Page 124 of Pinch

“I’ve been thinking she’ll probably be an athlete like you. Mom doesn’t remember if I moved a lot in utero. She was sick the whole time.” I wait a beat, thinking. “Do you remember if you were an active baby?”

Again, the only reply is the quietly beeping monitors.

“Oh, Gavin,” I whisper, tracing my fingers along his forearm. “I need you to talk to me. I need you to smile at me and call me princess. I love you so much. I’m just a regular girl without you.”

Inhaling a deep breath, I put my head on the mattress.

It’s all true. He changed everything just by being himself, being so determined, being so good. If he doesn’t come back to me…

Another day passes.

The nurses bring in a cot for me to sleep on, and Kenny takes the recliner. Elaine comes and goes, and Patrick is always either in the hallway or in the room with us.

“How long do they expect this to last?” Elaine paces the room, chewing on the side of her finger. “I can’t remember him ever being so quiet and still like this. It’s making me crazy.”

“The doctor said it could be a few days while his brain heals.” Patrick puts his hands on her shoulders, rubbing gently. “We have to be patient.”

Gavin is so much like his dad, it aches in my chest.

I agree with Elaine. This is all so wrong.

“Hi, everybody.” My mom’s soft voice joins us in the room. She’s carrying a bag with the wordHolboxprinted on the outside, and the scent of tacos makes my stomach growl. “I thought y’all might be hungry, and I wanted to check on my baby.”

“Oh my gosh, Mom,” I groan, holding out my hands. “I’m starving.”

“That smells delicious,” Kenny agrees, stepping forward. “Raven, you’re a hero.”

We all share an exhausted laugh. The food is distributed, and Mom walks over to rub my back.

I unwrap the soft taco and take a bite. “Mmm… so delicious. Thank you.”

“How’s everybody holding up?” Dad’s warm voice joins the room.

Patrick steps over to shake his hand. “Hendrix, good to see you, man.”

My eyes go to Gavin’s, and I wonder if he can hear this, if it’s getting through.

Please wake up…

“I’m worried about you, honey.” Mom smooths my hair behind my ear. “Don’t you have to get back to class?”

“It’s my spring break, too.” I finish the last bite of taco.

Which reminds me, I’ve got to figure out that whole situation.

I must be frowning, because Mom studies me with worried eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” It’s such a lie. I don’t have the money to pay them back, and I don’t know where I’ll get it.

“Gavin told us about the scholarship.” Her tone is gentle, but I can sense her protective anger. “He didn’t want to upset us. He wanted to pay IPW back himself, so I showed him how. It was probably better that way, or I’d have given them a piece of my mind.”

“He did…” I sit down on the sofa as my throat tightens, as fresh tears coat my cheeks. “Why would he do that?”

Mom sits beside me, sliding my hair off my shoulder. “Because he loves you, Hayden. Your dad stepped up when I was at risk of losing everything. It’s what they do.”

“But I never asked him to do that.”

Dad walks over, concern lining his face. “What’s wrong?”