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He was damn right about that, making me chuckle. I tilted my head. “No other final words? No ‘really stop and think about this, Jax?’”
I gave my best stick-up-his-ass Royal impression, the guy always taking himself way too seriously. That was just him, our leader. He kept all us guys’ heads on straight and had since school.
Royal shook his head, somewhere inside his apartment now. “I’d only be wasting my breath.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re in that bed right now, aren’t you?” he stated, smiling wide. “And that tells me everything I need to know.”
I guessed it did, this guy my first best friend.
“Love ya, guy,” he said, tapping the phone with his knuckles, and I did the same.
“Love ya.”
Before surgery, my dad came in one last time, checking on me and making sure everything was okay. He brought Maggie too for a time, and after she hugged me, she said a silent prayer. I’d never been much of the religious type, but in her words, Cleo definitely lingered in my head. I willed all I could for those prayers to go to her.
“Thank you so much,” she said. One would think she’d be all cried out by now, but even still, she patted away more tears. Rick had given her his handkerchief, and it was a permanent staple in her hand most of the day. After she left the room, my dad came over to me.
“They haven’t let you see her, have they?” I asked. As far as I knew, none of us had. Things had been moving very quickly, urgent.
Rick shook his head. “No, but the doctor says she’s still stable.”
“Good.”
He nodded, and when he looked like he wanted to take my hand, I gave it to him. He squeezed it, reaching in and hugging me, but when he started to pull away, I found myself holding his shoulder.
I just stayed there in that moment and let myself feel it. For two seconds, I let myself be completely consumed by the fact that this was my dad.
And I was his kid.
I needed whatever this moment was from him. I just needed it.
“You come back out of this, you hear me?” he stated, fucking choking on the words. He patted my back. “I’m not going to lose you. I spent too many years without you.”
I closed my eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, gripping his shirt. I squeezed. “I’m your son, right?”
A nod before he fell away. He touched my face. “Hell yeah.”
He started to pull back, but I held his hand.
“Can you give this to Cleo for me?” I asked, taking off my Court ring. I gave it to him. “Just in case she wakes up before me. I want her to have it.”
I’d explain it to her once I saw her again. But I didn’t know how long that’d be with me going under too.
Rick studied it. “Is this some kind of class ring?”
How funny as she’d asked the same thing. I nodded. “Something like that.”
I watched him pocket it. “Of course. If I see her first, of course.”
“Thanks.”
He shook my hand again, touching the top. “I love you, son,” he said, and letting go, I knew he didn’t expect any more from me. I mean, why should he? Neither of my parents expected me to forgive
them. My mom had said it herself.
