AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After dropping my mom off at my house, I head back to the hospital.
The amount of relief I feel knowing that my mom isn’t in that house anymore, that we’re taking the steps toward a better, safer life, is astronomical.
I feel like I can breathe again for the first time in years.
Things before Tommy’s death weren’t much different, but we tolerated it more. Tommy was always the buffer between dad and the rest of us. Like a shield that protected the rest of the family from the very worst of dad. But with Tommy gone, dad had no one left that he truly cared about.
He let the façade drop and stopped pretending to be a decent person.
I hated him for so much of my childhood. Hated that he couldn’t spare an ounce of love for me, and instead bestowed it all on my brother.
I resented Tommy some days as well. I didn’t understand what was happening, or how to deal with such big emotions at such a young age.
Now that I’m older — and especially since learning everything that I have about my parents’ past — it’s easier for me to understand the why’s behind his behavior.
Even so, it doesn’t excuse anything.
It doesn’t mean I have to forgive him.
Once I’m at the hospital, I make my way upstairs, tired from the emotions of the day and ready to sit with my girl.
I round the corner and see Regina standing in the hallway, tears rolling down her cheeks, and she speaks to one of the doctors. Sander is beside her, his arm around her shoulder as they listen to the doctor.
I freeze, unable to move.
What are they saying?
Did something happen?
I want to know, but I can’t make my legs work. I just stand here, feeling like the walls are about to close in on me.
I stagger to the side, catching Sander’s attention.
He releases Regina and walks toward me, his pace picking up when he sees the signs of another panic attack about to take me over.
“Hey,” he says, grabbing my shoulders tightly.
“What is it?” I ask, breathing hard and waiting for the worst.
“Just breathe, man. She’s okay,” he says, and it’s like cool water rushing over me.
It doesn’t explain why Regina was crying, though.
“What happened?”
He looks me in the eye, and it’s only then that I notice his bright blue ones are shining with tears. A smile pulls at his features, and he hiccups a laugh, grasping my shoulders a little tighter.
“She’s awake.”
Chapter 78
I sag with relief.
Keaton is awake. She’s going to be okay.
Sander claps a hand over my shoulder before leading me back toward her room.
“The doctor said there appears to be no lasting damage. She’s still a little out of it, but they say that should resolve itself in time.”
