Unwrapping Daddy Read online

  “How are we going to tell the kids?” Zoe asks me. She’s wearing a pained expression. “After everything they’ve been through, it’s going to break my heart.”

  I reach out and take her hand. “What do you want to do? I’ll tell them if you want.”

  “No.” She offers me a grateful smile but shakes her head. “It should come from me. They know me.”

  Even though she’s completely right, the statement still stings and reminds me that I’m a stranger to my family. It’s not like Laura hasn’t begged you to come home. “Everything will be okay,” I promise her. “You can tell the kids that Laura will be back home before they know it, as good as new.”

  She frowns. “You don’t know that.”

  “I won’t settle for anything less than the best for Laura.”

  The hours pass by with no news. Eventually, Zoe glances up at the clock and gasps. “School’s nearly out. We have to go get the kids.”

  “I’ll go get them,” I offer. “You should be here for Laura.”

  “Are you kidding? You should be here for Laura. You’re her brother. Besides, the kids know me.”

  “We came in my car.” I frown. “Let’s track down a doctor and see if someone knows how Laura’s doing.”

  I pace the halls, returning to where I first found the doctor who gave me news on Laura. After ten minutes, I spot him again and wave him down. Zoe is just behind me, hanging onto his words.

  “How’s she doing, doctor?”

  “Still stable. She’s coping with the surgery very well.”

  “When is she due out?”

  “Within the hour.”

  “And then we can see her?”

  “We’re going to be putting her into a medically induced coma,” he tells us. “As well as the fractures to her spine, Mrs. Demont has suffered some internal bleeding and a fractured collarbone. We think this way will be less traumatic for her. Her body needs the chance to heal.”

  “How likely is it that she’ll take a turn for the worse?” Zoe asks. “Should we bring her kids in to see her?”

  “That’s entirely up to you,” the doctor says. “With patients like Mrs. Demont, the first twenty-four hours are the most critical. She’s done very well so far. Do you need to leave?”

  “Laura’s kids are about to finish school for the day.”

  The doctor nods. “We can call you if there’s any change in her condition. It’s going to be a long time before you can see her. Probably not until the morning. Even then, she won’t be conscious for several days.”

  Zoe and I exchange glances. I don’t know what’s for the best. If I say we stay here, I’m abandoning the kids. If I say we get the kids, I’m leaving Laura.

  “What do you think, Zoe?”

  “Laura would want us to take care of the kids.” She takes a deep breath and nods. “Yes. Let’s get the kids and tell them what’s going on.”

  The doctor nods. “That may be for the best. At times like these, it’s important to take care of yourselves. You can call the hospital any time for updates, and if Mrs. Demont faces any difficulty, we’ll call you immediately.”

  I shake the doctor’s hand. “Thank you.”

  Zoe

  We don’t tell the kids in the car, and it’s the longest journey of my life. It takes everything in me to hold back the tears, but I don’t want to scare Megan and Jack. I think it’s best that they receive the news somewhere familiar. They’ll be upset, and the last thing we want is another road accident.

  Instead, I will myself to stay calm and listen wordlessly to Jack’s excitable chatter. Neither of the kids is suspicious that Laura’s not here—they were expecting Tom to pick them up today.

  It seems a lifetime before we pull up outside Laura’s house. Tom parks the car, and we head inside.

  Megan heads straight up the stairs.

  I call to her, “Megan! Can you wait a second? I need to talk to you.”

  She stops, trying to hide her impatience. “Is it ground rules from Mom? Because I already know: no sleepovers and home by ten.”

  “No, it’s not that. Come downstairs, Meg. This is important.”

  Megan can tell from the tone of my voice that something serious is going on. She takes a couple of steps down the stairs, her cell hanging from her hand. The sleeves of her gray sweater are too long, hanging over her hands. She lifts a hand to her mouth anxiously. “What’s going on, Aunt Zoe?”

  “We’ll talk about it, sweetheart.”

  She follows me into the living room. Tom stands awkwardly by the door. Jack is searching for his console.

