Page 88 of All I Desire

The nurse smiles. “Follow me.”

She leads us down another hall and the walk seems endless. My heart’s thumping erratically and with each step, my legs feel like they’re turning to rubber. I glance at Chloe, who’s staring straight ahead. I wonder if she’s ever thought about her parents being in this kind of danger because they’re pilots.

I take her hand. It’s gummy with sweat, or maybe mine is. She squeezes and I squeeze back.

“Here he is,” the nurse says, stopping at a room to our left. She opens the door and there’s Matthew, lying in a bed.

He looks at us and a grin spreads on his face. “Cubster,” he cries. Chloe lets go of me and flings herself on top of him. I notice that he has a red lump on his forehead. Other than that, he’s his regular, handsome self. Sexier, possibly, because he’s got a few days of dark stubble on his jaw.

I’m in the doorway, weeping like a fool.

“Daddy, you’re alive,” Chloe cries, still folded in his arms.

“I am alive. Just a little rough landing. No big deal.” He winks at me. “I didn’t want them to worry you, but I guess they did. I guess they found my next of kin card in my wallet.”

Chloe sits up. “The principal asked me who my emergency contact was because they couldn’t get ahold of Mom. She’s flying to Brazil this weekend. They asked me who they should call locally and I said Natalia.”

Matthew looks at me, those dark eyes flashing. “I’m glad they called Natalia. Really glad. You did the right thing, Chloe.”

He beckons with his hand, motioning me to come closer. I’m still a mess as I sit on the bed and crumple into him. He kisses my forehead.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I say, sitting up to gently smooth back his hair. “That’s where you hit your head?”

“Yeah, just a little bump. No biggie. The pilot, my neighbor, had a problem with his takeoff and we overshot the runway. I made contact with the windshield.” He grins, and for the first time, I notice how tired he looks.

“Which neighbor, Dad?”

Chloe and her father talk about which neighbor and which plane—thankfully, that guy’s okay, too, though the plane’s nose is questionable—and I thread my hand into Matthew’s.

“You’re both treating this as a minor inconvenience,” I observe, finally allowing a smile to emerge.

“We’ve talked about contingency plans for accidents,” he says casually. “Haven’t we, Cubster?”

She nods, all serious. “I think Natalia and the principal were more scared than I was.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I think she’s right. Chloe was a bedrock of cool. And speaking of the principal, we should go find her.”

“I’ll go! I’ll go!” Chloe says, leaping up. “Can I just walk out to the lobby to look for her? I’ll just take a peek.”

Matthew touches her cheek. “Sure, Cubster. Just be careful and don’t go outside. Okay?”

Chloe skips past the bed, obviously thrilled to be helpful. Or, she’s a little adrenaline junkie like her father; I’m not sure which.

I turn to Matthew and press my hand to his cheek, the one opposite the lump on his forehead.

“Hey,” I whisper. “Hey. You’re okay. Thank God, you’re okay. I don’t know what I would have done if…”

I’m crying again. Great.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing. It’s really good to see you. To talk with you again. I didn’t think it would be in a hospital, like this, though.”

I sob out a laugh. “Matthew, I’m sorry I went radio silent this past week. I needed time to think.”

“That’s okay. I understand. No apology necessary. I missed you, though.”

“I missed you, too. And I want you to know something.” My throat feels sludgy with tears.

“What’s that?”

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