Page 80 of Liberating Bells
Derek laughs. “All I’m saying, Son, is don’t get ahead of yourself. You never know what might come out of a friendship. Especially given your history.”
I choose not to continue this conversation and go back over to sit next to my mom. A doctor strolls by a few minutes later, tablet in hand, with my mom’s chart notes pulled up. He goes over the preliminary test results.
“We spoke with her oncologist, and he believes that it’s an adverse side effect to the chemo treatment. He said they switched her regimen this week?” Derek confirms, and the doctor continues. “We’re expecting that she will be just fine, but we’re going to keep her overnight for observation to monitor her blood pressure levels. We’ll have a nurse come by soon to get her situated once we can transfer her.”
The doctor heads off, leaving Derek and me alone with Mom once again. We sit for a while before, finally, she starts to stir. First, it’s her fingers twitching, then her eyelids flutter before she takes a deep breath and comes to.
She sees me first. Her eyebrows pull together, and she tries to shift on the bed. “Ryno? What’s going on?”
Derek is on the other side of her bed. He runs his hand across her head like he did earlier. “You collapsed this afternoon. Ryan called the ambulance, and now you’re in the emergency room. Everything’s fine,” he adds quickly when he sees my mom start to panic. “But they’re going to keep you overnight just to make sure.”
“I can stay with Thalia tonight so you can stay with Mom,” I offer to both Derek and my mom. Mom grabs my hand, giving me a slight, appreciative squeeze.
“That would be great, thank you, Ryan,” Derek replies. Then he looks behind him. “Do you want to call Izabel and have her bring Thalia back?”
I agree, pulling out my phone and typing a quick text to Izabel. She responds right away, letting me know they’re heading back. I tuck the phone back into my pocket and turn around to my mom.
“How are you feeling?”
Mom shrugs. “Kinda tired, but I’m okay. I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Ry.”
I shake my head with a chuckle. “Don’t be. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She smiles at me. Her face is thin, so much more delicate than it used to be. Her hair is completely gone, but her eyes still hold fire behind them that I love about her. She’s a fighter, and I have no doubt she’ll beat this. It’s just a little bump in the road.
That’s what families are for, though—the bumps in the road, both big and small. We stand by each other through thick and thin. My mom is one of the most influential people in my life.
Thalia comes back with Izabel, and she talks to Mom for a few minutes before we head out. Izabel follows us, waiting until I’ve got Thalia all buckled in the backseat before grabbing my hand.
We stare at each other for a few minutes before she says simply, “Let me know if you need anything, Ryan. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”
I acknowledge her, and she starts to walk away. I grip her hand once more, pulling her back. She spins toward me until she’s pressed against my chest. I wrap my arms around her slim body, holding her tightly to me. She sighs and leans into me, pressing her chest against mine. I think I could hold this woman for an eternity if she would let me.
I release her a moment later, but we don’t entirely part. Her eyes are dancing as I gaze into them. “Thank you,” I whisper. I raise my hand to brush my thumb tenderly across her cheek. Something I can’t decipher flashes in her eyes but disappears just as quickly as it came. “Hey,” I whisper, bringing her back to me. Her eyebrow hitches up. “I love you, Bells.”
Izabel stares at me with a smile, her cheeks turning a bright red and her eyes softening. Then her expression hardens, and a flash of sadness overtakes whatever feeling she was experiencing before. She gives me one last wary glance before lifting her hand in a wave and leaving. After watching her walk away, I finally get into the car, glancing at Thalia in the back seat. She’s staring at me with a smirk on her face. The same smirk that I so often display.
“What?” I ask her.
She shrugs and looks out the window. “Nothing. I just think that Bells would make a really good big sister.”
29
IZABEL
“Do you think they have Doritos?”The little girl holding my hand asks me as we walk into the cafeteria.
I glance around at the sterile environment smothered in blues and beiges and grays. You would think they would make hospitals more inviting and friendly, considering the hours that many families have to spend here waiting for their loved ones. My job today is to occupy Thalia so the reality of her mom being so sick doesn’t hit too hard.
“I don’t know, Thalia,” I tell her. “Maybe we can find a vending machine that has some Doritos. Which kind do you like?”
“I like the blue ones,” she tells me with confidence. I smile. The blue ones are my favorite, too.
We wander around until I find a vending machine with Cool Ranch Doritos. I pull out my wallet, handing Thalia a few dollars to put it in the machine and type in the letters. I help her, and soon enough, we’re sitting at a table, munching on Doritos and drinking Sprite.
“Do you think my mommy’s going to be okay?” Thalia asks me after a moment of silence.
I watch her closely. Her green eyes hold a sadness that I hate to see in a girl so young. I nod my head fervently. “I think she’s going to be just fine.” I hope that I’m not made out to be a liar. “The doctors here are very smart. They’re going to take good care of her.”
