Nantucket (12 page)

A
ll the seats in the waiting room were taken when Cadie turned around from signing in, but an older gentleman saw her and immediately stood up and motioned for her to take his. At first, Cadie shook her head, but he nodded insistently, and since she really didn't feel very well after making the long trip, she thanked him and gratefully sat down. The woman who'd been dozing next to him felt him move, opened her eyes, and smiled, her kind face crinkling with friendly wrinkles. “It's no fun, is it?” she whispered conspiratorially.

Cadie smiled and shook her head, wishing with all her heart she would live long enough to have smile lines.

The woman reached up and touched the brightly colored kerchief on her head. “You won't believe this,” she said, “but I used to have beautiful red hair . . . and it stayed red well into my sixties. Redheads keep their color longer—did you know that?”

“No, I didn't.”

The woman looked up at Levi. “Is he your son?”

“Yes,” Cadie said with a proud smile.

“He's very handsome,” she whispered.

“Thank you. He's a good guy—he keeps me going.”

The woman nodded. “My Ed keeps me going too. He was in the navy during the war—he's as tough as nails, but he's as soft as a teddy bear too. I'm not sure how he's going to manage when I'm gone.”

“I worry about the same thing,” Cadie said with a sad smile. “I have a younger son too—he's only six.”

The woman nodded. “You've been blessed.”

“I have, but sometimes I can't help but wonder why God wants to take it all away.”

The woman studied Cadie, her kind blue eyes sparkling with light. “It may seem like He's taking it away, but He's not. Your job, dear, is to keep the faith. God will take care of your boys . . . just like He'll take care of my Ed.”

“Mary?” a voice called, and the woman looked up. A nurse was standing by the door, holding an iPad. She smiled and Ed reached out to help her up, but before she did, she gave Cadie a hug. “Remember what I said,” she whispered, and as she let go, Cadie felt an odd sense of peace washing over her.

Moments later, a different nurse stood by the door, calling Cadie's name, and as they were ushered down the hall, Cadie turned to Levi and smiled. “I wonder if St. Peter stands by the pearly gates with an iPad too.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Let's not find out, okay?”

L
iam's phone often didn't ring for weeks on end. Sometimes, he even picked it up to make sure it still had a dial tone, so when he climbed out of the truck that afternoon and heard it ringing insistently, his heart started to pound.

“Hello?” he said, picking it up.

“Dad?”

“No, I'm sorry. You must have the wrong num—”

“Dad, it's
me,
Levi.”

“Oh! I'm sorry, I . . .”

“I've been trying to reach you all afternoon.”

Liam could hear the tremor in his son's voice and his heart began to race. “Why? What's the matter?”

“Mom's in the hospital.”

“She is?! What happened?”

“We went to her appointment,” Levi explained, “and just like I expected, her doctor told her there was nothing more they can do. He said her quality of life was the most important thing, and although he was reluctant to tell her how much time she had, she insisted on knowing and . . .” Levi's voice broke. “He said a month . . . maybe two.”

Liam stared blindly out the window, tears springing to his eyes as he tried to wrap his mind around the frailty of life—
of Cadie's life
. “Is that why she's in the hospital?”

“No,” Levi said tearfully. “When we were walking out, she started to lose her balance and then she started to slump and slide along the wall. I reached out to steady her, but she collapsed in my arms. They rushed her to Mass General and now she's in ICU. They think she might've had a stroke.” There was a muffled sound on the other end of the line and Liam pictured the young man he'd just met—
his son
—bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders . . . and his heart broke for him.

“Levi, are you okay?”

“Dad, can you . . . can you come?”

“Of course,” Liam said, tears sliding down his cheeks. “I'll come right away. Give me your number so I can reach you.” Levi gave him his cell phone number and Liam jotted it on the back of the shopping list he'd made the day before. “Sit tight and we'll be there as soon as we can, okay?”

“Okay,” Levi said.

Liam hung up the phone, turned the scrap of paper over, and gazed at it. How was it possible that just yesterday his biggest concern had been remembering to get beer?

He watched Aidan throwing a tennis ball for Tuck in the late-day sunlight, and for the first time since Cooper died, whispered a simple prayer: “Please hold Cadie and Levi close.” Then, his mind started to spin with the complicated logistics of getting to Boston as quickly as possible. He glanced at his watch—it was seven-thirty . . .
and
it was Monday, which meant there wouldn't be many people leaving the island with vehicles that night, so hopefully there would be room for them on the ferry. If not, he could take the launch to Hyannis . . . but then he'd have to take a taxi all the way to Boston or rent a car . . . or he could just take the launch all the way to Boston—he'd never done that before, but it had to be possible. Just then, Moby swished through his legs, reminding him it was suppertime. He looked down and groaned. “And then there's you guys . . .”

