It was the same scene in the hospital room when I arrived there with my dad and grandmother. My poppy was still sedated, looking frail and lost in the hospital bed, that yellow tinge around his mouth. My mother was at his bedside, holding his hand and murmuring softly to him, her eyes already red and swollen. I wanted to turn around and walk right out the minute I stepped into the room, not liking the heavy pressure that was inside my chest or the way my stomach was churning.

Luckily, I didn’t have to wait too long before I had my chance to escape. After greeting my mother and making sure my grandmother was settled comfortably in the armchair, my cell phone chimed with a text and I excused myself to step out into the hall and read it.

It was from Andrew and I lifted a brow as I read what he had sent me.

Heard ur in CT. Dianna told me what happened & I’m so sorry. R u ok?

Why was Dianna discussing my personal life with other people? I frowned and wet my bottom lip, debating on what to respond with, or if I even should. Finally, I relented and hit reply.

Yup in CT, could b better. Thanx

I considered shooting one off to Dianna telling her to stop running her mouth about me, but decided against it because I didn’t want to start any drama. I needed all the support I could get right now. I didn’t want to drive her away; she might leave Daisy on the side of the road. Not really, but it did flash through my head for a split second.

Before I could pocket my phone again, it chimed and Andrew’s name showed on the screen. He had responded already. I selected to view the text then read his message.

Ur welcome. I’m still in NYC if u need a break. Might do u good 2 get away 4 a day.

That made both my brows rise and again I debated on a response. Finally, I pushed reply and typed it out.

Thanx but not sure if I wanna leave here. Appreciate the offer tho.

This time I did pocket my phone, thinking over Andrew’s invitation. He was trying to be a friend and be there for me, offering to take my mind off what I was going through. In theory, it was a good idea, but what happened if I went to visit Andrew and my poppy took a turn for the worse? Besides, I’d feel so guilty to go off and try to have a good time with him lying there sedated and struggling to stay alive. I just didn’t think it was a good idea.

With a sigh, I turned to head back into the room when a voice came from my left.

“Morgan? Morgan Huntley, is that you?”

I blinked at someone calling me by my maiden name and turned to find a petite brunette with her long hair tied back in a simple ponytail and bright lively green eyes. “Um…can I help you?” She looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn’t place her.

The brunette gave an excited squeal and moved to me, wrapping me in a hug. “I thought that was you!”

I waited until she had pulled back before speaking again, “I…I’m sorry, but I-”

“You don’t recognize me?” She interrupted, grabbing for the nametag on her white lab coat and wiggling it some. “Eva Davis, though you’ll remember me as Eva Gordon.”

And I did. “Eva?” I gave a low laugh and blushed some, feeling foolish for not remembering someone I had graduated with. “Of course I remember you, I’m sorry…you just caught me off guard.”

She chuckled, tucking the clipboard in one hand under her arm. “That’s alright, I got that laser eye surgery and don’t have to wear glasses anymore, so not many recognize me.”

“Ooh, right.” I nodded some, remembering the tiny brunette with the black wire framed glasses that had sat next to me in English Literature.

“So, what have you been up to? This is the last place I expected to find you.” She waved a hand, motioning around us to the hospital.

“Yeah,” I tucked some hair behind my ear, “um, my grandfather had a heart attack the other night and he’s in there.” I motioned towards his room.

“Ooh, gosh, I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“But don’t you worry; this hospital has some of the best doctors. They’ll take good care of him.”

I smiled and gave a nod. “They’re doing a good job so far.” Then I motioned towards her lab coat and the light blue scrubs she wore underneath. “How long have you worked here?”

“I just established my residency.”

“Oh, wow, that’s great!”

She smiled warmly. “Thank you. How ‘bout yourself? What are you doing these days?”

“Oh,” I shrugged some, “I’m in real estate and I live out in California.”

“California? Wow, I bet that’s nice.”

“Yeah,” I chuckled low, “it’s a lot warmer than here, that’s for sure.”

“I bet it is. Is that where your husband is from? I heard you got married a couple years ago.”

I blinked, feeling my heart starting to beat a little faster. “Um, no …I…I’m not married anymore.”

“Oh.” she pursed her lips and hugged the clipboard to her chest. “I’m so sorry.”

I shook my head, grateful that she wasn’t trying to pry and find out what happened. “It’s okay.”

Eva smiled then motioned to her papers. “I should get going; I have a few patients to see.”

