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At eight p.m., empty egg rolls and fried rice containers sat next to me as I lounged on the balcony. Parker had an amazing view of Central Park.
I figured he would be arriving soon, so I was disappointed when my cell chimed in with a text.
Mia, I am going for drinks with a friend. I didn’t want you to be waiting or worrying. Not sure how late I will be. See you in the morning.
Thanks for letting me know. Have a good night. We are fine here.
Okay, then. I didn’t need to worry about him getting the wrong idea. He apparently isn’t affected by my being here. Time to go enjoy the Olympic-sized bathtub.
Little Miss Prissy, aka Princess, was sound asleep in her colossal bed. I was on my own. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Chloe. The radio silence today was concerning me.
No answer.Chloe is no fruit loop. She would call me if something was wrong. Stop being a drongo.
Wow, this is amazing. Parker thought of everything for the perfect bath. Ha, what am I thinking? This has Victoria written all over it. Bath salts, soft robe, and fuzzy slippers. It is so perfect. Victoria is awesome. Parker is so lucky to have a mom like her. His brother is also so lucky to have a mom like her to buy him a wife. Too bad it’s not Parker.
I tried Chloe one more time before I glided into bathtub heaven. No answer still.
Where could she be? What is going on?
Bubbles flew everywhere when the ringing cell woke me from my glorious soaking. It was Chloe. It had to be Chloe.
“Hello? Chloe?” I yelled into the cell phone “Is Sophie okay? Where have you been? I’ve been so worried.”
“Slow down, Mia,” Chloe whispered into the phone. “Sophie is doing okay now. She had a rough night, but she is sleeping now. I was up with her all night, so the nurses watched her today so I could get some sleep in the chair in her room. Sorry I didn’t call. I really needed the sleep.”
“Are you really okay?” I pleaded. “It is killing me to not be there with you and Sophie. I have been cactus all day.”
“Mia. You’re doing the most amazing, selfless thing in the world for Sophie,” Chloe said, crying now. “Someday when she can understand what you gave of yourself for her…”
“Please don’t cry, Chloe,” I begged, even though I was crying myself. “I love you both. Tell me what happened last night.”
“The best I can describe it is she went into heart failure but they were able to stop it.” Chloe explained “She is somewhat stable right now, but you doing this has probably saved her life.”
“You’re my baby sister. How could I not do this?” I cried into the phone “Go get some rest but promise you’ll call if anything changes.”
“Love you Mia.” Chloe whispered then hung up
* * *
Exhaustedfrom the emotional call and the hot bath, I wrapped the robe tightly around my waist, poured myself a glass of Pinot Grigio the housekeeper had left on ice for me, and lowered myself onto the chaise lounge next to the gas fireplace. Everything from not being with Sophie and worrying about being in another country and marrying a stranger. Tears flowed like a waterfall.
“Mia?” Parker approached quietly. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Embarrassed, I brushed at my tear-streaked face.
“Hey, Parker,” I said. “How was your evening?”
“Never mind my evening. It was mostly work.” He sat on the corner of the chaise. “What has you so upset? I’m sorry. I should not have left you alone all night on your first night in town. That was awful of me.”
“That’s very nice of you to say,” I said, smiling the best smile I could muster. “I didn’t mind being alone. I just got off a long call with my sister. My niece is very ill and not doing well after her surgery.”
“I am sorry to hear that.” He slipped his tie off and sat farther into the chaise next to me. “Tell me about it. What kind of surgery?”
“As much as I truly appreciate your concern, Parker, you don’t want to discuss medical stuff after a long day.”
Parker stood abruptly, removed his coat, and tossed it onto the chaise. He ran a hand over his face. “Mia, I’m a doctor. A good doctor, actually. Perhaps I can help. Please talk to me. How old is your niece?”
“Sophie is six years old. She needed heart surgery. I don’t know all the exact details without my notes, but I do know enough to know that her body is rejecting things and infection is setting in now.”
