Page 78 of When I'm Gone
Two more turns, and after passing what Luke swore was the same nurses’ station twice, Neal stopped abruptly and then turned to face him. “Thank you for doing this. I know I can’t be your favorite person right now, but ... I have a lot of respect for you. I hope one day we can be friends.”
Neal put out a hand, and Luke stared at it for a moment. He’d spent months searching for this man, making up all kinds of stories about who he was and why he was so important to Natalie. The truth was not even close to anything Luke could’ve ever imagined. And the manhadraised and cared for his biological child, a child with special medical needs, a child he could’ve tossed into the same system Luke had floundered through.
Carefully balancing the box under his arm, Luke gave Neal’s hand a firm shake. He might not be at the point of liking the man yet, but he certainly could respect him back.
“This is her room. I’ll wait out here until they come.” Neal pointed to a large metal door, oversize so wheelchairs and gurneys could fit through easily. “Unless you want me to come?”
“No,” Luke blurted, faster than would be considered polite. “I think I’ll be fine.”
“Good luck,” Neal said as he held open the door.
Luke hugged the box of letters against his chest. The room was smaller than the one in Farmington Hills. Today Jessie’s eyes were open, though turning her head to see who walked in seemed to exhaust her. He hadn’t seen her since the revelatory letter from Natalie, but even in her puffy, weak state, there was something that stirred in his chest, the same feeling he had the first time he saw Will, May, and Clayton, the feeling that confirmed this was his child. Luke sat down on an empty chair arranged near Jessie’s head.
“Mr. Richardson. I mean ... Luke ... hi.” Jessie welcomed him weakly, her fingers lifting ever so slightly.
“Hey there, Jessie. How you doing?” Luke flinched, taking in the tubes going into her arms, machines droning beside her. “Stupid question. Sorry.”
Jessie looked like she was trying to laugh but could only manage a pained smile. “I’ve definitely felt better.”
“I’m sure you have.” He put the box on the floor under his chair, wondering if he’d even find the courage to tell her anything.
“Well, the kids miss you. Um, May says she wants to give you a pedicure after your surgery, when you’re allowed visitors and all.”
“I can’t wait.” Jessie’s bottom lip, dry and cracked, quivered.
“So, did your dad tell you why I’m here today?”
“Not really.” She shook her head ever so slightly.
“Well, it has something to do with your surgery, and he thought you should know before ...” Oh, this was just too hard. Neal had convinced Luke to speak with her about Natalie because there was more than a small chance that she could die under the knife. He decided to try another approach. “So, uh, your donor. Did your dad tell you where they found her?”
Another nearly unperceivable no.
“She’s related to your birth mother, Jessie. She’s actually your maternal grandmother.”
“My, my birth mom?” Jessie struggled like she was trying to sit up, her breathing becoming more ragged. “You found her?”
The hope in Jessie’s eyes stabbed at the place inside Luke that was still raw from missing Natalie. How was he supposed to tell this sick girl that her birth mother had been claimed by cancer, just like Maria Townsend?
“She foundyou, Jessie. Last year, at Eastern. You got to know her very well. She loved you so much.” The glowing lights of Jessie’s monitors blurred as Luke’s eyes filled with tears. As sick as she was, it was clear Jessie immediately understood. Her own eyes glistened too, and her chin quivered.
“Natalie ... Natalie ... was my mom?” She asked the question, but Luke could tell she already knew the answer.
“Yeah, honey, she was.” Her shoulders shook and Luke rubbed them, worried that if she got too upset, the alarms on one of her machines would go off.
“Natalie was my mom.” She said it again, a statement this time. Then her face crumpled. “Why didn’t she tell me? I ... I have so many questions. We could’ve had some time together. We could’ve ...” She trailed off.
Luke sniffed. “I know. I know you do, and I’ll answer as many as I can. Your dad knows a lot more than I do.”
“Wait, he knew? All this time, he knew?” Luke hadn’t considered what would happen if Jessiedidn’tlike the revelation.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know. I just found out myself. I ...”
“What about my birth dad, is he dead too? Did he wait till everyone was dead to tell me?”
“Jessie, your birth dad isn’t dead. And your dad did what he thought was best for you. Please, don’t be upset. I just wanted to see you before you went into surgery. I wanted you to know ...” This was harder than revealing Natalie’s maternity. “I’m your birth dad.”
“What?” Her face crumpled. “You and Natalie? You must’ve been ... so young.” She paused to take a breath before continuing. “Wait, so May is my sister? I have a sister?”
