Emily's Choice (12 page)

“Emily
Camancho
, checking in,” she said, barely able to keep her
eyes open.

“Can you
spell your last name, please?” the clerk asked.

Emily did as
she was asked. “My sister is arriving tomorrow, I have a reservation for two
rooms, one king and one with two double beds.”

The clerk
nodded and continued to type. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I’m not seeing a reservation
here for you.”

Emily sighed
and bent over to find the printout of her reservation in her briefcase. “I just
made this reservation early this morning. Here’s the confirmation printout.”

The clerk
typed in the confirmation number and looked up at Emily. “It says this
reservation was canceled.”

“Canceled?
By whom? It surely wasn’t me, obviously, as I’m standing here trying to check
in.”

“I’m sorry,
ma’am.”

“Well, can I
still get a room?”

“No, I’m
sorry. We’re completely full tonight.”

“Are you
serious?”

“Yes, ma’am.
One of our sister hotels might have a room available, would you like me to
call?”

“Please,”
Emily said, trying to keep rein of her emotions. Who would have canceled her
reservation? It certainly hadn’t been her, and other than her brother and
father, no one knew she was coming. Hope wasn’t in any frame of mind to cancel
a reservation, and even if she had, she would have told Emily of the new hotel
plans. Emily had been mindful of Hope’s hotel preferences and booked them at a
Hilton property, so she couldn’t imagine Hope had been the one to tamper with
the reservation. She shook her head; there was no use trying to figure it out.
It was late, she was exhausted, and it was something she’d probably never get
to the bottom of. It was probably some sort of computer glitch.

“I can get
you into the Embassy Suites,” the clerk told her, pressing the phone to her
chest.

“Where is
it?”

“Two streets
over, four blocks down.”

“Fine.”

The clerk
finished up the reservation and hung up the phone. “Here is the address and
your new confirmation number. Do you need a map?”

“No,” Emily
said, shaking her head and leaning down to pick up her briefcase. “I went to
school here. I’m familiar with the area.”

“I’m sorry
for the inconvenience.”

“Have a good
night,” Emily said. She was in no mood for being placated, and while she knew
it wasn’t the clerk’s fault for the mix-up, she wasn’t in the mood to take the
high road, either. She gathered up her suitcase and called for Sadie to do the
same, then walked out of the hotel. She was happy to see that her car hadn’t
been valeted yet and walked over to the valet station, handing the boy her
ticket. “Looks like we won’t be staying here, after all. Thank you.”

The valet
offered to help with the luggage and Emily allowed him to. She settled Sadie
into the back seat and tipped the valet when he closed the trunk. Ten minutes
later, they pulled into the Embassy Suites, and leaving the car running, Emily
ran into the hotel to make sure she was at the right place and that they did
indeed have a reservation for her. She checked in with ease and then went back
out to the car for Sadie and their belongings. She gave the keys to the valet
and then headed for the bank of elevators.

Once they
were settled in their room, Emily sent both Hope and Tyler a text with the
hotel information, indicating she’d explain the snafu tomorrow, as well as to
Gina and Phoebe.

“Glad you’re
here,” Tyler texted. “Grace is still holding on.”

“I’m going
to bed. Beyond exhausted. What time do visiting hours begin?”

“7.”

“See you
then?”

“I’ll be in
a little later, chores to do in the morning.”

“Okay.”

Emily went
into the bathroom to check on Sadie. “Everything okay?”

“Yes,” Sadie
said, hopping off the toilet. She assumed the position, and Emily quickly
cleaned her up. They both washed their hands and walked into the room. Sadie
stopped at her suitcase for the teddy bear Jason had given her the day she was
born and then climbed into bed.

Emily turned
on her bedside lamp and turned off Sadie’s. “I’m just going to get ready for
bed myself. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” She bent over to kiss Sadie’s
forehead and tucked her in. It might only be a little after midnight here in
Santa Fe, but it was after two in the morning in Boston. Sadie should fall
right to sleep, but there was a big difference between should and would.

