Read Online Song of Renewal by Emily Sue Harvey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Emily Sue Harvey
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tightness like a coil, intruding on the blasted nothingness… coil pulls pulls pulls….
Snap!
Blackness.
The ten a.m. visit to Angel’s bedside ended. The Wakefields returned to the waiting area with Penny and five other Byrnes cheerleading teammates of Angel’s trailing in their wake. All
seven of them had managed to rotate in twos and threes, the visit quota max, and spend a few moments with Angel.
Garrison’s parents had left for the airport after the morning visiting slot and Liza already sorely missed their consoling presence. Liza liked them despite their lapses in Garrison’s young years. They did try to be good parents; they just didn’t have all of the parenting skill ingredients together in the right measure and order. She had to admit that their presence had assuaged some of her desperate neediness, a primal, clawing thing now.
The timing of their departure sucked.
“The staff was quite understanding,” Garrison muttered to Liza on the walk back down the wide white corridor. “They absorbed all the moving about quite well.”
Liza nodded. “They did.”
The tension she felt with Garrison had let up somewhat during the visit to the ICU. But then, that was only natural since their minds and emotions centered on their daughter. Whatever, she appreciated the daily respite.
How Liza missed bygone days when her and Garrison’s hearts were so finely tuned together that they could finish each others’ sentences and divine each others’ thoughts. Even their silence, in those days, meant peace. Fulfillment.
Four of the teens departed with promises to come back another day. Penny remained with Liza and Garrison as they found chairs in the waiting area. Garrison, seated several feet away, spread open the Spartanburg Herald newspaper and buried himself in it.
Penny smiled past the sadness etched into her young features. “I’ll bet it’s hard not having Angel’s grandfather here with you now. I’d miss my daddy, too, if I were you.”
Liza felt a pang of longing all the way to her toes. She nodded and sighed. “Placing Dad in a nursing facility was tough. But it was also a blessing. We don’t have to worry about him
anymore. He’s safe.” Liza ached that, just when her father could enjoy life without the agitation of managing a hellion bipolar wife, he had lapsed into early onset Alzheimer’s. Not fair.
But then, whoever said that life was fair?
“Yeah. I guess your sister feels the same way, huh?”
“Yes. She does. We rotate visiting days with him. With Charlcy gone, it’s not possible. Some days his mind’s clear as a spring. Others, he doesn’t know anybody. I just hope he’s not aware of our absence.” She shrugged and smiled sadly. “Charlcy doesn’t think it’s a problem.”
Penny grinned, her turned up, freckled nose tilting even more. “Charlcy’s cool.”
Liza chuckled. “Yup. She is that. My big sister has the family corner on wit and cool. Well, almost. Angel’s no slouch there.”
Penny giggled. “Got that right. And neither are you, Mrs. W.”
Liza raised her eyebrows and crossed her eyes. “Ya think?”
Full belly laughter erupted from Penny, reminding Liza so much of Angel’s exuberant laughter that it took her breath.
In that moment, everything in Liza longed to wake from this nightmare and engage Angel in droll, silly nonsense over the crazy dream and laugh until they rolled on the dance studio floor, until tears filled their eyes then trailed down their cheeks.
Dr. Abrams’ appearance in the ICU waiting room was, as always, with strobe-light haste. He got right to the point. “Your daughter has just had a seizure. I just happened to be there when it happened.”
“Oh, God, no, ” Liza moaned, her eyes misting. Penny’s hands shot up to her mouth, eyes round as donuts above them.
Garrison’s paper rustled as he tossed it aside, shot to his feet, and strode across the floor, his features tense and pale. “What does this mean?”
“It
Snap!
Blackness.
The ten a.m. visit to Angel’s bedside ended. The Wakefields returned to the waiting area with Penny and five other Byrnes cheerleading teammates of Angel’s trailing in their wake. All
seven of them had managed to rotate in twos and threes, the visit quota max, and spend a few moments with Angel.
Garrison’s parents had left for the airport after the morning visiting slot and Liza already sorely missed their consoling presence. Liza liked them despite their lapses in Garrison’s young years. They did try to be good parents; they just didn’t have all of the parenting skill ingredients together in the right measure and order. She had to admit that their presence had assuaged some of her desperate neediness, a primal, clawing thing now.
The timing of their departure sucked.
“The staff was quite understanding,” Garrison muttered to Liza on the walk back down the wide white corridor. “They absorbed all the moving about quite well.”
Liza nodded. “They did.”
The tension she felt with Garrison had let up somewhat during the visit to the ICU. But then, that was only natural since their minds and emotions centered on their daughter. Whatever, she appreciated the daily respite.
How Liza missed bygone days when her and Garrison’s hearts were so finely tuned together that they could finish each others’ sentences and divine each others’ thoughts. Even their silence, in those days, meant peace. Fulfillment.
Four of the teens departed with promises to come back another day. Penny remained with Liza and Garrison as they found chairs in the waiting area. Garrison, seated several feet away, spread open the Spartanburg Herald newspaper and buried himself in it.
Penny smiled past the sadness etched into her young features. “I’ll bet it’s hard not having Angel’s grandfather here with you now. I’d miss my daddy, too, if I were you.”
Liza felt a pang of longing all the way to her toes. She nodded and sighed. “Placing Dad in a nursing facility was tough. But it was also a blessing. We don’t have to worry about him
anymore. He’s safe.” Liza ached that, just when her father could enjoy life without the agitation of managing a hellion bipolar wife, he had lapsed into early onset Alzheimer’s. Not fair.
But then, whoever said that life was fair?
“Yeah. I guess your sister feels the same way, huh?”
“Yes. She does. We rotate visiting days with him. With Charlcy gone, it’s not possible. Some days his mind’s clear as a spring. Others, he doesn’t know anybody. I just hope he’s not aware of our absence.” She shrugged and smiled sadly. “Charlcy doesn’t think it’s a problem.”
Penny grinned, her turned up, freckled nose tilting even more. “Charlcy’s cool.”
Liza chuckled. “Yup. She is that. My big sister has the family corner on wit and cool. Well, almost. Angel’s no slouch there.”
Penny giggled. “Got that right. And neither are you, Mrs. W.”
Liza raised her eyebrows and crossed her eyes. “Ya think?”
Full belly laughter erupted from Penny, reminding Liza so much of Angel’s exuberant laughter that it took her breath.
In that moment, everything in Liza longed to wake from this nightmare and engage Angel in droll, silly nonsense over the crazy dream and laugh until they rolled on the dance studio floor, until tears filled their eyes then trailed down their cheeks.
Dr. Abrams’ appearance in the ICU waiting room was, as always, with strobe-light haste. He got right to the point. “Your daughter has just had a seizure. I just happened to be there when it happened.”
“Oh, God, no, ” Liza moaned, her eyes misting. Penny’s hands shot up to her mouth, eyes round as donuts above them.
Garrison’s paper rustled as he tossed it aside, shot to his feet, and strode across the floor, his features tense and pale. “What does this mean?”
“It
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