you tomorrow.”
He went looking for Emma and found her chatting to Laura. Seeing him, Laura picked up some charts and headed down the corridor. Darcy waited until she was out of earshot. “How bad is he?”
“Your father’s infection hasn’t responded to methicillin, the first line of defense against golden staph,” Emma said. “This morning he was placed on a stronger antibiotic, vancomycin.”
“Will it work?”
“The doctor will know more in a day or two.”
“You’re not reassuring me.”
“I’m being honest. Most patients do recover. A small percentage don’t.” Her gaze was sympathetic. “The elderly, mostly.”
“He’s only eighty-one.” As soon as he said it, he realized how old that sounded.
“He’s strong. He’ll pull through.” She squeezed his hand. “This isn’t the best time to tell you this but...when I return to work next week, I’ll be cutting back to two shifts a week.” She watched him expectantly.
What was she wanting him to say? “Good. It’s good that you won’t be working so much.”
She was waiting for something more from him, but he didn’t know what. Her smile seemed strained. Was she thinking about working, studying and living on her own? Did she like that idea as little as he did? The spotless corridor with the bright lighting seemed a surreal setting for a conversation about their future. He didn’t want to talk about her and Billy moving out. He didn’t even want to think about it.
“Does my mother know about my dad’s condition?”
“The doctor would have told her this morning. It might be a good idea to talk things over with her. Be prepared for the worst but hope for the best.”
“That sounds like a good motto for a lot of things.”
She hesitated. “I overheard you talking to your father earlier. If you’re serious about being part of Billy’s life, that...that would be great.”
The penny dropped. “Child support. You cut back your shifts and now you need extra cash. I’ll start payments tomorrow.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I hate to ask. You’ve been so generous. And if now’s not a good time for you, with the renovations and all—”
“It’s fine. I really want to do this.” He searched her face. “It makes me feel I’m contributing.” Almost like a real father.
She cleared her throat. “I need to pick up Billy. I’ll keep in touch with the nurses about your dad tonight.” She left him standing in the corridor, orderlies and visitors brushing past him.
He’d been living in a bubble the past few weeks, with Emma and Billy at his apartment as if they belonged there. Now reality was bursting in. Once she started shifts at the hospital and resumed classes while living in her own place, he would see Billy once a week if he was lucky.
He’d failed Holly. And he’d failed Emma. Whatever happened, he would not fail his son. With his father’s life hanging in the balance he realized how important his dad was to him. Oh, they’d disagreed over the years—on how the pub should be run, the rules of darts, whether he should have tried harder to stick it out with Emma—but through it all, Roy had always been there to talk to. Darcy couldn’t imagine not having him around.
Now he wanted to be there for Billy.
Something had changed in him. He hadn’t expected it, hadn’t wanted it, but love had conquered fear. He couldn’t go back. Even if he only saw Billy on weekends he would be a father to his son.
Instead of going to the elevators he returned to his father’s room and sat beside the bed. His father was asleep but he spoke anyway. “Dad,” he said quietly, “you have to fight this infection. You’ve got a new grandson. He needs you.” He swallowed. “I need you.”
* * *
EMMA’S SUITCASES WERE open on the bed, half-packed, a reminder that she was moving out tomorrow. But first she had a lot to do today.
“We’ll stop by the university to drop off my term paper,” Emma told Billy as she pushed his pudgy feet into booties. “Then we’ll go to Auntie Alana’s house. If we’ve got time, we might even get in a little shopping.” Summer was coming and she hadn’t bought clothes that weren’t maternity wear in nearly a year. “After all that we’ll come back here to finish packing. Sound good?”
Billy made a noise and shook his rattle for emphasis. He was wearing his best outfit, a new blue T-shirt and OshKosh overalls. His hair had come in wavy and dark like Darcy’s but his eyes were like