Page 93 of Make it Real
I shook my head. I didn’t need anything. Nothing could soothe my rattled nerves right now. Except…maybe a hand in mine offering comfort. An arm around me to hold me together. A spark of sunshine to cut through the gloom.
Turned out I did need something. I needed Callie.
I stood and walked to the other side of the waiting room, pulling my phone from my pocket. I tapped a contact, my heart racing like a motor revved to the breaking point. She answered on the second ring.
“Callie.” It came out more plea than greeting.
“Jed? What’s wrong?”
The concern in her voice squeezed my lungs, and I needed a second to fill them again.
“My pop’s in the hospital.”
“Oh no.”
She made a sound of dismay, and I hated spreading my anguish, but the one thing I needed right now, the one thing that might help, washer.
“Could you…could you come and just be with me? Please?”
THIRTY-TWO
callie
Déjà vu had never cut quite sodeep. I’d lived out this scene in the medical center a dozen times before. Jed and his family huddled together, waiting for news. I knew that worry, too, the grief that loomed over them just waiting to strike. Jed sat slumped with his elbows on his knees, his hair skewed every which way, his head bowed down.
I walked farther in, and Wade nudged him. Jed looked up, and when his eyes met mine, his sigh echoed across the room. He rushed over, gathered me into his arms, and tucked his head down against mine. I held him close, trying to transfer whatever strength I had into him. I hugged him with all my might, giving him everything I could.
“Thank you for coming,” he whispered.
“Always,” I whispered back.
We rejoined the others, and I hugged each one, sharing what words of support I could.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Wade said when he’d released me.
I sat next to Jed, our hands clasped tightly together as Marilyn brought me up to speed. Clint was in surgery, but they didn’t know what type or how long it would take. The nurses had been kind, but hadn’t shared anything more. We’d just have to wait it out.
“June isn’t here yet?” I asked.
Wade and Jed exchanged a look.
“We didn’t want to ruin her honeymoon until we knew anything for sure,” Wade said. “It’ll shake her whole foundation.”
“It’s going to shake her no matter what.”
He winced, his mouth thinning. “I guess we don’t want to hurt her until we have to.”
I could appreciate the depth of love and affection they had for their sister, and how badly they wanted to protect her from heartache, but that sweet impulse had led them to a stupid conclusion. “It will be worse to find out you kept something like that from her, no matter how good your intentions are. I’m sure she’d rather you were honest with hard truths than find out you’d kept her in the dark.”
Oh.
My turn now to share a look with Jed. Wasn’t that what I’d been doing to Granny? Keeping her from the truth so I wouldn’t hurt her feelings about the house or the set-ups or Jed? Wanting to spare her a little hurt was all well and good, but how much more would it hurt when she found out I’d lied about everything?
I ticked my head in a tiny nod at Jed. I needed to come clean to Granny. Not spin a break-up story, but tell her the whole truth.
“You’re right,” Wade said, standing. “I’ll give her a call.”
He walked away, and Jed squeezed my hand tighter. I wasn’t sure if it was for me deciding to tell Gran, or for convincing them to call June, or what, but I squeezed him right back.
