I lost track of time as I stood in the kitchen after Miguel's departure. Standing there, lost in a void, all I craved was to escape into sleep and erase this moment. Miguel unknowingly toyed with my heart, and I wasn't ready for him to stop. With a heavy sigh, I made my way to the bedroom. Shedding my dress, I lay there, gazing at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity.
The following days blurred together, and suddenly it was Monday once more. Weekends now passed like fleeting moments. As I rose from the bed to prepare for work and get Lily ready for school, a deep exhale elicited from me, marking the start of the new day.
After dropping Lily off at school, I headed to work, realizing I was unusually early as I checked the time.
"Right on time!" Monty greeted me as I entered the restaurant.
"Good morning, Monty," I beamed as I walked over to the counter.
"Thanks for the advice about the fumigation," Monty appreciated, and I responded with a grin. He seemed more relaxed than last week, which put me at ease.
Monty guided me through the kitchen on my first day. I caught on quickly, making the transition smooth.
"A guest's waiting for you at table five, June," Monty called out hours later when we were knees deep into the work.
"For me? I am not expecting anyone," I said, wiping beads of sweat off my forehead with my apron.
"He said his name is Bryan," Monty mentioned, handing an order to a customer, causing me to pause in my tracks, looking stunned.
Bryan at my workplace? How did he find me? What was he doing here?
Questions reeled through my mind, fueling my anger. I left the kitchen to approach Bryan.
"I just started this job, Bryan. I can't lose it because of you. I lost my last job when a Lyon brother showed up," I said firmly with my hands folded across my chest and Bryan rose to meet my gaze.
"Good to see you too, June," he said with a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes. Dark circles under his eyes hinted at sleepless nights. My anger softened at the sight, and I eased my stance.
"I'm sorry for my outburst. Please, have a seat," I offered, taking a seat across from him.
"How have you been?" he asked, and I shrugged, waiting for an explanation as to why he was there.
"How did you find me?" I asked, puzzled by how easily Bryan had located me on my first day at work.
"That doesn't matter right now, June. Something terrible has happened," Bryan stated with a serious expression, making me sit up, concerned.
"What has happened?" I inquired, noticing the unusual seriousness in Bryan's demeanor.
"What did you say to Miguel the last time you saw him?" Bryan questioned, placing his hand on the table.
"Not to sound rude, but how is that any of your concern?" I replied, feeling a mix of confusion and defensiveness, playing with the hem of my apron nervously.
"Miguel has been in an accident, June," Bryan announced bluntly, leaving me in shock.
"What!" I exclaimed, struggling to process the news.
"What do you mean Miguel was in an accident?" I asked, feeling the tension rise.
"Exactly what it is, an accident- a very ghastly one at that." Bryan retorted.
"We're on the clock, June, we need to hurry!" Monty's voice echoed from across the restaurant.
"Just a minute!" I called back to Monty before turning back to Bryan, my worry growing.
"How is he doing?" I asked, my concern evident in my voice and actions.
"What did you talk about with Miguel? I need to know!" Bryan's tone grew more urgent, deflecting my question.
"How does that connect to Miguel's accident?" I questioned, trying to piece together the situation.
Bryan's eyes burned with a mix of anger and pain as he confronted me, "Miguel came to your house that Friday night, didn't he?" I sensed the turmoil within him, but I couldn't fathom how Miguel's accident was linked to his visit.
Using my silence as a yardstick to go on, he continued, "I don't know what transpired between you two but after he left your place Friday night, he lost control, crashed, and now faces surgery. His neck and spine are broken, June" Bryan's voice trembled.
"The doctors doubt he'll walk again, seeing as his spine was damaged." His accusations stung.
I could not begin to fathom what he was insinuating.
"What did you say to him that distracted him so much? My brother has always been level-headed and meticulous about safety and there was no alcohol detected in his bloodstream that night. So tell me what you said to him June! Bryan demanded vehemently and pounded his fist on the table which caused me to jump in shock. Tears fell from my eyes and I didn't know what hurt more; Bryan's accusations or the thought of losing Miguel.
Rattled, I denied any involvement, "I am truly sorry, Bryan but I had no part in this."
His escalating fury made me fear and then he added, "The crash seemed intentional... he wasn't drunk. It was like he wanted to die. What did you tell him to make him want to kill himself." Tears welled in his eyes as he demanded answers.
"Bryan...," I whimpered, tears streaming down my face, bewildered by the blame thrust upon me.
"He woke up calling for you," Bryan's statement hit me sharply. "Please, visit him before his surgery. The doctor said he needs to have a strong mindset before going into surgery."
Bryan concluded and left abruptly not waiting for me to respond while I grappled with guilt and confusion. Thoughts of Miguel's possible paralysis haunted me and I was barely focused on what I was doing.
