He Missed Our Daughter's Birthday novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: The Hallway

"It was Jasper," Randall said. "He spiked a fever, and Regina texted that they were moving him to the ICU. I called her back. She was crying so hard I couldn't hang up."

"For forty-one minutes."

"She was scared."

"I was on the couch with white spots in my eyes, calling you."

"I didn't know that."

"You didn't look," I said. "That's the whole problem."

He bent his head over my hand and said he was sorry, and I let him say it twice.

Then I told the nurse that my husband could go home and shower.

They kept me three days on the magnesium drip.

On the fourth morning, my pressure held at one-forty, and the doctor signed my discharge.

An orderly wheeled me down to the lobby with a plastic bag of my things in my lap.

Randall was at the entrance with the car running, and his mother was beside him in a camel coat.

"There she is," his mother said. "Darling, you're coming to Cary. I've made up the blue guest room, and Randall will be at the office days, so I can look after you."

"Thank you, no."

"Stephanie."

"I'm going to Dennis's."

Her smile slipped a little.

"That's absurd. Dennis lives in a two-bedroom over a garage."

"He has a spare room, and he has a lock on the door that Randall can't open."

Randall took a step forward.

"Steph, please. Come home. I'll sleep on the couch. I'll do everything you asked."

"You've broken both of my terms," I said.

The lobby was quiet.

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