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After she leaves, I notice tears streaming down Sammy’s face. “This is so strange, Dad.”
“It really is,” I agree.
“I don’t know what to say to her.”
“Me either.”
We don’t have to wait for long because moments later the door opens, and Beth is wheeled into the room. Her head is wrapped, covering most of her hair. There are dark purple half-moons under her eyes and one of her arms is in a sling. The nurse tells us, “She woke up briefly in post op, but fell back to sleep.”
The orderly and nurse push the gurney up to the hospital bed and make quick work of transferring Beth into it. Sammy and I stare at her like we’re seeing a ghost.
Once we’re alone, Sammy moves toward her mom. “I look just like her.”
“You do,” I agree.
She pulls up a chair next to Beth’s bedside and sits down. Then she gently starts to stroke one of Beth’s hands. “I have her hands.”
Emotion builds in me like a typhoon. Part of me wants to pick up Sammy and run out of here as fast as my legs will carry us, but I know I can’t do that. We’re here for a reunion and, by God, that’s what we’re going to have.
Beth stirs slightly in bed. Her head tilts to the side in Sammy’s direction before her eyes open. They immediately fill with tears. “Sammy?” she whispers.
Sammy stands up so she can get closer to Beth. She takes her hand and then like the most mature person in the world, says, “Hey, Mom. I’m glad you’re okay.”
The two of them continue to stare at one another like time has stopped—like they’re sharing their life stories telepathically. All doubts about the job I’ve done raising my daughter disappear. My kid is the coolest.
Beth’s gaze eventually moves away from Sammy onto me. “Jamie …”
“Hi, Beth.” My voice cracks when I say her name.
“I didn’t plan on seeing you guys like this,” she says.
“I’m glad this wasn’t planned,” I tease.
She smiles like it hurts to do so. “I was scrolling through my phone to see if you were still coming, and I stepped off the curb without looking.”
“I probably shouldn’t tell you that I didn’t send an email then.” As far as jokes go, it’s a poor one. It’s just that I have no idea what to say.
“You’re here now,” she says, looking between me and Sammy. “That’s all that matters.”
“Sammy starts school on Monday,” I tell her. “We still need to go home tomorrow.”
She nods her head. “Of course, but you’ll be here for part of tomorrow?”
“We sure will,” Sammy tells her. “But you should probably sleep now.”
“I’m so tired,” Beth says. “Please come back in the morning. There’s so much I want to say.”
We wait until her eyes close again and then Sammy and I walk out of Beth’s room. “She’s asleep,” I tell Karl. “We’ll come back in the morning.”
He’s eager to see his wife, but before he goes into her room, he stops to tell me, “I’m a firm believer that anything can be worked out to a satisfactory ending. I know you and Sammy have been through a lot, but your willingness to come to Beth so quickly says much about your desire to heal. Together, I think we can make that happen.”
I wanted to hate Karl, but I don’t. In fact, I may be on the verge of liking the guy. “I appreciate your willingness to move to Chicago to make that happen,” I tell him.
“My first wife died nine years ago. It changes a person’s perspective on what’s important. And family is the most important.”
Melissa walks over to us and extends her hands toward us. We each take one, while she tells Karl, “We’ll see you in the morning. Please call if there’s any reason to come back sooner.”
As we walk away, I realize how very wrong I’ve been about things. How wrong I’ve been about keeping love out of my life. Love is all that matters, and I vow to do everything I can to live the rest of my days accordingly.