He picked up the phone again, looked for Sally's number, and dialed.

“Hey, Sal, it's Liam. Listen, I have to go to Boston . . . Yes, I remember how to get there. I'm calling to see if you'd be able to look after Tuck and Moby while I'm gone? . . . Yeah, I'll leave Moby here if you could just swing by and feed him once in a while and I'll drop Tuck off . . . is that okay? I know, it does take a lot to get me off the island.... Yeah, a friend . . . Yeah, me too . . . Thanks, Sally. . . . I'll be by in a bit.”

Liam pushed the hook switch down, released it, and dialed another number to see if it was possible to reserve a spot for the truck on the ten o'clock ferry.

Half an hour later, after a light supper of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, Liam loaded Tuck's food, bowls, and leash in the back of the truck along with his duffel bag and Aidan's backpack. “Have we got everything?” he asked, mentally running through the list in his head.

“Do you have your toothbrush?” Aidan offered.

Liam nodded.

“Clean underwear?”

“Yes.”

“Then you have everything you need,” Aidan said matter-of-factly.

“I hope so,” Liam said with a smile. He scratched Moby's ears. “We'll be back, pal.” Moby pushed his head into Liam's hand. “Maybe you could catch a mole while we're gone.” But Moby just stretched out along the soft, worn couch and blinked at him, as if to say,
doubtful.
Liam turned on the stove light and locked the door.

When they pulled up in front of Sally's cottage, Tuck climbed over Liam's lap, leaped to the ground, and raced to the door, tail wagging. He barked twice, announcing his arrival, and when Sally opened the door in her bathrobe, he practically knocked her over. “Hullo, sweetheart,” she said as he bathed her face with kisses. “My goodness! Did you miss me?”

Liam shook his head. “Are you sure he's not
your
dog?!”

“He could be,” Sally said with a smile as she took the bowls from his hands. “I wouldn't mind one bit . . . but I honestly think he likes me because I'm usually wearing his favorite fragrance.”

“What's that?”

“Bacon.”

Liam laughed. “Well, maybe I'll just have to leave him with you permanently. . . .”

“No, you won't,” she teased.

“I might,” he said, setting the food on the porch. “By the way, he's already eaten, so don't let him fool you.” He looked around. “Where'd he go anyway?”

Sally pointed, and Liam peered into the brightly lit living room and saw Tuck sprawled out on Sally's couch. “I'm sorry he doesn't have better manners.”

“Not to worry—he's fine.”

“I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'll call as soon as I have an idea.”

Sally waved to Aidan who was waiting in the truck and Aidan waved back. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Liam shook his head. “I don't know . . . it doesn't sound good.”

She put her hand on his shoulder. “Well, take as long as you need. Tuck will be fine and I'll go see Mr. Moby tomorrow. You could've brought him over, too, you know.”

“I know, but he hates riding in the truck. I can't thank you enough. When I have more time, I'll explain.”

Sally nodded. “I would love to hear it. Who would think that
you
—of all people—would have a past! I bet it would make a good book.”

Liam shook his head as he climbed in the truck. “I doubt it.” Then he smiled. “But maybe you could tell me about you and Cooper sometime. . . .”

Sally shook her head, feigning innocence. “There's nothing to tell.”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding knowingly. “I'm sure
that
would make a good book too.”

Sally shook her head and waved, but as he pulled away, she laughed. “It might make a good book . . . it just might.”

L
evi sat up with a start and looked at his phone—it was ten-thirty! He rubbed his neck and gazed at the web of tubes and monitors crisscrossing his mom's frail body, and then he noticed there was a soft pink hat on her head and he remembered how, during the commotion of being rushed to the ER, her wig had fallen off and been lost. He was glad—he hated that wig! He'd never forget the first time she'd modeled it for him, waiting hopefully for his approval. “I thought I'd see what it's like to be a brunette.”

“It looks nice,” he'd said, even though it made her look completely different. “You can't even tell it's a wig.”

She'd looked in the mirror uncertainly. “Do you really think so?”

He'd nodded, fully believing no one else would know, but as time went on, he'd wished she'd found a baseball cap or a bandana to wear instead . . . anything but that wig! He'd never tell her though—it broke his heart to see her fighting so hard . . . and he'd do anything to protect her dignity.

He felt someone touch his shoulder and turned to see the same nurse who'd gently slipped the pink hat onto his mom's head smiling at him. “Are there any other family members coming?” she whispered.

“Yes,” he answered with a nod, “but I'm not sure when they'll get here.”

