hold back the tears that clouded her vision. “Dare,” she said quietly. “What about what I did to him ?”
By the time she reached Paige’s office, she was a few minutes late, but her doctor wasn’t upset with her. Paige took new X-rays, and they chatted about things like pain level, and the weather, until Paige could consult the results. She seemed happy with the progress, though she warned Quinn again that this sort of break would probably take a minimum of another month to heal, and could take longer.
Darren jumped out of his seat when Quinn walked out of her doctor’s office, and opened his arms to her. Quinn let herself be held for a few seconds before she hugged him back. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled into her hair.
“No, Dare.” She pulled back so she could look at him. “No, I just. Everything about this situation is so weird. And I’m worried about Dad, and sad about Mom, but if I think too much about that, I just want to…stop breathing.” She leaned into him again. “And Jonah. We both hurt each other so much , and I think we owe it to what we were to fix that, but I don’t know how.”
Darren pressed his forehead against hers; his eyes looked like the sky just before it rained. “I don’t know what to tell you, Quinn. I hope you can each put the past behind you, so that you can move on, and be okay.”
She nodded, and then pulled away. “I hope we can, too.” She pulled her purse higher on her shoulder. “Give me an hour, and come back for me?”
“Of course.” Darren kissed her cheek quickly, and then loped away. Quinn smiled after him until he was out of sight, and then made her way to the nearest elevator.
Paige’s office was in the same hospital her dad was in, and by now, Quinn knew her way around without having to ask for directions. She made her way to the third floor easily, and traveled the familiar hallway until she stopped outside his door. Her heart was beating faster as she steeled herself for what she would find, and told herself not to get her hopes up, since someone would have called her had he woken today.
The room was dim, and her father lay in the same position as usual. He looked unaware of anything, peaceful, even. Quinn walked across the room and opened the blinds partway before she eased herself into a chair by his bed. Rummaging through her purse, she took out the battered paperback copy of The Fellowship of the Ring . The series was one of their favorites when she was a child, hence the current shape of the book. Her father had gotten it second-hand at a yard sale, and they’d been careful not to damage it, but the cover was worn from time and from many readings.
Quinn thumbed through until she found her bookmark. “Looks like we left off at chapter eight yesterday,” she commented softly. When she first visited him, and didn’t know what to say, she remembered the book, and brought it her next visit, starting from the beginning. “I’ll read a chapter to you today, Daddy, and maybe by the time I come back tomorrow, you’ll be awake.” Quinn laughed softly.
She placed her finger in the book as a marker. “I know I say that every day, but I really hope it’s true this time.” She studied his face, but didn’t see any outward sign he could hear her. “I miss you so much, and it doesn’t feel right, reading our favorite book without you. So if you can hear me—” A strangled sound jumped ahead of whatever word would have come next, and Quinn cleared her throat, battling back tears. “ If you can hear me, come back, please. I know I don’t deserve it, but I wish we had one more chance to make our relationship right again.”
Dropping her gaze to the page, Quinn picked up where she’d left off, reading to her father about hobbits and adventures, and magic, and hoping he’d latch onto these words, if not hers, and find his way back to her.
~~~~~
“So how did the appointment go?” Lanie stirred something on the stove before she
By the time she reached Paige’s office, she was a few minutes late, but her doctor wasn’t upset with her. Paige took new X-rays, and they chatted about things like pain level, and the weather, until Paige could consult the results. She seemed happy with the progress, though she warned Quinn again that this sort of break would probably take a minimum of another month to heal, and could take longer.
Darren jumped out of his seat when Quinn walked out of her doctor’s office, and opened his arms to her. Quinn let herself be held for a few seconds before she hugged him back. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled into her hair.
“No, Dare.” She pulled back so she could look at him. “No, I just. Everything about this situation is so weird. And I’m worried about Dad, and sad about Mom, but if I think too much about that, I just want to…stop breathing.” She leaned into him again. “And Jonah. We both hurt each other so much , and I think we owe it to what we were to fix that, but I don’t know how.”
Darren pressed his forehead against hers; his eyes looked like the sky just before it rained. “I don’t know what to tell you, Quinn. I hope you can each put the past behind you, so that you can move on, and be okay.”
She nodded, and then pulled away. “I hope we can, too.” She pulled her purse higher on her shoulder. “Give me an hour, and come back for me?”
“Of course.” Darren kissed her cheek quickly, and then loped away. Quinn smiled after him until he was out of sight, and then made her way to the nearest elevator.
Paige’s office was in the same hospital her dad was in, and by now, Quinn knew her way around without having to ask for directions. She made her way to the third floor easily, and traveled the familiar hallway until she stopped outside his door. Her heart was beating faster as she steeled herself for what she would find, and told herself not to get her hopes up, since someone would have called her had he woken today.
The room was dim, and her father lay in the same position as usual. He looked unaware of anything, peaceful, even. Quinn walked across the room and opened the blinds partway before she eased herself into a chair by his bed. Rummaging through her purse, she took out the battered paperback copy of The Fellowship of the Ring . The series was one of their favorites when she was a child, hence the current shape of the book. Her father had gotten it second-hand at a yard sale, and they’d been careful not to damage it, but the cover was worn from time and from many readings.
Quinn thumbed through until she found her bookmark. “Looks like we left off at chapter eight yesterday,” she commented softly. When she first visited him, and didn’t know what to say, she remembered the book, and brought it her next visit, starting from the beginning. “I’ll read a chapter to you today, Daddy, and maybe by the time I come back tomorrow, you’ll be awake.” Quinn laughed softly.
She placed her finger in the book as a marker. “I know I say that every day, but I really hope it’s true this time.” She studied his face, but didn’t see any outward sign he could hear her. “I miss you so much, and it doesn’t feel right, reading our favorite book without you. So if you can hear me—” A strangled sound jumped ahead of whatever word would have come next, and Quinn cleared her throat, battling back tears. “ If you can hear me, come back, please. I know I don’t deserve it, but I wish we had one more chance to make our relationship right again.”
Dropping her gaze to the page, Quinn picked up where she’d left off, reading to her father about hobbits and adventures, and magic, and hoping he’d latch onto these words, if not hers, and find his way back to her.
~~~~~
“So how did the appointment go?” Lanie stirred something on the stove before she
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