Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 169305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 847(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 847(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
T-MINUS 3 DAYS.
There was good news and bad news.
The good news was that my mother did not die. Good for my conscience, good for her health, positive all the way around.
The bad news was that I currently sat in a Chiang Mai hospital with a canceled ticket back to the States, waiting for Mom to wake up after a heart attack she’d experienced, courtesy of yours truly.
“I told you not to confront her about Eileen. You almost killed her.” Celeste Ayi paced the small room, wearing Chanel head to toe, online shopping on the phone in her hand. “Aw, I think I just found a pair of Moda Operandi Louboutins. No one will know they’re secondhand, right?”
I sat by Mom’s bed, staring at my phone screen. “The doctors said it was a mini heart attack.”
I’d found Eileen’s location on Mom’s phone a couple hours ago and booked a seat on every flight back for the next week, just in case. Just in case Mom took her time waking up. And in case I couldn’t find a private charter.
There was no way in hell I’d go through the unique experience of economy again.
“Well, yes, but who’s going to stay with her until she gets discharged?” Celeste Ayi stopped in front of the window, still hunting for designer steals. “Me. And I have a busy Christmas season. I was invited to lots of events.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“Fine, I wasn’t. But I was invited as people’s plus one.”
I set my phone on the stand next to the hospital bed, tapping it with my finger. To say I did not care about my aunt’s social commitments was putting it mildly.
The more I thought about it, the harder I found it to regret confronting Mom about marriage. Sure, I didn’t want her here. And sure, it was easy to think that when I knew her life was not in actual danger.
But I’d finally ended the cycle.
We could move on from here. Maybe even return to our old relationship.
Before Dad died.
Celeste Ayi stopped pacing and turned to me. “Zachary?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think I should go bring myself a bag? I’ll be staying here for a long time, after all.”
“That’s a good idea. I expect to leave here in the next five hours.”
I needed to, in fact, if I wanted to catch Farrow.
“Do you want anything from the hotel?” Celeste slid her phone into her Birkin. “Snacks? Toiletries? Manners?”
“I’m good on all fronts.” I waved her off, staring at my screen, waiting for a call back from the private charter company. “Other than manners. But frankly, I simply cannot bring myself to care.”
Celeste Ayi twisted one corner of her mouth, stopping at the door before she walked off.
She gave me a long, hard stare. “You’ve changed.”
“How so?”
“You became…” She contemplated the right word. “Human.”
“Okay.”
She shrugged. “I don’t hate it, you know.”
“I don’t care.”
T-MINUS 2 DAYS.
Two hours.
My flight would take off in two hours. Straight to Italy, where Eileen resided in a luxurious estate owned by Celeste Ayi’s second ex-husband.
I intended to break off the engagement with her, taking no more than seven minutes, then hopping on the jet back to Potomac with a little under twenty-four hours left to spare.
I stared at the still vision of Mom, her eyes closed, her skin pale and lusterless. She looked like she’d aged a couple centuries.
And yet, she also seemed at peace.
Finally relaxed, unburdened by the weight of our loss.
Mom’s eyes moved left and right beneath their lids. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees as I watched her.
The nurses had pumped her with drugs, full to the brim with painkillers to combat the broken rib the paramedic on site had given her. She was probably higher than inflation.
Her eyes fluttered open in the dark room. The machine hooked up to her continued its steady beats.
I didn’t know what a good son would do in this moment. I didn’t have much experience in that department.
If the roles were reversed and Farrow hovered over my hospital bed, I’d want her to hold my hand.
Still, I kept mine to my side.
After all, I’d just threatened to cut Mom off, should she contest my relationship with Octi.
“You’re in the hospital.” I sat back, realizing I did, indeed, feel a substantial amount of relief to see her wake up. “How are you feeling?”
Mom darted her tongue to lick her lips. A grunt escaped instead, the movement too tasking for her current state.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Been better.”
I didn’t say anything.
Mom inhaled, as if trying to make sure she could. “What happened to me?”
“A mini heart attack.” I slipped my hands into my pockets. “Very mild, according to the doctors. You’re currently at Chiang Mai’s best private health institution with around-the-clock supervision. Celeste Ayi is at the hotel, packing up a bag. They want you to stay for five days to monitor your heart rate and put you through some general checkups.”