  I call him over. “Jack, sweetie, come and sit with Aunt Zoe.”

  Jack doesn’t come straight away. He takes a moment to pick up his handheld games console from the windowsill before he pulls himself up onto the sofa beside me. I wrap my arms around him, taking in his sweet, childish scent of laundry powder and kids’ shampoo.

  Holding him in my arms makes the tears well in my own eyes again. It’s so hard to tell them.

  Tom takes a seat next to me and holds my hand. He catches my eye and offers a small smile of encouragement. I’m glad he’s here. I take a deep breath.

  Megan is standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. She’s biting down on her lip and staring at me. I can see the fear in her eyes. I know she’s expecting the worst. Just like Mike.

  “Your uncle got a call from the hospital today.”

  Taking quick strides across the living room, Megan kneels in front of me, both sleeves in front of her face like she’s watching a horror movie unfold. “It’s Mom, isn’t it?”

  I reach out and grip Megan’s hand tightly. Jack had zoned out, playing his game, but now his thumbs stop smashing buttons, and he lifts his head to listen. Megan’s hanging on to every word.

  “Yes. Your mom’s been in an accident.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She will be, sweetheart. She’s hurt, but she’s stable, and the doctors are taking excellent care of her. Your uncle is making sure she gets the very best care.”

  Megan’s chin wobbles, but she tries her hardest not to cry. I can see a lump in her throat bobbing up and down as she swallows back sobs. Her eyes become wet with tears, but she blinks them back. “Can I see her?”

  “They’re still taking care of her. We can see her tomorrow.”

  “What are they doing to her?”

  “Your Mom’s broken her back—but don’t worry. The doctors don’t think there will be permanent damage. No wheelchair.”

  I see the relief in Megan’s eyes. She nods hopefully. “How are they treating her?”

  “She’s had surgery today to remove everything dangerous. They’ve put her into a coma to help her recover, and are keeping her in a brace to stop any more damage.”

  “What kind of accident was it? Who caused it?”

  I look to Tom. Neither of us has even asked. We were too concerned about Laura to care how it happened. “I don’t know, sweetheart,” I tell her. “The doctors didn’t say. All that matters is that she’s in the right place now. Everyone’s looking after her the best they can.”

  “I want to see her.”

  “Nobody can see her right now. She’s only just come out of surgery, and they still need to fix the braces. She needs to rest.”

  “I don’t need to talk to her. I just want to see her face.” Now the tears start spilling. Megan’s shoulders start heaving with sobs. “Please, Aunt Zoe. I need to see her.”

  I bite down on my lip and look over at Tom. “Shall we take her to the hospital?”

  Tom crouches down beside Megan and puts his hand on her shoulder. “I know you want to see your Mom, kiddo, but we need to let the doctors do their work. I think the best thing for everyone now is to try and get some sleep. We can all go in the morning when your mom’s doing a bit better.”

  Megan scowls and wrenches herself from Tom’s grip. “You just can’t be bothered with her. Like always.”

  I see the h
urt on Tom’s face, but he doesn’t react. He raises himself from the ground and sits back on the sofa. “It’s not like that, Megan. We’re thinking of your mom.”

  “And what if she dies, huh? It’ll be Dad all over again.” Her voice trembles. “I never got to say goodbye to him either.”

  I kneel down beside Megan and pull her into my arms. I hug her like she’s my own child and kiss the top of her head. “That’s not going to happen, Meg. I promise you won’t lose her.”

  “How do you know?”

  I cast a glance to Tom, and then repeat the words he said to me to give me faith. “Because your mom’s a fighter. When have you ever seen her quit?”

  Megan nods. “If anything happens in the night, you have to swear that you won’t go to the hospital without me.”

  “I promise. If her condition changes at all, then we all go.”

  She takes a deep breath. When she speaks again, her voice is barely more than a whisper. “Is it okay if I call Justin?”

  I squeeze her hand in mine. “Of course it is, honey. We’ll be right here if you need anything.”

