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Authors: Bernadette Marie
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his mother asked as she pulled a photo album out of the chest where she’d collected so many memories.
“I’ve never been to Monte Carlo.”
His mother’s eyes widened. “Oh, I think of Grace Kelley when I think of Monte Carlo. She was such a beautiful bride and don’t you think Kate Middleton’s dress was just as classy? What kind of dress are you thinking of?”
Avery didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t really thought about anything that had to deal with the wedding. She was just thinking about getting on that plane Wednesday morning and having Pete right next to her.
“I don’t know. But knowing my mother’s love for fashion I’m sure…”
Both women turned their heads toward the door when they heard something crash to the floor in the other room. Before they could get to their feet, she heard Pete’s voice yell, “Dad!”
Pete fell to the floor next to his father. One second he’d been putting a covered dish in the refrigerator and the next moment he was grabbing hold of the shelf and then falling to the ground, taking the shelf full of items with him.
Quickly, he pushed away everything that had fallen around him as his sister fell to the floor next to them. Her husband grabbed for their children and escorted them out of the room.
“Avery!” Pete shouted. “We need you!”
“We need to call 911,” Kacey said as she stared at their father.
Pete shot her a look. “Do it!”
Avery and his mother skirted the wall into the kitchen at the same time. Avery dropped down right next to him as her father had trained her to do. His mother gripped the counter and his brother moved in and steadied her.
He watched Avery assess his father while he heard his sister on the phone.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice calm and stern.
“He just collapsed.”
Avery placed her hands on his father’s shoulders and shook him as if to wake him. “Mr. Grant, are you ok?” she shouted at him.
There was no response.
She checked his pulse and then lowered her ear to his nose and mouth.
“He’s not breathing. We need to do CPR. Do you remember how to do this?” She looked at him as she positioned herself above his father.
Pete nodded. Curtis had given multiple classes on CPR and he’d demanded she be at every one of them. Pete had been to a few, but under her direction he knew she could walk him through it.
He looked up at his mother who was as white as a ghost.
Avery averted her attention to her as well. “Mrs. Grant, I’m going to start CPR. Kacey is calling for an ambulance. Perhaps you can let them in. Gather his identification and anything he might need.”
His mother nodded and Pete knew it was as much a tactic to keep her calm as it was to get her out of the room.
Swiftly, Avery moved into position. “I’m going to do compressions. You’re going to do breaths.”
He watched as she placed one hand over the other and interlaced her fingers. Placing them on his chest, her elbows stiff, she began to administer compressions. She counted each one.
Pete positioned himself next to his father’s head. When Avery gave him the signal he pressed his hand to his father’s forehead, tilting his father’s head back, and opening his airway.
“Check for breath,” she reminded him.
He listened, but there was nothing. She gave him a nod and Pete administered the first of two breaths, watching his father’s chest rise as he did so. Then he gave another breath.
Avery checked for a pulse, but when she shook her head she began compressions again.
Pete felt as though the process had gone on for hours, but it was a mere four minutes before he heard the sirens from a fire truck followed by the ambulance.
Soon they were spectators as the professionals stabilized his father and pushed him out of the house and into the ambulance.
His mother had gathered all the items Avery had told her to and she rushed out with him.
“You all go, I’ll stay with the kids,” Avery said, as Kacey, Sean,
“I’ve never been to Monte Carlo.”
His mother’s eyes widened. “Oh, I think of Grace Kelley when I think of Monte Carlo. She was such a beautiful bride and don’t you think Kate Middleton’s dress was just as classy? What kind of dress are you thinking of?”
Avery didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t really thought about anything that had to deal with the wedding. She was just thinking about getting on that plane Wednesday morning and having Pete right next to her.
“I don’t know. But knowing my mother’s love for fashion I’m sure…”
Both women turned their heads toward the door when they heard something crash to the floor in the other room. Before they could get to their feet, she heard Pete’s voice yell, “Dad!”
Pete fell to the floor next to his father. One second he’d been putting a covered dish in the refrigerator and the next moment he was grabbing hold of the shelf and then falling to the ground, taking the shelf full of items with him.
Quickly, he pushed away everything that had fallen around him as his sister fell to the floor next to them. Her husband grabbed for their children and escorted them out of the room.
“Avery!” Pete shouted. “We need you!”
“We need to call 911,” Kacey said as she stared at their father.
Pete shot her a look. “Do it!”
Avery and his mother skirted the wall into the kitchen at the same time. Avery dropped down right next to him as her father had trained her to do. His mother gripped the counter and his brother moved in and steadied her.
He watched Avery assess his father while he heard his sister on the phone.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice calm and stern.
“He just collapsed.”
Avery placed her hands on his father’s shoulders and shook him as if to wake him. “Mr. Grant, are you ok?” she shouted at him.
There was no response.
She checked his pulse and then lowered her ear to his nose and mouth.
“He’s not breathing. We need to do CPR. Do you remember how to do this?” She looked at him as she positioned herself above his father.
Pete nodded. Curtis had given multiple classes on CPR and he’d demanded she be at every one of them. Pete had been to a few, but under her direction he knew she could walk him through it.
He looked up at his mother who was as white as a ghost.
Avery averted her attention to her as well. “Mrs. Grant, I’m going to start CPR. Kacey is calling for an ambulance. Perhaps you can let them in. Gather his identification and anything he might need.”
His mother nodded and Pete knew it was as much a tactic to keep her calm as it was to get her out of the room.
Swiftly, Avery moved into position. “I’m going to do compressions. You’re going to do breaths.”
He watched as she placed one hand over the other and interlaced her fingers. Placing them on his chest, her elbows stiff, she began to administer compressions. She counted each one.
Pete positioned himself next to his father’s head. When Avery gave him the signal he pressed his hand to his father’s forehead, tilting his father’s head back, and opening his airway.
“Check for breath,” she reminded him.
He listened, but there was nothing. She gave him a nod and Pete administered the first of two breaths, watching his father’s chest rise as he did so. Then he gave another breath.
Avery checked for a pulse, but when she shook her head she began compressions again.
Pete felt as though the process had gone on for hours, but it was a mere four minutes before he heard the sirens from a fire truck followed by the ambulance.
Soon they were spectators as the professionals stabilized his father and pushed him out of the house and into the ambulance.
His mother had gathered all the items Avery had told her to and she rushed out with him.
“You all go, I’ll stay with the kids,” Avery said, as Kacey, Sean,
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