I don’t want to have this conversation in front of Della, so I step out of my room as I answer.
“Can you talk,” she says hurriedly, not giving me time to greet her.
“You’re not interrupting anything. What’s up?”
“You need to catch the first flight back home. It’s your Dad.”
Ice cold fear washes over me. I shove a hand through my hair as my heart starts to race with dread.
“What about Dad? What happened?”
“Come home!” she screams. “He’s had another heart attack. They say it’s bad. You need to come right now.”
It feels as if my life is shattering around me.
“Just stay calm. I’ll leave right now,” I say automatically.
As I cut the call Rhett comes up the stairs. He looks pissed off until he sees my face.
“What happened? Della just ran out of here upset about something. Did you have another fight?”
I shake my head, not understanding what he’s saying.
“Dad had a heart attack,” I say as I’m being sucked under by the delayed shock.
“Fuck. Is he okay?”
Rhett takes hold of my shoulder and I force the words out. “We have to go home. It’s bad.”
“Pack your shit. I’ll get rid of everyone and book our flights.”
I turn to walk back into my room, but Rhett pulls me back and gives me a hug.
“He’s a fighter.”
I nod as apprehension flood me. It feels as if the night is closing on me and I won’t get to see the sun shine again.
“I can’t lose him,” I say more to myself than to anyone else.
CHAPTER 9
DELLA
(Nine months later.)
It feels as if the pain is going to tear right through me. The medication they gave me aren’t helping at all.
“Please,” I groan through another contraction. “Give me anything to take the pain away.”
“Just breathe,” Sue says as she wipes the beading sweat from my forehead. The nurse said the doctor will be here soon. He’ll give you something.”
“I want something now,” I cry miserably. How the hell did my mother do this twice?
The nurse comes back into the room. Sue glares at her, concern etched between the lines on her face. “Will the doctor be here before the baby comes?”
“This is normal, ma’am. The doctor will be here in time,” she assures us, but it’s not what I want to hear.
“Nothing about this is normal,” She shrieks. “She doesn’t pop out a baby every other day. This is a very overwhelming moment for the child, and painful. Go fetch the doctor now.”