Page 176 of Only After We Met

And that your model’s coming along.

From: Rhys Baker

To: Ginger Davies

Subject: Bad news

I’m writing you quickly from my phone, Ginger.

We’re at the hospital. Dad took a turn for the worse last night.

From: Ginger Davies

To: Rhys Baker

Subject: RE: Bad news

I’m so sorry, Rhys.

Let me know as soon as you find out something.

From: Ginger Davies

To: Rhys Baker

Subject: RE: RE: Bad news

They’re going to keep him at the hospital. He’s been assigned a room. He keeps complaining and saying he wants to go home, but the doctor told me he doesn’t see him getting released anytime soon.

I think he’s dying, Ginger.

I doubt he’ll leave here alive.

I don’t know how I feel.

114

Ginger

He picked up on the third ring. I heard his breathing.

“Rhys, I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

“I should have come earlier.”

“Don’t say that. We talked about this. The important thing now is you being there with him. It could have been worse. You could still be in Ibiza, directionless…”

“I just came here to see him die.”

“I know it’s hard, Rhys…”

“Every five minutes, I get this urge to turn and run, and I suppress it and make myself stay there with him while he’s suffering in his room, and we call the nurse to get him more painkillers. But the impulse is still there, even if I can’t give in. He told me something. That I needed to stay strong when this happened and take care of my mother. I don’t know.”

“You’re doing it. You’re doing a good job.”

“If only it wasn’t so difficult.”

“Did they tell you anything else?”