As Emily got
ready for bed, her mind raced with things she needed to do over the next few
days. At the top of the list was to call Jason and make sure he knew they were
in town and Sadie would be available for visiting in between things happening
at the hospital. She’d wait until morning, though. She was way beyond
exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

She climbed
into bed and turned off the light, and when Sadie curled her warm body against
her back, Emily sighed and let everything go, slipping off into a peaceful and
dreamless sleep.

Despite the
late night, Sadie was up early—even earlier considering they were two hours
behind. Emily needed at least another hour of sleep, so she dragged herself out
of bed and went out into the living room to turn on Cartoon Network. She set
Sadie up on the couch with a pillow and blanket, some snacks, and then went
back to bed. Now that morning was here, Emily was grateful for the mix-up in
hotels; the suites part of Embassy Suites was very convenient for situations
like this. She rolled over and closed her eyes, but after twenty minutes, she realized
going back to sleep was not in the cards. She glanced at the clock. Six o’clock.
She groaned and threw back the covers. The inclusive breakfast buffet didn’t
start for a half hour and visiting hours began in an hour. Too early to do
anything but get a little work done. Especially since they’d gotten in so late
and she hadn’t had a chance to do much more than fall, exhausted into bed.

“Mama,
sleep?”

“No, Mama is
up!”

“Sadie
hungry.”

“We’ll go
down for breakfast in a minute; I just need to check in at work.”

“Okay,” she
said, returning her attention to the television and her sippy cup of milk.

Emily
tickled Sadie’s neck and kissed her cheek, smiling in response to Sadie’s
squeals of delight. Sitting down at the desk slash table, she pulled up her
email and found the new project Phil emailed her yesterday. He wouldn’t be in
the office for at least another hour, so Emily read the proposal and jotted
down a few ideas she had for the project. Then she opened up her two current
projects and lost herself, and the time, in sketching out ideas and designs.

“Mama,”
Sadie said, tugging on her arm. “Hungry!”

Dragging
herself out of her creative space, Emily glanced at the clock on her phone and
cursed under her breath. “Sorry, Sadie. I lost track of time. Let’s get dressed
and we’ll go eat.”

Twenty
minutes later, Emily led Sadie down the hall to the elevators. She had to admit
that she was pretty hungry, too, and the cooked-to-order omelet sounded divine.
Knowing Sadie’s preference for a carb-heavy breakfast, Emily made a tray of
waffles and cold cereal. She set Sadie at a table within sight and then stood
in line for the omelet.

She put in
her order for a ham, Swiss, and mushroom omelet and then helped herself to some
yogurt, coffee, and pastries while her omelet cooked.

When they
finished eating, they headed back up to the room. Emily finished getting ready
and then helped Sadie pack her backpack with her stuffed animals and fun
activities to keep her occupied at the hospital. Emily packed her own briefcase
as well. Grace was in the ICU and only one person at a time was allowed in.
There would be a lot of downtime today, even though they’d be spending it all
at the hospital. She checked to make sure her phone was charged and set a
reminder to pick up Hope from the airport.

“Ready to
go?” she asked, gathering up her purse and briefcase and helping Sadie put her backpack
on.

“Yes.”

Emily
allowed Sadie to press the buttons on the elevator, one of Sadie’s favorite
things to do. When the doors opened, Sadie rushed out. Emily hurried after her
and took hold of her hand. 

They crossed
the lobby, and she passed her ticket stub to the valet. A few minutes later,
they were off to the hospital. She wanted to be positive, but the closer they
got to the hospital, the darker she felt. The situation with Grace was serious
and no amount of positive thinking could change that. It had to be very serious
if Tyler had suggested Emily come home. He knew her feelings, knew where she
stood, and for him to not only suggest it, but insist upon it, meant that this
would most likely be the last time she saw her stepmother.

