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Anne nodded. “Luke is out there standing guard. What happened?”
“Long story. I had to see them about something, I was more tired than I thought...” Shit. The shop. “I need to get home. There’s baking to do. Other work.”
“The doctor’s not ready to discharge you,” Joy said from the doorway.
Sadie leaned into me. She did a decent job of making pinning me down look like a hug. “I already called Violet,” she said. “The café will have to go without pastries for a day. It’ll be okay.”
“No. I can’t. I—”
“Stop.” Anne’s voice was sharp. “You can. You will. If you’re good, maybe we and the doctor will let you do a little work on Monday.”
Sadie pulled out her phone. “Now, call your mom. Tell her you’re all right.”
“You told my mother?” Another person worrying about me who didn’t have to.
Sadie pressed the phone to my ear. “You’re in the hospital. Of course I told her.”
“Hello?” Mama sounded concerned.
And now my heart was cracking at her voice. Did exhaustion make someone cry about everything? “Hey, Mama.”
“Jaelyn. How are you? What’s wrong? Your friend told me you were in trouble. I’m trying to book a flight out there now.”’
As much as I wanted to see my parents, I didn’t want them paying last-minute flight prices. “I’m okay. I promise. I’ll get the doctor to tell you so, too, if you need to hear it.”
We chatted for a few more minutes, and I promised her I’d eat and sleep more, and convinced her not to change their vacation schedule for this. I’d see them in a few months. She asked for Sadie, and I handed over the phone.
Sadie’s replies were mostlyyesor a variation of it. By the time she gave me the phone again, my curiosity was at capacity.
“What did you tell her?” I asked my mom.
“To take care of you, and not to leave your side, and that if this happens again, we’re hopping the next plane there.”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Love you. Dad loves you. Be safe.”
I smiled. “Love you both too.” I disconnected.
The doctor came to talk to me, and I told him it was fine if he did so in front of Anne and Sadie. I regretted the decision when he brought up the not eating or sleeping thing. He refused to discharge me if I was going home alone.
“That’s not a problem,” Sadie said, before I could argue. “I’m moving in with her for at least a couple of weeks. She won’t be alone.”
I gave her my bestexcuse me?look.
She shrugged. “I promised your mom. I have to. Besides, you take care of us all the time. You listen to us. You feed us. Over advice and hugs and support. We’re here to do the same for you. Always. You just have to ask, or in this case, you don’t even have to do that.”
More tears stung my eyelids at the warmth that raced through me. I really did have the best friends in the world.
****
WHEN SADIE AND I GOTback to my place, she set her bags in her old room. “You didn’t change much.”
“I haven’t gotten around to it.” It wasn’t that I cared if she knew I missed her, but I was already taking up her time. I didn’t need to be clingy or sound like I was pulling a guilt trip on top of that.
“You missed me.” Sadie grinned. She grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen. “Sit.”
I pulled up a chair at the kitchen table. “You have your own life.” Weak comeback.