  Megan disappears upstairs. Jack is still sitting on my lap. He’s got the sense of what happened, but I don’t think he realizes how serious the situation is. His little face is drawn and concerned; he’s clutching his game anxiously to his chest.

  “Mom’s in the hospital?”

  “Yes, sweetheart, but the doctors are taking great care of her. We’re going to see her tomorrow.”

  Jack’s eyes well up.

  I give him a tight hug. “Trust me, Jack. Your mom is going to be okay.”

  He doesn’t answer. I wonder what’s running through his young mind. Slowly, Jack slides off my lap and leaves the room, dragging his feet behind him, his electronic game hanging from his hand. I don’t know whether to follow him or give him some time. I let him go.

  I turn to Tom, letting out a long breath and letting my whole body slump. “That was hard.”

  Tom pats my back. “You did great. That wasn’t easy to do.”

  “I’ll stay for a couple of hours to make sure everything’s fine here, and then I’ll go.”

  His eyes widen. “You’re leaving?”

  “I can’t stay.”

  “Why not? Zoe, I need you here to help me with them.”

  I lay my hand on his knee. “Laura tells me that Megan already knows something is going on between us. It’s not appropriate for me to stay the night. She’ll read into it. Things need to be about the kids and Laura right now.”

  Tom looks completely out of his depth and disappointed.

  I’m disappointed, too. After a difficult beginning, it had seemed like Tom and I had finally found our stride. Now we had to put our feelings for each other aside to be there for Laura and her kids.

  Will we ever find out if this is meant to be? Or is this fate telling us to give up already?

  Tom

  We arrive at the hospital: Megan, Jack, Zoe and me.

  It’s been a long, difficult night. I didn’t sleep a wink. Laura’s bed was free, but it didn’t feel right to sleep in it, so I slept on the sofa, tossing and turning, terrified for my sister.

  A difficult night was followed by a tense morning. Jack kept asking when we were going to see Mommy, and Megan didn’t say anything at all. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but I didn’t know what to say to her. All my warm smiles were met with icy glares.

  I picked Zoe up on the way to the hospital; she’s closed the store for the day to be there for Laura. When I think of how much it took for me to take time off work to visit, I realize how much dedication and love Zoe has for my family. She doesn’t think twice about dropping everything.

  “Everybody ready?” I say.

  Megan glares at me in the mirror. Zoe twists in her seat and reaches out to give Megan’s knee a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s go see how your mom’s doing. No call in the night, so she must be staying strong.”

  “Like you said, she’s a fighter.”

  We file out of the Mercedes and head into the hospital. This time, when we ask for Laura, we’re given a room number. It’s a private suite, as I requested.

  The room is bright and airy. Big windows are letting in a lot of light, and all the furniture is polished to a shine. Laura has her own closet and set of drawers, a bedside table, and a standing tray on wheels for her meals. There’s a TV and a few magazines. I’m relieved to see that the room is comfortable.

  It doesn’t quite undo the horror I feel when I lay eyes on Laura.

  She’s lying on her bed with what looks like bolts jutting out her temples, attached to wires affixed to the head of the bed, a plastic strap under her chin. Her legs are raised over a rubber block at the knees, her lower back strapped into a belt-like device.

  She’s completely immobilized by the traction, but right now, she’s not in discomfort. She’s out cold, in a medically induced coma. Her skin is gray, her eyes dark. Her blonde hair is uncombed and unwashed. I can still see some blood. I immediately look over to see if Megan has noticed.

  Megan’s eyes are filled with fresh tears, her mouth hanging open. She takes strides toward Laura, but I pull her back.

  “You shouldn’t touch her,” I warn. “She needs to stay put for her back to heal.”

  Zoe puts her arm around Megan’s shoulders and leads her to a chair at Laura’s side. “You can hold her hand, sweetie. That shouldn’t do any harm.”

  I look at Jack. He’s looking scared now, too. I wonder what all these wires and braces must look like to a five-year-old. Laura’s also fitted with a breathing tube in her throat. It’s taped down over her mouth and makes her condition appear even more serious—like she might stop breathing any moment. A heart rate monitor is clipped to her fingertip, attached to a machine that beeps regularly.

