Chapter 9

NINE

Maria

My mouth felt like the Sahara Desert and there was the most annoying beeping sound coming from somewhere. And why was it so damn cold in my bedroom?

I forced my eyes open, and everything was blurry for a moment.

Why did I feel like I'd been run over by a truck?

"Maria? Babe?"

Adam .

His voice was soothing and suddenly everything started to come back to me.

"What happened?" I tried to whisper, but my voice came out hoarse and raspy.

"Here, have some water." He supported the back of my head as he put a straw to my lips.

I took a sip and cleared my throat.

"Th-thank you. Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital." His face came into focus, and he looked pale. Worried. Scared .

"Why?"

"You had something called a transient ischemic attack. It's like a mini-stroke."

"I had a stroke?" Panic filled me.

"No, it's okay." He took my hands between his. "It was mild. I guess you were right about not taking care of yourself. This was a warning, babe."

"You're awake." A middle-aged man who was probably a doctor came into the room. "Hello. I'm Dr. Schoen. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a semi," I muttered. "Did I have a stroke?"

"You had what we sometimes call a mini-stroke. There shouldn't be any permanent damage, but I'd like to keep you overnight to make sure there's nothing else going on."

I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. "Should I be afraid?"

"No. You're in good hands and, like I said, I don't foresee any permanent damage. But you're going to need to make significant changes to your lifestyle."

"Yes." I nodded. "I will." I blindly reached for Adam's hand, holding on tightly as the doctor talked about TIAs, the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and other terrifying things.

I should have paid attention to the signs.

Heartburn.

Insomnia.

Fatigue.

There had been signs, but I'd been so focused on keeping all the balls of my life in the air, I'd ignored them.

Just like my husband had.

And I'd had a mini-goddamn-stroke on my honeymoon.

That was some bullshit if I'd ever heard any.

Then I remembered the argument with Mario, and guilt swept through me.

He'd been awful to me, but I was his mother, and his teenage years had been rough. He wasn't a teenager anymore, though, and the things he'd said to Adam had been unacceptable. As soon as I got out of here, he and I were going to have a talk. About more than just me and Adam. Mario had been spiraling for years, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I couldn't think about that today, though.

I was too weak and tired.

The doctor was yammering on about tests and nutrition and a bunch of other things that made my head hurt. So I held on to Adam's hand and tried not to worry about any of it.

"Thank you, Dr. Schoen," I said when he finally finished talking.

"I'd like you to rest," he said. "And no stress." He turned to Adam. "Your wife needs relaxation, not the chaos of family arriving."

"I'll take care of it," Adam said firmly.

Dr. Schoen smiled. "I know you will."

"We're supposed to be on our honeymoon," I interjected sadly. "This is a very unpleasant diversion."

"Well, congratulations." Dr. Schoen didn't seem surprised. "And I'll do my best to get you out of here as soon as possible. But you're going to need to take it easy, Maria. I'm giving you some medicine to make sure you do."

"Believe me, I have a lot to live for. I will."

"Mario's been pacing like a mad man," Adam said after the doctor left. "You want me to let him in? I think he's going to have a stroke of his own if I don't. But he'll behave. We already talked about it."

"What did you talk about?" I asked.

"We don't need to rehash any of that. I want you to focus on getting well."

"My body is in distress," I said quietly. "But there's nothing wrong with my brain. Talk to me. What's going on, Adam?"

"Nothing." He kissed my forehead. "Let me get Mario."

"Adam." I stared at him.

" Nothing is going on. I promise. We called a temporary truce until you're better, that's all."

I wasn't sure I believed him.

Both he and Mario were far too stubborn for that.

But I'd basically just had a stroke, so they were undoubtedly on their best behavior.

He walked out to the hallway, and though my gut told me something was off, I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Mom." Mario had been calling me Ma for years, so hearing him say Mom meant he was scared.

"I'm fine," I said gently, holding out my hand to him. "I'm very upset with you, though."

He sighed, looking down as he took my hand. "I know. I'm sorry. I handled everything badly."

"I'm guessing you called the whole family?" I asked, grimacing when he nodded. "Christ."

"Juliet's on her way. She's landing in an hour or two and?—"

"Mom?" A familiar male voice made me look up, and I stared at my son-in-law in shock.

"Vaughn! What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was in Phoenix for a game," he responded, coming over and kissing my cheek. "I got on a plane first thing."

"That wasn't necessary." I sighed, shaking my head. "But thank you for coming."

"I'm so…" He looked around, his gaze landing on his father. "Confused."

"Not now," Adam said quietly. "We'll talk later."

As much as I wanted to protest, I was exhausted.

There was so much to say, but the medication was forcing me to rest, whether I wanted to or not.

"I'm okay," I whispered, squeezing Vaughn's hand. "Just tired."

"Juliet's on the way," Adam said. "And hopefully we'll be able to take you home tomorrow."

"Maybe she shouldn't fly?" Mario suggested.

"We'll ask the doctor," Adam said.

"Is it true you're married?" Vaughn asked the million-dollar question, but I was already drifting off, cursing Dr. Schoen for not letting me handle this immediately.

Dammit.