harden into stone and my spinal cord turn to steel. I
nodded and went down to the beach.
"Cary was devastated. He couldn't believe his
father was--had collapsed. Jacob's been such a tower of strength. He's never been sick, never missed a day's work, and he never complains about muscle aches and pains, no matter how hard he works and how miserable the weather. I've seen him come home with his face blue from cold, but he never so much as
moaned.
"When the ambulance arrived, Olivia hovered
over the paramedics making sure they did everything
as quickly and efficiently as possible. Then she organized us into two cars and we followed the ambulance
to the hospital. Cary drove our car. When we arrived,
she went to the emergency room doctor immediately
and got him to go see to Jacob. He reported to her
before he reported to anyone else. It seemed like only
minutes before they had a heart specialist beside
Jacob and Jacob in the CCU. I never saw Olivia any
stronger. She inspired me and I kept myself together. "After a few hours, she came to us and sai
d we
should go home and get some rest. There was nothing
more to do but wait to see how his condition developed. All the while I kept thinking, if Olivia, who is
Jacob's mother, can be so strong, I have to be strong,
too. So I kept my tears back and did what she said. "Cary worries me now," she continued. "He
didn't say a word until he spoke to you."
"He'll be fine, Aunt Sara," I promised, even
though I didn't know if I had any right to make such
assurances. I certainly had no track record of success
when it came to predictions about people.
She sighed again and returned to the meat loaf.
"Everything's ready," she declared. "Can you get
Cary, Melody?"
"Of course, Aunt Sara."
I went to the stairway and called him, but he