Page 27 of Mic Drop (Passionate Beats #3)

Jenna

B ennett will be back tomorrow. I’ve managed to get through the paparazzi shitstorm (as Bennett calls it) about our wedding.

The moment he stepped foot off the plane in Seattle, he was ambushed by more reporters than I even knew existed.

His gray wedding band is the number one trending video on TikTok, with men vowing to purchase one and women demanding their husbands wear one.

All I want is for my husband to be at my side.

“The remodel is going according to schedule,” Court points to the plans. “I kept them on their toes.”

“I couldn’t have done this without you,” I tell her. “You’ve made this all possible.”

She shakes her head. “I only was following your lead. I’m happy we’re on schedule, given all the shit Michelle’s been pulling.”

There’s the second thorn in my side. When her Black Widow graffiti stunt didn’t work out the way she thought it would, she continued to refuse to refer patients to my clinics, as witnessed by our patient count.

My lunch today with her boss is my last-ditch effort to get her to stand down. I straighten the construction notes.

“Let’s hope my lunch goes well.”

“You got this.” Court gives me a hug, helps me into a blazer over my scrubs, and ushers me out the door. I call Ma on my way to the restaurant.

“Hi, just wanted to remind you I’m going to lunch with Dr. Marlow.”

Her voice, less and less reminiscent of herself, replies, “Good luck with him.” She laughs, but it ends with coughing.

“Ma, are you sure it’s okay if I go out to lunch? I can reschedule.”

“No, Sweet Pea. I want you to get on top of this stuff with Michelle. I’ll be here when you get back.” She pauses. “I promise.”

“All right,” I agree. Only because this has to stop with Michelle. “I’ll see you at home.”

I disconnect the line and place another phone call. To Kara. “Hey, just spoke with Ma. She sounds weaker.”

“I know. I’m on my way out to her house now.”

The fact my sister’s coming out to Aroostook is both calming and disturbing. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

A short time later, I pull into the restaurant’s parking lot. I’m ready to deal with Michelle once and for all. I don’t have time to waste on the likes of her. Not when Ma is fading so fast.

At the table, Dr. Marlow smiles at me. “How’s business going?”

I tilt my head. “It’s busy, but I’ve been surprised by the lower numbers coming from your practice.” Best to be honest.

He jerks backward. “What do you mean? I’m referring the same number of patients to your clinics. You do an excellent job.”

The waiter delivers our sandwiches and I take a bite. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but someone on your team doesn’t agree. I’ve checked the numbers, and referrals from your office have dropped off by more than half.”

“I have no idea why. I do the surgeries and send them to you for rehab.”

I sip my lemonade. “I think your receptionist may be sending them to another clinic. ”

“Why would Michelle do that?”

Because she’s hated me since high school. Because I married Bennett Hardy. Because she’s a total bitch. “I think this might be a good conversation for you to have with her.”

“I will. Don’t you worry. Your numbers will soon be where they were.”

“Thanks, Dr. Marlow.” I take another bite of my sandwich, the churning in my stomach lessening for the first time in a long while.

“If I didn’t mention this before, congratulations on your marriage.”

I fiddle with my wedding and engagement rings. “Thanks.” My phone goes off and I raise my finger to my dining companion. “It’s my sister. Excuse me.” I step away from the table. “Kara?”

“Ma’s not doing well. We’re going to the hospital now.”

Oh. My. God. My whole body wants to convulse, but all I can think of is keeping it together in public because the media are waiting to pounce. Besides, Ma said she’d be waiting for me tonight to hear about my meeting. I swallow and return to the table.

“Dr. Marlow. Thank you for meeting me for lunch and your kind words. I need to go to the hospital. My mother?—”

The doctor stands. “Go. Go. And don’t worry about this business between us at all.”

I nod and take measured steps out of the restaurant so as not to attract any attention, despite wanting to run and scream and yell. I get into my car and put it in drive, heading for the hospital. I press Bennett’s number.

“Hi Sweetheart. How are?—”

I interrupt him. “Ma’s in the hospital.”

“What? No way. She’s been doing well.”

“I knew she was fading, but Kara went to the house when I was out to lunch with Michelle’s boss, who told me not to worry, and she called the ambulance.”

“I’m not sure I got all that, but you’re driving to the hospital now? ”

“Yes. It’s right ahead. See you tomorrow.” I disconnect the call as I pull into a parking spot.

In a blind daze, I rush into the hospital. At the reception desk, I ask, “Faith Westfield?” and am directed to a private room. Where Kara sits outside a door.

“Kara?”

