Rink

chapter twelve | girlfriend

GARRETT HALE

"That's not a legitimate excuse. According to your file, you have three adult siblings and your parents are still married." I swear I do not have the patience for this today.

I'm talking to the host of the awards show that I'm supposed to be at later, and he's trying to say that I still have to be there even though my mom is having a tumor removed from her brain.

"Okay. I'm not going to argue with you, but I will not be there." I calmly tell him. I've been trying to get it through his thick skull that I'm not going to be there but he is trying to negotiate.

I hate these things, but I've always just dealt with them.

I see my sister calls and stay calm. Not going to lie, it's scary waiting for someone you love to get out of brain surgery.

"Is she awake?" I immediately ask. "Yeah, she just woke up. Dad said we can both come to the hospital now," She tells me. "I'm on my way," I tell her and then hang up. I've been ready, all I have to do is put on my shoes.

I slide on a pair of sneakers and walk out to my car. I haven't gone anywhere else today or done anything.

I wanted to just be able to go to the hospital as soon as I knew she was awake.

I talked to Leona for a while today, but most of my day was spent stressing about my mom. It doesn't take long to get to the hospital where my mom is.

"Where is recovery?" I ask the woman sitting at the front desk. "Take that corridor to the end, turn right, and at the end of that hallway." She directs me.

I walk down to recovery and see my sister and my dad standing in front of my mom. "Hi mom," I whisper and she brightly smiles at me.

"Hi, baby," She loudly says. "How are you doing?" I ask her. "I don't think I'm dying anymore," She quickly ways. I look at my dad and he rolls his eyes. "The anesthesia makes her a little loopy," He chuckles. I sit down on one of the chairs that are placed next to her bed.

"Evelyn told me that you have a girlfriend. You should let me meet her," She tries to convince me.

"Mom, she's not my girlfriend," Yet. My mom hated when I would hook up with girls. The only reason she knew is because of random articles written about it.

Compared to a lot of people it wasn't that many girls. I didn't hook up a lot, but I also didn't look for a relationship.

I wasn't particularly looking for a relationship around the time I met Leona, but I ended up liking her.

"You's thinking about her," She says, slurring a little bit in the beginning. I just raise an eyebrow at her. She doesn't need to know everything.

"I know because I am your mother and know everything," She tiredly says. A nurse comes into the room a few minutes later and stands at the end of her bed.

"Hi everyone," She greets us, her eyes staying on me for a second before widening in recognition. She clears her throat and then starts talking.

"The surgery went very well, better than expected. She is going to be needing a lot of rest and care, which I'm sure that you all will help with. Try to let her take a nap soon, and we will be bringing her a meal later in the day," She finishes.

"If you have any questions, or think anything is wrong at any point just head over to the nurse's station and grab someone or touch this button," She points to the call button attached to my mom's bed.

After a few more minutes of talking, she leaves us be. My mom falls asleep after a little while.

"You two don't have to stay, because she probably isn't going to wake up for a long time. I'll have your brothers come when she wakes up." My dad says. He's laying on the couch in her room.