Cuts and Bruises

Chapter Twenty One

TWO?? UPDATES?? IN?? TWO?? DAYS??

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Unfortunately, I couldn't pretend like Danny's surgery wasn't necessary forever. After my mom's shift and our visit at the hospital, it was time to unload the information on my mother. And she didn't take it well.

"I don't know what we're going to do," She cries in exasperation, and I wring my hands together nervously.

I had sent Vincent upstairs and told him that I had to speak privately with my mom. I didn't beat around the bush, but rather came out and told her what the doctor told me. The waves of emotions on her face were hard to read as they cycled through her process of comprehending the situation, but I could clearly see the distress in her eyes.

"We're going to figure it out," I tell her, reaching forward to grab her hands in mine. "We're in this together."

I purposely omit Vincent's offer about his father preforming a pro bono surgery. I didn't want to get her-- or my, for that matter-- hopes up. After all, it was a long shot. Doctors rarely do pro bono surgeries, and I'm sure Vincent's father cycles through patients in similar situations as ours almost every day.

"I think I can help," A new voice offers tentatively.

I look up, past my mother's shoulders, to see Vincent standing there nervously. He was shifting his weight between his feet like he couldn't stand still, and looking at me as if I may attack him for intervening during a personal moment. He was smart, too, because I was thinking about it.

My mom wipes her eyes immediately before turning to look at the boy who interrupted the moment and waits for him to speak again. "I spoke to my father this morning about doing a pro bono surgery for Danny. He said he just has to fill out paperwork with the hospital, but he would be more than happy to do it."

I'm sure that the same relief coursing through me was mirrored in my mother by the change of her expression. I felt myself let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding in and looking at Vincent with tears in my eyes. While I forced myself to hold mine back, my mom started crying almost immediately upon hearing his offer.

"Vincent," She stood up and walked over to him to immediately wrap him into a hug. "You have no idea how much that means to this family."

I watched their interaction from my seat. Although I was relieved, my heart was racing, as if the news was too good to be true. I didn't understand why Vincent felt the need to advocate for my family to his father, or how he managed to prompt his dad into seeing the importance of our situation. I didn't know he cared that much.

My mom finally separates from Vincent and wipes her eyes with a small laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm such a mess."

Vincent shakes his head to tell her not to apologize, but looks at me when he says, "I just want to help."

The moment felt charged with intimacy, like when he first told me that he wanted to help me, all those weeks ago. I felt shivers race down my spine and had to gulp down the lump in my throat and work harder to push the tears from the brim of my eyes. He had no idea how much he was helping.

"I don't know how we're going to repay you," My mom starts mumbling on. "Dinner! That's a start. I'm going to go cook."

"You really don't have to--" Vincent starts protesting, but she waves his words away.

"Nonsense," She gives him a teary smile and one last hug. "It's the least I could do."

When a rogue tear slips out of my eye, I turn so neither of them can see me and wipe it away. I turn back around to see my mom stalking off toward the kitchen and Vincent taking slow steps toward me.