“Boys,” Bennett clears his throat, “Why don’t you go take a walk in the hallways and give us a minute to talk.”
“Dad?” Joe searches Nax’s face. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to see Mom?”
“Uh…No, I do. But you know how you and your friends talk about things you don’t tell us?”
He hesitates, surprised that adults knows about such a thing. “Yeah?”
“We do that, too. Sometimes we need to talk about things we don’t tell you. So go on out and explore. I’ll still be here. The doctors did a great job.”
Joe follows Will and Elliot out, looking back to his father before the door closes and bring silence with it.
Nax closes his eyes, gathering patience. “Why is she coming?” He waves his hand. “Never mind. I know why.”
Josh offers anyway, “To take care of Joe while you’re in the hospital.”
“You can take care of him!”
“She’s his mother, Nax.”
Bennett grumbles, “Fine one, too.”
Josh reminds them both, “The only one any of our boys has left.”
I glance to Christina, silently wondering, Where is Elliot’s mother? She holds my look, a conversation for another time.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet. Can’t believe I have to while feeling like this.”
I offer, “Want some more morphine?”
He looks at me, a smile flashing despite himself. “You got some in your purse?”
“Carry it everywhere.” I cross to him and touch his tired face. “It was so hard waiting for the doctors to tell us how you were. I have something for you.” Reaching into my pocket I reveal the gnarled bullet.
He grins, “No way!” taking it from me, bloodshot blue eyes squinting as he turns it over for inspection. “This bad boy thought it could take me down.”
“It was wrong.”
“So wrong!” he whispers, fascinated by it. A woman’s approaching voice is heard through the door, causing his smile to falter.
Christina starts to say, “No, it’s—”
I cut her off, “—It’s my mom. Excuse us.”
Chris and I hurry into a corridor made busy by New York City’s population. “I’m here, Mom!”
She flies at me, Dad several yards behind since she’s clearly been losing her mind. “Zia! Thank God he didn’t hurt you!” I get wrapped in her arms, my heart forgetting I’m an adult, the fear of today hitting me all over again.
Holding her I whisper, “I was so scared, Mom!”
“I bet you were, baby!” Pulling back for a quick scan, she nods, satisfied I’m okay, and hugs me again. “When you called us and told us what happened, I needed to see you with my own eyes to believe you were really okay.”
Tears slide down as I look at Dad over Mom’s shoulder. He opens his arms and I separate from her to walk to him, burrowing into strong arms as he says with emotion, “If he’s not already dead, I’ll kill him myself!”
“Morgan!” Mom warns.
We step apart as Dad insists, “I will!”
“Don’t say it so loud!” Mom and Aunt Rose have marched many causes, and her bitterness shows in the proclamation, “Let’s hope he stays in jail and the system doesn’t fail us. I always knew he was shifty.”
Dad cuts her a look. “You did not, Al!”
“I never trusted James!”
Pursing his lips to stave his tongue, Dad’s gaze locks onto the hospital room we walked out of. “Is Max in there?”
“It’s Nax, Morgan,” Mom corrects him, “With an ’N’.”
“That’s an unusual name.”
“An unusual man,” she nods, approval gliding to me. “Not many would jump in front of a bullet.”
“I have to meet him.”
“Dad!”
It’s no use. Suddenly it’s just us three out here. I glance to Christina and to Mom. We hurry inside.
Josh is where we left him, but Bennett has taken my place. My father is standing at the foot of the hospital bed like it’s a dining table and he’s King. “I hear you saved my daughter’s life today.”
Nax holds Dad’s gaze. “I did.”
“Are you a father?”
“I am.”
“Do you have a daughter?”
“A son.”
“I have both. If you are ever unlucky enough to have a daughter, you’ll know how it feels to want to protect her. There are people in this world who do not respect women and would take advantage of them.”
“Dad,” I whisper.
He looks at me, and continues, “When she was little, I did everything I could to ensure she was safe. This is a big city. It’s a big world. And there are evil people in it. That must never be forgotten when you’re raising children. We worry about our sons, too, but the worry for a daughter never fully goes away in a father’s heart, even when your little girl grows up and doesn’t need you to look after her anymore.” He turns to Nax. “So I’d like to shake the hand of the man who saved my little girl.”
My father walks around the bed as Bennett crosses to Christina, giving him room to clasp Nax’s extended hand. The two men nod to each other, and Dad turns around, walks out without another word.
Mom watches his departure, and when the door closes behind him, she sighs. “He still surprises me to this day.” Touching my shoulder she smiles, “I’m going to tell Morgan how proud I am of him.”
“I’ve never heard him talk like that, Mom.”
“He’s got a soft heart under all of that gruffness.”
As the door closes, Christina looks at me. “Um… can Uncle Morgan give my dad lessons?”
“Might have to sign up for those myself,” jokes Bennett.
Josh dryly shoots back, “Duh.”
Bennett pretends to throw a coffee cup at him, taking a sip instead, his attention drawn to the door opening again, smile vanishing.
I turn to find a pretty blonde with Beverly Hills style scanning our silence. In an instant she takes note of Christina’s hand reaching for Bennett, and focuses on me for a half second.
“Nax,” she strolls forward. “I see you’re awake.”
He counters. “Really? I was hoping this was a nightmare.”
Nax
Misunderstanding me, Liz frowns, “Yes, I can imagine today has been one for you.”
Bennett grunts, “Let’s head outside.”
Josh nods, and I watch Zia follow them,
