Page 59 of Unconventionally, Elle
He kept his word. He walked through the door at ten p.m. and saw all of my Christmas decorations and boxes spread out in the living room. I'd purchased a beautiful eight-foot flocked tree online and had it set up as well. All we had to do was hang ornaments--and drink hot cocoa, of course.
"Where did you get all of these ornaments?" he asked as we decorated.
I could tell he was tired, but he was still decorating with me because he'd promised earlier. His eyes were tired, and noticeable dark circles had appeared. He yawned and hung another ornament.
"Oh, I don't know. Just over the years. Some were my grandmother's and some courtesy of Hobby Lobby." I laughed as I continued to string oversized ribbon and get the tree somewhat closer to my vision of a Pottery Barn tree.
"Damn, Elle. You're pretty good at this." He sat on the couch and watched as I went to work fluffing and putting ornaments in the precise spots I had imagined for them.
"It takes years of practice, and not to mention, I've watched many tutorials on how to make your tree look like it was professionally decorated." I winked at him and then got back to work. I grabbed our bag from Nantucket and pulled out our ornament.
"Barrett and Elle," I said with giddy delight. "You ready to put this gem on the tree?"
I looked back, and he was taking a deep breath with his eyes closed. A temporary look of relief graced his features.
"Hey, Barrett?" I whispered and walked over to him.
"Hmm?" he hummed with his eyes still closed.
"We can go to bed, babe. I know you've had a hard day."
He opened his eyes slowly and kept his mesmerizing gaze on mine. "Let's hang our ornament first. Deal?" He leaned forward and kissed me softly.
We walked to the tree together, traditional Christmas music playing low, and picked a spot on the tree for our Nantucket souvenir.Barrett and Elle.
About an hour later, we were lying in bed, my arm across his chest and his arms wrapped around me. My eyes were closed, and I let my head move with the rise and fall of his chest. Then the peaceful quiet disappeared and his phone was blaring.
He startled awake and reached for his phone but knocked it to the floor. He rolled out of bed and got on the floor to find it. It had stopped ringing by the time he had it in his hand. He sat on the edge of the bed and went still.
I was still trying to get my bearings, and when my eyes focused, I saw Barrett staring hard at his phone, frozen. "Barrett, what's wrong?" I sobered up from my sleepiness and put my hand on his shoulder as I leaned over to get a look.
"Elle?" He looked up and I could see the fear in his wide eyes.
"What? What, Barrett?" I pleaded. "What's wrong?"
"Elle, I have a voicemail from my mom. I read the transcript. My dad had a heart attack. He's in the hospital." Barrett stood up and stumbled while looking for his pants on the floor. "I need to go." He looked lost, confused. Fight-or-flight was taking over his body.
"Oh my God." I couldn't comprehend the news fast enough. "Go, go! Do you want me to come with you? Drive you?"
What else could I do?
He nodded absentmindedly. I don't think he really heard what I said, because within minutes and without a word, he threw on shoes by the door, grabbed his jacket and keys, and ran out. Louie stopped snoring and stood up on the couch to seewhere his daddy had gone. I stood in the living room in only his boxers, my chest hurting and my mind reeling.
"What now?" I looked at Louie, who stared back at me with big brown eyes. I texted Emma, but she didn't answer. I texted Barrett--nothing. Finally, I called Finn and he answered after the second ring.
"Elle? Elle what's wrong?" he asked in a sleepy voice. I heard shuffling and Jackson in the background.
"I'm sorry, Finn, I know it's late, you know I never call, but--"
"Elle, what happened?" This time his voice was firm and awake.
"Finn..." I was trying not to cry. My body wasn't listening to me; I was officially freaking out, and my chest was getting tight.Fuck.My head was pounding, and my throat felt like it was closing. "Barrett's... dad... he had a heart attack!" I said between sobs and choked breaths. My chest hurt and I was hungry for air. "Barrett left, he had to go. He's at the hospital. I didn't go. I didn't know, he didn't ask. I--"
"Elle, we're coming. We'll be right there." Finn hung up without another word.
Breathe, damn it. Breathe! Slow it down, Elle. Slow it down.I tried to coach myself through the anxiety. I had to; it was just me at the house.Inhale, two, three, four, exhale two, three, four.
About twenty minutes later, Louie started yapping.That was fast, I thought as I ran over to the door to open it.
