.

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