“Well, she's not going to wake up for some time, so why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get a bite to eat, and if they come while you're gone, I'll tell them where you are.” Levi nodded, but then lingered, watching her check Cadie's vitals. Finally, he turned and walked slowly down the long, quiet hallway.

The only people in the cafeteria were two young doctors. They were talking quietly at a corner table, but when he walked in, they looked up. Levi looked around to see what was available—the hot food line was closed, but there were still a variety of sandwiches in the refrigerated section. Levi reached for an egg salad sandwich, and while he filled a cup with steaming coffee, he looked around for a cashier. Moments later, a heavyset woman with copper-colored skin appeared from the back and Levi reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

“Coffee's free after ten,” she said with a soothing Jamaican lilt; then she studied his face and frowned. “You're lookin' mighty sad, child,” she added softly, “in fact, if I knew you better, I'd give you a hug.”

Levi smiled.

“That's better, now . . . and that ole sandwich's free too.” Levi started to protest, but she shook her head. “Whatever your troubles are, child, the Good Lord's lookin' out for you—don't you forget that . . . and you need anything else, you just ask for Ruby.”

Levi nodded. “Thanks, Ruby.”

Ruby smiled. “Go eat.”

Levi hadn't realized how hungry he was, but when he sat down, he found himself devouring the sandwich and deciding it was
the
best egg salad sandwich he'd ever had. Between huge bites, he sipped the coffee and realized he hadn't eaten anything since he'd had pancakes that morning.

Five minutes later, he put the top back on the coffee, threw out his trash, and hurried back to his mom's room. As he turned down her hallway, he saw three figures standing outside her door—one was the nurse, but he couldn't make out the other two. As he drew near, though, the nurse saw him and smiled and the two figures turned.

“Hello, Levi,” Carlton Knox said.

“Hello, Grandfather . . . Grandmother,” he said with a polite nod.

Then his grandfather looked around and frowned. “Where's Aidan?”

A
idan was sound asleep inside the ferry's cabin when it docked in Hyannis, but when Liam gently lifted him and carried him down to the truck, he murmured, “Are we there?”

“Not yet,” Liam said softly. “You can keep sleeping.” He opened the truck door, set him in the passenger's seat, and slipped the seatbelt around him. Then he climbed in the driver's side, turned the key, switched on his headlights, opened his window, and waited for his turn to bump down the ramp. He followed the line of traffic winding off the ferry, down Ocean Street to Bay Street and onto Old Colony Road, but when most of the line turned right onto Main, he turned left onto Center and followed it out to Barnstable Road. “Just like riding a bike,” he murmured as he circled the rotary and merged onto Route 132 toward Route 6.

Traffic was light as he crossed the Sagamore Bridge and tried to remember the last time he'd been off the Cape. After his time in the marines, the only other time he'd been off the island—besides when he went to Chatham for Jack and Tracey's wedding—was for a Patriots game, and that had been at least twelve years ago. One of Coop's clients had given him tickets to a playoff game and it turned out to be
the
coldest game in Patriots history—four degrees with a negative twelve wind chill! They‘d frozen . . . or at least
he
had frozen; Coop, as usual, had plenty to drink, so the temperature hadn't fazed him one bit, but Liam had shivered all the way back to Hyannis, and then they'd ended up missing the ferry. After staying in a motel that night, Liam decided that leaving the island was more trouble than it was worth, and he'd never left again . . . until tonight.

The old truck wasn't used to highway speeds, and as they rumbled up Route 3 to Route 1, cars zipped by on both sides of them, and Liam hoped it wouldn't fall apart. He looked out the window at the Boston skyline blinking in the distance and it dawned on him that he didn't know where the hospital was. He glanced over at Aidan—still sound asleep—and tried to prop him up, but he just slumped over again. “Oh, well, pal,” he said softly, “I wish I could take your shoulder strap off so you could lie down, but there's probably a law against that. I wonder if they'd believe me if I said I didn't know.”

Liam clicked the radio on low and a country song about a boy whose life changed after he got a girl pregnant drifted through the cab. Liam had heard the Kenny Chesney song hundreds of times, but he'd never really listened to the story it told. “I guess it's kind of fitting,” he mused softly.

As they neared the city, he started to keep an eye on the signs. Finally, recognizing Storrow Drive, he got off, but then it took him a half hour to actually find the hospital—which turned out to be on Fruit Street. As he parked the truck near the emergency room, he glanced at his watch—it was almost twelve-thirty! He scooped Aidan into his arms and walked past several emergency vehicles with their lights flashing eerily across the night sky. Aidan looked around. “What happened?” he asked in a worried voice.

