Page 112 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
We all move to sit down, the confrontation giving way to the grim reality of waiting. Lauren and Jake return to their spot on the vinyl couch. Adam and I take seats across from them, whilePaula and Hailey remain on the far side of the waiting room, as if an invisible line has been drawn down the middle.
The minutes tick by with excruciating slowness. Adam’s leg bounces with nervous energy beside mine. I place my hand on his knee, and he covers it with his own, shooting me a grateful look. Across the room, Paula keeps glaring at us, her eyes like laser beams boring into the side of Adam’s head.
“You know,” she finally says, her voice cutting through the silence, “I always knew you’d be a disappointment, Adam. Even as a child, you were so… willful. Always thinking about yourself instead of others.”
I feel Adam tense beside me, and I squeeze his knee, silently urging him not to engage. But to my surprise, he just shrugs.
“Okay,” he says simply.
“Okay?” Paula repeats, clearly thrown by his response. “That’s all you have to say?”
“Yes, that’s all I have to say. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
Lauren lets out a choked sound that might be laughter. “Mom, have you lost your mind? Dad is in surgery fighting for his life, and you’re trying to pick a fight?” She shakes her head in disbelief. “What is wrong with you?”
Paula ignores Lauren, her focus locked on Adam. “Just look at you,” she says, waving a hand dismissively. “You haven’t shaved in months. Your hair is too long. You look like a vagrant.”
Adam smiles, and there’s something almost predatory about it. “I’m thinking of getting a tattoo, too,” he says conversationally. “Maybe a full sleeve. What do you think? Dragons? Skulls? Caitlin’s name over my heart?”
Paula’s face drains of color. “Don’t you dare,” she hisses. “No one will hire you looking like that. What are you thinking?”
“Actually,” Adam says, his smile widening, “Caitlin’s uncle had no problem hiring me.”
Paula blinks, momentarily derailed. “What do you mean? Hired you to do what?”
“I’m a server at the restaurant Caitlin’s family owns,” Adam says, and I can hear the pride in his voice.
Paula stares at him like he’s just announced he’s going to join the circus. “A server?” she repeats, her voice faint. “At a restaurant?” She looks at me accusingly, as if I’ve somehow corrupted her son. “You gave up running our family’s business to be a server?”
“Yes,” Adam tells her with a serene smile.
Paula’s mouth works silently, no sound coming out. She looks like she’s been struck dumb, shock written across every line of her face. For the first time since I’ve known her, Paula Kelley has nothing to say.
The silence that follows is almost peaceful. Adam relaxes slightly beside me, as if standing up to his mother has lifted some invisible weight from his shoulders. Lauren gives him a small, approving nod. Even Jake looks impressed.
A doctor in blue scrubs pushes through the double doors, and we all tense, the family drama momentarily forgotten. “Kelley family?” he calls, looking around the waiting room.
We all stand up, even Paula and Hailey, moving toward him as a unit despite our differences. In this moment, we’re just people waiting to hear if someone we love is going to live or die. Adam grips my hand so tightly it almost hurts, but I don’t pull away.
The doctor looks around at our anxious faces. “The surgery went well,” he says, and I feel the collective exhale of relief. “Mr. Kelley is in recovery now. We were able to clear the blockages and place three stents. The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical, but I’m cautiously optimistic.”
“When can we see him?” Lauren asks, her voice steady despite the tears shining in her eyes.
“He’ll be in recovery for another hour or so, then we’ll move him to the ICU. Once he’s settled, you can see him briefly, just a couple of people at a time, family only, just for a few minutes.”
Paula immediately steps forward. “I’m his wife,” she announces, as if staking a claim.
“Ex-wife,” Lauren corrects firmly. “Or soon to be, anyway. I have medical power of attorney, Mom.” She pulls a folded document from her purse. “Dad updated his paperwork last month.”
Paula looks like she’s been slapped. The doctor glances between them, clearly sensing the tension but professional enough not to comment on it. “I’ll have a nurse come get you when he’s ready for visitors,” he says, before retreating back through the double doors.
We stand there in the aftermath of his news, relief mingling with the lingering tension. Adam’s hand is still locked in mine, his grip finally loosening slightly.
“He’s going to be okay,” I whisper to him, and he nods, swallowing hard. Then, in a move that takes me by surprise, he pulls me into his arms and buries his face against my hair.
“Thank you for being here,” he whispers. “I couldn’t have faced this without you.”
I lean my head against his shoulder, watching as Paula stalks back to her seat, clearly fuming over Lauren’s revelation. The battle lines have been drawn, and for the first time, Paula Kelley is on the losing side.
