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“I’ll wait for your mom.” She gave me a reassuring smile before I disappeared down the hall.
I reached his room and slowed, staring at the door number. Taking a few, deep, calming breaths, I wiped beneath my eyes and attempted to rid any evidence that I’d been crying. I wanted to be strong for Dad. Finally, I poked my head through the cracked door.
“Dad, I’m here.”
“Ella?” Dad asked from the hospital bed as he pried his tired green eyes open. “Come on in.” His voice sounded strained.
I closed the door behind me and hurried to his bedside. “When will the doctor come in?” I pulled up a chair, the legs scraping across the white tile floor. Taking his hand in mine, I sat next to him.
“He just ordered the tests. He’s concerned the trial is weakening my heart.”
I clenched and unclenched my hand. “No. Dammit, no. We can try something else. There has to be another trial we can get you into. Something better. If this one isn’t working, we’ll find one that will. We can’t just?—”
“I love you, baby girl. But we might have to stop fighting.”
I pressed a kiss to the paper-thin skin of his knuckles. My jaw clenched with determination, and our gazes locked. “I will never stop fighting for you. Never. So do not ask me to.”
An exhausted smile slipped into place. “Sometimes the heavens make that choice for us, honey.”
I shook my head. “No. I refuse to accept that until the test results are back.” I patted his skinny arm. Over the last fourteen months, Dad had lost so much weight that it was hard to picture him as the man who used to work out every morning. He was healthy for sixty-two. Then, almost overnight, he was sick … dying. While Mom had taken a medical leave at work to care for him, we’d tried an aggressive chemo without any positive results. It had left his pale skin paper thin from the extensive sessions. Afterward, I’d scrambled to find a clinical trial for him. He’d finally been accepted into one. It was our last hope.
A looming shadow of dread lurked over me as memories of his decline grabbed me by the throat, sending my pulse racing with anxiety. The mere thought of being without him was like standing at the edge of an abyss, the ground beneath my feet threatening to crumble beneath me. He had always been my rock.
“Stop,” he said.
“Stop what?”
“Thinking about what it will be like when I’m gone. You’re strong. You’ll be okay. I’ve prepared you for this, honey. You’re smart, you have a good job, great friends, and your mom.” He pulled in a long breath before he continued. “Do you have someone special in your life yet?”
I rolled my eyes. “What kind of question is that at a time like this?”
“Appease your old man and answer me.”
I shifted on the hard plastic chair, my ass protesting loudly.
“Maybe. It’s too early to tell.” For a moment, my body relaxed, and a smile pulled at the corner of my lips. But tonight was amazing.
“From the look on your face, you really like this boy. Tell me more.”
Dad always had a way of guiding conversation when there was a tense situation. He said it didn’t make sense to waste time wondering about something out of your control. It helped pass the time with a more uplifting topic. I always appreciated his wisdom, especially now.
“His name is Sebastian. He’s a few years older but has an established career. So far, he’s attentive, kind, funny, and very handsome.” I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the man quickly gaining my interest, whether we were together or not. I decided it was probably best that I leave out telling my dad that I wanted to lick and fondle every square inch of the man. My dad didn’t need to know about Sebastian’s defined abs and sculpted arms. How the rain had molded his pants to what looked to be a very impressive cock.
“What does he do for a living?”
I squirmed on the seat, wondering how Dad would take the fact that he owned a restaurant and club. Dad was a bit old-fashioned and was a firm believer in working for a corporation until you retired. Times had changed though, and companies laid off the highest paid people first. Security was a thing of the past. But even if he weren’t crazy about the idea of Sebastian being self-employed, the thought that Sebastian had money and could take care of his daughter would soothe his concerns. Not that I needed anyone to take care of me, but my security was important to him.
“He owns a restaurant and club. He’s wealthy, but you’d never know it because he bartends. He said it keeps things interesting.”
“He sounds like a good guy. If you think there’s something between the two of you, I would like to meet him.” Dad squeezed my hand, his eyelids fluttering closed.
I froze, waiting for the soft rise and fall of his chest that would indicate he hadn’t died. A lump formed in my throat, and I struggled to swallow over the fear. Frantically, I searched the room to see what machines he was hooked up to. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw the monitor tracking his heartbeat. It was the soft beep I was hearing.
Dad’s eyes flew open, and he chuckled. “Sorry, honey. I guess I dozed off.”
The door opened, and a nurse joined us. “We’re ready to take him for his tests. You can stay here or in the waiting room.” She offered a gentle smile to us.
I rose, then leaned over and kissed Dad on the forehead. “Hurry back. Mom should be here any time.”
