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Noah nodded. “My dad is a big hockey fan. He played in high school and college. He got me interested in the sport. It wasn’t as though I had a choice.” He chuckled. “My dad put a stick in my hand as soon as I could walk, and I’ve been playing ever since. When I was young, he was at every game. Once I came to the States, I flew them in to see games. But at home they have a sports room with my memorabilia on the walls. My dad collects my sticks, gloves, jerseys, pucks, and they’re all in there.”
She smiled at his warm memories.
He paused for a minute. “He also loves to barbecue. He’s always trying new recipes, and when I was young, he was always trying to teach me. But I preferred to be playing hockey or watching it. I had no interest in standing over the grill. Maybe I should’ve let him teach me, but I was a dumb kid.”
Noah was lost in his stream of thought, and Jordan was content to listen.
“And the holidays—oh you should’ve seen it! He would put so many Christmas lights on our roof and in our yard that we’d tease him that a plane was going to mistake it for a runway. My mom says he still does it. Well, maybe he won’t now. He won’t be climbing ladders to do all that.”
“What I’m hearing is that he’s a great dad. And he’s really proud of you.”
Noah nodded. “He’s my biggest fan.”
“Well, he raised an amazing and caring man. Sounds like you’re a lot like him.”
Noah shrugged and stared at the ground. “He is a genuinely good guy. You can ask anyone. He’s always quick with a joke or a helping hand.”
That’s when she saw a tear slide down his cheek, then another.
“He has to be okay,” Noah said, his voice catching. “If he isn’t, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
She wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, that his dad would be fine and back behind the grill in no time. But she couldn’t promise that, at least not before they knew what the outcome of the surgery was. But seeing Noah so worried made her heart ache.
Noah reached over and grabbed her hand. They sat this way in silence for what felt like hours before a doctor walked into the waiting area, pulling off his scrub cap. Jordan assumed he was the doctor that had operated on his dad, when Noah, his mom, and his sisters all jumped up.
Being here as only a friend, not with Noah as a couple, she stayed in her seat, not sure if she belonged in this family moment. That was until Noah turned to her and motioned for her to join them. Once she was at his side, he laced his fingers with hers, almost as if it was the most natural thing.
“The surgery went well. As you know, we were able to stop the bleeding and remove his spleen. The pelvic surgery took a little longer than expected, but I was concerned about blood clots. We were able to repair the fracture with some hardware.”
“And the femur?”
“His body has been through a lot over the last twelve hours. We want to give him a little time to rest before we repair his femur. The femur surgery is scheduled for first thing in the morning.”
“How is he?”
The doctor nodded. “He’ll be in some pain due to some broken ribs, and of course the incisions. But he was very lucky and should make a full recovery. It will just take some time and rehabilitation. He will need physical therapy. And as with any pelvic fracture, he may have some arthritis and maybe a bit of a limp. But he’s out of the woods. I am very happy with the direction he’s headed.”
Jordan rubbed Noah’s shoulder and could feel the deep breath he let out, as if he had been holding his breath the whole time the doctor was speaking. His mom and older sister followed the doctor as he left the waiting room, asking him questions. Noah’s younger sister fell into the closest chair and broke down, quietly sobbing.
Jordan was going to comfort the young girl until Noah pulled her into a hug. She felt his body relax in her arms. Soothing him she stroked his hair, and whispered, “Your dad is going to be fine.”
“Yep.” He nodded and pulled back to look at her. “Thank you for being here with me.”
Jordan looked over at Lexi, where she sat hiding her face and still crying. “Looks like your sister could use a hug.”
Noah agreed. He sat down beside Lexi and Jordan followed.
“C’mere, Lex.” Noah wrapped his arm around his little sister’s shoulders, pulling her into the best hug he could while sitting in the waiting room chairs. “Dad is going to be fine.”
“I… know.” She sobbed as Noah pulled her closer.
“Lexi, can I get you anything?” Jordan asked. She didn’t know what else to say in this situation.
“No,” Lexi shook her head. “I don’t need anything. I’m just glad you are here for my brother.”
“Lexi, Noah,” Tracey called softly. “They just brought Dad back to his room, and they said we can see him now.”
Lexi jumped up from her seat and joined their sister. Noah rose slowly and looked back at her. “Are you coming?”
