Page 89
“Listen, I know this is not the time, but Mancuso is going to have some questions for you, and probably for Dana and your mother as well.”
Before I have a chance to respond, the doors I’ve been keeping an eye on open. A tall guy, wearing a white coat over similar scrubs to the ones I have on, walks into the lobby area, looking around. I’m already getting to my feet when his eyes lock on me.
“Mr. Rojas?” he asks, approaching me.
“Althof,” I correct him. “But my mother is Theresa Rojas.”
“Ah. Well, your mother came through the procedure just fine. We were able to restore blood flow to her heart and placed a stent to make sure the artery stays open. Since she also suffered some smoke inhalation, and her blood oxygen levels are still a bit on the low side, we’ll be keeping her for a couple of days to make sure there are no further complications. She’ll also be placed on some heart medications she will have to be on to help prevent a repeat of today’s events.”
“That’s great news,” I hear Dana behind me, just as a hand is pressed between my shoulder blades.
I blow out a deep sigh, letting go of some of the fear that’s had its fist around my heart since I first saw that fire.
Dana
* * *
News of Don Merrick’s death seems to be spreading like wildfire.
Since I came out here to give Rick some time alone with his mother, I’ve been approached by several of my coworkers, asking if what they heard was true. I’ve been giving them the party line—that I don’t know any details, as Savvy suggested before she left—but the gossip mill is already working overtime. I’ve had to field calls from Pops and Len, and even Buck, who all were worried when they heard about the fire.
Yes, here in town there was apparently still cell phone reception, the tower on the north side of town unaffected by the power interruption we had on the south side. I’ve been sitting out here in the lobby, responding to messages and fielding curious questions. I also put a first call in to my insurance company after Savvy told me my poor little hatchback is a total loss.
Even if I wanted to leave—but I’d rather stick close to Rick and Theresa—there is nowhere for me to go at the moment and no way to get me there.
Guess I’ll have to go car shopping again, but maybe this time I’ll choose something a little more suited to living in the country. Especially with winter around the corner, I might want to consider a slightly sturdier vehicle like a pickup truck with four-wheel drive. But I’m pretty sure they don’t come in that pretty minty green.
I’m scrolling through some used car ads on my phone, trying to get an idea of what is available, when I catch sight of two women walking into the lobby. The taller of the two is dressed smartly, wearing a caramel-colored, woolen coat with a colorful shawl wrapped around her neck, and not a hair out of place on her head. While the shorter one of the two is in jeans and a bubble-coat with the zipper pulled up to her nose, with her hair a frizzy mop. But there is one thing the two have in common—they are both unmistakably related to Rick and Theresa.
The tall one raises an eyebrow and checks me out, when I jump to my feet and walk up to them.
“Hi, are you…” I hesitate, suddenly aware Rick never mentioned their names, “…related to Theresa Rojas?”
“Yes,” the tall one takes the lead. “She’s our mother. We’d like to see her, if you could take us to her?”
“Sure,” is the only thing I can think of to say.
Obviously, she doesn’t know who I am, and I’m not quite sure how to introduce myself, so I simply lead the way across the lobby in the direction of Theresa’s room. The moment I open the door, the first one brushes past me, while the more casual sister lingers in the doorway a moment.
She turns to me with a brittle little smile. “Thank you.” Then she moves to the other side of her mother’s bed. Rick, who is being completely dismissed by both sisters in favor of their mother, walks up to me and pulls me against him.
“Thanks,” he whispers in my hair before pressing a kiss on top of my head.
When he releases me, Theresa is beaming in her bed—apparently wide awake now—bookmarked by each of her daughters, who are both gaping at us in shock.
“What on earth?” the tall sister exclaims, pinning me with a look.
“Jules, Izzy, this is Dana. Rico’s novia,” Theresa announces.
“His girlfriend? Since when?”
Rick drapes his arm over my shoulder and leans in a little.
“The bossy one in the suit is my oldest sister, Julia.” Then he indicates his other sister. “And that’s Isabel.”
From the way he says the younger sister’s name, I get the sense he’s closer to her.
I smile at them, lifting my hand a little clumsily in greeting.
