Josh appeared in the waiting room and Maddie stood, immediately moving into his arms.
“I’m so sorry. I left Reno as soon as I heard, but traffic was terrible.” Josh directed his fiancée back into her chair, taking the one next to her. He continued to whisper to Maddie and I heard her sniffle into his shirt quietly.
I didn’t even realize Matt’s hand was still on mine until he pulled it away and settled back into his chair. He looked over at me and gave me a small frown.
“Were Dave and Sydney able to work through their problems?”
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice hoarse. I cleared my throat and gave him a feeble smile. “He was only able to talk for about twenty-four hours because of the tube, but she says that they’re going to be okay. She sounded happier than she had in over a month.” I looked at my shoes and bit the inside of my cheek roughly. When I spoke again my voice was a whisper.
“What if he doesn’t make it?”
Sean’s hand grabbed one of mine, extracting it from the other. I didn’t even realize I had been clutching them together so tight that my fingers had turned stark white. He let his head rest against mine, and I sighed but stayed quiet as I let Sean’s comfort wash over me.
No one really spoke. Maddie fell asleep against Josh with her hand in Sarah’s. Sarah eventually shifted her head from Sean’s shoulder to the wall behind her and he adjusted in his chair to get comfortable. I sat up straight, trying to keep my eyes open as time ticked on.
I watched as Sydney’s mother walked in, very unsure of herself. Diane Lewis was a strange lady, having raised Sydney at arm’s length. It had turned out that the reason behind Sydney’s crappy upbringing had been fear, but it didn’t change the past. Sydney was working on forgiving her parents and it seemed they were working on earning it.
Diane walked to where her husband was awake with Sydney’s head in his lap as she slept, and she sat on the opposite side of her daughter. She leaned over to kiss Sydney’s forehead before getting as comfortable as she could on the floor. When she looked up, she caught my eye. For a second she froze, but then she gave me a small smile that I returned. I knew it wasn’t easy for her, but for Sydney’s sake I was so happy she was trying.
I felt my head fall forward and I jerked awake, not even realizing I had fallen asleep. A warm hand moved to the side of my head and directed me until I was against a chest. I breathed in the familiar scent of Matt and let myself fall asleep up against him.
“Amanda.” Fingers ran through my hair and I snuggled in deeper, refusing to open my eyes.
“Wake up, sweets,” the soft voice said and I cracked my eyes open slightly. The fingers ran through my hair again and I pulled my head from Matt’s chest to look at him.
“What happened?”
Matt smiled and let his arm fall back on the chair behind me. “He’s okay.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” I sighed and ran my hands down my face. “That is great news.” I looked to where Sydney was hugging her parents and she found my eyes, giving me a tired smile. I stood and we embraced each other almost painfully.
“He’s okay, Amanda,” she whispered in my arms and I nodded.
“He is, Syd. Go be with him and get some sleep, okay? Call me if you need anything.” I released the hold on her and we left the room as Sarah and Sydney waited for someone to take them to the ICU.
I rode the elevator down with Maddie, Josh, Sean, and Matt and all of us remained quiet as we approached the ground floor.
“Just leave your car, Madelyn.” Josh spoke quietly to Maddie. “We’ll come get it tomorrow.”
She nodded in agreement and gave me a tired hug as we stepped out into the dark night.
“Love you.”
“I love you, too,” I replied as I gave her a tired nod. Sean gave me a tight squeeze and walked with Maddie and Josh towards his own car.
I smiled at Matt before I turned to head in the direction of where
“I’m so sorry. I left Reno as soon as I heard, but traffic was terrible.” Josh directed his fiancée back into her chair, taking the one next to her. He continued to whisper to Maddie and I heard her sniffle into his shirt quietly.
I didn’t even realize Matt’s hand was still on mine until he pulled it away and settled back into his chair. He looked over at me and gave me a small frown.
“Were Dave and Sydney able to work through their problems?”
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice hoarse. I cleared my throat and gave him a feeble smile. “He was only able to talk for about twenty-four hours because of the tube, but she says that they’re going to be okay. She sounded happier than she had in over a month.” I looked at my shoes and bit the inside of my cheek roughly. When I spoke again my voice was a whisper.
“What if he doesn’t make it?”
Sean’s hand grabbed one of mine, extracting it from the other. I didn’t even realize I had been clutching them together so tight that my fingers had turned stark white. He let his head rest against mine, and I sighed but stayed quiet as I let Sean’s comfort wash over me.
No one really spoke. Maddie fell asleep against Josh with her hand in Sarah’s. Sarah eventually shifted her head from Sean’s shoulder to the wall behind her and he adjusted in his chair to get comfortable. I sat up straight, trying to keep my eyes open as time ticked on.
I watched as Sydney’s mother walked in, very unsure of herself. Diane Lewis was a strange lady, having raised Sydney at arm’s length. It had turned out that the reason behind Sydney’s crappy upbringing had been fear, but it didn’t change the past. Sydney was working on forgiving her parents and it seemed they were working on earning it.
Diane walked to where her husband was awake with Sydney’s head in his lap as she slept, and she sat on the opposite side of her daughter. She leaned over to kiss Sydney’s forehead before getting as comfortable as she could on the floor. When she looked up, she caught my eye. For a second she froze, but then she gave me a small smile that I returned. I knew it wasn’t easy for her, but for Sydney’s sake I was so happy she was trying.
I felt my head fall forward and I jerked awake, not even realizing I had fallen asleep. A warm hand moved to the side of my head and directed me until I was against a chest. I breathed in the familiar scent of Matt and let myself fall asleep up against him.
“Amanda.” Fingers ran through my hair and I snuggled in deeper, refusing to open my eyes.
“Wake up, sweets,” the soft voice said and I cracked my eyes open slightly. The fingers ran through my hair again and I pulled my head from Matt’s chest to look at him.
“What happened?”
Matt smiled and let his arm fall back on the chair behind me. “He’s okay.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” I sighed and ran my hands down my face. “That is great news.” I looked to where Sydney was hugging her parents and she found my eyes, giving me a tired smile. I stood and we embraced each other almost painfully.
“He’s okay, Amanda,” she whispered in my arms and I nodded.
“He is, Syd. Go be with him and get some sleep, okay? Call me if you need anything.” I released the hold on her and we left the room as Sarah and Sydney waited for someone to take them to the ICU.
I rode the elevator down with Maddie, Josh, Sean, and Matt and all of us remained quiet as we approached the ground floor.
“Just leave your car, Madelyn.” Josh spoke quietly to Maddie. “We’ll come get it tomorrow.”
She nodded in agreement and gave me a tired hug as we stepped out into the dark night.
“Love you.”
“I love you, too,” I replied as I gave her a tired nod. Sean gave me a tight squeeze and walked with Maddie and Josh towards his own car.
I smiled at Matt before I turned to head in the direction of where
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