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I breathe and live and move freely in my world.
I turned the key in the ignition and carefully backed out of the garage. I stopped again on the driveway. I checked my surroundings, bringing the night into sharp focus. I couldn’t afford to panic. I pressed the button to close the garage door. Every action served to buy me a few more moments before I had to leave.
I forced my shoulders down from around my ears. The meds had kicked in as much as they were going to. Twisting around, I checked again to make sure I properly secured Jace in his car seat, then cautiously backed out of the driveway.
“Okay, agapimeno mou. Here we go.”
In the hospital waiting room, a couple of small children screamed along with Jace while a few others had succumbed to sleep in their exhausted parents’ arms. Older couples sat huddled together in various corners, and a large group of people took over one wall of chairs, some sitting, others standing, their faces pinched with distress.
After checking in, I paced along the windows. There were no chairs available near the exit, and I could not tolerate being closed in with a bunch of strangers. After an hour, Jace fell asleep against my shoulder. I heard murmuring behind me, then a gentle touch at my elbow. I swung around and had to tip my chin way back to look up into the face of the man who touched me.
He whispered, “My wife says you could probably sit now that he’s asleep. You can sit beside her at the window.”
I blushed to the roots of my hair. “That’s okay,” I stuttered. “I don’t want to take your seat.”
He smiled encouragingly. “My wife needs to be by a window. She thought maybe you do, too?” He gestured to the room behind us and the scattered empty seats. “I’ll sit over there.”
Jace’s weight pulled at my arms. I looked to his wife. She indicated the seat beside her with a tip of her head and a smile. I smiled in relief. “Thank you,” I murmured. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” He bent over his wife and kissed her cheek before turning to find a seat.
“Thank you,” I whispered as I sat.
“It’s okay,” she whispered back. “I get it.”
We did not speak after that.
I’d never felt so validated.
