Accidental Attraction

4

I only walked with Adam as far as the door to the hospital room. I knew this was a family thing, and I wasn't about to intrude. Adam stood in the doorway staring at his mom in the bed while I sat down in one of the chairs outside. I've never been good in tough times, but my friend needed me, so I had to give it my best shot.

"I'm sure this is hard for you, and I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but wouldn't you rather be standing next to her bedside than out here?" I asked.

"I want to," Adam said. "I'm just a little nervous. I've never seen either of my parents like this before."

"I know," I replied. "That's why I'm here. I never got to see my parents, probably for the best, but I've got your back if you need me. I'm not going anywhere."

"Will you come in there with me?" Adam asked.

"I don't want to intrude," I said. "This is a family thing."

"You're like family to me," Adam replied, starting to tear up again. "Please? I don't think I can go in there alone."

I sighed. "How can I say no to you now?"

I stood up and once again offered Adam my arm as we made our way toward his mom's bedside. His dad was passed out in the chair on the opposite side until I accidentally bumped into a table, knocking a pitcher of water onto the floor. At that point, I felt like my being in that room was a horrible mistake. I started to back away, but as I did, Adam just tightened his grip on my arm. Whether I liked it or not, I wasn't going anywhere. Mr. Harris made his way around to where we were standing and gave his son a hug. 

"How is she?" I asked, noticing that Adam was a little too choked up to speak.

"The doctor said she was lucky we came in when we did," Mr. Harris said. "If we had waited, it may have killed her. They've prescribed her some heart medications, but said she should be fine to go home in a few days."

I turned to Adam. "You hear that champ? Your mom is going to be just fine. Now go on and give her a hug, will you?"

Adam slowly let go of my arm and inched closer to his mom. I watched as she slowly opened her eyes, then smiled when she saw her son standing in front of her. She held out her arms for a hug, which he gladly accepted, and then he burst into tears. I listened to her reassuring Adam that she was going to be fine, but she was happy that he had come to visit her. She turned her head in my direction and mouthed the words "thank you" as she continued to console her son. I smiled and nodded in her direction, then turned to make my way back outside. Mr. Harris, however, had other plans.

"Just where do you think you're running off to, young lady?" he asked.

"I was just going to wait right outside, like I had originally planned," I said. "I didn't want to intrude on this beautiful family moment."

"Nonsense," he replied. "If my son considers you family, then you have every right to be here. Besides, look at him. He's a mess. He needs you right now."

I nodded and made my way back toward Adam and his mom. "I'm happy to hear that you're going to be alright, Mrs. Harris. As you can probably tell, your son was seriously worried about you."

"Thank you, Kara," she smiled. "And thank you for bringing him by. That was very sweet of you. Why don't you two go home and get some rest. You look exhausted. Besides, the doctors want me to get lots of rest myself."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, carefully pulling Adam away from his mom. "Come on, darlin'. Your mom needs her rest and she thinks you could use some too."

Mr. Harris pulled us both in for a group hug before we made our way out to the main lobby. The ride home was quiet, and oddly enough I was fine with that. Adam was having a rough night, and who was I to stop him from letting his emotions go? Back at the house, I wished him a good night before making my way into my bed. About thirty minutes later, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Adam made his way over to me and I sat up as he sat down.