Page 103 of Need You To Choose Me

I let out a long breath, feeling my shoulders relax. I grip her fingers, my other hand going to her hair. Neither of us says anything as I brush her hair away in gentle strokes until her eyes grow heavy, and she dozes off once again, her breathing evening out.

“Dad?”

I look up at the softly spoken question and find Levi standing in the doorway dressed in his PJs. Pressing my finger against my lips, I get up and exit the room, closing the door behind me.

“You done?”

“Yes.” Levi glances toward the door. “Is Sav really going to be okay?”

“Miss Parker,” I correct, “will be fine. She’s just tired.”

Levi crosses his arms over his chest and lifts his chin. “Sav told me I have to call her Miss Parker when we’re in school, but I can call her Sav when we’re home. That’s what her friends call her.” He gives me a pointed look. “Because I’m her friend.”

Chuckling softly, I drop my hand to his shoulders and steer him toward his bedroom. “Okay, then.Savis going to stay here so I can keep an eye on her. Now off to bed with you.”

Levi climbs into his bed, and I pull the covers over him.

“Sav is really nice, Dad. I like her. I don’t want anything to happen to her or my baby brother.”

“It won’t. We’ll take care of her.”

Levi nods. “Yes, we’ll take care of her.”

I brush his hair away before leaning down to kiss the top of his head. “Sleep tight. I’ll see you in the morning.”

With a “Goodnight,” I slip out of the room, closing the door behind me. I can hear the water running in the bathroom, so I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the cupboard, I open the highest shelf and pull down the whiskey I stashed there behind some of the rice crackers I knew the boys didn’t like. Pouring two fingers of amber liquid, I make my way out on the porch and sit down on the stairs.

I pull out my phone and type in gestational diabetes. Now that everybody was asleep, I could finally do what I wanted to since the doctor told us Savannah’s diagnosis—research. I couldn’t help her if I didn’t know what we were dealing with.

Dozens of different results pop up on the screen immediately. I start reading each article, making my anxiety grow stronger. So many things could go wrong, and there was only so much Savannah or I could do to help her.

Squeezing my glass, I lift it and down the drink in one go. The whiskey slides down my throat, and I embrace the burn.

What if something goes wrong? What if she can’t manage it with diet? What if something happens to the baby? What if something happens toSavannah?

“Is she really okay?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I find Daniel standing in the doorway watching me.

“Let’s hope so.”

Daniel nods, his gaze turning distant as he bites the inside of his cheek.

Placing the glass on the floor next to me, I face forward and look up at the dark sky. I knew we should probably talk about what had happened this afternoon, but I didn’t have it in me to get in another screaming match with him.

I expect Daniel to leave, but instead, he sits on the step next to me. For a while, we stay in silence, neither of us saying anything.

“Did I…” He clears his throat. “Was I the reason she ended up in a hospital?”

My head whips in his direction. “What?”

His body is stiff, fingers curling into fists in his lap so tightly his knuckles have turned white. The panic is written all over his face as he rushes out in one breath, “I swear I didn’t mean to hurt her. I didn’t even realize I pushed her that hard or that she would fall. I didn’t want to h-hurt her, Dad.” His tear-stained eyes meet mine, and hearing his voice break is like a kick to my gut. “I s-swear… I didn’t want to hurt her.”

“Hey.” I place my hand on his knee and give it a firm squeeze. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him cry. Or show any sign of fragility. Lately he’s been full of rage that’s been brewing under the surface for the last few years. “You didn’t hurt her.”

“B-but she fell. And I?—”

“Breathe,” I whisper, gripping his knee tightly. “C’mon.”

---