Page 52 of Thirteen Years
“Where’s Nat?” he asked softly, drawing back and taking me in.
“Trevor is bringing her in a while. He thought I needed to be alone for a bit. I’m trying not to let any of the girls see me like this,” I said.
“Grief is not anything to hide.”
“I know. I just…Nat is already going through so much and Lacey and Lexi are like robots walking around the house. Trevor has been over every day for hours helping. They don’t need a crying mother hovering around as well.”
“I don’t think they’d be looking at it like that,” returned Lucas. “Those girls may be waiting to see that it's okay to cry.”
I nodded, understanding. I was like a vase that had been broken and glued or taped together. I was going to shatter at any minute. I took a deep breath. “They said she’s healing nicely?” I questioned to deflect.
Lucas nodded, looking over where Becks lay. “Just needs a bit, I guess,” he said.
“Well she’s had four days!” I returned playfully, “She needs to wake the hell up!” I placed my hands on my hips and tried to give him my mom face.
He laughed, chuckling at me.
“Monica? Lucas?”
We both spun towards the hospital room’s door.
“Nan!? What the hell are you doing here?!” exclaimed Lucas. “How the hell did you get here?”
She sniffed as regally as she ever did and managed to look down her nose at him even though she was a full foot shorter. “I’m in my 80s, Lucas Wayne Marshall. I don’t answer to anyone any more.” She shuffled over to the couch and sat down gingerly, looking at my friend laying on the bed.
Lucas threw his arms up in the air and walked out of the room, probably to try to find the answer to how his grandmother had escaped senior housing.
I met her blue eyes across the room. “How are you, Vi?” I asked, politely.
“You call me Nan just the same as everyone else, Monica,” she replied. “I haven’t gone by Violet in ages,” she cackled. “How are you, sweetheart?” She gestured to me gently. I walked over, sitting beside her, and she clutched my hand in her own bony, wrinkled one.
“I’m okay, Nan,” I whispered.
“No. You’re not. But you will be. I remember how broken I felt losing my husband years ago. I was too young at that age. You’re even younger than I was. Much too young. I remember thinking I had to hold it together for that little boy that’s a man out there now. It's okay to be broken, Monica. You need to grieve,” she said, patting my hand.
I smiled tearfully at her and glanced at the bed again.
Nan followed my gaze, stood and shuffled over to the edge of the bed. “Rebecca, you need to open your eyes right now. My Lucas and everyone else needs you. This isn’t how I wanted to meet you in person,” she said, sternly.
I found myself laughing at the small elderly woman’s chastising. If anyone was going to wake up Becks it was Lucas’ Nan.
Chapter 41
Monica’s soft laugh and a familiar-sounding, older woman’s voice were coming to me like I was at the bottom of a well.
Everything hurt. Not as bad as the last time I was conscious, but still painful. I needed to wake up. My eyelids were so heavy though. I remembered the look on Lucas’ face right before everything went dark. He had been so scared. He had been in pain.
His best friend is gone.
I cracked my eyes, everything blurry without my glasses, but manageable. Two shapes sat on the small couch in the room.
How long had I been out?
I cleared my throat. It felt like I had swallowed glass.
Mon’s head jerked over and her eyes got huge. “BECKS?” she yelped, standing up
“Hi, Mon” I whispered “I’m so sorry…” I began brokenly.
