by Emily Camp
“I’m fine,” Bree looked pale as she stood up straighter.
“Are you sure?” His dad held the door open. Perfect timing for his parents to come back to the room.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day. I forgot to eat, that’s all.”
“Want me to drive home?” Robin asked.
It wasn’t that his parents weren’t concerned, but if they knew what he knew, they’d be even more so. Skipping a few meals while pregnant couldn’t be good for her. And it was his fault she’d done it. If he hadn’t been distracted at the game, if he hadn’t have been worried about Spencer, this wouldn’t have happened.
“I’m okay. I’ll grab something from the cafeteria before we leave.” He noticed Bree talked to the floor. He hated that she felt she had to be embarrassed by this. Hudson stood by the door now, Ezra just outside of it and his parents were near Bree.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Garrett said, tugging her to sit beside him. “Can you guys get her something before you leave?”
“We’ll go.” Hudson volunteered. This surprised Garrett.
“Thanks, but we can get it,” His mom adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “Bailey, do you want to come with grandma and grandpa and get mommy a snack.”
“Yeah,” Bailey reached up as his mom made her way toward her and picked her up.
“Let me know if you guys need anything.” Hudson stared at Bree. Did he know?
Last time Bree was pregnant Hudson knew before anyone was supposed to because of Carly. Bree told her everything. Sometimes Garrett wasn’t sure she should. “Okay,” Bree said.
His mom adjusted Bailey on her hip and looked at Bree. “We’ll be back.”
As soon as the door clicked shut behind his parents, his dad’s arm around his mom and Bailey on his mother’s hip, Garrett pulled Bree against his side. Her body was warm against his. He gripped her waist and tilted his face to her ear. Even with his headache, her vanilla scent smelled great. “Why didn’t you eat today?”
“I ate.” She twisted the bracelets on her wrist.
“Not enough.”
“Today is about you, not me,” she whispered.
“It’s not just about you. You have to keep the baby healthy, too.”
“Parker knows now.”
Garrett flinched. Parker knowing was almost as bad as his parents knowing. “What’d he say?”
“He’s not happy about it.”
“Not like he has room to talk,” Garrett huffed.
“Carly’s not pregnant,” she whipped her face toward him. He knew he was treading on shaky territory. Bree was close to Parker. He was the only parent figure she had in her family.
“If Parker knows, Carly knows. Does that mean Hudson knows?”
“Why would he know?” She snapped.
“You think you can trust Carly?”
“I can. She’s been my best friend my whole life.” Bree began to stand, but he held onto her so she couldn’t get away from him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, bringing his face closer to hers. “I just … you need to take care of yourself.”
“I know. It’s one day. I’ve been so focused on you and I … haven’t thought about it.”
“Thinking of yourself is focusing on me.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Because I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
She sighed and bit her bottom lip. His heart sank when she looked away, “I know.”
“Are we okay?” His voice came out a whisper, because he didn’t want to think that it wasn’t.
“Yeah,” she said, but her eyes were on the window.
“Bree, you have to tell me if I did something.”
“No,” she whipped her face toward him again, then squinted, “but I do have to tell you something.”
“I don’t like that at all.” He lifted his hand to his head and closed his eyes. The pain was almost too much for him to care about what she had to say, but he needed to know.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Bree.” He hoped his voice didn’t sound as whiney to her as it did him.
“When I was getting your clothes I … I found my ring.”
He attempted a smile. “In my underwear drawer.”
“Odd place to keep it, but yeah,” she shrugged and looked down at her hands. He’d almost expected the ring to be there, but it wasn’t.
“Please don’t hate me,” she bit her bottom lip.
“I’ll never hate you.”
She let out a nervous giggle and twisted her hands on her lap.
“Please don’t tell me you changed your mind. Is the diamond too small? Cause I am a college student, you know.”
“No. I was perfect.”
“Was?”
“Well … I tried it on. Then, then when I took it off to put it away, because I wanted you to put it on me ...,” she turned toward him, this time making full eye contact. “I dropped it and lost it.”
He looked down at her hands, double checking that she wasn’t messing with him.
“I’m so sorry. I know that it had to cost a lot.” Tears pooled in her eyes and he hated seeing her like this.
“Bree,” he took her hands in his and ran his thumb across her ring finger. “It’s okay.” He hoped anyway. “It has to be somewhere at the house, right?”
She nodded. “In your room. I didn’t take it out of your room.”
“We’ll find it when we get home and I’m feeling better. Then it’s going on your finger and never coming off.”
She laughed. When she looked down at their hands, her hair fell over her face. He wanted to reach up and move it, but a searing pain shot through his head. Instead of pushing her hair out of her face when he lifted his hand up, he grabbed his temple.
“Garrett,” she gasped and grabbed him as he fell back.
Bree shot up beside Garrett her hands on his biceps as he lay back groaning in pain. She wanted to cry. The lump was right there, but she had to keep it together.
“Garrett, please tell me you’re okay,” her voice shook as she knelt on the bed. She reached behind her and pressed the call button.
“Yeah,” the word came out forced.