“Oh, sure.”

She watched me a moment then reached out and touched my arm. “It was really good seeing you again. If you’d like, I can stop back by later and check on your grandfather, see how everything is going.”

“Oh,” I shook my head, “I appreciate it, but you don’t have to do that. I’m sure your plate is full enough as is.”

“It’s no bother, really. I’d be glad to do it.”

I smiled and finally relented, “Alright, thank you.”

“Anytime.” She touched my arm again then strode off down the hall.

I watched her go and gave a sigh, reaching up and rubbing my forehead. Well, that hadn’t been awkward whatsoever; yeah right. I hadn’t been expecting to run into anyone that I may have known. But considering that the town isn’t all that big, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Waiting until she had disappeared out the doors to the ICU, I finally turned and headed back into the room.

“There you are,” My father’s voice greeted me as I let the door close slowly behind me.

“Yeah, sorry; I went out to respond to a text and ran into a friend from high school.”

My mimi’s eyes perked up. “Oh, that sounds nice, dear.”

“Yeah,” I made my way back over towards the bed, “she’s a doctor here, actually.” I sank down into a chair next to my mother.

She smiled at me, her blue eyes looking so tired and lifeless. “Your Uncle Spencer is arriving later this afternoon.”

My brows lifted. “Really? Is he coming alone?”

She nodded. “Yeah, Naomi has to work.”

I glanced over to my poppy. “That’s good, he should be here.”

My uncle, Spencer Douglas, was my mimi and poppy’s oldest child. He was three years older than my mom and five older than my Aunt Lindsay. He and his wife, Naomi, lived in Michigan where he worked for Ford as some computer engineer; of what, I wasn’t entirely sure. Naomi was a high school Chemistry teacher and together they had two grown children; my cousins, Gina and Abigail.

“What about Aunt Lindsay?”

“She’s still in Germany,” my mimi explained from the armchair she was resting in. “I talked to her this morning. She isn’t sure when she’d be able to get a flight out, but said she would certainly try if she needed to be here. I told her not to worry herself over it.”

“Ooh, makes sense.” I nodded some and sank back into the chair.

My aunt, Lindsay Schellden, had gone backpacking in the European countryside nearly twenty years ago and never come back. She’d met and married a wonderful German man by the name of Claude Schellden, and was more than happy to make a life for them overseas in the beautiful country. They had a large family; six children in all, ranging in ages from 18 down to four. Once when I was 12, we had taken a trip out there to visit, and they had been here a few times, but I really didn’t see much of my mom’s sister and her family. I was really hoping this would not turn into one of those situations where I did.

I rubbed my head. “When do the doctors come in?”

“They had their rounds before you arrived,” my mom replied.

“Oh.” I glanced around the room wondering if we were going to just sit around like this all day. Lord knows I loved my poppy, but it would get very depressing very quickly.

My dad must have sensed that because he rose to his feet. “Morgan, why don’t we go for a drive?”

“What about Poppy?”

“Your mother will call us if something happens.”

I glanced over to her and she gave a nod, reaching and squeezing my hand. “Go spend some time with your dad.”

I looked to my mimi. “Are you okay with that?” I wasn’t entirely comfortable with leaving her there.

She smiled warmly at me. “Of course, dear. I don’t want you just sitting around here like us old folk.”

“Careful who you’re calling old, Sophie,” my dad joked with her.

“Just myself,” she retorted back.

Standing as well, I kissed both my mom and grandmother’s cheeks before giving my poppy’s hand a warm squeeze. Then my father and I made our way from the room.

Neither of us spoke until we were in the car and heading along the tree lined street, away from the hospital.

“How are you doing, really?” My father questioned as he steered his maroon Chrysler 300 along the road.

I glanced over to him and wet my bottom lip, offering up a shrug. “I’m okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Yeah, not stellar, but not horrible.” And now it was time for that conversation I wanted to avoid. I should have known.

“How’s California treating you?”

I looked to the front window. “It’s there.”

He fell silent and we went another mile or so.

“Why did you run?”

His words made me frown. “I didn’t run.”

“It sure seemed that way, baby. You up and decided to move across the country before your mother and I even knew what was happening.”

“I needed a new start.”

He slowed for a red light and looked to me. “You were avoiding us.”

