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She would rather tell the entire family about her deceit and lose them that way than to have any one of them die. Gone forever. It would destroy her.
And what about Skylar?
Losing his father might send him back to the bottle.
She straightened her back and squared her shoulders. If the worst happened, she vowed to be there for Skylar. Somehow she’d keep him from drinking, even if he ended up hating her.
She loved him.
She loved Skylar Griffin with all her heart.
By the time Anna went down three floors to the banquet room, they had John on a gurney. They were loading him onto an elevator. Joann and Becca went with him, but Skylar stayed behind to talk to Anna.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, capturing her full attention. “We need you to go to my house and relieve the babysitter. She’s due to leave in an hour. Can you do that? Can you watch Joey for us?”
“Of course. Tell Becca not to worry about him. I will stay with him as long as she needs me to.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
She watched him jump into the first available elevator. It closed up with him inside, and her heart went with him. She whispered a quick pray while the faces around her registered shock. Her hands were still shaking, so she called for a taxi.
And the long wait began.
♥♥♥
Anna watched Joey for the family. She discovered taking care of a child could be fun. Surprisingly, she was good at it. Watching over Joey made her think about the possibility of having her own children someday. The thought that Skylar could be their father put butterflies in her stomach, and she quickly warned herself not to go there. It was too soon to think that far ahead.
Skylar called frequently, brief snatches of conversation. He sounded exhausted and a bit scared. She wished she could put her arms around him. Words seemed so ineffective. Her worried mind only caught part of what he said. Each time he disconnected a call she had to mentally replay it.
“His heart stopped... in the ER. Dr. Wilder saved his life. For a moment I thought...”
Later.
“They need to operate, but they can’t until his vitals...”
Much later.
“They just took him into surgery...”
Skylar filled her in quickly each time so he could return to his mother’s side. Becca came and went a few times so she could check on her son. But Skylar remained at the hospital.
After three days Anna was staring out one of the condo windows while sipping coffee and watching the sunrise when Skylar’s car pulled up out front. For a moment Anna was convinced it wasn’t real. Then she saw Becca emerge from the passenger side.
Anna raced down the stairs, out the door, and jumped into Skylar’s arms. Instead of returning the hug, he took her by the shoulders and gently pushed her back. His expression was grim, and he looked worse than she felt.
Becca passed her by without saying a word, but she had a sympathetic grimace on her face. She seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her expression burned itself into Anna’s memory, and she knew she’d never forget it. Something terrible had happened.
Was John dead?
She was afraid to ask.
“Joey is still asleep,” Anna said. “I checked on him about five minutes ago.”
Becca nodded on her way inside.
As soon as Becca vanished into the building Anna asked Skylar, “What’s happened? Is your father okay?”
“The doctor says it will be a long recovery, but knowing my father, he will be up and around in half the usual time.” Skylar gestured to his building. “I told Mom I would get her a change of clothes and some other stuff she wants.”
