After All (Cape Harbor #1)(86)
Bowie came into the waiting room a few minutes later and met Brooklyn’s eyes. They weren’t on the same page yet but would be after spending some time together. Soon he would know exactly what she was thinking. She desperately wanted to feel his arms around her, to have him hug the both of them, but right now she had to take her daughter to say goodbye to her grandmother.
She and Brystol held hands as they walked toward Bowie. Brooklyn stopped and rested her free hand on his chest. He leaned into her, kissing her temple. “I’ll be outside with Luke,” he whispered.
Down the hall, mother and daughter walked toward Carly’s room. Brooklyn wanted Brystol to go at her own pace; she didn’t want to force her to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. Next to Carly’s bed sat a chair. Bowie had left it there for the next person to come in and say their goodbyes. In the corner, a pile of folded blankets had been placed on the floor, with a pillow resting on top. Simone was preparing to stay here so that Carly wouldn’t die alone.
“Can Nonnie hear me?”
“Yeah, she can. She may not be able to answer, but she can hear you.”
Brystol walked into the room and sat in the chair while Brooklyn went to the windowsill. She had sat there last night, waiting and wondering how she’d ended up here. It was all Carly and some master plan of hers to change their lives. She knew that now.
“Hi, Nonnie. I know you’re not feeling very well right now. Mom says you can hear me. I really hope she’s right. Grandpa told me once that you should always say goodbye, no matter where you’re going. I’m not the one leaving, but I guess the same applies. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say, so I’m just going to tell you that you are the best grandma, and I have a lot of really fun memories. Like the time we tried to tie-dye shirts, and you spilled the color everywhere. Your backyard was a rainbow of colors until it rained. Or the time we went out during low tide to go clamming. I still don’t like clams that much, but that was fun. I know we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, but coming here each summer was the most fun, with this one being the best because we got to stay home every day. You and Simi always had so many things for us to do, like flying kites or sitting in the hammock reading. There was the time we went to dinner with my grandparents at the Space Needle. We started on one side of the city and ended up on the other. Do you remember laughing all night with my grandma? What about when you snorted?” Brystol had to stop and laugh. Brooklyn glanced at her daughter and saw that her head was down, resting on Carly’s leg. “I remember it so clearly.”
Two people appeared in the doorway, and Brooklyn sprang to her feet. She rushed to her parents, needing to feel their arms around her. “What’re you doing here?”
“Simone called us. We thought we’d come up and help with Brystol, and anything else you needed.”
“I’m so happy you’re here,” she said, breathing them in. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call. My mind is reeling right now. Rennie’s on her way too. I need her to look over Carly’s will.”
“We understand,” her mother said.
She pulled away, only to be replaced by Brystol. She yammered on about everything that had been happening since she saw them last, and filled her grandparents in about Luke, telling them that she was begging her mother for a dog now.
“Dad, you remember Bowie, right?”
“Of course, I do,” David Hewett said gruffly.
“He’s in the waiting room.” Brooklyn gave her parents a knowing look. They knew all too well about their daughters’ feelings toward Bowie, and later tonight, she would fill them in on her surprising revelation.
Brystol finally disengaged from her grandparents and brought her grandma into the room. She let her grandma sit next to Carly, and she stood by her side. Brooklyn gave her father a kiss on the cheek and asked him to please go visit Bowie, telling him she would be out in a bit. She stood at the end of the bed and watched Carly struggle in her sleep. “She’s in and out of consciousness. They have her on morphine for the pain. The nurses feel it won’t be long. They’re not expecting her to make it through the night.”
Bonnie Hewett pulled her granddaughter down on her lap and held her as she whispered to Brystol, telling her how sorry she was. As much as she wanted to remain strong, Brooklyn felt tears wet her cheeks. Her mom reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“We’ll get you through this, my little Bs.”
Brooklyn wiped away the stream of tears with her free hand. “She has a list of things I’m supposed to do, but I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. I hate waiting, and I don’t even know what I’m waiting for. She’s just there, and in pain, and I can’t do anything to help her.”
“The staff here is doing everything they can for her, sweetie. Your father is very confident in their ability, and you know he’s here if you have any concerns.”
“I just don’t like seeing her in pain.”
“I know. Why don’t you go out to the waiting room, round up your dad, and go get something to eat downstairs? Little B and I are going to sit here and visit with Carly. If something changes, we’ll come and get you.” Brooklyn went to her mom, leaned over, and hugged her from behind. Her mom kissed her cheek and told her that she loved her.
In the waiting room, Bowie and her father were arguing over football. It was something that they had done every time they saw each other. Bowie was a die-hard Seahawks fan, while her father thought they were lime-green chickens. Her father was born and raised in San Francisco and would always be a Niners fan, something that Bowie loved to give David shit about.