Page 38 of Forever Christmas
Chapter 14: Gavin
Mom calls when June and I are most of the way down the mountain, tiredly clomping along the flatter part of the trail.
I figure it’s right about the time the surgery is done. I don’t figure he survived the whole six hours only to die at the end. So he’s probably okay.
“Hey, Mom,” I say.
June halts, her eyes wide. I should have said somethingto her before I answered.
“I’m going to put you on speaker with me and June,” I add.
We sit on a rough boulder, me holding the phone between us.
“Your father is out of surgery,” Mom says. “They said it all went fine. Took three arteries out of his leg and two out of his arm.”
“Gross,” June says.
I nod my agreement.
“That’s what they have to do,” Mom says. “He’s in ICU, of course, so I haven’tseen him. They will let him sleep off the anesthesia, so he won’t wake until later tonight.”
“How you holding up?” I ask.
“I’m fine. Maybelle is here. Corabelle and her father left after she threw up all over Grandma K.”
June lets out a snort, then claps her hand over her mouth.
Uh-oh. Morning sickness must have hit. “Is Corabelle okay?” I ask.
“Maybelle said it was probably nerves.”
I knowbetter. “Okay. I’ll check on her.”
“They’ve been home a long time by now. You went on a hike, they said?”
“Yeah,” I tell her. “Cooke’s Peak.”
“That’s a big hike!” she says. “Is June all right?”
“I’m fine, Mom,” June says. “We made it to the top!”
“Oh my,” Mom says. “I assume I won’t see you tonight?”
“You spending the night there?” I ask.
“I have a hotel room,” she says. “With my brotherBen. He’s here. I can’t sleep in the ICU like I did his room.”
Right. “Well, fill us in tomorrow and maybe I’ll take June up there,” I tell her.
My sister whacks my arm. “I’m not going if you’re not.”
“You will both come up here,” Mom says. “You’re his family.”
“Okay, Mom,” I say, giving my sister some hard-core side eye.
“And let me know how Corabelle is,” Mom says. “She looked positivelygreen.”
“Will do.”