Hours later when the rushing hours had died down, Monty's concern probed, "You seem distressed... is everything alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine," I stated, feeling reluctant to share anything with him.
"Ever since that strange visitor came, you have been as pale as a ghost. Or did you see one?" Monty inquired and tried to make light of the situation.
Struggling to compose myself, I confided in Monty, "My friend's in the hospital because of me." Tears flowed freely as emotions overwhelmed me. Monty's compassion was palpable.
"Oh dear!" He exclaimed and directed me to a chair to take a seat. He handed me a piece of napkin and I gladly took it, wiping my face and blowing my nostrils with it.
"I'm sure you had nothing to do with it," Monty assured but it was hard to believe it.
"You know what, why don't you take some time off to see him," he urged, offering solace and understanding but I shook my head in declination. I was not going to take advantage of Monty's niceties, not after I had blackmailed him into giving me this job.
"I possibly couldn't, Monty. I just got this job." I muttered in between sobs.
"I insist" Monty pressed on.
"Thank you so much. I owe you one." I stated as I felt indebted to him. Grateful, I rushed off to comfort Miguel but stopped to pick Lily up from school first.
As I drove to the hospital, apprehension gripped my insides at the thought of facing Miguel's mother and sister, especially after our last tense encounter. As we arrived at the imposing hospital, my aversion to medical facilities resurfaced, a result of past tragedies where hospitals couldn't save those dearest to me - not my sister during her overdose or my parents after their accident.
"Mum, is everything okay?" Lily's voice interrupted my thoughts from the backseat. I sighed heavily and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to shut out the terrible encounters I've had with hospitals.
"Yes, sweetie. Uncle Miguel had an accident, and we're here to visit him," I replied simply, unbuckling my seatbelt.
"Is he okay?" Lily inquired as I lifted her out of the car gently.
"I do not know darling. That's why we're here, to know if he's alright," I reassured her. Stepping into the hospital, a wave of dizziness hit me, blurring my surroundings and distorting the voices around me. Ringing sounds flooded my ears and painful memories flooded my brain, transporting me to the harrowing moments of my sister's medical emergency;
"May, you're gonna be okay!" I yelled out to her but she was barely breathing. Foam was erupting from her mouth like a volcano and her eyes had glazed over. Nurses carried her away in the stroller and yelled out orders. I strapped Lily who was only a year old at that time around me and tears fell from my eyes. I was transfixed and I felt helpless. My hair was disheveled and my skin was pale. I was out of breath and my bones rattled from fear- fear of losing the only sister I had.
"You need to sit down ma'am. The doctors will do everything they can to save her." The voice of a nurse was saying to me but I could barely breathe. I ran my fingers through my hair multiple times and wiped the tears from my eyes that were surrounded by dark circles.
I paced back and forth, while I rocked a crying Lily. When I eventually sat down, the tears wouldn't stop flowing and my heart wouldn't stop pounding heavily. It felt like the doctors spent an entirety in the emergency room and I just wanted to see my sister.
Lily was whimpering softly against me and it brought fresh tears to my eyes. Why would my sister do that to herself? That was the question I had asked myself multiple times but there was no one to give me an answer.
The waiting room grew quiet and the sound of the ticking clock became louder and irritating.
An hour later, a doctor came out and I rushed to meet him, "is she alright?" I had asked, looking at him with wide eyes, in anticipation of good news.
"I am sorry ma'am but she had ingested too much of the substance and her kidney had already been contaminated. We tried to flush it out but she was losing too much blood and we lost her in the process" the doctor consoled and a loud yelp of pain elicited from me. The rest of what the doctor had to say got lost on me.
"No!"
I wailed bitterly and Lily wouldn't stop crying. It was as if she knew her mother was no more. I fell to the ground and clutched my chest with one hand. I felt literal pain and my breathing became short. It didn't feel like there was enough air and I wanted to pull out my hair.
"Mum? Mum? Are you alright mum?" A voice snapped me back to the present, Lily's tearful face was hovering over me. Startled, I rose from the floor, disoriented by my lapse.
"What happened? How did I end up here?" I questioned, enveloped in Lily's comforting embrace.
"You passed out momentarily but no cause for concern as your pulse is now stable," a senior nurse explained, her concern palpable.
"I am here to see Miguel Lyon," I announced as I adjusted the creases on my dress.
"No visitors allowed to see him, only family."
"I am his wife, June." I blurted out and they all stared at me.
The matron eyed me suspiciously, contemplating whether to believe me or not. Lily clutched me dearly and I patted her head soothingly.
"Of course. He has been asking of you, right this way miss." The matron said with a huge grin spread across her face and I exhaled in relief as she led the way.
Irony lingered in the air, as just days ago, I sought distance from a relationship now drawing me back in, navigating a complex web of emotions and obligations.