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“Kait’s okay,” she croaks, her voice scratchy.
I quickly pour some water into the plastic cup from the jug on her table and drop a straw into it. Holding it to her cracked lips, I wait for her to take a sip. Grimaces of pain line her face as she swallows.
Dad presses the call bell. “She’s awake!” he beams at the nurse who enters the room.
She returns his smile and gives him a wink as if to say she fully expected Mum to wake up any minute.
“Good morning, Mrs. Benson,” she says, rolling the diagnostic machine over to Mum and attaching a few more wires to take her stats.
“Morning, love,” Mum replies before turning back to my Dad. “I saw Kait.”
Dad pats Mum’s hand, sending a concerned look at the nurse.
“Everything looks okay here,” she reassures us with a brisk nod. “The Doctor will be in on his rounds shortly after ten.”
“Jacob,’ Mum says, turning tired eyes on me. ‘Kait said you need to stop messing around and tell her how you feel.”
My heart jumps into my throat, and I frown. “Who?” I ask, playing dumb.
Mum takes another sip of water and leans her head back against the pillow, closing her eyes. “Maddie,” she finally says.
Dad barks out a laugh. “About bloody.” He presses a kiss to Mum’s hand before stroking her hair back off her face and kissing her forehead.
“She’s okay, Ben. Kait’s okay,” she hiccups, her eyes welling with tears. ‘In fact, she’s mad at me for being so sad,” she says with a watery laugh.
Now that I know Mum will be okay, exhaustion washes over me. My emotions are raw, and I slip out of the room, needing a few minutes to regain my composure.
I shouldn’t have let Maddie leave this morning without telling her how I feel. Even if she doesn’t love me the way I love her, I need to tell her. Speak my truth. Because I’m not giving her up without a fight.
