She knew hospitals were also the place where new life was brought into the world and lives were saved on a daily basis. As they walked down the wide hallway, passing the nurses’ desk, where heads were bent over charts and phones were pressed to ears, all she could think was:
Please let Tilly be okay. Please let Tilly be okay.
When they reached Tilly’s room, Trent took Reese by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes.
“She’s not in the ICU, Reese. That’s a good sign.”
“But they said she has pneumonia.”
“I know, and that’s pretty common among elderly folks, as Kathleen told you when she called. I’m sure Tilly’s in good hands, but I’m worried about you. What can I do to help you get through this?”
Reese pressed her body against his, hugging him close and soaking in his comfort.
“You’ve already helped me. Just being here with me makes me feel better. I just wish her daughter had come to visit. Last I heard, she’s waiting until the end of the day to make a decision about coming out from Los Angeles.” She gazed up at Trent, so thankful that he was there with her, putting her first without a second’s hesitation.
“I’m sure her daughter will make the right decision. Take a deep breath, sweetheart, and I’ll be right here by your side.”
Reese walked into Tilly’s room with her heart in her throat. The blinds were partially drawn, and the room was silent, save for the sounds of the monitors and Tilly’s breathing. Tilly’s eyes were closed, her head turned to the side. A clear oxygen tube snaked beneath each nostril. Without her carefully applied makeup and her headband securely in place, against the sterile white sheets and among the tubes running from her veiny arms, she looked much less like the upbeat woman who had become like family to Reese and more like Reese’s frail grandmother before she passed away. The cold reality hit Reese in the center of her chest.
She set the flowers on the bedside table, and as she sat in the chair beside the bed, with Trent right there with her, Tilly opened her eyes.
She blinked several times, and her lips curved up in a smile as she said, “Reese.”
Taking Tilly’s warm hand in her own, Reese said, “Hi, Tilly. How are you feeling?”
“Oh, I’m okay. I have a really sweet doctor and a nurse who has been bringing me anything I need.” She lifted her hand to her hair and patted it. “I just wish I could have made it through my morning regimen. It’s a little embarrassing to be seen like this.”
“You look beautiful, Tilly,” Trent said with a smile. “Is there anything we can bring you from home that would make you more comfortable?”
“You are a doll, aren’t you?” Tilly shifted her eyes to Reese, then back to Trent. “No, thank you, dear. They said I would only be here for a day or two.”
“A day or two? Oh, that’s great news!” Relief washed through Reese. “Do you want us to pick up a book for you? Can I come see you tonight? Can I bring you soup for dinner?” She wanted to do something—anything—to help Tilly heal.
“Honey, you take better care of me than my own daughter,” Tilly said warmly. “Thank you, but the food here is just fine, and you have enough going on in your life. You don’t have to come visit me. I’ll be back home before you know it.”
Trent settled a hand on Reese’s shoulder. “That may be, but we’ll still come by and visit tonight. We can always make time for the people we love.”
Reese felt her throat thicken, at both the relief that Tilly would be okay and at Trent’s words. He was so markedly different from the man she’d left in New York.
They visited with Tilly until the nurse came to shoo them out so that Tilly could rest. When Reese gave Tilly a kiss on her cheek, Tilly held tightly to her hand and said, “Reese, honey, you have your whole life ahead of you, but when you get to the end of it, it doesn’t feel like it was long enough. Live every minute as if it’s your last, so when you’re my age, you have no regrets.”
Reese glanced up at Trent, whose dark eyes were full of love as he waited patiently beside her. He hadn’t rushed her through their visit, despite it being a workday, and she knew he would be totally supportive and loving when they walked out that door. She turned back to Tilly, leaned in close, and said, “A few weeks ago I might have needed that reminder, but not anymore.”
As she walked to the parking lot, tucked safely beneath Trent’s arm, knowing that later this evening he’d accompany her to check on Tilly again, the sadness that had swallowed her when she’d first seen Tilly in the hospital slipped away with the afternoon breeze.