Page 6 of The Space He Left
Harper's response came quickly:Give her my love. Take care of yourself, too. I love you.
I love you too,I typed back. And I meant it. I loved Harper completely, deeply, in a way I'd never loved anyone before.
But sitting there in the dark hospital room, holding Madison's hand and listening to her breathe, I felt something I hadn't felt in years. A connection to my past, to the boy I'd been before life got complicated. A responsibility to the girl who'd trusted me with her secrets and her fears.
I settled back in the uncomfortable recliner and closed my eyes, telling myself I was just being a good friend. Just helping someone who needed help. Just keeping a promise I'd made a long time ago.
But deep down, in a place I didn't want to examine too closely, I knew it was more complicated than that. It had always been more complicated with Madison.
Outside the window, the city lights twinkled like distant stars, and somewhere far away, my pregnant wife was sleeping alone in our bed on what should have been our anniversary night.
I pushed the guilt aside and focused on the woman beside me, the woman who'd once been my whole world and who was now facing the fight of her life.
"I'm here," I whispered to her. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." It was a promise I'd made before. A promise I'd kept then, and would keep now, no matter what the cost.
Chapter 3
Harper
The coffee was cold when Jack finally came home.
I'd been up since six, moving around the kitchen with the familiar weight of pregnancy slowing my steps, making breakfast for two even though I wasn't sure when the second person would arrive. The baby had been active all night, as if she could sense her father's absence, and I'd spent the dark hours with my hand on my belly, whispering reassurances.
He's helping someone. He'll be back soon.
When Jack walked through the door at nearly nine o'clock, still wearing the clothes he’d dressed in for our anniversary dinner, and looking like he'd barely slept, I felt as exhausted as he looked.
"Hey," he said, his voice rough and tired. "Sorry, I'm so late. I meant to be back before you woke up."
"It's fine," I said, though it wasn't. I'd been imagining all sorts of scenarios – Madison taking a turn for the worse, Jack sleeping fitfully in an uncomfortable hospital chair, Jack drivingback from the city hospital in the middle of the night, completely exhausted. "How is she?"
Jack slumped into his usual chair at the kitchen table, running his hands through his hair. "She's scheduled to start treatment today. But Harps..." He looked up at me with exhausted eyes. "She's terrified. She doesn't have anyone else."
I poured him a cup of coffee, noting how his hands shook slightly when he reached for it. "I'm glad you were there for her. She must be so scared."
"She is." Jack's voice was distant, and I noticed he was staring out the window instead of looking at me. "I couldn't have left her alone. Not like that."
The baby kicked, a sharp jab against my ribs that made me wince. Jack usually noticed when that happened, usually reached over to feel the movement with his hand. This time, he didn't seem to see it at all.
"Are you okay?" I asked, settling into the chair across from him. "You look exhausted."
"Just tired. That hospital chair wasn't exactly comfortable." He managed a weak smile. "I'll be fine after a shower and some real food."
I watched him drink his coffee, noticing the way his shoulders remained tense, the way he kept glancing at his phone. There was something different about him, something distant that I couldn't quite name.
"Will you need to go back today?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.
"Probably. Madison's starting chemo today, and she'll need someone to drive her to appointments. Her car's still in LA, and she can't afford to rent one long-term."
"Of course." I nodded, ignoring the small twist in my stomach. "What time is her treatment?"
"Midday. And then it'll be twice a week for the next few months, assuming..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Assuming everything goes well."
Twice a week. That meant Jack would be gone for most of two days every week, driving back and forth to the city, sitting with Madison through her treatments. I calculated quickly in my head – that would take him away for hours at a time, maybe even overnight stays if the treatments ran long.
"That's a lot of driving," I said carefully.
"It's what she needs." Jack's voice had an edge to it, a defensiveness I'd never heard before. "What else am I supposed to do? Let her go through this alone?"
