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“What does she want?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. They’re both resting. The nurse said not to rush there, but that Destiny was asking for me.”
“Wow.” It’s not much as replies go, but I’m pretty much speechless.
“I guess it’s a good thing tomorrow is a holiday and I’m off work.”
“What time do you want to leave?” No way am I letting her go on her own. Not to deal with the crazy that is her little sister.
“You don’t have to go.” She’s quick to decline.
“Where else would I be? My plans are to spend the day with you. So, where you are, I am.”
Leaning forward, she rests her palm against my cheek. “You’re a good man, Marcus Adams.”
“Shh, you’re going to ruin my street cred,” I say dramatically. Moving, I crawl over her and plop down on my side of the bed. She snuggles into my chest and I hold her tight. I’m not sure how much more she can handle.
“I should have asked if she was clean,” she says into the quiet of the room.
“She said they were both doing well, right?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good sign. Maybe rehab stuck this time and she got her shit together?” she asks, and I can hear the hope in her voice.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” I say, kissing the top of her head. Once again, I’m in yet another situation where I’m not sure what to say. I have a very strong dislike for her sister.
“You really don’t have to go,” she says again over a yawn.
With my fingers, I gently trace up and down her spine. “I’ll be there,” I promise. I feel her body relax into me and her breathing evens out. It’s then, I let sleep claim me.
Chapter Thirteen
Dawn
The drive to Mason is quiet. Mark doesn’t try to get me to talk, instead allowing me to get lost in my thoughts. I’m not sure how, but he always seems to know what I need. Today, what I need is time to process the fact that I’m an aunt. I need time to process my sister, the drug addict, as a mother, and the fact that our parents aren’t here to see it.
“Dawn.” I feel a soft caress on my arm and let it pull me from my thoughts. “We’re here.” Mark nods toward the entrance of Mason County Memorial. “You ready for this?”
“I’m not really sure,” I confess. “I guess all this time, I hoped she was clean, but assumed when I didn’t hear from her that she wasn’t. Then there’s the timeline. How far along was she? Was she pregnant that night?” I swallow hard. “The night of the accident?”
“Only one way to find out,” he says, pulling the keys from the ignition and climbing out of the truck. He’s at my door in a flash, pulling it open and helping me down. Once my feet hit the pavement, his strong arms clamp around me, holding me tightly against his chest. “Whatever happens, you’ve got me right here by your side.”
I smile up at him. “You’ve already done so much.”
He tucks a strand of hair blowing in the wind behind my ear. “That’s what you do for those you care about. I’ve got strong shoulders, Pixie, lean on them.”
I inhale a deep breath and slowly exhale. “Okay, let’s do this.” I hold out my hand and he tangles his fingers with mine. Side by side, we make our way into the hospital.
“Hi, can I help you?” an older lady greets us from the welcome desk.
“I’m looking for my sister, Destiny Miller.”
She types on her computer and smiles up at me. “She’s in the maternity ward.” She rattles off her room number and proceeds to give us directions to the elevator.
“At any time you want to leave, we’re gone,” Mark says in the elevator.
“I just don’t understand after all this time why she’s asking for me.”
“Maybe she wants to make amends? Apologize?”
“I highly doubt it. Destiny doesn’t apologize.”
“Maybe she’s turning over a new leaf?” he suggests. We can both hear the doubt in his voice, but I appreciate the effort. If anything, it’s helping to calm my nerves.
When the elevator doors slide open, my stomach twists with unease. Forcing one foot in front of the other, I watch the numbers on the doors as we pass by until we reach Destiny’s room. I stop and stare at the number, delaying going inside.
“You want me to wait out here?” Mark asks.
“No.” I tighten my grip on our joined hands. “I mean, unless you don’t want—” He stops me by bending to kiss my temple.
“I’m with you, Pixie. Whatever you need. I just wanted to offer. You ready?”
I shake my head and say, “Yes,” making him chuckle.
“I’m going with,” he says, lifting his hand that’s not holding mine and rapping on the door. We wait for acceptance to enter, but it never comes.
I knock again, and still nothing. “Excuse me,” I say to a passing nurse. “Is it okay if we go in?”
“Are you family?” she asks.
“Yes. She’s— Destiny’s my sister.”
“Just let me check with Mom.” She pushes open the door, and it’s not five seconds later, she’s opening the door. “She must be down at the nursery. Have a seat in the waiting room.” She points down the hall. “We’ll round her up and come to get you if she wants to see you,” she adds, scurrying off to the nurses’ station.
Mark leads us down the long hall to the room at the end clearly marked Waiting Room, and pushes inside. It’s a small room with couches and chairs that look more comfortable than any waiting room I’ve ever been in. There is a TV on the wall and a row of vending machines in the far corner.
“And we wait,” I say, taking a seat on the couch. Mark settles in next to me, placing his arm around my shoulders.
“We just got here. Isn’t it too early to complain about waiting?” he asks.
“No. This is my sister we’re talking about. Hell, she probably planned it all out. I’ll summon for Dawn in the middle of the night, and then I’ll make sure I’m not in my room when she gets here so she has to sit and wait on me. Keep her in suspense,” I mutter, and he chuckles.
“I doubt that, babe,” he says as the nurse we spoke to enters the waiting room.
“Ready?” I ask, standing.
“Have you talked to your sister today?” she asks me.
“No,” I answer. “It’s been months since I’ve heard from her. I didn’t even know she was pregnant.”
“Oh, dear,” she says.
“What’s going on?” Worry takes over the dread of seeing Destiny after all these months, after her confession of what really happened the night our parents died.
“Well, I’m not sure, but it appears that we can’t find your sister.”
“Excuse me?”
“She’s not in her room, and she’s not been signed into the nursery today to see the baby.”
“She has to be in this hospital somewhere,” I say as I begin to pace the room. Of course she’s gone. This is classic Destiny. “The baby?”
“She’s doing just fine.”
“She?” I say, even though I heard her just fine.
“She. You’re listed as her next of kin, the baby’s too, so I can tell you. She was born at thirty-seven weeks. She’s tiny, but she’s breathing on her own.”
“And is my sister clean?” I ask.
She shakes her head and my heart plummets. “She tested positive for opiates.”
“Fuck,” Mark mumbles.
“The baby?” I ask, feeling as if my heart is in my throat.
“She’s doing well, all things considering. She’s tiny at four pounds and one ounce. She’s crying a lot, which causes her to gasp for breath, so we have her on oxygen as a precaution as we help her through this.” She rattles on about hyperirritability, jaundice, bili lights, and increased chances for infection.
“What happens to the baby? What happens if we can’t find my sister?”
“The courts and social services will be involved. They already are due to her addiction. We’ll survey
immediate family, including yourself, and see if anyone is willing to foster the child.”
“It’s just me,” I tell her. “Our parents—” I choke on the words.
“Their parents passed a few months ago,” Mark answers for me, pulling me into him.
“Right, I’m sorry for your loss,” she says, and I can see the pity in her eyes. “So, if you are willing, there will be lots of red tape, but the baby is going to be here for a while, so hopefully by the time we discharge her, you’ll have gotten the approval from the judge for temporary custody, and you’ll be able to take her home.”
“Then what?” Mark asks.
