All tangled together.
Hours later, Greg finally woke up.
I stood awkwardly near the hospital door while Mom talked to the doctor. Greg looked smaller somehow. Fragile.
His eyes found me.
For the first time since he married my mom, he actually looked at me.
Really looked.
His voice was rough and weak.
“You stayed?”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah.”
He stared at me for a long moment before tears filled his eyes.
The last thing I expected from Greg was crying.
“I heard what you said to the dispatcher,” he whispered. “You kept calling me Dad.”
I looked down at the floor.
“I didn’t know what else to call you.”
He broke completely then.
And so did I.
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