Emily had
known what to expect.

She knew
Grace would be hooked up to machines, knew there would be wires, knew even that
she would be pale and lifeless. Knowing all of this, though, still hadn’t
prepared her for her first look at Grace. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes
as she placed her hand on the glass window, wanting to be closer but scared at
the same time. The nurse said her father had just gone in, so Emily had at
least five or ten minutes to wait, and hopefully that would be enough time to compose
herself.

She led
Sadie down the hall to the waiting room and got her set up on the floor with
her toys and activity books. No one else was in the room and Emily was glad.
They’d have dibs on the TV when Sadie grew tired of the things surrounding her.

When Clint
walked in fifteen minutes later, Emily jumped to her feet and gave her father a
long hug. Neither said anything, letting the power of the embrace do what it
could to heal and comfort.

“
Gamps
!” Sadie screeched, shoving herself between the hugging
adults.

“Sadie-girl,
look how big you’ve gotten!” Clint exclaimed, reaching down and picking her up
into his famous Grandpa Bear Hug.

Sadie
giggled and squirmed in his tight grasp.

“Such a
little stinker, coming between a girl and her daddy!” Emily smiled fondly at
her daughter then tickled her ribs.

“Help!”
Sadie squealed.

Clint spun
around, away from Emily’s tickling fingers and sprinted to the opposite side of
the room. He swung Sadie onto his back and put his arms out to ward off Emily’s
attack.

“Well now, I
can see when I’ve been outmaneuvered.” Emily laughed, breathlessly. She sat
down and rested her head against the back of the chair. “Been working out much,
Dad?”

“What do you
mean?” Clint smirked.

“You’re as
spry as a teenager with those spinning moves and sprints.”

“Nah, just
playing with the boys. They’re enough of a workout for anyone!”

“Will Tyler
bring them today?”

“I doubt it.
Sophie is staying home with them so they can go to school. She’s having a hard
time getting around now, anyway, so close to her due date. Tyler said she’ll
come Saturday with the boys.” Clint put Sadie down and she walked over to the
chair to watch TV. He sat down next to Emily. “Not sure there’ll be a reason
for her to come on Saturday, though.”

Emily grasped
his hand. “Do you really think that?”

Sighing,
Clint nodded. “They aren’t detecting any brain activity. It could be a fluke,
maybe she’s way down deep in the coma, but there should be some sign, right?”

“Tyler said
it was bad. I guess I was hoping he was exaggerating.”

“The nurses
move her around; she hasn’t moved an inch on her own since she arrived. She
doesn’t react to my touch or my voice. Ten minutes an hour barely gives me
enough time to tell her a story or a memory. We were supposed to have more
time. I want more time, dammit!”

Emily didn’t
know what to say, so she squeezed her father’s hand and rested her head on his
shoulder. She couldn’t fathom what he was going through, the prospect of losing
his second wife had to be soul crushing.

“Hope should
be here around lunchtime,” she said quietly.

“What about
Derek?”

“I don’t
know. Last I heard from her, he was still working on getting his schedule under
control.”

Clint nodded
and raised a brow, finally noticing the pile of stuff Emily had on the table.

“I’ve
brought plenty to keep me occupied in between visits. Is there anyone I should
call or visit? Anything you need me to do while I’m here and at loose ends?”

Clint shook
his head. “Jason stopped by last night. It was good to see him and kind of him
to drive all the way out here for ten minutes.”

“He loves
Grace, always has.”

“Just as he
loves you and always has.”

“Dad,” Emily
warned.

“You wanted
to know if there was anyone you should call or visit or anything I need you to
do while you’re here,” Clint began. “Well, there is. You need to talk with him,
reconcile with him.”

Emily shook
her head. “Dad, please don’t.”

“It’s been
left unsaid for far too long, Emily. You push and push and push him away, and
yet he still holds out hope. Even if he was in the wrong, no man waits around
two years if he doesn’t truly love a person. If he were a terrible person, he’d
have given up on you a long time ago.”

