Scars of the Future by Kay Gordon Read Free Book Online Page B

cafeteria you’d see in school. I had spent most of my Saturday with Mom and she had jokingly accused me of using her for the food.
    “That’s what moms are for, right?” I smiled at her and she nodded enthusiastically.
    We were just finishing up dinner when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored it, not wanting it to cut into my time with Mom, but by the fourth time the person had called, I pulled it out.
    “I’m sorry, Mama. It’s Maddie and she’s called several times in a row.” I frowned as I stared at it.
    “Answer it, sweetheart,” Mom said as she gestured to the phone.
    I swiped the screen and brought it to my ear. “Hey Mad.”
    “Amanda. David’s back in surgery and no one knows anything. Apparently he just started having chest pains and then he coded. I’m on my way to the hospital.” Maddie’s voice was frantic and my eyes widened.
    “Hold on, Maddie.” I looked at my mom. “I’m sorry, Mama. It’s Sydney’s boyfriend again. I’ve got to go.”
    Mom nodded. “Go, honey. Be with your friend. I love you.”
    “I love you, too.” I gave her a swift hug and practically ran out of the nursing home to my car.
    I made it to the elevator and almost crashed into Matt. He put his hands out to steady me as the doors closed and he gave me a sad smile.
    “Hey.”
    “Hi Matt,” I huffed, slightly out of breath from sprinting across the hospital. “Do you know anything?”
    He shook his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets “Not a thing. Maddie says Sydney is in shock and won’t talk to anyone.”
    I bit my lip to keep the tears in and shook my head at Matt, unable to say anything.
    “Oh Manda.” He sighed and pulled me to his chest. He held me forcefully as the elevator came to a stop, only releasing his hold when the doors opened. “Stay strong for Syd, okay?”
    “Okay,” I whispered as he walked next to me out of the elevator, his hand pressed against the small of my back.
    Sydney was slouched against the wall in the waiting room with her head on her knees. Maddie was sitting next to her, rubbing her back, and she caught my frantic expression and tipped her head towards her step-brother.
    “How is he?” I whispered to Sean as Matt and I approached where he was sitting with his arm around David’s sleeping sister.
    Sean frowned. “They’re working on him. The repair they did on his heart the other day failed and they are trying to stop the bleeding.”
    “Oh,” I breathed, putting my hand over my mouth as the tears welled in my eyes. I blinked them back rapidly, not wanting to break down in front of Sydney. Matt gestured for me to sit in the chair next to Sean and sat in the one next to me. I watched as Maddie continued to speak to softly, but Sydney didn’t seem to acknowledge her.
    I stayed in the chair watching my two friends for almost an hour when Sydney finally lifted her head to speak to Maddie. I moved to go over there when Matt’s hand covered my own, keeping me in my seat.
    “Who’s that?” He asked quietly, looking at the person who’d just entered the waiting room.
    I stared at the man who looked uncharacteristically uncertain of his surroundings but gazed upon Sydney with affection. His suit was probably worth more than my car, but he didn’t seem worried about anything except his daughter.
    “Sydney’s dad,” I responded softly as I kept my eyes fixed upon the tall man, whose balding head did nothing to take away from his commanding appearance.
    “Sydney,” Harold Lewis said quietly, and she snapped her head up to look at him. He walked towards his daughter and I saw her break apart at the sight of him.
    “Daddy?” She choked through her tears as he sat down on the floor and pulled her into his arms. Sydney’s body shook as her sobs filled the waiting room. Maddie stood and moved to sit on the other side of Sarah as she wiped tears of her own.
    Sydney’s cries died off after a little while and I realized that she had cried herself to sleep.