“You don’t sound like it.” The tears she tried to force back fell from her eyes. “If something happens to you ...”
She jammed the call button again. The nurses needed to get in here now.
“It’s nothing,” he winced and forced a smile.
“They shouldn’t let you go.”
“I’m going to be fine. The doctor said.”
“Head injuries should not be taken lightly.”
“Bree …,” he clenched his eyes shut.
“You’re scaring me.”
“I’m just …,” he winced when he attempted to lift his head. “A little sore.”
“You’re more than a little sore.” Bree poked at the call button again. Where was everyone? What was the point of being in a hospital if you couldn’t get any help?
“I’m okay,” he mumbled, but his eyes were clamped shut.
Bree hopped off the bed and hurried out the door. Nurses were gathered around the nurse’s station laughing.
“Can we get some help in here?” Bree’s voice cracked.
Chapter 20
“There are a few more tests we need to run.” The doctor stood in the middle of the room.
Bree’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Garrett, who didn’t seem to be in as much pain as he was before. The bed was tilted up in a sitting position and Bailey sat beside him.
Robin leaned forward in her chair, her hands folded in her lap as she watched the doctor with wide eyes. Bree was thankful for the questions Randy knew to ask, because she wouldn’t have thought of them. Like could it possibly be a contusion? Bree wasn’t aware that it was any different than a concussion.
“A contusion is a bruise on the brain. He may be out a little longer than we thought,” Randy explained to Bree and Robin.
Bre
e didn’t know if the grimace on Garrett’s face was because he was in pain or the news he might not be able to play football for a while. After this, she hoped he never would.
“It is possible that our scan missed something. We’ll do some other tests as well, make sure we covered everything.”
“When will we find out?” Randy asked. Bree continued to stare at Garrett. Bailey’s head lay on his chest.
“We’re going to have to keep him tonight. Probably won’t be until tomorrow, but I’ll get you some answers.”
“Thank you,” Robin’s voice was hoarse. Bree didn’t like that. If Robin was scared, than that meant Bree had reason to be scared.
The doctor left the room and Bailey wiggled, “Bailey hungy.”
“You are? Didn’t you just eat?” Randy said, nudging her with one knuckle. This made her giggle.
Bree reached out her arms for Bailey. As much as she didn’t want to leave Garrett’s side, she needed to get out of that room. “We can go get another snack.”
“Bailey’s always hungry,” Garrett said.
Robin snorted a laugh at this. “Kids are always hungry. Feeding you was all I got done when you and your brothers were little. Now that I think of it, that’s still all I get done.”
Seeing Robin joke gave Bree some relief.
“I’m getting a little hungry myself. I’ll come with you.” Robin stood and pulled her purse over her shoulder.
“Gamma hungy?”
“I am a little,” Robin said.
Bailey talked and insisted on walking, holding hands with both Bree and Robin as she did, the entire way to the food. By the time they made it there, Bree was exhausted again. Not only was the baby draining her, but this day, itself, had been tiring, as well. She was glad when Robin picked Bailey up to see the food. Robin spoke softly as she helped Bailey pick out something healthy and age appropriate. Bree could only hope to be half the parent Robin was. Though Robin and Randy did just bring her a sandwich and some fruit from here, Bree ended up with another bowl of fruit.
Robin insisted on paying, which only made Bree feel bad. She knew she shouldn’t, that she should take just as easily as she gave, but growing up with parents like hers, ones that always expected something in return, she hated feeling like she owed someone. Even if, in the last three years with Garrett, Robin and Randy never acted like that.
Bailey sat on her knees in the seat beside Robin and Bree slid across from them. Bailey picked at her berries and jabbered on about how yummy they were. Robin looked down at her phone, something Bree rarely ever saw her do unless she had a message or a phone call.
“Are you worried about Garrett?” A lump formed in Bree’s throat.
“I’m his mom,” Robin lifted a shoulder.
Bree stabbed her fruit with her fork. “It scares me seeing you scared. You and Randy, it’s like you know something is wrong.”
“Bree,” Robin reached across the table and put her hand over Bree’s. “He may have a baby of his own …,” she smiled at Bailey.
Bree felt her face flush. He didn’t have just one.
“But he’s still my baby. I worry about my kids, all of them. That includes you and Miley, too.”
Bree glanced down at her fruit.
“Bailey Gramma baby?” Bailey crunched her nose and smiled up at Robin with red berries smooshed between her teeth.
“Yes, you’re my baby, too,” Robin kissed her nose.
Satisfied, Bailey turned back to her food.
Robin turned back to Bree, folding her hands in front of her and her shoulders straight back. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s tough.”
Bree jumped when her phone when off. She hurried to fish it out of her pocket, not that if anything new developed Robin wouldn’t be messaged, but Bree still hoped it was Garrett with good news.
It wasn’t Garrett. Carly’s face flashed across her screen. Bree slid the phone back in her pocket. She’d call Carly later and fill her in.
“Bailey done,” Bailey said, pushing her food from her.
Bree grabbed the dish, “I think I’m done, too.”
