hand. “Don’t go there, Mom. We have bigger things to worry about right now. Lily is being stupid, but it’s not the end of her life. We’ll talk sense into her—you and I—over the next few weeks.” She forced a smile and squeezed her mother’s fingers reassuringly.
Popsy nodded and pursed her lips together.
“But, you have to try to stay calm. Your job is to stay strong and healthy. We need to get Dad well and then figure out just how bad his business situation is, and then we’ll think about Lily. Okay?”
Popsy gave her a weak smile. “Where would I be without you, darling?” She stroked Rosie’s hair like she used to when she was little. “Thank you for being so strong and focused. You’re right. We’ll worry about all of that later.”
As the young, and not unattractive, doctor approached them, Popsy jumped to her feet. “What news?”
He smiled sympathetically at both women then focused on Popsy. “As you were told, Mrs. Power, your husband has had a mild heart attack. What I can tell you is that he’s now stable and all of his vitals are good. The best thing you can do for him is to go home and get some rest. He’ll sleep all night, and you’ll be able to visit him in the morning.” He glanced back at the ICU doors.
“Can’t I see him now?” Popsy pleaded.
Rosie flanked her mother. “We just want to say goodnight,” she said. “We won’t try to wake him or anything.”
“Please, doctor,” Popsy asked with tears in her eyes.
The doctor seemed to weigh the situation. “You’re his wife so you can go in alone. But only a minute. It’s late, and there are other patients in there. Don’t attempt to talk to him or even touch him. Don’t do anything to disturb him. Just have a quick look to appease yourself and come back out.”
She nodded.
Then he looked at Rosie. “You’ll have to wait till tomorrow. This is Intensive Care. If he’s moved to a private room then, which I hope he will be, you’ll be able to see him a lot more.”
Rosie had no fight left as she watched her mother head out with the doctor.
She fell back into her armchair. There was just so much to take in. She couldn’t quite comprehend what the failure of her father’s business would mean to her. Was it really going to include the house? Would it impact her life? God forbid.
Would her parents need to stay with her? That really would be a disaster. Small chance of them shacking up in Lily’s apartment after tonight’s debacle. Rosie phoned her husband. It was late, but she figured he was waiting for an update.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, how are you? Thanks for the text. Any more news?”
His concern made her feel better. “Hi, honey. Nothing new, just a lot of waiting. Dad’s stable. He’s in the ICU and Mom just went in to see him.”
“Oh God, is he going to be okay?”
Rosie thought she might cry, so she tried to be strong. “Yes, he’s stable now. If all goes well, he should move into a private room tomorrow. That’s one step down the danger zone from ICU, I guess. They have to run a battery of tests before he’s let out, but he seems to be okay. What about you? What happened after we left? Where are you now?”
Rosie heard Marcus heave an enormous sigh. “Jeez, what a day. I guess you saw Lily in tears before you left. She was crying and saying this was all her fault and then Jack started to comfort her. Gotta tell you, honey, it was really weird seeing them together. I’m so used to thinking of him as your uncle.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered. “Are you saying they’re openly affectionate now?”
“Well, he was hugging her, and yeah, I guess he was holding her in a fairly non-uncle kind of way. He just kept telling her that it would be okay, and he would take care of her. Rosie, he’s way too old for her, and what about Sandra?”
“I don’t think she knows yet, but I agree with you that he’s too old. Lily will be twenty-eight in December.
Popsy nodded and pursed her lips together.
“But, you have to try to stay calm. Your job is to stay strong and healthy. We need to get Dad well and then figure out just how bad his business situation is, and then we’ll think about Lily. Okay?”
Popsy gave her a weak smile. “Where would I be without you, darling?” She stroked Rosie’s hair like she used to when she was little. “Thank you for being so strong and focused. You’re right. We’ll worry about all of that later.”
As the young, and not unattractive, doctor approached them, Popsy jumped to her feet. “What news?”
He smiled sympathetically at both women then focused on Popsy. “As you were told, Mrs. Power, your husband has had a mild heart attack. What I can tell you is that he’s now stable and all of his vitals are good. The best thing you can do for him is to go home and get some rest. He’ll sleep all night, and you’ll be able to visit him in the morning.” He glanced back at the ICU doors.
“Can’t I see him now?” Popsy pleaded.
Rosie flanked her mother. “We just want to say goodnight,” she said. “We won’t try to wake him or anything.”
“Please, doctor,” Popsy asked with tears in her eyes.
The doctor seemed to weigh the situation. “You’re his wife so you can go in alone. But only a minute. It’s late, and there are other patients in there. Don’t attempt to talk to him or even touch him. Don’t do anything to disturb him. Just have a quick look to appease yourself and come back out.”
She nodded.
Then he looked at Rosie. “You’ll have to wait till tomorrow. This is Intensive Care. If he’s moved to a private room then, which I hope he will be, you’ll be able to see him a lot more.”
Rosie had no fight left as she watched her mother head out with the doctor.
She fell back into her armchair. There was just so much to take in. She couldn’t quite comprehend what the failure of her father’s business would mean to her. Was it really going to include the house? Would it impact her life? God forbid.
Would her parents need to stay with her? That really would be a disaster. Small chance of them shacking up in Lily’s apartment after tonight’s debacle. Rosie phoned her husband. It was late, but she figured he was waiting for an update.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, how are you? Thanks for the text. Any more news?”
His concern made her feel better. “Hi, honey. Nothing new, just a lot of waiting. Dad’s stable. He’s in the ICU and Mom just went in to see him.”
“Oh God, is he going to be okay?”
Rosie thought she might cry, so she tried to be strong. “Yes, he’s stable now. If all goes well, he should move into a private room tomorrow. That’s one step down the danger zone from ICU, I guess. They have to run a battery of tests before he’s let out, but he seems to be okay. What about you? What happened after we left? Where are you now?”
Rosie heard Marcus heave an enormous sigh. “Jeez, what a day. I guess you saw Lily in tears before you left. She was crying and saying this was all her fault and then Jack started to comfort her. Gotta tell you, honey, it was really weird seeing them together. I’m so used to thinking of him as your uncle.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered. “Are you saying they’re openly affectionate now?”
“Well, he was hugging her, and yeah, I guess he was holding her in a fairly non-uncle kind of way. He just kept telling her that it would be okay, and he would take care of her. Rosie, he’s way too old for her, and what about Sandra?”
“I don’t think she knows yet, but I agree with you that he’s too old. Lily will be twenty-eight in December.
Similar Books
