Page 104 of Attractive Forces

out of surgery now but too soon to tell

tell Jake I hope he’s ok

Fuck. My heart is pounding faster than if I’d played the full eighty minutes of the game. Because there’s a minor miracle going on right here on my phone. A million replies run through my head, but in the end, I go with a simple one.

thanks. will do

It turnsout the day hasn’t finished offering up its miracles.

Aaron’s vitals slowly improve as the day progresses. He’s not completely out of the woods, but at least he’s getting closer to the edge of the trees, where there is more light and hope.

My mother stays, offering support, going to get food from the hospital cafeteria, urging Jake, Annaliese, and Jake’s mum to eat, talking to the other people who show up. She’s doing the most amazing job of supporting them, making me realize how completely I have underestimated her.

But it turns out it’s not just my mother I’ve underestimated.

Because later in the afternoon, a familiar figure strides back into the waiting room.

My heart jumps into my throat. My father.

He’s come back.

His appearance causes all of us to fall silent.

I suddenly become acutely aware that Jake and I are holding hands. My father’s gaze swivels to where our palms are joined, but his scrutiny only makes me curl my fingers around Jake tighter.

I meet my father’s gaze head-on.

“I thought…” Dad clears his throat, his eyes not…leaving mine. “I thought I could lead a prayer for Aaron’s recovery.”

“I’d like that,” Jake’s mum says.

So my father stands at the front of the room, bows his head, and begins to pray.

And the words of my father’s prayer wash over me while Jake’s hand stays firmly in my grasp.

33

Jake

“Jake!” Chloe pops her head around my locker door. “Love, balls, are you in?”

Istop, my fingers pausing from where I’m rummaging through my locker. “What?”

"You know, tennis? Love? Tennis balls?"

I groan. “Really not your best, Chloe.”

She smirks at me. “I’m going to cover the school tennis trials. You want to come?”

“I can’t today, sorry. I’m heading to Dunedin to visit Aaron.” I grab my calculus textbook from my locker and stuff it into my bag.

Chloe nods and her smirk fades. “How’s he doing?”

“He's getting there slowly,” I say. It’s been two weeks since Aaron’s accident, and he was moved out of intensive care a week ago. “The doctors are hopeful he’ll be able to come home in the next few days.”

I shut my locker door in time to see Logan approaching with a wide grin. I grin back because I can't help it when I see Logan smile. It’s like one of those involuntary muscle spasms that you can’t control.

Chloe’s eyes ping-pong between us. “You two really need to get a room,” she says.