Page 59 of Single Glance

While the ache of missing Victoria was a familiar friend, it was even harder knowing she was home and I was the one who’d left. I was dying to talk with her without the awkwardness of our last conversation, needing to share about how Cam had stolen my heart.

I missed everything.

Standing, I walked over tothe window, staring out at the city below. Boston wasn’t a place we came to often when I was a kid, so it didn’t feel like home. My childhood home was about thirty minutes outside the city, but this was the closest hospital with a cardiac specialty wing. The gray clouds over the bay mirrored my mood. It had soured more each day I spent here, waiting for the results of my mother’s testing.

A groan came from the hospital bed, and I whipped around, finding my mother trying to sit up. “Mom, take it easy,” I said as I stepped to her side. “You’re not supposed to move too much.”

“I’m fine,” she ground out. “Can you pass me a cup of water?”

I did as she asked, pouring some fresh water from the pale blue plastic pitcher. Her hands shook as she reached out. The doctor warned it would be a while until she regained her strength, and she shouldn’t try to push it.

While she sipped on the cup, I sat down on the edge of the bed, weariness overtaking me. Three nights sleeping upright in a vinyl chair was catching up to me, and I had no idea when I’d get to go home.

“Are you ready to talk about what happened?”

My mother’s dark blue eyes jumped up to meet mine. “You already know.”

“No,” I sighed. “I know you had a heart attack. What I didn’t know was that your doctor warned you this might happen. How long have you been on blood thinners and high blood pressure medication?”

She scoffed at my question. “Don’t act like you care, Hadley. You’ve had years to come around and check on me, and you’ve never bothered. I’mshocked you even showed up now.”

“Mom, I?—”

A knock sounded on the door, and my mother turned, smiling as her doctor walked inside. Dr. Leeds was a young and handsome doctor who’d been overseeing my mother’s care since she got admitted. With dark hair and tall, confident swagger, I could see why my mother always brightened up around him. Hell, if we’d matched on an app in the past, I definitely would have swiped on his profile. But now, I barely noticed. No one compared to Cam in my mind. He was the only one I wanted, and my chest ached with the need to get back to him.

Dr. Leeds smiled as he walked over to my mother’s bedside. “You’re looking much better, Ms. McKay.”

“Oh, please.” My mother smiled up at him with all the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Give me a fucking break. Even half-dead, the woman was trying to charm her way through life. “I already told you. Call me Colleen. After all, you’re my savior.”

“Mom, he’s a doctor. It’s his job to help you heal and get better.”

“Ignore my daughter.” My mother sat up straighter in bed as Dr. Leeds pulled out his stethoscope and examined her pulse. “So, Doctor, when do you think I’ll be able to go home?”

“After a major cardiovascular event like that, we’d like to keep you a little longer to make sure there are no other complications. We have a couple more tests to run, but if those come back clear, we should be able to get you home in a few days.”

“And you still aren’t sure what caused the heart attack?” I asked, moving closer to the bed. “Our neighbor said?—”

“Hadley…” my mother cooed, but I saw the warning in her eyes. Back off. She smiled back upat the doctor. “Thank you for taking such great care of me. I haven’t felt this great in years.”

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, waiting until the doctor left the room to ask my questions. “Did you ask about why your medication wasn’t working?”

My mother shook her head. “Hadley, don’t start. The doctors have all the information they need. Stop trying to stir up drama.”

“It’s not dramatic to wonder why your blood pressure medication stopped working. We need answers before you’re discharged so this doesn’t happen again.”

My mother shook her head again. “It’ll be fine. You can come with me to the follow-up appointments and we can ask them. Stop bothering these nice doctors.”

My steps faltered as I took in her words. I crossed my arms around my chest and shifted closer to her bed. “Wait—do you think I’m coming back home with you?”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth contorted into an annoyed scowl. “You aren’t? You’re going to leave your mother in her time of need?”

“Mom, I have a life, a job, I’m seeing someone?—”

“Ah.” She inhaled, then leaned against the pillows. “There’s the truth. You’ve met some guy, and now you’re turning your back on your family.”

I squeezed the bridge of my nose. This was my penance for opening up to my mother. I just shook my head and moved closer to the window. Despite not responding to her comment, my mother continued, “I was like you once.”

My eyes closed, trying to force out her words, even though I hung on every one. My mother had never opened up about her past, and as much as I wanted to shut her out,I’d always wondered about her life before I came along. I shifted, propping my hip on the windowsill.

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