I don’t know what I’d do without Rhodes here. We sit next to each other on the cold peach-colored chairs, and he puts his arm around me.
“She’ll be okay,” he says over and over again. I want so badly to believe it’s true.
The doctor comes out after what feels like ages and confirms my suspicions. She went into shock from not eating enough and may have even had a seizure. Her blood pressure is also high, so they’re keeping her for a few days. But for the moment, she is stable.
I break down and my entire body goes limp. If Rhodes wasn’t here to hold me as I cry, I would’ve been on the floor.
The doctor says they’re moving her to a room and once she’s settled, they’ll let me see her. He walks away as I focus on my breathing to calm myself as Rhodes rubs my back.
“I should’ve taken better care of her,” I say. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have gone with you until I made sure she ate. Or at least I should’ve checked her blood sugar before we left.”
“No, Micah. You can’t blame yourself. She’s old and fragile.”
I shake my head. “I should’ve been there,” I whisper.
He puts his arm around me and squeezes tight. He doesn’t let go until the nurse comes to let us know we can see Nana.
When we enter, her eyes are closed and she looks like she’s aged ten years in the past few hours. The room is freezing and smells like bleach, and I can’t help but notice how austere everything looks. My nana doesn’t belong in a place like this.
“There’s my sugar bug,” she says, opening her eyes when she hears us approach. Her voice is scratchy and thin.
“Nana, I’m so sorry,” I say, leaning in to give her a tight hug.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she says. “I’m alright. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about me.”
“I always worry about you,” I say.
“You shouldn’t make a fuss over an old lady like me,” she says, her voice weak. “Rhodes,” she says, holding a hand out towards him. He takes it and places his other hand on top of hers. “I apologize for ruining your date.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he says.
“You didn’t ruin it, Nana,” I whisper.
“Go on home, now. Let me get some sleep.”
I don’t want to leave, but I know I’ll keep her up if I stay. Besides, the doctor had assured me she’s stable.
I give her another hug and tell her I love her and I’ll see her tomorrow—which is actually today. My sense of time is completely out of whack. We stop in the hallway to talk to the nurses, then Rhodes and I leave the hospital.
When we walk outside, the sun is rising. We drive back to my house in silence.
“Are you going back to Birmingham today?” I ask him when we pull into the driveway.
“I don’t have to,” he says. “Do you want me to stay?”
“Yes. I mean, I need to sleep and collect myself. I’ll see Nana later today, but maybe afterwards we can do something.”
“Sounds perfect,” he says. He walks me to the door and gives me a long, tight hug. I never want him to let go. I feel so safe, so secure in his arms, and I want it to last forever. He kisses me on the forehead, then loosens his grip.
“Let me know if you need anything,” he says.
“I will. Thank you.”
I slide open the door, realizing I neglected to lock it when we went to the hospital. After I step inside, I turn to see Rhodes walking to his car.
Part of me wants to ask him to stay, but it feels like too much, too soon. This is all too heavy considering we’ve technically only been on two dates.
Every light in the house is still on, so I turn them off and go to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. When I look in the mirror, I frighten myself. Last night’s makeup is now under my eyes, my face is swollen and red from crying, and my hair is disheveled like I’d been sleeping for a week. I can’t believe Rhodes saw me like this.
