As we park at the far end of the lot, facing it, she is looking down, playing with her hands.
“Livi, look up and out the window.” She does and nods as she chews on her finger nail. “The sun is shining. The sky hasn’t fallen. The world is still okay. You showed your strength by coming here. I am proud of you.”
She shrugs and then forces a smile. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being here, caring enough about me to—”
“Yeah, well, you make it impossible not to.” I lace my fingers though hers and kiss her knuckles.
“So, did you think you’d be meeting my father this soon?” she tries to joke.
“Nope.” I smirk.
“Tell me something awkward about you. Maybe this will feel less … well, awkward.”
“My parents never married.”
“Mine, either.”
“I have my mom’s last name, and I pray her heart.”
She looks at me and smiles. “If hers is good, you got yours from her.”
I nod. “Hers was something, that’s for sure.”
“You don’t like your parents?”
“I don’t like my pops.” I open the door to avoid the awkwardness of the dead mom talk while her dad is fighting for his life.
I open her door. “Let’s go face this, shall we?”
She holds my hand tight and practically melts into me as we walk toward the hospital entrance. We look at the sign and take the elevator to the seventh floor ICU where we walk up to the desk, and she asks for her father’s room. The nurse instructs that it is immediate family only. She tells the nurse she’s his daughter, and then she nods before looking at me. She’s checking out the ink peeking out from my sleeves, and I don’t give a shit.
“Her husband,” I say before she asks who I am.
As we are buzzed through, Livi looks up at me.
I give her a wink. “Wouldn’t want you to have to do this alone.”
We stop at another nurse’s station, and Livi finds her voice. She asks about her father, and the nurse tells her the same thing the step-bitch told me.
When we finally walk into his room, he’s asleep. I pull out a chair and motion for her to sit while I stand behind her.
I went to the hospital to pick Livi up for lunch the other day, and that was the first time I have been in one since Mom passed away. It was different. I wasn’t in a room watching someone fighting for their life, and I wasn’t faced with the damn universal beeping sounds those fucking machines put out. This time, I can’t escape all of that.
The sterile smell assaults my nose. The white walls gouge my vision. The hustle and bustle of the nurses waiting for the next call put me on edge. Today is different.
If I didn’t care about Livi, I wouldn’t be here. I want to be strong for her. I will be strong for her. I am strong for her.
Her dad’s eyes flutter open, and I notice the left side of his face is somewhat drooping. He smiles, but only the right side of his lips turn up. Finally, tears start flowing, and this is when both sides of him seem to work.
“Hi, Dad,” Livi says in a little girl voice.
“Ol—li—v—” He closes his eyes and shakes his head a bit.
“It’s okay.” She stands to hold his hand.
I take note that she has not rubbed her ass once, and I am so fucking glad.
“Bryce,” he slurs and Livi’s body visibly stiffens. “I. Should. Have. Stopped—”
“You knew?” she asks in a squeaky voice.
“He. Counseling.” He nods.
“He told a counselor?”
“Family cou—” He gets frustrated because he can’t speak. “I’m. Sorry.”
She nods as she swipes her hand under her nose.
“He’s sor—” he tries to say.
My blood starts boiling. How could her dad know and not have stepped in?
“When?” Livi’s voice is stronger now.
“Two years.” He closes his eyes.
“You’ve known for two years and never—” She stops when I put my hand on her shoulder.
“You?” he questions me.
“I’m Olivia’s man.” I wasn’t gonna say boyfriend, but I wanted him to know what a man is. I am trying to calm her while fighting like a motherfucker to tell him he isn’t a man. A man steps in to protect his woman and his kids.
“Hendrix Caldwell, this is my father, Darren Hemmingway.”
I nod, and he tries to as well.
“You have an amazing girl here. Strong, smart, and a worker.”
“Job?” he croaks out.
“He owns a bar,” she answers. “In Detroit.”
“That’s how we met,” I tell him. “Livi applied for a position when she was walking in the freezing cold, ‘cause her car broke down. Like I said, she’s a worker. Doesn’t expect something for nothing and wouldn’t take a hand out if offered.”
“Good. Girl.”
“She certainly is.” I wrap my arm around her and pull her against my side.
There is silence for a while, and I force myself to step away, but she grabs my hand and rubs it.
“Sorry,” he slurs again.
“I accept your apology,” she says in a much different tone. Livi sounds strong for the first time since receiving the phone call about him.
“Bryce. Sorry.”
“Dad, please don’t push.”