She looked exhausted, and her voice was weaker than he expected.
He wanted to tell her how frightened he had been by the phone call.
Instead, he asked what the doctor had said about her recovery.
Melissa answered as much as she knew.
When she mentioned the financial forms, his anger returned so sharply that he gripped the chair.
She saw his expression and began to apologize.
Grant told her she had nothing to apologize for about being ill.
He said they could discuss their marriage when she was not sitting in a hospital bed.
Melissa looked down at the blanket.
“I thought Charles would keep his word,” she said.
Grant wanted to say he had warned her.
He knew the words were true and useless.
Instead, he asked whether the documents could be reviewed by someone independent.
Melissa admitted she did not know how to find a lawyer she could trust.
Grant suggested the hospital social worker as a starting point.
They made a list together.
After Joanne returned, Grant stepped outside to call Denise and check on the children.
Denise told him Lily had asked whether Mommy was going to die.
Grant closed his eyes.
He asked Denise to reassure her that the doctors were caring for Melissa and that the adults would share appropriate updates.
He did not want the children to learn about the situation through frightened whispers.
When he went back inside, Melissa was sleeping.
He left the charger and the list on the bedside table.
Joanne thanked him quietly.
Grant said he would return in the morning if Melissa wanted him there.
He walked to the garage feeling no triumph at all.
The night had not proved he was right.
It had proved that someone he once loved was frightened and needed trustworthy help.
Chapter 23: The Call After Birth
Grant was helping Lily with homework when Melissa’s number appeared on his phone.
He answered expecting a question about school pickup.
Her voice sounded thin and exhausted.
“Grant, I need help,” she said.
He stood so quickly that his chair scraped the floor.
“Are you safe?”
“I’m in the hospital.”
“Is there an emergency right now?”
“The doctors say I’m stable, but they don’t know when I can go home.”
He asked whether Joanne was with her.
Melissa said her mother had gone to collect medication and would return soon.
Then she said the words she had struggled to say for two days.
