“There she is,” I say before scooping her up in a hug.
She’s a petite woman in her late forties with light-brown hair, same as Zach’s, and a round, beautiful face. She gives the best hugs and the warmest smiles. If anyone reminds me of home the most, it’s her.
“I missed you, Desi,” she says, pulling my face between her hands and kissing me on the cheek. “But I think I might have missed your cooking more.” She turns and catches sight of the pastry before turning back to me with a grin. “I see you’ve paid your hotel fee in food.”
I smile back. “I have. I hope you’ll accept. Although Maggie here might fight you for them.”
Maggie has already slid off the counter, and she’s extending her hand to Zach’s mom with a timid smile. “It’s so good to meet you, Mrs. Ryan. I’ve heard lovely things about you.”
Rebecca appears as confused as I would expect as she shakes Maggie’s hand.
“Rebecca, this is my girlfriend, Maggie. She’s Monica’s sister.”
Rebecca does a double take, and her eyes widen. “Oh my. Did I hear you right? You and Zachary are dating sisters?” Then she laughs, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m not surprised at all.”
Rebecca pulls Maggie in for a hug, and I can feel the warmth from where I’m standing. “Maggie, dear, my apologies for this one over here. I did what I could in the time he spent with me, but I’m afraid he was a lost cause from the beginning.”
My jaw drops in mock disbelief. “I take offense.”
“You were meant to.” She winks and wraps an arm around my waist. “Tell me how your pop is doing. Back to his stubborn old self yet?”
I texted her last night after my dad woke up to let her know. “Yup. We’re going back to the hospital now to check in one last time before we head back to Seattle.” Then I remember my conversation with Maggie last night. “Actually, I might ask my dad to come with me again.”
I see the doubt written all over Rebecca’s expression, but she smiles through it, encouraging me like she always does. “I think that would be great if the stubborn old man listens this time. You’d be a great caretaker. But are you sure you have to go back to Seattle so soon? I’d love if you stayed for dinner.”
“I wish we could, but we really need to get back to the kitchen.”
She understands, and I’m able to chat with her for a bit longer while Maggie changes into the single set of clothes she packed in her handbag.
When Maggie comes back out, she wraps Zach’s mom in a hug. “It was so nice to meet you, Rebecca.”
“Give my love to your sister.”
Maggie smiles. “I will.”
Then Rebecca turns to hug me. “Tell that boy of mine that I’ll be in Seattle on Thanksgiving, so he better make time for me.”
I assure her that I will, and then Maggie and I are hopping into my rental with a full belly and a heavy heart. I hate leaving Rebecca, and I hate that I’m about to see my father for possibly the last time for a few months… unless he chooses to come to Seattle. Maggie was right to mention how much he would love the kitchen life. Maybe it’s not too late for him to turn his life around after all.
We pull up to the hospital, and I’m feeling optimistic about things with my dad for the first time in a long time. I’m breathing deeply, my fingers tightly woven with Maggie’s. I know that no matter what happens today, I’ve still got her by my side.
We pass through the main entrance and ride the elevator up to the second floor. We enter the west wing of the hospital, where the ICU is. It always seems to be chaotic here—alarms going off, patients moaning, and beeping hospital equipment echoing in the space. I grip Maggie’s hand tighter as we turn the corner and head down the hall.
While everything seems to be business as usual in the hospital, something feels off. The closer we get to my father, the stranger that feeling in my chest gets. A nurse leaves his room. Her eyes are bloodshot, and her cheeks are tearstained. Instead of the normal beeping from yesterday that signaled my dad’s heart was beating regularly, now I hear one solid line of noise.