"Nikki, I thought you'd be gone by now," Kaylyn said as she sidled up to her.
"I'm leaving now. I just need to find Amy,” she replied, looking around in hopes of spotting her niece.
“Oh, I saw Amy heading over to the Nestled Inn with your friend Ava,” Kaylyn informed her.
“Thanks,” Nikki replied, turning around to leave. “I’ll text you when we’ve got Trish. Make sure everyone moves to the living room and is quiet until I give you the signal,” she instructed.
“Will do,” Kaylyn replied with a thumbs-up.
Nikki made her way to the front and found Paul leaning against the driver’s side of his car with his arms folded against his chest.
Nikki gave him an apologetic look.
“Where’s Amy?” he asked, looking behind her.
“She’s by the inn. I’ll go get her.”
“I thought that’s what you were doing in the first place,” Paul said, easing into his car and starting the engine, then honking his horn.
Amy came running down the porch steps before Nikki had taken more than ten steps.
“Sorry.” She smiled sheepishly at her aunt.
“It’s okay, but we’re very late. Your mother must be worrying by now.”
The women got into the car, and Paul drove off the property and onto the main road. In less than twenty minutes, they were riding the elevator up to the fourth floor where Trish was.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry,” Nikki and Amy apologized for their lateness as they hustled past the two nurses standing by their station whose unsmiling gazes had landed on them the moment they came through the elevator.
“We’re not the ones you should be worried about,” one of the women responded with a smirk.
Nikki pushed the door open and entered the room to find her sister sitting on the bed, her cell phone in her hand. Trish’s eyes registered surprise when they landed on Nikki before they narrowed.
“I was just about to send out a search party for you,” she said lightly, but the slight wobble in her voice told Nikki that her lateness had affected her. She felt awful.
“I’m sorry, Trish. I should have been here a lot sooner,” Nikki apologized.
Trish gave her half a smile. “That’s okay,” she responded softly.
Nikki knew it wasn’t. Ever since Trish had woken up over a month ago, she’d had to work very hard to regain functionality in her limbs, which had almost become flaccid as her muscles were wasted from lack of use. She’d had to relearn how to walk again, and her broken leg had healed, but she still hadn’t fully recovered and had to use a cane for support. She’d done one reconstructive facial surgery, and her bandages were now all gone, but there were a few noticeable scars on her forehead.Her physiotherapist had said her improvements were all on track. Still, even though that was good news, Nikki realized that her sister struggled to cope with the emotional trauma from the accident and her recovery. Sometimes she felt so helpless, especially when Trish got into a pensive mood like now, as she stared down at her feet.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said, causing Trish’s head to lift to stare at her curiously.
Nikki walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Amy.
“Hi, Mom,” Amy greeted with a wide grin as she walked into the room.
“Hi, sweetie. What are you doing here? Don’t you have classes today?” Trish asked, furrowing her brows. However, this time, a small smile graced her lips.
“I do. I did. But I decided to take the day to help Aunt Nikki get you back home, where you belong,” Amy replied, reaching for the hand her mother held out to her and holding it against her chest, an endearing smile on her lips.
Trish’s smile brightened as she stared lovingly back at her daughter. “I’m glad you came,” she said in earnest.
“Me too,” Amy replied.
“What did I miss?” Paul asked, stepping into the room with a blank expression.
