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“You have my cell number memorized, agori mou?” I asked Jace.
He stepped away from Minty and stepped towards me before stopping, unsure of himself.
I held out my arm and he came into my side. “You okay, buddy?”
“Shouldn’t I stay with you, Dad? Wait to find out if Yiayia is okay?”
I ran my hand over his curls. “I think it’s best that you go with Minty, honestly. How about I take Minty’s cell phone number and I’ll update Minty whenever we know anything?”
He stood looking at the floor, unconvinced.
“Come on, boys. We have work to do,” Minty said softly.
Jace’s head came up. “What? What work do we have to do?”
“First, we need to eat some breakfast to keep our strength up, then we have to get food to bring back to your parents. Then we are going to head to Yiayia’s house to tidy up and make some meals for everybody. Okay?”
Jace nodded slowly. He leaned his head against my bicep. I cupped my hand around the back of his neck and kissed the top of his head.
Angus wrapped Alex up tight in his arms and Minty stood waiting patiently, her eyes shiny.
“Thank you, Minty.” She nodded in response to me than walked over to Gus, placing a cool hand on his arm.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Gus. Let me take Alex so you can do what you need to do.”
Gus nodded and kissed Alex’s head.
I felt suddenly bereft watching the boys leave with Minty.
“She seems like a good woman.”
“The best,” Gus said softly, and I looked at him sharply.
He caught it and smiled wryly. “No. Nothing like that. She’s pure-hearted and as good as gold. You can’t help but love her once she lets you in.” He paused. “Besides, she’s always been there for Amber, especially when I wasn’t. She’s been there for both of us.”
“Let me know if I can ever help, Gus. I know how it is to royally fuck up.”
By silent mutual agreement, we let the subject drop and headed for two empty chairs to wait.
Ruby
“Keep your cool when you see her, Ruby,” my sister coached as we walked through the doors to the emergency department. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
I looked up quickly to question Amber, but she was busy staring daggers at the poor nurse who didn’t realize who she was and gave her a hard time about getting back to our Yiayia.
Amber slipped into the room one step ahead of me, then reached a hand back to grasp mine and squeezed it reassuringly. No matter, nothing could have prepared me for seeing Yiayia lying still and pale in the hospital bed.
Blood pooled purple under the fragile skin of her right arm, visible past the short sleeve of her hospital gown. Wires that led to a long needle in her left hand lay taped to her left arm. A tube snaked out from under the blankets and wires connected her to a machine that monitored her heart rate and oxygen levels.
Her eyes were closed, the blue lines visible beneath the thin skin.
With no makeup, no flowery blouse, and no jewelry, Yiayia looked her age, and it was not a comforting sight.
“Where’s Yiayia’s ruby ring? It’s not on her hand.”
“I don’t know, Ruby. I don’t know if she was wearing it when Gus found her this morning.”
“What was he doing there so early?”
