Page 19 of The Off-limits Grump Next Door
The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital, surrounded by the beeping of machines and the sterile smell of antiseptic. As my eyes flew open, the bright lights of the hospital room flooded my sight, making me shut them just as quickly as I opened them.
And then, I tried again, slowly this time... allowing my vision to adjust to my environment. There was pain in my body as I tried to move, and a sharp pain shot through my head... but I ignored it, turning my head from side to side in search of my husband.
“Elon?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. I needed to see him, to know he was okay.
My brother rushed to my side, taking my hand. His eyes were puffy... his face etched with worry. But he didn’t respond. He just kept saying, “Kendra, oh my God… you’re awake.”
I repeated my question, more urgently this time. “Where’s Elon?”
But Tom’s expression only grew grim. He didn’t answer.
The nurse had rushed out of the room, leaving me with Tom’s unsettling silence. A few seconds later, she returned with a doctor, who immediately began assessing my condition. He shone a light in my eyes, checked my pulse, and asked me to squeeze his hand.
“Can you tell me your name?” he asked, his voice firm but gentle.
“Where’s Elon?” I replied, my voice cracking with desperation.
The doctor’s expression was sympathetic, but he didn’t answer my question. Instead, he asked another one. “Can you move your toes for me?”
I tried, but a wave of pain washed over me, making me gasp. “Where’s Elon?” I repeated, not as loudly this time, because tears had begun to choke my words.
The doctor’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of sadness there. But he quickly looked away, continuing his assessment. “We’ll get to that later, Kendra. Right now, let’s focus on getting you stable.” He turned to the nurse. “Let’s get her settled,” he said, his voice low and serious.
The nurse’s voice, soft and gentle, spoke to me, “Kendra… you’re safe now. You’ll be fine.”
But I didn’t care about being safe. I cared about Elon, and I knew something was wrong. I scanned the room, and that’s when I saw them—Elon’s parents, and Lucinda. Their faces were a picture of grief; heart-wrenching, spirit-breaking grief.
My heart sank, and I knew. I knew my world had come to an end.
The nurse’s words became a blur as she explained my injuries. I wasn’t listening. I was staring at the people I loved, their faces a confirmation of my fear.
And then, the nurse’s words cut through my haze. “Kendra, I’m so sorry to tell you this, but… you also lost the baby.”
Those words numbed me... I didn’t know what to feel. Grief, anger, sadness—it all swirled together in a toxic mix that left me breathless. I had been expecting a child, a new life, and now... now it was… gone. The thought of Elon, of our unborn baby, was too much to bear.
I closed my eyes, letting the darkness wash over me, as the reality of my new world crashed down around me.
Who goes from expecting a child to losing everything? The grief had been suffocating… it was still suffocating one year later.
I had tried to escape the memories by staying in bed, but the noise from the construction on the roof had made it impossible to sleep. The constant drilling and hammering only added to the pounding headache I was having, making my eyes ache and my temples throb.
In desperation, I grabbed a blanket and fled to the park, hoping to find some peace there. I’d been by the park before… it wasn’t a very busy one. And seeing as the sun was already setting, I reckoned it would have fewer activities, and I was right.
But as I sat on this bench, surrounded by the empty swings and slides, I felt only a deep sense of loneliness. The cold seeped into my bones, making me miss Elon all the more. The construction workers should have been done already, but I didn’t have the will to get off the park bench.
I huddled deeper into the blanket, my body still shaking with silent sobs.
As I cried, I felt a presence around me. I quickly wiped my eyes, pulling off the blanket as I grabbed my bunch of keys between my fingers, in a way that made it into a weapon… I was grieving, but I refused to be mugged.
My eyes popped in surprise as I saw Antonio standing there, his eyes filled with concern.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, the only sound was my ragged breathing. I felt a surge of embarrassment, of vulnerability, but Antonio’s gentle expression put me at ease. He didn’t say a word, just stood there, his eyes locked on mine, until I finally looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
Antonio took a step closer. I willed myself to move away, to create some distance between us, but my body seemed to disobey me. I was rooted to the spot.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, his voice the gentlest I’ve heard.
I didn’t trust myself to say anything without crying. So, I just nodded, trying to play it off. But Antonio’s eyes saw right through me. He took another step closer, his face inches from mine, as he turned my face to face him.