When Bree got back from throwing the food out, Robin was wiping Bailey’s face off. Bailey wiggled and talked while she was cleaned.
“Are we ready to go back?” Robin stood and swooped Bailey up.
“Bailey see daddy?” Bailey said as if it’d been days instead of minutes since she last saw him.
Bree’s phone buzzed again and she pulled it out of her pocket as Robin and Bailey walked ahead of her. It was Carly again, only this time it was a text, not a call. It’s about Maggie, please call.
Bree’s heart couldn’t take much more. “Robin, something’s happened to Maggie.” Bree surprised herself when she spoke and it came out clear and not a frantic blur.
Robin turned toward her. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know.” Bree held her phone up. “I need to call Carly back.”
“Okay, Hun, I’ll take Bailey back to the room, you let me know.”
“Thanks,” Bree didn’t even pause to take anything in before she swiped Carly’s number.
“What’s up?” she said the minute Carly answered.
“Maggie left.”
“She what? She was just at …” Bree paced the empty white hall. The fruit she’d just downed fought its way back up.
“I guess her and Parker got in a fight when he picked her up. She wanted to go out with friends tonight and Parker wouldn’t let her. She went typical dramatic Maggie on him and then disappeared.”
“You don’t know where she is?”
“No. Look, I’m really sorry to bug you. Parker didn’t want me to, but he’s so stressed over this, and I thought you might know where she is or at least you could get her to respond to you.”
“Sure … I can try. I mean … Garrett has to have more tests done.” This time her voice did crack.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t … I thought he was coming home.”
Bree looked down at the scuffed off white tile as a couple people walked by. “He was … but he had some complications.”
“Like what?”
“He was complaining about his head hurting, which you know is normal for a concussion, but then he passed out.”
“Oh my gosh.”
“He’s up and fine now, but the doctor wants to do another scan in case they missed something the last time.” Bree leaned against the wall. “I hate to say this, but I really don’t know if I can do Maggie melodrama.”
“I understand. I didn’t know.” The line was silent for a second, which was unlike Carly, but Bree needed the breather. “Look, I’ll find Maggie. You know I can. Super detective, that’s me. You concentrate on Garrett.”
Bree had to laugh; just like Carly to try to make her laugh. “I can send her a text, and if you find her let me know, because even though she’s a pain in my butt, she’s still my sister.”
“I know.”
****
Garrett was a little surprised when his mom and dad left with Bailey, leaving Bree behind for the night, though he wasn’t upset about it.
“Bailey’s going to be spoiled tonight,” he said, thinking of how much his mom gave into Bailey on a regular basis.
Bree stared at her phone like he wasn’t even in the room, “Yeah.”
“Aliens are invading the Earth.” He watched her for a reaction.
“I know,” her knee bounced and she didn’t look up.
“Bree, are you okay?” His head ached again when he wrinkled his forehead. He hoped whatever was going on was not her pulling away again.
She finally looked up, and blinked her big brown eyes at him. They were tired, with black rings around them. “Yeah, why?”
“You just agreed with me that aliens were attacking.”
“Maggie’s missing.”
“Why are you here with me?” He knew how much she felt obligated to take care of her siblings.
She sighed and pulled her bottom lip in her mouth. “I ca
n’t go running after Maggie all the time.”
“But you don’t know where she is and I’m not going anywhere.”
Bree leaned forward and put her hand over his. “Neither am I.”
As much as he wanted to argue, because he knew the battle that must be going on in her mind right now, he loved the fact that she wanted to be with him. He smiled and threaded his fingers through hers. “I’m going to be all right.”
“You better, because we still have to raise our two kids and build that house out on your grandparent’s property. And don’t forget the wedding.”
This made his heart soar, even with the bad ache in his head. “When is the wedding?”
“I don’t know. Was waiting to talk to my fiancé about that.”
“How’s tomorrow?”
This made her giggle. He loved that sound, the only thing that compared to that was Bailey’s.
“We aren’t sure you’ll be out of here and my dream wedding doesn’t take place in a hospital.”
“It was worth a try,” he pulled their hands to his mouth.
Her phone buzzed, bringing her attention straight to it. “They found her.” She let out a loud breath like she’d been holding it in for a while.
“Good, now you can relax.” He tugged on her arm, pulling her up to join him on the bed.
“Gare,” she blushed and turned toward the door. “You’re in the hospital,” she whispered, as if someone would hear.
“And holding you will make me feel better.”
“But there are nurses are constantly in and out of here.”
“We’ll just be sleeping.” He scooted over, making room for her. “C’mon, you need just as much rest as I do and you won’t be able to get quality sleep in a chair.”
“I guess, since you’re pulling my arm.” She glanced down at their hands and smiled before climbing on the bed with him. She turned her back toward him and he pulled her close, his arm wrapped completely around her waist. Though he was in a hospital bed, this felt right, like he was finally where he was supposed to be.
Chapter 21
The door slammed shut with a thud, jolting Bree awake. Garrett sat on the side of the bed, his hands in his lap, staring at the wall.