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He exhales. “There’s never any easy way to say this.”
“She’s dead?”
Dr. Meyers nods. “It was sudden. We think it was a blood clot, a side effect of one of her medications. She was pronounced dead as soon as she arrived at the hospital.” He hesitates. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks.” My voice is wooden. I prepared for this moment, I guess. As much as someone can.
“I know that this is a shock. And that you have a lot of other things going on right now. If you have any questions…if there’s anything you want to talk about, you know where to find me.”
I nod.
Dr. Meyers offers one last sympathetic smile, squeezes my shoulder, then heads in the opposite direction.
I stand there for a minute, the high of the game still mixing with worry about what Sydney is going through right now.
And my mom…there’s a hollow, empty feeling in the center of my chest that isn’t indifference.
Cassia is chewing on her bottom lip when I return to my seat. She studies me closely as I sit back down beside her, silently wondering.
“My mom’s dead.”
She freezes beside me. “What?”
“That was her doctor. The one who did the testing. It happened tonight.”
“I’m—” Her voice catches. “I’m so sorry, Holden.”
Harrison is eyeing us curiously, but I don’t think he can hear what we’re saying. And I’m not ready to share this with anyone else.
“I knew it was coming,” I say.
And I did.
But still…I decide itisa loss.
I’m officially an orphan, even if it’s felt that way since my dad died. Felt that a few times before he did, honestly. I know he left to help us. But still, he left a lot.
Cassia grabs my hand.
We sit in silence until a doctor clad in pink scrubs appears. Based on the way Harrison sits up, it’s the news we’ve been waiting for.
The woman approaches Harrison first, who’s sitting with his parents. They showed up about an hour after Cassia and I arrived. I don’t know the Bakers well, but they seem like nice people. And I’m glad that Sydney’s kid will have some grandparents.
The doctor leaves and Harrison stands.
“It’s a girl,” he tells us, a tentative, nervous smile on his face. “Do you guys want to come meet her?”
“You go first,” I say.
Cassia nods next to me in agreement.
They might not be a traditional family, but they deserve to have this moment.
Harrison nods, then disappears into Sydney’s hospital room.
I exhale and lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. A little relief trickles into the emotional mess I’m experiencing. Cassia rubs small, soothing circles on my back.
“Do I tell her?” I ask.
