Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 106538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
I shake my head. “I haven’t told her. I don’t know what to say. So until I truly know something concrete, I think it’s best not to say anything.”
Jamie takes her phone and slips it into her purse. “I think that’s smart. One day at a time. And today”—she glances up at me with red eyes—“our girl is alive.”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
Jamie steps forward and hugs me before she ducks her head, sniffles, and exits the office.
Hillary glances up from her desk. “We’re all praying for her.”
“Thank you.”
I make it through the day. Work has lots of lists and things to focus on, as long as no one says anything to me about Maren.
After aimlessly walking around the grocery store and grabbing random items, I head to Lola’s therapy appointment. Taylor texts me while I wait for her to finish.
Taylor: Maren’s having another surgery after some unexpected complications. We’ll know more later tonight. Hang in there
I set my phone on my thigh and rub my hands over my face.
“All done. Let’s get groceries,” Lola chirps on her way out of the office.
“I already picked up groceries. We can head straight home.” I hold the door open for her.
“Let’s go to Maren’s house. When will she be home?”
“We need to get the perishable items home. Maybe another night. How was therapy? Oh!” I stop. “I was going to talk to Victoria about VR.”
“I talked to her.” Lola climbs onto her bike and takes off without me.
“What did she say?” I follow her.
“She said she’d look into it, but I could try it if I have a VR, which I don’t.”
“I bet Amazon could have one here by tomorrow,” I say.
“She said I could be triggered by a game with cars crashing. I told her I knew the difference between real life and a game. She said that could be a reason VR might not work for me. But I think we should try it anyway because it sounds fun. Dakota will freak out because he’s been wanting a VR headset. Do you think he could come over and play it with me?”
“We’ll see.”
I follow Lola into the house with the two bags of groceries. Tia is chopping lettuce and tomatoes for a salad, and Amos is grilling on the deck.
Tia stills her hand on the knife and eyes me. “Any updates on Maren?” she asks after Lola’s on the deck with Amos.
“She’s in surgery again. There were complications.”
Tia frowns. “That’s too bad.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, putting away the groceries.
“I think you should tell Lola.”
I close the fridge. “Why?”
Tia shrugs, keeping her focus on the cutting board. “I’ve been thinking about it. And what if it could change everything?”
“What do you mean?”
“It could force her to let you get on a plane and fly to Canada. I don’t know what the outcome will be for your friend, but wouldn’t it be nice if something good could come from this?”
“I don’t know.”
Tia scrapes the pile of cut tomatoes into the salad bowl. “She’s going to find out. That’s just a fact. Either she’s going to hear the tragic news that Maren has died, or she’s going to hear that she was in an accident, but she’s going to live. Let her go through this. Let Lola feel the emotions while there’s still hope. She didn’t get hope when Brynn died.”
She’s not Lola’s therapist, but I can’t say that I disagree with her either.
After dinner, I join Lola in the backyard, where she’s playing both sides of the cornhole board.
“I have something important to tell you.” I pick up the red bags while she retrieves the blue ones.
“What?” She tosses one of the bags, and it slides into the hole.
“Maren’s in the hospital. In Canada.”
Lola spins to face me. “What happened? Is she sick?”
“She had to make an emergency landing in her plane, and she was injured.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s in surgery right now. I’ll know more later.”
Lola’s shoulders sag. “Is she going to die?”
This is where I lie? Right? I tell her no. Right?
“I don’t know, Lola. I think her injuries are serious. But I’m sure they’re doing their best to fix her the way the doctors fixed you after your accident.”
“Will she have scars on her face like mine?”
Oh, baby girl . . . “I don’t know.”
“When will she be home?”
I shrug. Lola frowns.
“I would like to go see her,” I say. Victoria told me to be direct with Lola as much as possible and to express my feelings so that Lola would feel free to express hers.
Lola blinks several times before shaking her head. “You can’t do that. She’ll be home. You’ll see her when she comes home.” The words and a heavy dose of panic fly out of her mouth.
I don’t jump in and save her, not yet.
“You’d have to be in a car. Mom died in a car. And then you’d have to be on a plane. Maren is in the hospital because of a plane. Why would you do that? No. Maren wouldn’t want you to risk your life to see her. She’ll be home. We just have to be patient. Maren is going to be okay.” She nods a half dozen times, wringing her dainty hands.