“Yes, I am aware of this. What’s her prognosis?”
“Well, there’s not much we can do other than make her comfortable at this point.”
“What do you mean?”
“After the initial stroke, her brain was further damaged as a result of swelling and the blood flow to her brain was diminished even further. Sometimes we can put a patient through an aggressive surgery where we remove a portion of the skull temporarily to limit damage to the brain, and then the piece of the skull is replaced a few months later. Given your grandmother’s state of health prior to the stroke, her chances of surviving the surgery were slim. For that reason, your mother opted not to pursue the surgery.”
Bre’s vision blurred and she feared she might faint until Ellen grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
“How much longer?” Ellen asked the doctor.
“Days or hours. I can’t say with complete certainty,” Dr. Hollingsworth said. “I’m sorry.”
Tears fell down Bre’s face and her stomach rolled. “Can I see her?”
“Of course.”
***
Less than twenty-four hours later, her grandmother had passed away and her mother still hadn’t bothered to answer her phone or respond to a single one of Bre’s texts. She sure hoped Charles was worth it because there was probably a special place in hell for a daughter who decided that a vacation with a new boyfriend was more important than her mother’s death and funeral.
The remainder of the week passed in a haze as Bre went through the motions of planning a funeral for her grandmother. She couldn’t recall if she actually spent a moment processing her grandmother’s death. Instead, she busied herself ordering flowers, selecting a casket, and other mind-jarring things that would’ve threatened to steal her breath if she actually let herself think about what she was doing rather than just going through the motions.
Without Sara and Cam’s parents, she didn’t know how she would have made it through the week. Sara scheduled every appointment with military precision and Ellen attended every appointment, making decisions when Bre couldn’t bring herself to do so. Between the madness of the drive home, the hospital vigil, and the subsequent funeral planning, Bre barely had time to think about Cam other than to text him the date and time of the funeral.
She hoped that would be enough because she didn’t want to have a conversation with him over the phone. She needed him to be there so he could comfort her in person, especially since she knew her mother wouldn’t bother. Other than Ellen and Todd, Cam was the only person who understood the inner workings of her family, and for that reason she needed him with her on the day of the funeral. Ellen and Todd had always supported her, but Cam was her lifeline.
Chapter Eleven
“So where’s Bre? She hasn’t showed up to surf for a week,” Jax questioned Cam as he walked into their practice studio thirty minutes late.
“Wait. You’ve been meeting Bre to surf?” Cam said, looking confused.
“Yes. You didn’t know?”
“No. She never mentioned it. I mean… I know she went surfing a couple mornings, but I assumed she went alone. That’s strange. When did that happen?”
“I taught her to surf the morning after my Labor Day party, and she liked it.” Jax shrugged. “I mentioned where I surf in the mornings, and I told her to meet me there if she wanted more lessons.”
“Huh… that’s interesting. I had no clue she was meeting you. Should I be mad?”
“Mad that I’m teaching her to surf?”
“No, mad that you two have some sort of standing date.” Cam laughed uncomfortably, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“It’s not much of a standing date if she hasn’t shown up in a week, now, is it? Besides, Marc and Alec came once, too.”
Cam looked toward Marc and Alec, who were setting up the equipment in the back of the room. They nodded in Cam’s direction.
“Why wasn’t I invited?” Cam asked, looking at the guys.
“Why would you be invited? You hate surfing,” Alec answered, rubbing his hands together, the heavy silver rings on his fingers clinking together.
“I do, but it’s weird that my friends are hanging out with my girlfriend behind my back.”
“Speaking of backs, I have to say I didn’t hate the view when she was there. She can surf with me anytime. She looked hot in that wetsuit,” Marc said, making a crude gesture.
Alec shoved Marc in the arm. “Shut up.”
“What?” Marc responded, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s true.”
“Don’t listen to them. It was just surfing,” Jax said. “So where’s she been?”