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I sigh. “He blames himself.”
Mama’s eyes soften. “I know. I also know that no matter what we say, he will still place the blame at his feet. Our family and our safety mean everything to your father. He feels like he failed you. We all know he didn’t, but he will beat himself up over this. First Thalia and then you. It’s a father’s worst nightmare, something happening to his babies. And no matter how old you all get, you will always be our babies.”
I smile, despite the heaviness of the conversation and my discomfort. “I know. I see it more now that I am a mother.”
She takes my hand in hers. “Your papa just needs some time. He will soon realize he is carrying a burden that does not belong on his shoulders. I will make sure of it.”
I open my mouth to speak but am cut off when the door opens, and my father walks in, followed by the doctor.
“Miss Maxwell, how are you feeling?” he asks.
“I have some pain. I think the drugs wore off.” Although I want to be alert and not drugged up with painkillers, I do need something to keep the discomfort at bay.
He smiles. “I will get that fixed for you. Let me just check your vitals again, and then I will see about that morphine.” He sets to work doing just that and asking questions. He did this with his earlier checks, but I guess he wants to be sure that I am moving in the right way with my recovery.
Once satisfied with his assessment, he informs me that he will get a nurse to come and top up my painkillers and leaves the room. I flop back on the bed, wincing at the pain from my wound.
“Careful, sweetheart.” I glance at my father. He watches me, his expression creased with worry and something else I can’t quite decipher.
“I’m hungry,” I state, wanting to make the tension in the air disappear.
My parents chuckle. “You missed breakfast, but I am sure they will be serving lunch soon,” Mama says as she checks her watch.
“I don’t think I want hospital food. Can you ask Evan to bring me back a chicken and avocado salad wrap and some pastries from Cocette deli? It’s my favorite.”
My father has his phone to his ear before I even finish. “Say no more, princess,” he says, and then he is reeling a list of sandwiches and pastries off to my brother before he ends the call. Both my mama and me look at him with our brows raised. He ordered enough for the whole hospital. “I ordered lunch for everyone. Guards included.” He laughs, and my chest tightens. He has been so tense since I woke up, so it’s nice to see him a little more carefree. Mama must feel the same because she presses a kiss to his lips.
I look away. Not because I don’t want to see my parents kiss but because I feel like I am intruding. The love my parents have for one another is indescribable. You only need to look at them to know that they are meant to be with each other. It’s crazy to think that so many people go through life never finding the other half of their soul and just settling because they don’t think they deserve more, because they think it’s easy. I can say with one million percent certainty that is not my parents or my sister. They are with who the people they were meant to be.
In a world full of billions of people, they found each other, just like Thalia and Theo. Just like me and… I trail off at the thought and huff a laugh. I don’t even know where Bishop is.
My attention is pulled to the door when a soft knock sounds, and it’s pushed open, revealing a nurse with a small tray in her free hand. Here gaze flits from me to my parents then settles on me as she steps inside. “Hey, honey, I have been told I need to administer some more pain relief?”
I smile. “Yes, please.”
She steps up to my bed. Popping the tray onto the side table, she grabs a syringe in one hand as she holds the IV in the other and adds morphine to the saline. Withdrawing the syringe, she grins. “All done. That should ease your discomfort. I will be back later to check on you,” she says before leaving the room. Snuggling down into the pillow, I close my eyes and wait for my brother to return with food and my cell.
It feels like only seconds since I laid down to rest but must have been longer because I am startled out of my slumber by Evan’s voice. Scrubbing the sleep from my eyes, I push into a sitting position. “Hey. How long was I out for?” My eyes land on my parents, who are both eating.
“About an hour,” Mama answers after swallowing down her salad.
“I must have been tired.” I look to Evan. “How is Baron, and did you bring my cell?”
He nods, fishing my cell from his coat pocket and handing it over. “Yeah. And Baron is fine. Thalia and Theo were entertaining him with a game of hide and seek when I left.”
I smile at the image of them keeping my son amused.
I sigh. “Thank you.”
“I got you your chicken and avocado wrap.” He pulls the wrap from the paper bag and hands it to me. “Also, a banana nut muffin and a selection of pastries.”
“Best big brother ever,” I tease, even though I feel nauseous from the morphine and can’t eat anything yet.
Evan chuckles, then he takes the seat in the corner of the room and digs into his sandwich. Placing my wrap on the bed, I grab my cell, open it, and pull up Bishop’s number. Taking a deep breath, I hit call and bring it to my ear.
I feel all eyes on me as the call rings out. My heart sinks, and bile rises in my throat the longer the dial tone sounds. And then, it cuts off.
Pulling my cell from my ear, I stare at it before it falls from my hand.
