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Chapter Eleven
“What do you mean she fell?” Desiree wiped spilled coffee from her blouse as she headed towards the airport while checking when the next flight would fly out. Claudia had called instructing her to drop everything, and now her fingers moved wildly across her screen for the last-minute information. A flight from Houston to Chicago was boarding in twenty minutes, and she had a fifteen-minute ride across the interstate to get there.
“I found her on the bathroom floor. We’re at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, are you leaving now?”
Desiree let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I’m on my way.” Desiree snapped the phone shut disconnecting the line. To say she was annoyed was an understatement. What had Claudia been too busy doing now that she couldn’t be home with their mother?
Desiree’s thoughts tornadoed. Was she unreasonable to think it? If Claudia was going to take on the role as a caregiver, she had to put their mother first. This is what Desiree needed to communicate to Claudia. What if Desiree had been at work and not getting off early. What if their mother didn’t wake up? The thoughts tormented Desiree, constricting her heart in a way that almost made her lose her breath. Desiree’s Ford Focus shot down the highway coming upon its exit. Her thoughts were heavy with words she and her sister would have.
“She hung up on me,” Claudia said sitting the phone down.
“You don’t seem surprised,” Jaden replied.
“Why would I be? It’s not like I don’t know she hates my guts.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
Claudia squinted her eyes. “You want to put some money on it.”
“You and Desiree need to have a conversation. From my observation, you both seem like one doesn’t understand the other. Just give it a try and see how it goes. At least you’ll be able to say; you gave it a shot.”
Jaden was right, but Claudia still wasn’t feeling it, and she wanted him to go on somewhere with all his good advice. Claudia cracked a small smile at that thought and sighed.
The doctor she’d spoken to on the way in the hospital entered the room.
“Stevens family,” he asked.
Claudia rushed to her feet with Jaden right beside her, his hand on the small of her back.
The doctor gave a reassuring smile. “Ms. Stevens is going to be just fine. It turns out it was indeed a hard fall. That’s not to say she won’t have pain; she will. There’s also a growing lump on her head, but that is to be expected. We’ll keep her overnight for observation, and she’ll be discharged first thing in the morning.”
“Oh my God,” Claudia said covering her heart with a hand. “That is such good news, doctor, thank you so much.”
Jaden reached out taking the doctor’s hand in his for a firm shake. “Thank you, doctor.” His arm slid back around Claudia’s shoulder.
“Can we see her,” Claudia asked.
“Sure, follow me.”
They left the waiting room in a different direction than they’d come. It appeared the staff had already taken Adeline to a room on the hospital floor for her overnight stay.
“It’s room 2107 to the left,” the doctor informed them. “We’ll need you to fill out some information so we can get her properly in our systems.”
“No problem.”
“Do you have everything you need?” Jaden asked turning to Claudia.
“Yes, I keep her insurance information in my purse. Are you leaving now?”
“Not a chance.”
Claudia leaned into him. “Thank you for being here. I know it’s not an obligation—”
“Sssh,” Jaden put his finger to her moist lips. “It is for me,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“After you.”