Gia smiled. “Then I’ll just have eggs and toast.”
Roger waved for a waitress, who, unlike the hostess, was bubbly. A bit too much for Roger. Smiling was one thing, but she was a chatterbox. He wasn’t in a rush, but he knew Gia wanted to get back to the hospital quickly. “If you don’t mind, we need to get back to the hospital and I’m starving.”
The waitress nodded and said, “Let me know if you need anything else.”
Let’s start with what we ordered first. “She was . . . pleasant.”
“I wonder if they gave all the happy pills to her,” Gia said.
The waitress returned with coffee for him and tea for Gia. When she left, Roger asked, “How is your mother holding up?”
“She’s angry. She said the doctor had told my father he needed to quit smoking. My father is a stubborn man. Obviously, he didn’t listen. That’s why my mother yelled at Gary earlier. When I told her she was wasting her breath on him, she got angry at me. So I guess the only one not angry is my father. And that’s only because he’s not conscious.”
He reached over and held her hand. “Stress doesn’t always bring out the best in people.”
“No. It’s more than that. It’s my fault.”
“What is?”
“The distance between us. I’m the one who left. But I was never really there.”
Roger had nothing to say. He went to boarding school because his parents traveled the world, building their empire. What was a normal family? One that sat down for dinner every night? A mother who made sure her child did his homework? He knew he was loved. But Roger also knew he didn’t fit in their lifestyle.
Gia continued. “I’m closest to my father. Mom said I was Daddy’s little girl and could do no wrong in his eyes. And now he’s lying in that bed and I’m . . . I’m . . .”
“Scared.”
She nodded. Roger got up and threw money on the table. “What are you doing?”
“Let’s go back to the hospital.”
“But your food.”
Roger took her hand and guided her up. “You need to be there when he wakes up.”
She smiled at him and nodded. “Thank you for understanding.”
Even though his relationship with his parents wasn’t a conventional one, he still missed them every day. If he had the chance to tell them one more time that he loved them, or hear that they loved him, he’d trade the small fortune he inherited.
When they arrived at the hospital, he walked her to the ICU. “You know I can’t go in.”
“I know. Roger, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me today. But I think . . . I’m going to stay here with my mother and Gary.”
“Good. Call me if you need anything.”
She nodded.
“No honey, I mean it,” Roger said more firmly.
“I know you do.” She got on tippy toes and placed a light kiss on his lips. “And once he’s stable, I’ll be ready to help you again.”
“I wasn’t talking about that, and you know it. Now go, and I’ll text you later to check in.”
He knew if he didn’t turn and walk away, she’d stand outside the ICU doors forever. As he walked down the hall, he heard the door open. Roger was proud of her for doing what was probably extremely difficult to do. But if things turned for the worse with her father, she was going to be glad she was there.
I wish I had had the chance to say goodbye to my parents.