Page 53 of Fifty

“She’s fine. I’m just calling to inform you that she had an accident earlier today,” he starts.

“What? What kind of accident?” I cut him off and he clears his throat.

“It was a motor vehicle accident. Her car was struck by another driver at an intersection. It’s my understanding that the passenger side of the car took the hit, so her injuries are minimal. She’s in stable condition, but she’s a little sore and she had a mild concussion. We’ve decided to keep her overnight for observation, but overall, she’s doing well,” he explains.

“Shit. You’ve got to be kidding me?” I blurt out.

“Excuse me?” he replies.

“Sorry. It’s just, I’m out of town at the moment, and it’s going to take me at least a day to get back home,” I try to explain my attitude.

“No need to apologize. It’s understandable to be upset, especially if you can’t get here to see her right away. But she’s in good hands,” he assures me.

“Can I talk to her?” I ask, feeling the overwhelming urge to hear my mom’s voice.

“Actually, we’ve already made her comfortable for the night. Rest is really the best thing for her right now. We gave her some mild pain medication to help her stay comfortable through the night,” he explains.

“Okay…I’m…uh… I just gotta figure out the quickest way for me to get home. She doesn’t really have anyone else,” I start, but then Gloria and Dave pop into my head. If I can’t get home right away, I’ll have Gloria check in on her until I get back.

“Actually, there was a young woman here with her earlier,” he says, but the sound of his voice quickly turns to white noise.

What? Who?

“A woman?” I mutter, more in question to myself. I have no fucking clue who he could be talking about.

“Yes. Your mother knew her. She stayed until we got her comfortable. I don’t have it in front of me at the moment, but I think her name was Jane,” his words become clear again.

It couldn’t be.

“Jade?” I question.

“Yes. It was Jade. She left her number and said she’d come back to pick her up when she’s ready to be discharged. She knew you were out of town and asked that we call you,” he answers.

“Okay,” I manage to speak despite my current state of shock. “I’ll get home as soon as I can. Please call me if anything changes,” I request.

“We will. Have a good night,” he replies and with a click the call is over.

The large lump that’s been wedged in my throat drops like a rock to my stomach. Not Ma. I can’t have anything happen to her. And why was Jade with her?

Shit. I can’t stay here. I have to get back hometonight.

???

I lift my now sweaty glass to my lips and down it in one large gulp before turning and rushing back inside the bar.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Ryder’s deep chuckle shakes me as I find my crew.

“Holy shit. Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost,” Cora’s high-pitched voice observes.

“Are you okay?” Ayla’s true concern touches me as she stands from Kane’s lap, his hand still clamped firmly at her hip.

“Nope. I gotta leave. My ma was in a car wreck. She’s okay, but she’s in the hospital. I need to get back home,” I explain, my words rushing out.

Ayla inches forward, her tiny arms moving around me, consoling me in the center of this scene. I feel fucking horrible. This is supposed to be their engagement celebration and I’m bringing it to a crashing halt. I should be living it up and enjoying the night with my two best friends, but instead I’m dragging everyone into my shit.

“Okay, let’s get back to the motel. We’ll find a flight out and I’ll borrow my dad’s car and drive you to the airport,” Ayla’s calm voice holds me together.

“I can’t ask you to do that. It’s your night. I’ll handle it. I can find a flight and take an Uber or something. It’s just…my bike,” I say.