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And he had no choice but to leave. ‘I’ll be back at six—unless there are any changes.’
Ethan spoke to the nurse and checked she had his direct number, but then, instead of going to see his father, he headed over to the freezing park.
He had had so many plans for tonight.
But Merida was right. They weren’t ready for the baby yet.
He looked up at the cold grey sky and the endless fall of snow and knew that time was close to running out for his father.
It was the middle of the night, and no doubt he was doped up to the eyeballs, sleeping. But what Merida had said about it possibly being Jobe’s last night on earth made him brave enough to try.
He sent a text.
Hey, Merida has been admitted. Nothing expected till tomorrow.
Good news! How she?
He’d missed out the ‘is’, but the fact that he could be so doped up and still text had Ethan in awe.
Asleep. Do you want some company?
Ethan hit ‘send’ and held his breath as he awaited the reply.
Sounds good.
Ethan entered his father’s suite. There was no mistaking it was a hospital room now, but Jobe was sitting up in bed.
‘How is she?’ he asked.
‘It’s very early days, apparently. She’s asleep—they told her to rest.’ He took a seat by his father’s bed.
‘Her friend gets here tomorrow?’ he asked.
‘Naomi.’ Ethan nodded. ‘I’ll send a driver to the airport. I’d better be here for the main show!’
Jobe gave a small laugh.
‘Were you there when we were born?’
‘I was.’ Jobe nodded. ‘But not so much after.’ He turned and looked at his youngest son. ‘I regret that.’
‘You love work...’ Ethan said.
‘Oh, I do love work—it’s not the time spent there I regret.’
‘You can’t have both,’ Ethan quipped, and then he stopped trying to halt his father. ‘What do you regret?’
Jobe said nothing.
So finally Ethan did.
‘I know that things must have been difficult with Mom.’ He looked at his father’s fading dark eyes and wished he could be here for longer. ‘I don’t blame you for what happened with you and Meghan...’ He swallowed back tears. ‘I did when I was younger, because I missed Meghan, and I blew it up in my head that it was all your fault, but I...’
‘There was no affair.’
The world seemed to stop spinning and then Jobe spoke on.
‘Meghan came and told me that she couldn’t stand back any longer—that she had no choice but to leave.’
