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I hate how dramatic she's being because it's nothing like that. And given the way that Michael glances at me again, I can't help but feel like he's very interested in this conversation. “I still support my friend's mom.” As I say those words, a flash of pain rips through me as I think about how my relationship with Raina ended, and how my relationship with Valerie might also be over.
Self-doubt begins to creep in and I'm thankful for a few moments of quiet as I try to regain my composure.
“What about you, Michael? What do you do?” My mom turns her attention to him, and I can't help but be relieved.
“Just boring old tech stuff. And unfortunately, I work so much I don't tend to have hobbies. I’m boring all around.” He grins and she lets out a throaty laugh.
“You sound just like Moira. Maybe you two are a good match after all.” I can't believe the warmth that I hear in her voice all of a sudden.
“What about you?” Michael asks, and my mom seems surprised. When she doesn't answer, he clarifies. “My dad does swim class, bingo, and he’s thinking of taking up square dancing. What do you do in your spare time?”
My mom is still frozen, and I can't help but wonder how long it's been since someone asked her what she likes to do, or really any deep questions at all. But when she opens her mouth, the words begin to pour out and I just sit there in silence, feeling left out and awkward. I don't know what to say to either of them. My mom and his dad seem to have a lot more in common than I ever expected.
When we get to the hospital, he once again scoops her up and carries her inside. A nurse stops by his side and reaches out to touch his shoulder, and he tells her my mother fell and refused an ambulance. The nurse smiles and flirts with him, saying that he would not believe how often she hears something similar. Michael chuckles right back as the nurse hurries over to grab a wheelchair for my mother.
I feel useless and stupid, wondering why I even bothered to come in the first place. My mom doesn't want me here. Michael clearly doesn't need me here. The nurse, if she even noticed I existed, absolutely doesn't want me around - It might be harder for her to hit on my goal if she knows that I'm his girlfriend... kind of.
Michael glances at me and smiles with a twinkle in his eyes, I suddenly feel warm again. Suddenly thawed from my frozen state. I take my spot beside my mom and begin to talk to the nurses, even though they very clearly would rather talk to him and keep asking questions in his direction.
After they wheel my mom back to triage to check on her, he puts his hand in mine and speaks softly. “Are you okay?”
I nod, but I don't feel okay. It has been an emotional rollercoaster of a day.
He leans in and wraps his arms around me. “I'm sorry about your mom. I think she'll be okay though.”
“Me too,” I whisper. “Thank you for being here.”
He kisses me on the forehead and whispers in my ear. “It’s my pleasure.” When he glances down at me, I can see the sincerity in his eyes and when his lips touch mine, I feel like all is right in the world.
“So I get the feeling that you and your mom don't get along very well.” There's a hint of humor in his voice, and I pull away, staring at him incredulously.
“Whatever made you think that?” Of course, I'm joking and I can't hold back a smile.
He seems to be a little more serious, though. “I just worry that one day you'll look back and regret all of this and wish you had more time to fix things.”
It's an incredibly perceptive statement that hits me like a slap to the face. Today was a bit of a warning wakeup call that things can go wrong in the blink of an eye. Maybe it's time to start trying to fix things instead of holding on to old grudges.
“You’re right,” I say.
He holds out his phone, touching a recording app. “Once more, for the record,” he says with that heart-melting grin.
“Oh, shut up,” I say, pushing him as the couple of other people in the ER waiting room smile in our direction.
Chapter Fourteen
Michael
I park my car in its spot in front of my house and let my head drop back onto the headrest. I feel drained and exhausted. She had taken me back to her place so I could pick up my car and bring it home after our time spent with her mother in the ER.
Thankfully, her mother, Kathy, doesn't have a concussion or any serious injuries, but she did have to stay overnight for observation. Given that Kathy was tired, Moira and I decided to head out, but I have the sneaking suspicion that she was on her way back to the hospital as soon as she dropped me off.
I open my car door but continue to just sit inside as the cool night air rushes in.
I can only hope that I did some good for their relationship, and hope that I opened Moira’s eyes to dropping whatever feud rages between them. Because maybe Moira doesn't realize that one day she'll run out of time and it'll be too late to say I'm sorry, get forgiveness, and make up.
I get the feeling that she felt guilty for dragging me into her family drama. She and her mother obviously didn't get along, and the conversation on the way to the hospital certainly made the whole situation more tense. I didn’t want to say anything at the time, but Kathy being so focused on Moira’s so-called failings might have helped keep her mind off the pain.
I get out of my car and slowly make my way toward my front door, still thinking about Moira. I enjoy spending time in her company, and she makes me laugh, feel good, and contemplate a future with her. But given her conversation she and her mother had had in the car last night, I'm not sure that a future is plausible.
