“If I’d known all I had to do to get you two to be civil was get in a major accident…” I rasp, my voice low but teasing.
Rylee lets out a breath that’s halfway to a sob. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, her face blotchy like she hasn’t slept in a week. She reaches my bedside in seconds and carefully wraps her arms around me, avoiding the wires and IVs like a pro.
“Don’t even joke about that,” Rylee says into my shoulder. “I’m already considering never letting you drive again.”
Johanna doesn’t look much better. Her eyes are red, too, but she even makes devastation and heartbreak look like a runway ad.
“You scared the shit out of all of us,” she says, settling into the chair her brother had just vacated. She crosses her arms like she needs the barrier. “I guess you could say it brings people together.” Then, quieter: “How could you not tell anyone you were coming?”
I can tell she’s hurt. That she feels like part of it is her fault.
“I wanted to make sure I was going to go through with it,” I admit softly, a little bit more of my voice returning to me with each word. “I didn’t want anyone to try to talk me into anything. I wanted to make the decision for myself.”
Rylee pulls another chair from the corner and sits down on the other side of the bed, her hand resting lightly on my arm.
“Do you want to know about the show?” she asks gently.
“Rylee, maybe not—” Johanna starts.
“No,” I interrupt. “I want to know. How was it? How was Gray?”
“He made it through,” Johanna says cautiously, obviously not wanting to upset me. “He didn’t give any indication to the crowd that he was about to lose it. But I knew—weknew—he was trying really hard not to fall apart in front of twenty thousand people.”
“He was singing to you, Mia,” Rylee adds. “Even if no one else knew it, we did. Every word. Every look into the crowd. You were in all of it.”
She squeezes my hand gently.
“And you were there,” she continues. “Not just in spirit. All the visuals—the promo materials, the intro reel—they used your work. Your photos. Your vision. Your fingerprints were all over that stage.”
I smile, but something catches in my chest. I’m not ready for the way that lands. It makes me feel like I haven't missedeverything. Like part of me still made it, even when my body hadn’t.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For telling me.”
Rylee smiles, and Johanna nods—her version of tenderness.
But I get the feeling there’s something else they aren’t telling me.
“Gray…” I start cautiously. “He’s coming back, right? He didn’t, like… realize he’s still mad and leave or something?”
Johanna actually laughs. “No, crazy. He’s coming back. He just had to run an errand.”
I look at Rylee. She can’t lie to save her life—especially not to me.
“He’s coming back!” she assures me with another smile.
Before I can question them further, my nurse returns and pokes her head through the door.
“Miss Alexander,” she says. “Your mother and sisters will be arriving soon and they asked that they be able to see you immediately. Miss Jackson and Miss Harris can come back later, if it’s okay with you.”
My breath catches, but I nod.
“They’re here, too?” I ask, my voice suddenly much smaller.
“They are,” Kimberly confirms. “They said they’d be coming straight up as soon as we cleared the room.”
I sink a little deeper into the bed, trying to brace myself. I guess there’s a little part of me that still can’t believe all these people have shown up.For me.
“We’ll come check on you later,” Rylee assures me. “Once you get moved to your regular room.”