“I didn’t intend to do that.” I sighed and stared out the side window, not able to look at him. “I just had to get away and start over. I couldn’t handle the way people were looking at me, or treating me; like I was so fragile I’d break, or like they were just so sorry for me. No one knew what to say or do to help me and I didn’t know how to help myself. I needed to figure that out and Connecticut, as much as I love it and you guys, it just wasn’t the place for me to do that in.”

“Have you figured it out?” His voice was gentle and held those notes of concern.

I met his eyes. “I’m getting there.”

He watched me a moment before speaking, “Morgan, you know that your mother and I want you to be happy.”

“I know.”

“And we want you to do whatever you need to do to get there.”

I nodded.

He started through the light after it turned to green. “But we don’t want you avoiding us, or trying to write us out of your lives.”

I sighed and closed my eyes a moment. “I’m not trying to do that. I know…I should have let you come see me, or come home sooner…” tears sprung into my eyes, “…but I just didn’t think I could handle it. I’m not even sure I can handle being here right now. I’m trying hard to get past losing Hugh,” my voice cracked and I looked away, biting my bottom lip. I didn’t want another breakdown.

“You need support, Morgan. You need your family. You can’t get over something that tragic on your own.”

I wiped at my eyes. “I’m not…doing it alone. I have friends out there.”

He stopped for another red light and reached over, turning my face to his. “But you need your family, sweetheart.”

“Dad,” I sighed and rubbed my eyes, “I know you and Mom want to help me get through this, but sometimes a person just has to work past it on their own. I know that you guys are there for me and if I really need you I’ll come to you. I wish you could just be satisfied with knowing that.”

“You weren’t the only one to lose someone when you lost Hugh. He was like a son to both your mother and me,” his eyes searched my face, “we just don’t want to lose our daughter too.”

I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. “Y…you aren’t going to.”

He watched me a moment then followed the car ahead of us through the traffic light. “Good.”

I brushed some hair from my face and glanced around to where we were heading. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere particular, I’m just driving.”

“Oh.” I watched the scenery a moment before speaking again, “Do you think Poppy will make it?”

My dad sighed and glanced over at me, “It’s hard to tell. If they can get him stabilized and think he’ll be strong enough for the surgery then he might.”

“Or he might not.”

“Let’s not go there yet.”

“I wish we could do more than just sit there watching him. That can’t be healthy for Mimi, or Mom.”

“No, it can’t be,” my father agreed. “But there’s not much else to do.”

I wet my bottom lip. “I know that…I want to be here in case something happens, but honestly, Dad, I don’t know how well I’m going to handle it. I mean,” I rubbed my forehead, trying to get my thoughts in order, “the more I think about it the more upset it makes me and I …don’t want to go back to that place I was six months ago.”

“I understand, sweetheart.” He flicked the left blinker on and slowed for a turn. “I was a bit worried when your mother told me you were coming. Having to deal with something like this so soon after what you’ve already dealt with.”

“But I don’t not want to be here.”

He glanced at me. “What if you went into the city with your brother? Stay at his place a few days then come back on out here later on in the week.”

“I…I don’t know. I don’t want to leave.”

“Morgan, it’s just a few days.” My father’s emerald like eyes met my clear ones.

“What if something happened?”

“Then both you and Grayson will be coming right back out. It’s just a couple hours away, honey.”

I watched him. “You really think it’s a good idea?”

He sighed and brought the car to a stop at a stop sign. “I think it’s something you need just in case things don’t get better.”

He was right.

“You think Grayson will mind?”

“I don’t think he will, but I’ll talk to him.”

“Sometimes, I don’t think he likes me.”

My father sighed some. “I know you two were never close, but he loves you, Morgan. Things are awkward right now because no one knows how to act, or what to say or do. You can’t show up after almost two years and expect things to be a hundred percent normal. You just have to give it some time.”

I gave a little nod.

“And maybe the few days in New York with him will help you two reconnect.”

“Maybe.”

“Hey,” he slowed the car some and looked to me, “things will work out, Morgan. They always have a way of doing that.”

“I know. Sometimes it gets harder before it gets better, but it’ll get there.”

“That’s right.” He gave a firm nod.

I fingered the silver chain that hung around my neck; things always got worse before they got better, but just how much worse were they going to get? Unfortunately, I didn’t have that answer.

“Alright, I’ll go.” I turned my attention back to my father.

He sent me a loving smile. “Good. I think it’s what you need.”

Rather it was what I needed or not, I was doing it. Nodding my head some, I turned my attention back out the window and watched the rolling hills pass.