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Cody said it’s something Remi feels funny about. Like he couldn’t get a job so his sister had to hire him, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Remi is a damn excellent caregiver to Isabel and me. Hell, to everyone he meets. He’s the exception. The sparkly diamond in muddy waters. The ray of hope when everything goes to shit. Solid, reliable, and the best person I’ve ever met.
When Cody gets off the phone, he relays the message to me. “He’s still critical in the ICU, but he has his own room. They are only allowing two visitors at a time. I know he’d want to see you.”
I nod. I need to see Remi for myself, and yet I’m scared. How can I stay strong when I see him battered and bruised, hooked up to all these tubes? What if his prognosis is poor? Could I handle watching the man I love die? Grief threatens to obliterate me.
He was strong for you the other night. Now, you have to be strong for him. He deserves optimism, patience, and encouragement. Three things I struggle with, but for him I can rally, no matter how dire the circumstances. Regardless of what the doctors say, I’m in his corner, rooting him on. I won’t count him out. Not ever.
“I need to see him too.”
The first thing I notice when we enter the hospital is the nauseating smell of antiseptic and death. There’s an ominous feeling, but I refuse to give in to negativity. Remi needs me to be positive. Just like he is every day of his life.
It’s crazy how beautiful this day started compared to its horrifying ending. One moment, I’m in Jay’s office laughing, the next I’m barely breathing standing in front of the closed door to Remi’s ICU room. Cody’s in the waiting room with Jackson, and I really appreciate that he let me go see his best friend first.
My knock is timid because I know what I’ll find on the other side of the door—proof that this nightmare is real.
The door creeps open, and a puffy-eyed Kiara peeks out. I haven’t seen her since I first interviewed Child Care Connection. She was poised with sleek straight black hair to her chin, accentuating the curve of her heart-shaped face and plush lips … like Remi’s. Her appearance is a stark contrast from when I met her. Back then, if someone had told me how bound she and I would be, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Her forehead creases. “Miranda? Is Isabel okay?”
The steady beep of Remi’s heart rhythm rings through my ears like a ticking time bomb. One I desperately want to dismantle. “S-she’s good. I’m here…” Christ, this is hard. We were supposed to confront Kiara together. “Can I see him? Please. I just need to see him.” I barely get the last word out before I burst into tears.
Brown eyes narrow and sharpen. “You’re her,” Kiara accuses, making my head spin.
“Huh?” I sniff.
“The one he was talking about. The one he’s in love with.” She slaps her forehead and clutches her hair. “Oh my God, why didn’t I see it?” she asks no one.
“Um, w-we…” I clear my throat and compose myself. “We were going to tell you.”
“Tonight. He called and said he was bringing the woman he’s seeing to meet us tonight.” Her face pinches, and her eyes well up. She pulls me to her and wraps her arms around me.
A modicum of relief at Kiara easily accepting us settles in my restless soul.
“He’s pretty banged up. His head took the brunt of his fall.” Her sigh is long and tired. “There is a fracture to his skull and a possibility of a traumatic brain injury.”
“Oh God, no.” Those three words kick me right in the gut, knocking the wind out of my lungs.
“They said he slipped into a coma because his body is in shock. They are watching for swelling in the brain. The next forty-eight hours are critical.” Kiara’s chin quivers. “When he wakes up, he might be a little different.” She drags her hand down her face. “But the important thing is, he will wake up. I know my brother. He’s a little shit, but he’s a fighter.” She grabs my hand and squeezes. “Come on.”
I need Remi to wake up like I need my next breath. “Whatever happens, I’m here.” My severe voice cracks. “We’ll get through it together.” I’ll take him any way I can get him. He’s with us no matter what because that’s what families are about.
Hand in hand, we approach Remi’s bedside. Even though my brain conjured horrible images of him when I found out about the accident, nothing prepared me for the actuality of seeing him like this.
He has a wrapping around his head, and the left side of his face is all bandaged up. His left arm did not fare better—it’s wrapped in a cast, shoulder to wrist. The color of his skin is an unhealthy gray. Instantly, I miss his cheeky grin with winking dimples and the mischievous glint of his eyes promising fun and joy.
“Oh, Manny.” Without hesitation, I grab his hand. It’s limp, but it’s as warm as always, and that gives me a shred of comfort. He’s hooked up to IVs and tubes, and there is a machine helping him breathe. Kneeling on the floor, I rest my lips on his hand. I can’t hold back my tears, so I let myself have a moment before I toughen up and be strong for Remi.
“I’ll just be out in the waiting room.” Kiara’s voice floats over me, but a thought enters my head.
I turn to her. “Gram?”
“He took you to meet her, huh?” With a watery smile, she shakes her head as if to say, how am I the last to know? “She’s on her way. One of the residents is dropping her off.”
When she disappears behind the door, I wipe my face and buck the fuck up.
“Hey, I need you to know something, so listen to me, okay?” Grabbing a tissue, I dab my eyes and wipe my nose. “There’s a little girl out there who believes you hung the moon. Her mom thinks you’re pretty extraordinary too.” I hardly recognize the person I was before Remi. It’s certainly different from who I am now.
Thinking about how uptight, angry, and bitter I was makes me sad for that woman. She didn’t believe in it at all. She was so caught up in her anxiety that she missed what was really important—giving quality time to the ones she loves. Being present and enjoying every moment because the next minute isn’t promised.
