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“I’m afraid so. We’re making her comfortable. She’s currently on life support, but lucid if you wish to pay your last respects.”
“I would,” he said firmly.
“Do you want us to go with you?” Molly asked.
“No. I’m good, but thanks.”
He followed the doctor to her room and stopped at the door.
He looked in to see his mom hooked up to tubes. His gut clenched. His mom might have been hard on him, but she was still his mom. She kept him clothed, fed, and in school. He loved her no matter what she put him through. He was angry with her and was justified in his anger. Even as she approached death, she shut him out of her life.
He went into the room and approached the bed, touching her hand.
Her face was weathered, her hair streaked with gray. He could barely see anything of himself in her face and wondered for the millionth time how much he really did resemble his father.
Her eyelids fluttered open. Her eyes went cold. “So, you’re back in just enough time to say goodbye.”
“I would have taken leave and come home immediately if I had known.” He narrowed his eyes and sighed. “Why didn’t you call me or the Navy?”
For a moment, she searched his eyes, then she huffed, her face softening for the first time in his life. “You look too much like your father.”
“Mom. I don’t know what to say to you to make you understand who I am. But what I do know is I am your son and I always wanted to be there for you.”
She looked away, tears slipping from her eyes, her voice hoarse. “I haven’t been the best mother, but I tried to give you a solid home.”
He was sad that this was her priority, and because of her sorrow over her failed marriage, she couldn’t ever love him.
“I’ve done you a disservice.”
“How is that?”
“I forced custody of you, and I left and never told your father where I went, then I told you I didn’t know where he was. But he forwarded letters to my lawyer. I never gave them to you because I hated him so much. That’s not fair to you. You should have been free to make your own decision about him.”
He closed his eyes, the enormity of what she had done washed over him. She’d robbed him of a chance to know his father. “Did you keep the letters?”
There was no answer and then warning sounds went off and his eyes popped open. Her eyes were closed, and the heart monitor indicator had a flatline. She was gone and now he had a mystery on his hands. Who and where was his father?
* * *
Preacher had a love/haterelationship with hospitals. The establishments represented hope to many people, but no one wanted to be “incarcerated.” He laughed softly at the choice of his words. Well, that’s how Navy SEALs felt if they ever ended up here…in prison. How could they carry on the idea they were invincible when hospitals reminded them all too well how mortal they were?
He was here at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth for his mom, who had called him to come. He was confused. She hadn’t indicated she was ill at all. She rarely left the bakery.
He raced into the hospital and instead of taking the elevator, he climbed the stairs to release some of his pent-up energy.
He burst into the waiting room and saw her sitting in one of the chairs. “Mom?” He hadn’t expected her to be here.
She rose, looking very upset and he rushed over to her and hugged her. “What’s wrong?”
“I was planning on you meeting him over dinner. Not at the hospital,” she murmured.
“Meet who?”
“My boyfriend.”
He raised his head and looked at her. She sighed. “I know it’s a shock—”
“I think it's wonderful. It’s about time you had a life, Mom.”
