Mom, Dad’s Getting Married Today. My Anniversary Call From The Future Chapter 10

Mom, Dad’s Getting Married Today. My Anniversary Call From The Future Chapter 10

The nurse was at her wit’s end with him, clutching the chart and standing at the door.

The moment she saw my mother’s wheelchair turn the corner, she looked like she’d seen a savior.

“Please-you’ve got to talk to him. He keeps saying he’s leaving-”

My mother started scolding before she was even close.

“What are you making a scene about?”

“Your heart was just cut open. Did you think it was a band-aid?”

My father’s voice immediately dropped.

“It’s just-there’s still so much at school-”

My mother glared at him.

“Is the school going to fall down without you?”

His tone shrank even more.

“The finals are at the end of the month-”

My mother’s face went dark.

“You think they won’t take the exam if you’re not there?”

She kept scolding as she gestured for me to push her inside.

The wheelchair bumped over the doorframe, and my father immediately tried to get up from the bed to help-

until my mother’s glare pinned him back down.

I stood at the door, watching them.

One lying down, one sitting. A meter apart, glaring at each other.

Sunlight poured through the window, catching the few white hairs sticking up on my father’s head, and falling

across my mother’s hand resting on the wheelchair arm.

Together, they were over a hundred and twenty years old.

And they were still at it like they’d just gotten married at twenty-

one loud, one louder, neither backing down.

I cleared my throat.

“I’m going out to buy some fruit.”

My mother’s voice followed me out.

“Don’t buy mangoes-they make your father cough!”

I called back, “Got it!”

I pulled the door closed and stood in the hallway for a moment.

My hand found my phone in my pocket.

My thumb brushed against the cold edge of the screen.

Nothing. No notifications.

I started walking.

In the hospital lobby, I ran into someone from my parents’ school.

The principal-a round-faced woman in her forties-hurried over.

“How are your parents doing?”

I greeted her. “My mother should be discharged next week. My father needs a little longer.”

She took my hand and squeezed it.

“Good, good. As long as they’re okay. Don’t worry about the bills-we’re already processing everything.”

“What can be covered, will be. Your parents have been teachers here for years.”

“If anyone tries to bully them online, this school will stand up for them.”

A few younger teachers behind her nodded.

One young woman’s eyes were red.

She said Professor Hale had once tutored her for free, and all she’d ever given him in return was a

homemade apple pie.

The principal stepped aside.

There were students too.

“They insisted on coming. I couldn’t stop them.”

Sure enough, a crowd of students flooded the hallway.

A boy at the front carried a fruit basket. Behind him, girls held flowers.

A few more were squeezed in the back, clutching a stack of cards.

“Professor Hale!”

They stopped at the door, peeking in-until a passing nurse glared at them.

I took the fruit basket.

The boy turned to me and bowed-a full ninety degrees.

“Maren, we saw everything online. You’re so brave!”

A group of students nodded behind him.

One girl with a ponytail whispered, “My parents didn’t want me watching those videos. I watched them

anyway.”

“You’re really strong!”

Strong?

I looked at their young faces-sixteen, seventeen, eyes bright and full of life.

One boy had a pair of black-rimmed glasses with a cracked lens.

I guessed he’d been playing sports again.

Ruby could have been this bright too.

Would she have chattered her way to visit a teacher? Would she have pushed to the front with flowers?

Would she have wanted to cut her hair short?

I swallowed the ache in my chest and smiled.

“Thank you for coming to see my parents. Go on in-just be quiet. Don’t disturb the patients.”

They piled flowers and cards into my arms and shuffled into the room.

The hallway fell quiet.

I stood there alone, holding a pile of flowers.

A pink petal fell onto my hand, slightly wilted at the edge.

I looked at it for a long time.

Later, the day my mother was discharged, I went home and listed the house on Zillow.

The agent seemed surprised when he came to take photos.

“Great location. Nice renovations. Are you sure you want to sell it?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“Sell it.”