Me and you

Tea

There was a mixed atmosphere from our family in the waiting room. Mom was so worried she'd gone pale, whereas Astrid was buzzing with excitement. I was somewhere in the middle. Of course I was overjoyed at knowing that he was going to be okay, but there was a seed of doubt in my mind that he wasn't going to be okay; however I tried to shake it off. My mom was walking up to the information table every three minutes asking if he was in a room yet until she got the result she wanted. Automatically the three of us rushed to the elevator and then into his room where he was lying awake.
"Paul!" My mom exclaimed in tears before rushing over to him "I'm so glad you were okay. Oh my goodness; thank god you're okay. The past days have been so stressful oh my goodness, I love you,"
He chuckled "I love you too. Ah all three of my girls are here, get over here you two!" My dad beckoned us over and we each hugged him. I felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off my shoulders, he was going to recover.
"How are you feeling?" Astrid asked
"Not too bad, not too bad. What about you two, what else has been happening in your life other than me almost dying,"
"Paul," my mom hissed, evidently not happy about the almost dying remark
"Devon went to Ohio and didn't tell anyone," Astrid decided to tell him
"Great idea, put him in cardiac arrest again," I replied
"Why did you go to Ohio?"
"I'll tell you later. Right now I'm just happy you're alive and well,"

It was a little bit later, I'd gone down to the café so I could speak to Kells privately and get a decaf americano for my dad. I bustled back into the room with his coffee in one hand and my phone in the other "Hello," I said as user the coffee down on his bedside drawer.
"Why did you go to Ohio?"
Here we go "I was just visiting a friend there," I already knew he was going to ask questions, he was my dad and there was no way in hell I was getting away with that vague an answer
"Who?"
"Oh, you won't know him. He's a friend I made recently, Conor works with him," I explained
"Ah it's a him, I see. So what's his name?" My dad asked
It would've been really great if I could give my dad an answer other than 'Kells' like maybe his real fucking name but that wasn't going to happen because he hadn't told me "It's Kells,"
My dad did not look impressed "That's an interesting name. Are you guys just friends?"
'I don't know dad, we did fuck the night before your heart attack and haven't talked about it since because I'm here in California whilst he's on the other side of the country in Cleveland' was what I wanted to say but instead I went with the simple 'Yeah, I think so,"
"You think so? Oh darling if you aren't absolutely confident that you two are just friends then you need to think about your feelings towards him and have a conversation with him about it," My dad said
"I know. But I'm not sure what they are,"
"Do you miss him?" I nodded "A lot?"
"Yeah,"
"When are you going back to Ohio?"
"A couple weeks. I would go sooner but I'd feel selfish leaving you and-"
"Me? I'm fine! I'm in hospital, I've got your sister and your mom to look after me! Go, go to Ohio and be with your boyfriend,"
"He's not my boyfriend!" I protested
"Well, still go and see him and then you can figure out all your feelings and emotions," My dad said
"Astrid will kill me. Mom won't care, but Astrid will literally kill me,"
"Is she here right now?" He asked me
"Uhh, no she went home," I answered
"Well then leave. Honestly, darling. I'm fine. The odd heart attack here and there can't kill off Paul Stanton. You, go and I will be absolutely fine,"
"Yeah but dad I still have to book flights, and my last minute ones to get here were $2000. I can't afford that," I explained
"Well I mean I would offer to pay for your flights you know find your true love and all that but I dread to think what the hospital bills are going to be like,"
"No, no that's insane. It's fine, you know it's been a while since I've properly visited you guys and me and him are absolutely fine. Has mom told you I'm staying at home?"
"Oh no,"
I gasped "What do you mean oh no?"
"Well first of all the house will he as messy as it was before you left for LA and when you go me and mom will have empty nest syndrome,"
"Awh! Well rest assured I will call you up and spill you all the tea when I go to Ohio,"
"I don't think spilling things in your maybe boyfriend maybe friends house is a good idea,"
I laughed, and then proceeded to explain what spilling the tea was.