“Nothing,” Liam assured him. “It's just the emergency room.”

They hurried inside, but it was total chaos and several minutes passed before Liam was able to get the attention of the receptionist and ask what floor ICU was on. She frowned. “Fourth, but you can't take children up there,” she said, nodding to Aidan.

Liam nodded as if he knew that, but as soon as another emergency demanded her attention, he disappeared down the hall. “We'll find it on our own.”

They ducked into an elevator and Liam pushed the button for the fourth floor. A moment later, the doors opened up to an entirely different world. Liam stepped out into the silent hallway with Aidan in his arms.

“Where're we going?” Aidan whispered.

“We're looking for Levi.”

“Oh,” Aidan said with a smile.

Just then, a nurse came out of one of the rooms and saw them. “I'm sorry, sir, but children aren't allowed in ICU.”

“Yes, I know, but his mom is a patient, and we've just come all the way from Nantucket. I'm actually looking for my son, Levi Knox—who is here alone.”

At the mention of Levi's name, the nurse smiled. “If you'll have a seat right over there,” she said, motioning to the waiting area, “I'll get him.”

“Thank you,” Liam said as he set Aidan down in a chair and sat next to him.

Moments later, Levi appeared, looking disheveled and exhausted. Aidan rushed over and Levi scooped him up. “Hey, pal, how're you doin'?” he asked, mustering a smile.

“Good,” Aidan said, squeezing him with all his might.

“Easy, there,” Levi laughed. “I
do
need to breathe.”

Aidan grinned and slid down from his arms; then Levi turned to Liam, and immediately, his eyes filled with tears. “I can't believe this is happening.”

Liam nodded and put his arm around him. “How's she doing?”

“She's still sleeping. Do you want to see her?”

“Yes, but Aidan has to stay here.”

“Okay, I'll stay with him. It's the first room on the left.”

As he walked into the room, Liam brushed back his own tears. Cadie was behind a clear partition; she looked fragile and thin, and her head looked small under her new hat. He pulled a chair up next to her bed and Levi's words echoed in his mind . . .
I can't believe this is happening.

“Oh, Cadie,” he whispered. “How
did
all this happen?” he whispered, touching her smooth cheek. “All I've ever thought about was seeing you again. I know it sounds crazy . . . but all my memories of being with you are what's kept me going.” Liam slipped his hand into hers—it was cold and he rubbed it, trying to warm it up. Suddenly, the monitor next to her bed came on, startling him, and he watched as it went through its battery of tests. When it stopped, he watched the blue line that monitored her steady heartbeat. “Please don't take her from me again,” he whispered.

Finally, he got up and walked back to the waiting area. Aidan was curled up on a small couch, asleep again, and Levi was sitting in a nearby chair with his head in his hands.

“Hey,” Liam said, sitting across from him.

Levi looked up. “Is she still asleep?”

Liam nodded. “They've probably given her something, so why don't you and Aidan go home for a bit, get some rest, and take a shower. I'll stay here until you come back. Is there someone who can stay with Aidan?”

Levi shook his head. “If Emma was here, she would . . . but my mom never used a sitter—he's always been with one of us. Oh! By the way, my grandparents were here and they said they'd be coming back in the morning.”

Liam frowned. “I thought you said they didn't know.”

“I didn't think they did, but my grandfather has all kinds of connections. Anyway, they're staying in town. I don't know why they care now—they never cared before. In fact, the first thing he asked me was
‘Where's Aidan?'
He never even asked how she was doing.”

Liam frowned. The last person on earth he wanted to see was Carlton Knox, but if he was coming back in the morning, it seemed unavoidable. “All right,” Liam said with a sigh. “Whatever. We'll deal with it when it happens. In the meantime, why don't you two head home?”

Levi nodded gratefully—he was physically and emotionally drained, and the idea of crawling into his own bed and leaving the world and all its worries behind was more than a little enticing. He scooped Aidan into his arms and then remembered he had Cadie's phone in his pocket. “Here, take this so I can call you.”

Liam looked at the phone as if it was a foreign object and shook his head. “I won't even know how to use it.”

“It's easy,” Levi assured. “If it rings, the screen will light up and tell you what to do—it's a touch screen, so you just use your finger and then hold it against your ear like a regular phone.” Liam looked doubtful, but Levi smiled. “If Aidan can do it, so can you.”

“I'm not so sure about that.”

“Do you want me to call you now so you can try it?”

Liam shook his head. “No, but don't be disappointed if I don't answer.”

Levi smiled. “Okay, I won't.” Then he hugged him and walk down the long hallway with his little brother's head on his shoulder.