Viv’s dad straightens up, regarding me with blatant hostility. “I’d like to know the answer to that question too,” he says as the door opens and a man in blue scrubs enters the room.
“Mr. and Mrs. Mills. I’m Dr. Dwyer, and this is Officer Lawson. He’s investigating the accident,” he adds, stepping aside to let a tall man into the room. He has a head of thick black hair and a slight paunch, and he’s wearing a wrinkled black suit. The cop’s eyes widen when he gets a load of Jamie, Ro, and me, but he quickly composes himself. The doctor shuts the door, and tense anticipation bleeds into the air.
At least Viv’s parents have forgotten about me.
For now.
My heart is ping-ponging around my chest, and I think I might throw up. Ash walks to me, looping her arm through mine. Her lower lip wobbles, and she’s as white as a sheet. I know she’s every bit as terrified as me.
“Is our daughter out of surgery? Is she okay?” Lauren asks in a shaky voice.
“Vivien is in recovery, and she’ll be moved to a private room shortly. You can see her then. She lost a lot of blood, and we also discovered some internal bleeding. We found the source, repaired the damaged blood vessel, and cleaned out the pooled blood. She has a few bruised ribs, a concussion, and a sprained wrist, but she will make a full recovery. She needs rest and time to heal.”
Relief floods my system, and I wrap my arms around my sister, squeezing my eyes shut as I press a kiss to her head.
“Thank God,” Jonathon sobs, losing control of his emotions.
“What about the baby?” Ash asks.
The doctor’s features soften, and Jamie is up on his feet, striding toward us with purpose.
“We delivered the baby by C-section, but she was stillborn. She was deprived of oxygen for too long, and we didn’t get to her fast enough. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Ash bursts into tears, and I release her into Jamie’s care. This will bring back traumatic memories for them.
“Oh no, Jon.” Lauren buries her face in her husband’s shirt, sobbing her heart out.
Pain slices across my chest. If Viv has lost Reeve too, I don’t know if she’ll be able to come back from this. “What about my brother?” I ask. “Where is Reeve?”
The cop clears his throat, clasping his hands in front of his body. “Mr. Lancaster was pronounced dead at the scene,” he confirms, his features solemn.
I blink profusely, unable to process what he’s just said or understand how I’m feeling.
“Oh my God. No!” Lauren wails, and her legs almost go out from under her. Her husband keeps her upright, even though I can tell he’s struggling with the news too. “Not Reeve too! Not our son! She’ll never get over this, Jon.”
Lauren’s tearstained face almost undoes me. Ro gets up, walking to my side, offering me quiet comfort.
“Why is this happening?” she cries. “Why is God doing this to us?”
Ash is full-on crying too, and Jamie is doing his best to console her.
“What happened?” Jonathon asks the officer while holding his devastated wife. “How did our son-in-law die?”
“It appears Reeve unbuckled his belt and threw himself across Vivien to shield her and the baby before the tree toppled on their car. He took the brunt of the injury. The paramedics at the scene said your daughter would most likely have died if he hadn’t protected her.”
Every ugly thought I’ve ever had about my twin, and every ugly word I’ve ever spoken about him, comes back to haunt me. I know his actions tonight don’t exonerate his sins, but it’s possible Viv was right.
That I didn’t know the real Reeve.
And now I never will.
He sacrificed his life to save her and his unborn child, and that speaks volumes about the kind of man he was.
I hang my head as shame and a myriad of different emotions clouds my brain.
“I can’t process this,” Lauren says, clinging to her husband’s tear-soaked shirt. “Please tell me this is a nightmare and I’m going to wake up and Reeve will still be alive and Vivien will still be carrying little Lainey.”
Jonathon’s shoulders heave as he wraps his arms around his wife, and it’s clear he can’t form words.