  I take Jack’s hand. “Are you alright, buddy?”

  He cocks his head to one side and takes a step closer to Laura. “What’s wrong with Mommy?”

  I crouch down, so I’m at his level. “She’s sick, but she’s going to get better. She’s sleeping now. She’s really tired because she’s not well.”

  Jack looks at Megan and sees her holding Laura’s hand, so he stands at her other side and does the same.

  Zoe and I stand at the foot of the bed, watching them. Zoe looks like she’s about to cry.

  She lowers her voice and leans in toward me. “I wish there was something I could do.”

  “You’re here. That’s all you can do.”

  “How was last night, after I left?”

  “Megan stayed upstairs. Jack played a while and went to sleep. It was this morning that was tense.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing. I didn’t know what to do.”

  Megan lets go of her Mom’s hand and heads toward the door. “I’m going to get a soda.”

  Zoe follows her. “I’ll come with you.”

  “No. Thanks, Aunt Zoe, but I need some time alone.”

  “Do you have your cell on you?”

  Megan holds up her iPhone.

  Zoe nods. “Don’t go far.”

  She leaves. I turn to Zoe. “Is it a good idea to let her leave?”

  “She’s struggling.”

  “All the more reason to keep an eye on her.”

  “She’s only getting a soda.”

  Twenty minutes later, Megan still hasn’t returned.

  “I’ll call her,” Zoe says. She pulls out her cell and selects Megan’s number. A moment later, she frowns. “Straight to voicemail. I think she’s turned her cell off.”

  “Do you have any idea where she’d have gone?”

  Zoe bites her lip. “My best guess would be her boyfriend’s. Justin drives. He could have picked her up.”

  “Where does Justin live?”

  “Only five blocks from Laura’s.”

  “Right. Try her cell one more time, and if she doesn’t answer, we should go looking for her.”

  Zoe tries again wi
th the same result. She shakes her head. “Megan has never been able to handle emotional stuff very well.”

  Just like her Uncle Tom. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

  She bows down to kiss Laura’s forehead. “You’ve got a spirited daughter, there, Laura. Don’t worry. Aunt Zoe knows her well. We’ll be back. Hang on in there, hon.” She turns to Jack, holding out her hand. “Come on, sweetie. It’s time to go.”

  “When’s Mommy coming home?”

  “Soon.”

  “Today?”

  “A little bit longer than that.”

  Jack frowns but does as he’s told. He gives Laura’s hand another squeeze, then stands on his tiptoes to kiss her cheek. “Bye, Mommy.”

  “When we get in, you can make her a nice card, okay? I bet she’d love that.”

  “Okay.”

  I smile at Zoe. I’m so grateful for her. She knows just what she’s doing with Laura’s kids, while I’m drowning.

  I’m nervous about leaving the hospital in case Megan is still around. “She could have run out,” I say. “Maybe one of us should stay here.”

  “I don’t drive,” Zoe says. “It’ll have to be you. I can stay here with Jack.”

  My stomach drops at the thought. I can’t imagine anything that’s more of a challenge than dealing with an emotional teenage girl at a time of crisis. I’m the only one who can go looking for her, though. I’d better learn to activate that super-uncle mode Laura was so keen for me to unlock

  I take Justin’s address, leave Zoe and Jack, and head over.

  Justin lives in a small townhouse not far from Laura. When I arrive, I’m quick to race up the stairs and knock on the door. It’s answered by a middle-aged woman with an oversized cardigan and a huge beaded necklace. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m Megan’s uncle. Is she here?”

  The woman’s face softens into a smile. “She is. I heard about Laura. I’m so sorry. How’s she doing?”

  “She’s holding in there. They say the first twenty-four hours is the most critical, and we’ve passed that point. I think we’re out of the woods for now, but there’s a long road ahead.”

  “Poor thing. If you need anything at all, just let me know. I’m Tess, by the way. I’ll get Zoe for you now.”