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Playboy reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “How are you feeling? You look… well, you look tired,” he said, frowning slightly.
Gabby stiffened, pulling her hand back a little too quickly. “I’m fine,” she muttered, her irritation flaring again. She sat down on the edge of the bed, forcing herself to breathe slowly, in and out. Her team surrounded her, all asking questions at once—how was therapy going? Was she excited about getting her prosthetic? When did the doctors think she could go home?
Their words blurred together, the room feeling smaller and smaller by the second. Her head throbbed, and she tried to answer them, but it was becoming harder to focus on anything they were saying. The noise, the attention—it was all too much.
Gabby clenched her fists, hiding them in her lap as she fought back the growing frustration. They were all here to support her, to show they cared, and she knew that. But the longer she sat there, the more she just wanted them toleave. She needed space. She needed quiet. She needed sleep. Instead, she was stuck trying to play the role of the grateful survivor when inside, all she felt was the sharp edge of exhaustion dragging her down.
Her dad was saying something to Drew about how well therapy was going, and she almost laughed at the irony.Well?Therapy waskillingher. She’d barely made it through today without collapsing. But she couldn’t let them see that. Not now.
Gabby’s eyes flicked back to Playboy. He was watching her closely, his smile fading as he studied her face. He knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t even begin to explain what she was feeling. She was beyond tired, beyond frustration. She was breaking.
And nobody knew.
As she sat there and listened to them all talk about her like she wasn’t sitting right there in front of them, her patience wore thin until she couldn’t handle it any longer. She was beginning tofeel like a jack in the box. Slowly but surely, she was being wound up little by little until—snap! She exploded.
“Can you all just be quiet!”
With her sudden burst of anger, all conversation in the room stopped as everyone turned their attention to her.
“Gabby?” her mom questioned, taking a step towards her.
But Gabby held her hand up. “I’m sorry. I appreciate everyone's concern. But right now, I just need some space, alone,” her words cut through the silence like a knife.
She could see the shock in their expressions, along with a mixture of hurt and confusion. But she stood firm.
“I love you all,” she said as her voice softened and even cracked a little bit. “But right now, I need to be alone.”
Her mom started to cry. “Gabby, please, we’re just trying to be here for you,” she said.
Gabby closed her eyes and took a deep breath.Why couldn’t they understand?
Opening her eyes, she looked at her mom, who looked devastated. “I know, Mom, but I just want to be alone right now.”
Her dad stepped forward, putting his arm around his wife. He looked stunned and sad as well.
“We understand Gabby.”
“Do you, Dad? Do all of you really understand what I’m going through right now?” Her voice started to rise. “I don’t even know what’s next for me. Will I still have a career? What will my home life be like now?” Her voice cracked, and tears filled her eyes. “Please, just give me a little bit of space.”
She could tell she was breaking her parent’s hearts, but she could at least see the understanding in her dad’s eyes.
Her dad nodded and walked over to where she was sitting. He pulled her into a hug. “We’ll give you some space, sweetheart. Just promise me that you’ll call us if you need to talk.”
She sniffled as she wrapped her arms around her dad’s waist.
“I promise.”
He pulled back and then kissed her forehead. “We love you, Gabs.”
“I love you, too. Both you and mom,” she said as she looked right at her mom, who had tears rolling down her cheeks.
Her mom ran over and hugged her tight.
“I love you, baby girl,” her mom whispered.
“I love you, too, mom.”
When they broke apart, Gabby watched as her mom and dad walked out of the room.
