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“You’re the best dad, you know that?”
“Yeah, I do.” His mouth said that, but I could see his chest inflating with pride at my compliment.
“You’re so cocky.”
“I’m confident. I wouldn't be here if I didn’t think I could be a good father but thank you. I never get tired of hearing it.”
“I bet you don’t. I have to go. I love you.”
“I love you too. Go ace that test so I can quit my day job.”
I let out a deep, hearty laugh. “Your family would riot,” I tossed over my shoulder as I headed for the door.
Leaving the familiarity of home behind, my nerves settled in the pit of my stomach. Today was a big test that could shape my future as a lactation specialist. With my bag slung over my shoulder and determination in my heart, I sat and said a silent prayer as the instructor reviewed the same rules he did before every test.
Halfway through it, I was able to calm down, realizing I was more prepared than I had thought. That made me confident enough to click submit instead of reviewing my answers. Knowing me, I’d talk myself into changing shit that didn’t need to be changed, so I didn’t bother. As I entered the hallway, my phone buzzed with an unfamiliar number. Curiosity piqued, I answered, unaware of the strange turn my day was about to take.
“Hello,” I answered slowly. Sniffles filled the line, and now I was even more curious about why this number had called me five times during my test.
“Marcus is in the hospital. I think you should get down here,” Ember explained.
There was a pause while my brain tried to understand what the hell that had to do with me and how to articulate it. She was obviously heartbroken, but the dots weren’t connecting for me. Marcus wasn’t my problem anymore.
But curiosity won.
“Send me which hospital. I’m on my way,” Hanging up, I prayed I didn’t regret it.
Once I was halfway to the hospital, I thought about calling Mack because what if this was a setup? Then again, I was going to the hospital. What’s the worst that could happen?
Just thinking that, I dialed Mack as I pulled into the parking lot. Anything seemed possible in DuPont Falls, so it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Wassup baby?” he answered.
“I don’t know. Ember called and said Marcus was in the hospital. She asked me to come, but I just wanted to call you first.”
“Okay.” That was all Mack said. He could be a man of few words sometimes, but even I expected more of a reaction.
“Okay, well, I’ll call you when I leave.”
“Cool. I love you, Sky.”
“I love you too.”
After hanging up the phone, I stepped out of the car and followed Ember’s directions to room thirteen, where she was sitting in a chair close to the edge of Marcus’s bed. I lightly tapped on the open door, and she abruptly turned around. Ember got up and rushed to me, delivering a hug that made my frame buckle.
“Oh,” I mumbled before I even realized it. We had been cordial since they started dating but not close enough for hugs.
“Thank you for coming,” Ember expressed, wiping the tears blinding her eyes.
“How are you doing?”
Ember waved me into the hallway, pulling the door shut.
“The doctors said he may still be able to hear,” she explained, and I nodded. “I don’t even know how I’m doing. He didn’t come home Friday night. I tried to sleep it off because he’s always telling me I worry too much.” She chuckled a little, likely hearing his voice in her head. “Then Saturday, still nothing. It’s weird for him to go MIA like that, so I called every hospital and jail. Still, nothing until I got a call late yesterday telling me he was here.”
“What happened?”
“They claim he was walking on the highway. It was dark, and the truck didn’t see him.” Ember’s hand flew to her mouth, mortified at the idea of him being on the highway like roadkill. “He didn’t have his phone or wallet, but apparently, one of the nurses recognized him from high school.”
