Page 74 of Spurred On

Together they made their way to his side and Sidney gingerly took her father’s hand, trying not to disturb any of the wires. He was cold. She shivered.

“I’m here, Dad,” she said. “I’m here.” And she thought she felt him squeeze her hand. But it might just have been her hope.

They stood there in silence for a while, and then Angie cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I need to ask you to leave now.”

Sidney nodded and turned, but couldn’t find her way because tears blurred her vision. Thank God Cody was there to guide her.

“You can come back tomorrow,” Angie said.

“Can’t we stay the night?”

“You shouldn’t.” Cody gave her a squeeze. “You need to rest.”

“But what if . . .” She couldn’t even manage the words, much less the thought.

“You need your rest. You need to be strong for him.”

Yes. Yes she did. But who would be strong for her?

“Let me take you home,” Cody said as they came out into the waiting room. It was quiet, sanitized, deserted.

An icy wind whipped through her. The house? Without Dad? “I . . . couldn’t.”

“Where is your mom?”

“Mrs. Johnson is keeping her tonight.”

“Come home with me.”

Her gaze whipped to his, and he flinched, even though she knew he didn’t mean it that way.

“We have plenty of beds, and Claire and Lisa are there. You won’t be alone.”

It sounded so wonderful it made her want to cry. “You don’t mind?”

“Sidney.” He pulled her into a hug. “How can you ask? Come on.”

And so she let him take her. Let him lead her to the car park, get her suitcases, and then climb into the cab of his truck. She let him take her home with him and give her hot chocolate with a shot of whiskey and tuck her into bed, because everyone else was already asleep.

She wanted him to stay with her, to hold her, but she didn’t dare ask. So he kissed her on the forehead and wished her good night, and he left.

But she noticed that he left her door open. And he left his door open too. And his room was right across the hall.

And suddenly, she didn’t feel so alone after all.

***

How wonderful it was to come downstairs the next morning to a table full of friendly faces and platters of delicious food. Lisa was a genius with baked goods and believed, deep in her heart, pastries were the cure for all that ails.

As Claire, Cade, and Cody listened to Sidney’s story—though Cody already knew all the details—Lisa kept sliding one delight after another toward her.

“You have to eat,” she kept saying. “You have to keep up your strength.”

Finally Sidney shot her a chagrined smile and responded, “Darling, the hospital doors are only so wide. If I keep eating these goodies, I won’t be able to fit through.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cade said. “They have that huge sliding glass door into the emergency room.” He eyed her contemplatively. “I’m pretty sure you’ll fit.”

Thank God Lisa smacked him, or Sidney would have.