Mr. Big Love (Mr. Big 2)

"I know," I said and laid my head on his shoulder. "I love it here, but I have no choice. She needs me." I sighed heavily, thinking of Candace in the OR, doctors and nurses in caps and masks and gowns surrounding her.

She'd fallen off the subway platform. My mind worked hard trying to imagine it -- how could she fall off? It just didn't seem right. She was a geek, but she wasn't a spaz.

"Is her brother going to fly to Manhattan?" Luke asked, referring to Candace's brother who was currently deployed.

"He's in Afghanistan," I replied. "I guess he could ask for compassionate leave, but I thought that when you're deployed, it's usually given only in the event of a death or if someone in your immediate family is dying so he may not be able to come home until..." I stopped at that. I didn't want to say until she dies.

I swallowed hard and continued. "Candace's mom is disabled, and in a wheelchair. She's on oxygen. I'm sure she'll fly out when she can, but it will be so hard for her."

"I'm so sorry..."

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting Luke's warmth and the compassion in his voice fill me.

I called Candy's mom first, so she knew what had happened. It was a short conversation and I was afraid that it would kill her to hear about Candace. She was so weak. A lifetime smoker, she had emphysema and was confined to a wheelchair, unable to get around due to how sick she was. Her husband had died a few years earlier and her children were all moved away. She lived alone but had some home care nurses to check on her.

"I don't have any money to fly to Manhattan," Mrs. Carter said. "Where would I stay?"

"You could stay at Candace's apartment," I said.

"Is it wheelchair accessible? How will I get around? It'll cost me a fortune to get cabs to the hospital and back..."

It was clear that Mrs. Carter did not feel she could go. I tried to calm her down.

"I'll go. She has two other friends who can look after her. You don't have to go. I'll take care of everything."

"Oh, thank you, Alexa. It means so much to me to know you'll go and look after her. I'd go if I could but on my widow's pension, I can barely afford all the extra costs I have for my meds and nursing care..."

"Don't mention it. She's my best friend. I couldn't stand not to go."

I ended the call and then made two more calls to let Jan and Mara know that Candace was in the hospital. Both of them worked and went to school so they'd probably have to split the time up staying with Candace until I could get there, but at least, Candace wouldn't be alone when she woke up in the hospital -- if she did.

Next, I opened my laptop, going to the r

eservations page on the website and checked out flights from Durban to Manhattan. I took the first one out that had the fewest legs.

My flight was with British Airways and was a first-class seat with two stops, one in Johannesburg where I changed planes, and then the next stop was Atlanta International Airport. My final leg was to JFK. All in all, it would take over twenty-nine hours to get home, but I wanted to be with Candace as soon as possible. I couldn't stand the thought of her being alone while in the ICU, being monitored in case her brain swelled. I couldn't imagine being alone if the same happened to me, so while I would miss Luke, and was sad that I had to leave paradise, Candace needed me.

"There," I said and turned to Luke. "Done. I have enough time to pack a bag but then we have to go. I was lucky to find a seat."

He pulled me onto his lap. "It's good you can go so soon," Luke said, running his fingers through my hair. "I was looking forward to us sailing to South America together, go back to the Caribbean and then Florida..."

"Me, too, but I have to go," I said, regret filling me that I'd miss the last leg of our around-the-world trip. I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'll go with you the next time. If Candace is well enough and I feel like I can leave, I'll fly to meet you somewhere. Maybe Florida for the space launch.”

Luke nodded. "I know you have to go. Candace is your bestie. I wish I could come with you. How long do you think you'll be?"

"If she recovers," I said, and my voice caught in my throat. "It's going to be a while before they release her, and then she'll probably need physical therapy to get back her mobility. She's really hurt. She's lucky to be alive."

Luke hugged me tightly.

"I fly first class to Manhattan. Unfortunately, there are two stops along the way, but it was the best I could get on such short notice. There aren't any non-stop flights from Durban to Manhattan."

I was sad that I was going to leave him, but John and Greg would be good company in my absence.

"How will you stand being on land after almost six months at sea?" Luke asked as we went into the galley and fixed breakfast.

"It'll be hard, but I'll adapt. The hardest part will be missing you," I said and leaned against him for a moment. "It's too bad her mom can't go."

"She's too sick?"