She leaps to her feet, arms outstretched. “When I got to the house, Ma’s color was bad. Her nurse said she’d been that way for about thirty minutes. I didn’t wait. I made the decision to come here. The doctor is working on her now. I’m sure she’ll be stabilized soon, and we can go home together.”

I’ve never seen Kara like this before. My normally stoic and distant sister approaches a frantic pitch. I place my hands on her shoulders the way Bennett’s done to calm me down in the past. It works on her too.

I gaze into her matching gray eyes. “Ma will pull through. She’s with the best doctors here, so let’s sit and try to send her good vibes, all right?”

She nods and we sit. We don’t talk, simply co-exist side by side. After a bit, a woman in a white coat exits Ma’s room. Kara and I approach her.

The doctor consults her clipboard. “Ladies, I’m not going to sugarcoat this.

Your mother may not last the night. Her numbers are low, her heart rate is erratic, and the cancer has spread.

We’re doing everything we can to make her comfortable.

I suggest you go in there and say what you need to say. I’m very sorry.”

After she leaves, Kara and I stare at one another. “No.” I shake my head. “We were supposed to have more time with her.”

Kara, now back in control of her emotions, replies, “We had her for several weeks. She was at your wedding and had a great time. She got to see both her daughters married. She met two of her grandkids.” She breaks off, her eyes closing.

“She didn’t meet any through me,” I whisper.

Either she didn’t hear me or didn’t acknowledge what I said, but this truth cuts through me like a sword.

I remember when Bennett forgot to use a condom on our wedding night.

This is the true reason I wasn’t upset. I thought I’d have more time with Ma, and would be able to at least tell her I was pregnant.

Now this has been robbed from me as well.

“Let’s go in to see her.”

Kara holds up her phone. “You go. I want to call my husband first.”

With a nod, I enter Ma’s hospital room. The first thing that hits me is it’s so sterile in here, something I strive to avoid at the clinics. Instruments beep. With a stilted gait, I walk to her bed. She lies still. Too still.

I grab her hand, which is warm. A good sign. “Hey, Ma,” I begin. “Way to break up a business lunch,” I try to joke.

Her gray eyes, now cloudy, open at my voice. She pulls the oxygen mask from her face. “How’d it go?”

The fact she remembers what we were discussing before my lunch has to be a good sign. Maybe the doctor was wrong? Happens all the time. “It went well. Dr. Marlow promised to have a discussion with Michelle and to make sure his patients come to me in the future.”

“Good.” She whispers. “That’s good.”

Kara slips inside the room. “How are you feeling, Ma?”

“Been better,” she jokes.

Humor has to be a good sign, right? Yes. These doctors don’t know what they’re talking about.

Then she starts to cough. The coughs come one on top of another, and she can’t catch her breath. More doctors enter the room and kick us out to work on her. I stare at my sister. “She cracked a joke. That’s a good sign.”

“It is. But the coughing is not.” She sighs. “My family is coming here tomorrow. At least the kids had a blast with her at your wedding. After you and Bennett left, we enjoyed TLR. UC even took the stage again, with Trent singing lead. We all danced and had a blast. Even Ma danced from her chair. ”

I relish this story. Even though I wasn’t there to witness it, it warms my heart to know she enjoyed the party until the very end. “TLR was amazing, right?”

“Well, not as good as UC,” my sister winks at me. “But they were fun. King and Angie too. You have some cool friends, kiddo .”

“I try.” I’m amazed at her candor. It feels like we’re beginning to overcome the fact that we grew up a decade apart. I approach a subject that might blow everything up. “Did you see our father at the wedding?”

Kara stills. “I did. He was talking with Ma for a while, then he slipped out. I didn’t talk with him. Did you?”

“No. I saw him at a distance with Ma, but then Bennett and I had to leave. Why did he come?”

“I don’t know. He showed up to my wedding too. Do you remember that?”

“No.” A second ticks by. “Why?”

“I honestly have no idea. I don’t want to ask Ma now, in her condition.”

“Yeah.”

We lapse into silence again, the medical team leaving Ma’s room and allowing us to re-enter. This time, she’s sleeping. Kara sits on one side of her while I take the other, each of us holding her hands.

We talk in lower tones about my sister’s family and their plans for summer vacation. I discuss growing the clinics. Day turns to night. I suggest Kara go home and she does the same for me. Neither one of us takes the other up on the offer.

Kara falls asleep in the chair to the sound of Ma’s machines. I try to stay awake, but fail.

Something touches my shoulder, and I bristle awake. “Shhh. I didn’t mean to wake you,” a dulcet tenor voice whispers in my ear.