“A real fairy tale,” I remark, even as a hint of sadness washes over me. I’m so happy for Delaney and Ellie, I just wish I had even an ounce of that fairytale magic. Delaney gives my hand a squeeze then turns back to the TV and presses the play button on the VHS player.
Just as the FBI warning on piracy flashes across the old television screen my phone buzzes on the bed between Delaney and me. Dominic’s nickname flashes across the screen. I look up to meet Delaney’s face, down at the phone, then up at Delaney again, continuing my indecisive ping-ponging until it goes to voicemail.
“You okay there, Pinky?”
“Yeah…I, um, I’m okay.” I stumble over my words, my heart catching in my throat. This is the first time Dominic’s tried contacting me in a few days since Delaney messaged him to give me space. “I just wasn’t expecting his call so quickly.” I stare atthe phone. “We haven’t spoken yet. I-I don’t know what to say.” I feel a few tears welling up on my bottom lash line as I look at Delaney.
“Oh sweetie, that’s okay.” She takes my glass and puts it on her side table before taking my hand in both of hers as she folds her legs underneath her, scooting closer. “You don’t need to have anything figured out or know what to say. Do you want to hear what he has to say and then think on it?”
She passes me my phone to show me the red notification mark of an unheard voicemail. I sigh, taking it in my hands. I want to hear his voice. I want to go back to joking about the genre-hopping he does with his books while he makes fun of my clumsiness. I want squash this insane urge to eat ice squid ink cream. I want…I just want to be around him again. We fell into familiarity so easily it became habitual. I felt more authentic with him, like I didn’t need to pretend to be happy when I wasn’t. Even if we only ever stayed as friends I’d appreciate what we had in that friendship. Would that be enough though?
“Delaney, I think I—” my phone buzzes in my hand again. Dominic’s nickname flashing across the screen like neon lights. It buzzes twice before I slide my thumb across to answer. Clearing my throat and swallowing, I bring the phone to my ear.
“H-Hello?” I try to answer as calmly as possible but the wobble in my voice gives away my trepidation.
“Celeste, your mom, it’s your mom. She’s in an ambulance going to the hospital. She just collapsed, I… I’m so sorry.”
I think …What?What did he just say?
“What did you just say?” I whisper back into the phone praying to anything that will listen that I heard him wrong. That he didnotjust use the words “mom” and “hospital”in the same sentence. I can’t breathe. I feel a cold, clammy sweat break out over my entire body. I’m holding my breath waiting for whatfeels like a millennium for Dominic to respond on the other end. My ear is pressed so hard into the phone it aches.
“Hoot,” his voice comes out soft, distant, and so sad.
“Don’t. Just tell me what you meant about my mom.” I hear him taking a deep breath on the other end, but my panic is rising. “Quickly, please, Dom!”
“I’m sorry, we were just having tea. We had done some gardening, no. That was yesterday. I did the eaves…before, but then she wasn’t looking so good.”
He’s rambling. He never rambles.
“Dominic! Tell me what the fuck is going on!” I yell through the receiver.
“She collapsed, Celeste. We were talking then she just collapsed. I called 9-1-1 and we’re on our way to the hospital right now. I’m so sorry, Hoot,” Dominic continues to apologize, but I’ve already put my phone down on Delaney’s bed, scrambling out of the fluffy comforter and blanket nest trying to find my wallet and keys.
“Celeste, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” Delaney follows after me in a panic.
Stunned and suddenly frozen in place, I desperately try to suck in a deep breath, but I feel like I’m trapped below the surface of a frozen lake. Unable to break through the surface. My eyes shift to Delaney’s face, her brown eyes wide in worry. She’s asking me something but all I hear is static fuzz.
No. You’ve survived worse. Fucking get it together, Celeste, for Mom.
Slowly the world around me comes back into focus.
“Mom. My mom, I have to go.” Reaching for my purse on Delaney’s coffee table I’m trying to think of Dominic’s words. “She collapsed. Dominic was there?” I question, more to myself, because how my two worlds are colliding right now isnot making sense in my brain. Why would Dominic know my mother or be talking to her? Havingteawith her?
Not important Celeste! Focus!
I run to the foyer and grab my keys from the heart-shaped dish at the front door.
“…it’s your mom…hospital…collapsed… sorry.”
Dominic’s words play on repeat in my head over and over again until the overlapping words form a constant buzzing in my brain as if I shoved my head inside a beehive. I bump into something and drop my keys. I try to reach down, but my cheeks are wet and hands are on my shoulders.
“Celeste, stop for one second, please. You can’t drive, you’ve had like three mimosas. I’ll drive you.” Delaney tenderly wipes tears from my cheeks that won’t stop falling. “Give me your keys, keep Dom on the line so I can figure out where we’re going okay? Can you do that, Pink?” She’s speaking softly to me like I’m the most delicate porcelain figurine and even a whisper would send me to shards.
Breakable. I’m breaking.
“You’re not breaking, sweetie, I’m right here and we will go see your mom right now.”
I didn’t realize I said that aloud. I follow Delaney in a haze, walking to my car. The only sounds are my hiccups and soft sobs, Dominic’s words play on loop in my head.