Emily sighed
and pulled away. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of
her. “This isn’t the time or place,” Emily said, indicating Sadie’s presence at
the table.

“Bologna.
She’s as much a part of this as you are. Maybe more so.”

“They have a
great relationship, Dad. I’ve made sure of it. I don’t deny her any chance to
speak with him, or even to video chat with him. I repeat, they have a great
relationship.”

“There’s no
denying that, but it could be better. You know that. It should be better. It
should be
more
.”

“Found your
opinions, did you, Dad?” Emily stood up and paced across the room.

“You know I’ve
always had them, Emily Rose. I’m just particular about when I air them.”

“You’ve
picked a real fine time to air them now, haven’t you?” Emily stopped her pacing
and glared at her father.

“Seize the
day, child.”

Emily
growled and resumed her pacing.

She was
saved from further discussion when the timer on Clint’s phone went off.

“Visitor
time.”

Emily’s
heart started racing, and her palms grew clammy. Until this moment, she’d been
able to compartmentalize the situation. She’d had her to-do lists to fall back
on, the traveling, the checking in to the hotel, making sure Sadie was taken
care of and had things to keep her busy. But now, it was time. Her turn to
visit. And in this moment, it hit her. Grace was in a coma and not expected to
live through the week. She needed a moment, but there were no more moments to
have, so she walked down the brightly lit hallway.

She took a
deep breath and pushed the door open. She paused just inside the door. There
was a stillness to Grace that was unnatural. Emily had never seen her so still.
Grace was always in motion, always. She slowly ambled to the side of the bed
and slid down into the chair. Taking Grace’s hand in her own she traced the
veins that stood out in sharp relief, their blue-purple color bright against
the pale translucency of her skin. She studied Grace’s appearance. Up close,
Grace was paler than she looked from the window. The sheets surrounding Grace
had more color. Her face was riddled with bruises, and Emily assumed those were
from the accident. Grace’s left arm was in a cast and her left foot was raised
with two pillows propped beneath it.

The room
itself was bright and white. Emily quickly shut down a train of thought of
someone waking from a coma only to fall right back in, sure they were at the
gates of heaven. She understood why the room was as it was, but it didn’t
change the fact that, at this moment, it seemed cold and uninviting. Nothing
graced the walls except equipment, monitors, and a white board. The sheets and
blankets were white. The tile was a blueish tan color, really the only thing of
color in the whole room, besides the red dry erase writing on the white board.

Emily leaned
forward and brushed her fingers across Grace’s brow. “Mama G? It’s Emily. We’re
here, and we’re praying for you to come back to us. We’re not ready to let you
go; there’s still so much for you to see and do. Hope will be here in a few
hours. I love you, Mama G. Please get better,” Emily whispered this last
sentiment against Grace’s ear, tears leaking from her eyes.

Emily sat
down and held Grace’s hand. She started to hum the lullaby Grace would always
sing to her whenever she was sick or sad. Two verses into the song, Grace’s
hand twitched and Emily sucked in her breath.

She pressed
the call button on Grace’s bed. Was it a fluke? Had she just imagined that? Her
father said Grace hadn’t moved on her own the whole time.

“Ma’am?” the
nurse asked, sticking her head inside the door.

“My mom. Her
hand. It just twitched in mine while I was singing to her. Can you call the
doctor? Maybe this means she has some brain activity after all?”

“I’ll page
the doctor, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high.”

“I
understand,” Emily replied.

She
continued to sing, but no further movement happened. It was probably a fluke,
if Grace hadn’t moved for her husband, why would she move for Emily? And
besides, if she was going to move for anyone, wouldn’t it be Hope, her
daughter? Suddenly, she was impatient for Hope’s arrival. Maybe all Grace
needed was the people who loved her best surrounding her and pulling for her
and showing her how much they loved and needed her.