Page 3 of The Facilitator, Part 3

She held out an arm for me to join in a group hug, something I found rather funny and very unBritish . Not many of the Brits I knew did hugs, let alone group ones. I laughed as I joined in.

“Come in, come in. I’ve got the kettle on,” Elaine said.

“I’ll get the bags,” I said, letting Lauren walk in with her.

I placed our bags at the bottom of the stairs. Since this hadn’t been Lauren’s childhood home, I had no idea what bedroom we’d be offered. I’d have to wait for Elaine to let us know.

“Mackenzie, do you want coffee?” Elaine called out. I followed her voice to the kitchen.

Everything was set up for Sebastian’s wheelchair. The room was wide and airy, there were parts of the countertops that were lower, and I knew he had a bedroom with a specialized bathroom on the ground floor.

I sat at the kitchen table, already laden with food. “Are you expecting a lot of guests, Elaine?” I teased, reaching for a biscuit .

She waved her arm and chuckled. “I thought you might be hungry,” she said.

“I am,” Lauren said, grabbing a cupcake. She swiped her finger over the icing and, while staring at me, slowly placed that finger in her mouth and sucked. I raised my eyebrows at her and smirked.

“Now, tell us what’s happened,” I said, as Elaine placed the drinks on the table.

She sighed, and it was then that tears filled her eyes. Lauren placed her arm around her shoulder.

“His heart is failing, more each day. Lauren, he isn’t coming home,” she said, and then she cried. It was what I’d suspected as well.

“What? Of course he is, don’t say that, Mum. He’ll be home before you know it,” Lauren said gently.

Elaine shook her head. “No, darling. I’ve resigned myself to that. And to be honest, it’s what he wants. He hates living,” she said.

Lauren frowned and I thought that might be news to her. “But…”

“When he talks to you, he’s happy but then he’s sad, so very sad all the rest of the time. I know it in my heart. I know how he feels, even if he can’t tell me. There’s still a little part of him that remembers his old life.”

Sebastian had suffered extensive brain damage and many broken bones when a vehicle plowed into his motorcycle.

He should have died, so I was told. Sadly, for him, he didn’t.

I wasn’t sure I’d have wanted to survive and I didn’t doubt what Elaine was telling us.

I took hold of Lauren’s hand. Deep down, she knew her mom was telling the truth.

“What has the specialist said?” I asked.

“We’re meeting him again this afternoon for an update but he feels, at the moment, Seb’s heart is working at about ten percent, and he can’t have a transplant. They sedated him because he became too anxious.”

“How did his heart deteriorate so quickly?” I asked. It hadn’t been more than a month ago that Lauren and I FaceTimed with him.

“He got an infection,” she replied. Her face was drawn, and although she’d been all smiles just a half hour ago, I could see the darkness under her eyes from lack of sleep and the chapped skin on her cheeks from her tears.

“I’m sure the doctor will be able to give us more information,” I said, mostly to Lauren. I knew she wanted answers, but it seemed the main reason for us to attend the clinic with her mom was to get those answers in a manner she understood.

“How’s the baby?” Elaine asked, and to cheer themselves up, Lauren moved to sit next to her mom and show her the pictures .

“Oh, he’s a beauty isn’t he? Be your turn next,” she said to Lauren and the air in the room even stilled.

Lauren looked to me and her face was crestfallen. Her mouth fell open and it was clear she’d held her breath. Elaine was oblivious as she scrolled through more images. I gently shook my head and gave my wife a small smile.

Obviously, Lauren didn’t answer. “We’re going to be his godparents,” she said, but the ache in her voice made my heart miss a beat.

“I need to use the bathroom,” I said, standing, not because I wanted to use the bathroom at all but I needed to compose myself.

“I’ve given you the en suite bedroom, Mackenzie, straight up the top of the stairs,” Elaine replied.

I thanked her and walked from the room. I knew Lauren was watching me.

I grabbed our bags and took them up. After I’d placed the bags on the bed, I headed for the bathroom.

I leaned over the sink and ran the cold faucet.

I cupped water and splashed it on my face.

Then I closed my eyes, letting the water drip from my skin.

I felt a hand on my back and I looked up and into the mirror.

“I’m sorry,” Lauren said. I smiled, not wanting her to know I had been affected by the comment.

“Sorry for what?” I asked, but even I heard my breath hitch .

“You know what,” she said. She pulled a towel from the rack and handed it to me. I clamped it to my face.

I felt her arms snake around my body and when I lowered the towel she was in front of me. She reached up and pushed a few strands of wet hair that had stuck to my forehead.

“She doesn’t know,” she added.

I leaned down and kissed her lips gently. “It’s okay,” I whispered.

“You’re not okay, Mackenzie. You think I don’t know, but I do. You’ve not been okay since South Carolina and I think I know why.”

I pulled my head back up and looked at her. “Why don’t we get this hospital visit out the way, spend some time with your mom, and then we’ll talk.”

“As long as you are happy to wait until then. I’m here, always,” she said.

I smiled at her. “I know. Now we need to go because right now my cock wants to fuck that pretty mouth of yours, and I don’t think we have the time.”

Lauren chuckled. “Great deflection and one I’ll take you up on, of course,” she said. She winked.

As much as Lauren knew I had something troubling me, I also knew her chuckles and laughter were forced to cover the fear she felt about the news she was about to hear.