No one looked as though they had any idea what to say or do. They stood numbly, staring at one another, helpless anxiety reflected in their gazes. If Holly were here, she’d take charge. She’d soothe everyone. Do what she did best. Love with all her heart and warm the entire world inside and out.
Adam sank into his chair, his legs no longer able to hold him up. Callie immediately wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “She’ll be all right, Daddy,” she whispered fiercely. “She loves you all too much to go down. She’ll probably be back on her feet in no time. You know she wouldn’t miss Christmas for the world.”
Adam smiled faintly, amused by the fact that his precious daughter was the one providing comfort for him. It was his job to protect his children. His wife. Only now his sons and his daughter were gathered around, offering their support to him and his brothers.
All through the rest of the night, they sat in grim silence, and the realization of just how important a role Holly played in their family was outlined in stark reality. She was the very center. The heart and soul. The one around whom the rest of the family revolved. Every heart. Every child. Every man. They all loved her with a fierceness that couldn’t be described, only felt.
She was everything to this family, and Adam didn’t even want to contemplate how they would survive without her. She was their strength. Their light. The glue that held them all together.
He could see her in every one of his children. Callie’s infectious smile. Her exuberance for life. Her kindness and gentleness. Her fierce stubbornness and her endless capacity for love and her undying loyalty to those she loved.
Seth’s steadfastness. His quiet strength. His resilience. Michael’s intelligence. His work ethic. His quiet spirit. The way Dillon loved with all his heart and soul. Just like Holly.
“Daddy?” Callie whispered. “She’ll be okay.”
It wasn’t posed as a question but he could hear the uncertainty in his daughter’s voice. She was trying to offer him the encouragement she so desperately needed herself.
Adam drew her into a hug. “Yes, baby. Your mother’s going to be fine. She’s a fighter through and through. She’s been down before, much worse than this, and she refused to stay down.”
Just then the doctor came into the small room and everyone looked up, the sudden silence tense and forbidding. Tension coiled and snaked through the room. Dread mounted and everyone leaned forward, eager to hear what the doctor would say.
“Mrs. Colter is out of surgery,” the doctor began.
Not able to contain himself another moment, Adam shot to his feet, but Ethan beat him to the doctor.
“How is she?” Ethan demanded. “Will she be all right? When can we see her?”
The surgeon held up a placating hand. “She’ll be fine. She’ll make a full recovery. We were able to remove her appendix before it burst. I’ll want her to stay in the hospital a day or two so I can be certain there’s no infection or leakage, but if all goes well she’ll be home before Christmas.”
The relief in the room was palpable. Adam’s shoulders sagged and his eyes burned with sudden tears. Holly was his life. His entire life. And, oh God, he couldn’t lose her.
Dillon’s arm went around him and Adam turned, hugging his son fiercely as the others comforted one another.
“When can we see her?” Ethan asked hoarsely.
The doctor eyed the room full of people with doubt. “You can’t all see her. One of you can go in when she gets out of recovery.”
Ryan scowled. “Hell no. We can manage three, but we’re going in to see her.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “It’s customary for a spouse to have access. The rest of the family must wait until she’s in a room.”
“We are her damn husbands,” Ryan snarled. He jabbed his thumb into his chest and then jerked it over his shoulder to point at Ethan and Adam.
The doctor’s brows lifted and he went silent. He fiddled with his clipboard and uneasily fidgeted. “Uh, well, there isn’t a precedent for this. Perhaps you should take it up with the nurse in charge.”