My mother finally lifted her head as she clutched her rosary. “Oh, Porter, darling. Don’t blame yourself. This is no fault of yours. Todd got behind the wheel on his own.”
We were still waiting on Kim to come back with news on Todd’s condition. Desmond cradled my mother in his arms. I looked at them. There was a twinge of envy. Even at this moment, I wished I had what they had. The comfort. That person to lean on. I didn’t know where I stood with Ari. Yet, she was the first person I’d called.
I was pacing the emergency waiting room so much that I was sure I was putting a hole in the carpet.
“Honey, why don’t you sit?” implored my mom again. She motioned toward an empty spot on the sofa next to her.
“Mom. I’m fine. Really.” I stuffed my hands in the pocket of my sweats. I moved my fingers frantically. Not sure what I was searching for. Lint? An old gum wrapper? Something to hold on to.
There was a soft knock at the door. I looked up, and it was Ari. Her curls were loose, framing her face like a soft, brown cotton candy cloud. She still wore her leggings from Pilates with a cardigan tied around her waist, with just a hint of her fleshy, soft stomach peeking out. She clutched her tote close to her body, moving closer with hesitation.
“Hello, Eloise. Desmond,” Ari said softly in the direction of my parents.
Without thinking, I got up and threw my arms around her as if it hadn’t been just hours since seeing her. I buried Ari’s head into my chest, smelling the familiar tropical scent of her hair. My fingers clutched her curls as I felt the tears run down my cheeks.
“Ari… I…” I barely could get it out.
“I know.” She hugged me around the waist, burying her head just a little deeper into me. She exhaled, and I felt the warmth of her breath through my T-shirt. I had to pull away to look at her face, to see if she was really in front of me. She’d come. Without a second thought, she’d come.
“What’s happening?” Ari asked.
My mom got up and hugged Ari. “Thank you for coming, dear. It’s Todd. He’s been in a nasty car accident.”
“And I should have been with him,” I interrupted.
Ari looked at me, confused. “Why should you have been there?”
“Because he called me. And I told him I wouldn’t come to the bar. I should have gone. I should have driven him home.”
My mother shook her head and put her hand on my shoulder. “Stop it, Porter.”
“Ari. I’m sorry for calling. I just…”
“Don’t be. I’m here for you. You know that.”
We sat on the sofa opposite my parents. I rested my head on Ari’s shoulder. I felt her fingers run through my hair, reminding me I desperately needed a fade. Why the fuck was I thinking about my hair at a time like this? My legs were shaking uncontrollably. Ari placed a hand on my knee, instantly suppressing the shaking.
“Ari, I’m a terrible brother. I should have been there. I’m just not understanding why he’d drive!”
“He’ll be okay. I know he will.”
I looked up at Ari. “I hope I wasn’t taking you away from anything important.”
Ari smiled. “I was at the cosmetic store with Bella. We had a ride in my new car. When you called, I was in line about to buy your favorite cologne.”
I smiled. “Really. My cologne?”
“Yes. It was a thank-you gift for helping with the car.”
My heart swelled at the thought of my scent being something she loved. I put my hand on top of hers, giving her an apologetic squeeze. “No gift necessary. But I’m so sorry I took you away from time with Bella.”
Ari shrugged. “She understood, Porter.”
Just then, Kim walked in. Her eyes were bloodshot as she clasped her hands in front of her. Her hair was stuffed under a ratty Howard baseball cap.
We all stood up, anticipating the worst. I held Ari’s hand tightly. She put her right hand over mine and rubbed it.
“He’s okay. He has a few broken ribs, wrist fracture, and a concussion,” said Kim, slowly. “But he’s going to be fine. The police were here, too. Todd is being charged with a DUI and possibly a few other things. He just…” Kim cried, choking on each syllable. “I’d organized the intervention and I thought it worked. I don’t know what to do.”
My mother went to Kim, hugging her. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. We will get through this. Don’t worry.”
“I’m sorry, Kim,” I said. “I should have been there.”