"Logan was snowed in until late last night."

"Well, you got here. That's the important part." Grace looked past her to the nurse's station. "Any word yet?"

"Miss Carey is still in recovery," the nurse said. "She'll be brought up soon."

Grace turned away from the nurse. "She's probably getting tired of me asking that." She led Carey's mom back to the waiting room where her father was nodding off in a chair. Hearing footsteps, he started awake to see Grace and a woman he assumed to be Carey's mother walking his way.

"Oh," he said, standing and wiping his hand on his pants. "Dad, this is Carey's mom, Barbara."

"Richard Waters." He clasped her hand in both of his. "You've had a long trip. Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"Oh you don't—“

"Please," he said, releasing her hand. "It would be my pleasure and I'm sure Grace could use some coffee."

"Yeah," Grace said, reaching into her pocket for change.

"It's okay," he said, "my treat. What can I get for you, Mrs. Carey?"

"A cup of coffee would be great. And please, call me Barbara."

"Only if you call me Richard," he said. "Do you have luggage?"

"I had it sent to the hotel."

"I'll be right back then, ladies."

"Remember it's down on the second floor," Grace said. She patted the cushion her father had just vacated. "Please sit down, Mrs. Carey. You must be tired from the trip."

"It's more tiring trying to find my way around this hospital," she said.

"And I'd like it if you'd call me Barbara." She smiled at Grace. "After all, we are practically family."

"Barbara," Grace said, returning the smile. "Carey said she told you what the doctors said they were going to do."

"She did," Barbara said. "In her own 'don't worry, Mother' way." She reached out and cupped Grace's chin in a manner reminiscent of her daughter. "How are you doing?"

"Scared," Grace said. "She tells me things in her own 'don't worry, Grace' way too."

"She loves you."

Grace smiled. "I know. I love her very much."

"Have you seen her?"

Grace nodded. "Yes. They let me in the recovery room with her for a few minutes, but she didn't know I was there. She never woke up. The surgeon told me she did just fine and not to worry, but she looked so pale. They told me it's the anesthesia, and she'll look much better when the effects wear off. I came up here a little while ago to let my dad know she was okay." Grace stood and started pacing. "I just wish they'd bring her up here to her room. I'll feel much better when she's awake and I can talk to her."

Carey opened her eyes and smiled. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here," Grace said softly, absently playing with Carey's hair. She cupped Carey's cheek with her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck," Carey said. "What's it look like?"

"Like a bunch of bandages," Grace said. "The surgeon said everything went well." She traced Carey's lips, smiling when she felt the soft kiss on her fingers. "I love you."

"I love you too," Carey said, letting her head loll to the side. "I'm so tired."

"Then sleep," Grace said, leaning forward to kiss Carey's forehead. "Your mother is here."

Carey's eyes opened, albeit slowly. "She made it?"

"Yep. Got here a little while ago. Logan was snowed in and she had to take a later flight. I promised I'd tell her when you woke up. Dad's keeping her company. I'll go get her so she can see you before you fall asleep again."

Carey nodded, her eyes fluttering closed. "Better hurry, I'm not gonna last long."

Grace walked up to the couple seated next to each other in the waiting room. She smiled and shook her head. No one looking at them would believe that they just met. Barbara was laughing at something her dad had said, and they just seemed so comfortable with each other that Grace had to smile.

They noticed Grace at the same time, and both turned searching eyes her way. Barbara stood.

"How is she?"

"Tired, groggy. They're going to let her sleep off the anesthesia, then give her a bit of Jell-O. If she keeps it down, we get to take her home." She looked at Barbara. "She said to tell you to hurry. She's having a hard time staying awake."

"Hi, baby," Barbara said as she leaned over and kissed Carey on the forehead.

Carey's eyes opened and she smiled. "Hi, Mom."

Barbara reached over and took her hand, squeezing gently. "Does it hurt much?"

"Not too bad."

"Grace said you may be released today."

Carey smiled at the sound of her partner's name. "You met Grace."

"Yes, I did. Haven't had much time with her, but I like her very much."

"I knew you'd like her." Carey's eyes closed, but the smile stayed. "I know she's young, Mom, but I love her so damn much."

"From what I can tell, the feeling is mutual. I'm so glad you found someone that makes you happy."

"She does, Mom. I thank God every day that I didn't blow it. I tried so hard to discourage her, but she never gave up on us." Carey's eyes opened briefly, then fluttered closed again. "She never gave up." This time her eyes stayed closed as sleep claimed her.

Barbara reached out and stroked her daughter's cheek. "Sleep well, baby."

"She's sleeping," Barbara said as she joined Grace and her father in the waiting room. Looks like she's going to be out of it for a while."

"No sense sitting around here watching her sleep," Richard said as he got to his feet. "It's way past lunchtime. Barbara, would you care to join us for a bite to eat?"

"I'd love to, if you're sure it's no trouble."

“Trouble? Pshaw.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m lucky enough to have two beautiful women at my side. No trouble a’tall.”

“Your accent, are you from Maine?”

Richard smiled bashfully. “Ayup.”

“Maine is such a pretty state.”

“I live in Alaska now,” he said.

“Really?” Carey’s mother smiled. “I’d love to hear all about it.”

“Dad, would you mind going without me? I’m not really hungry, and I’d kinda like to be here if Carey wakes up.”

“Of course not, pumpkin. We won’t be gone long.”

Sleep had worked its magic, and a more alert Carey sat looking dejectedly at a bowl of green Jell-O. She was tired and hurting, her mind still clouded from the drugs she had been given. “I don’t feel like eating,” she said, letting her head fall back against her pillow. Just holding her head upright was a chore that she simply didn’t have the energy for at the moment.

Barbara reached over and picked up the spoon. She scooped up one square of the green substance, offering it to her daughter. “Just try one bite, baby. You don’t need to eat it all.”

Carey reluctantly opened her mouth and accepted the bite. Her mother offered a second bite and Carey frowned. “I thought I only had to eat one?”

“Just one more. Please?”

Carey sighed. “Okay, but this is the last one.” She took the bite, then closed her eyes and let it melt in her mouth, not having the energy to chew.

“That’s my girl,” Barbara said.

Grace, who had been standing on the other side of the bed, reached over and squeezed her hand. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” She looked up at Barbara and silently mouthed, “thank you.” She had been trying to coax Carey into eating with no luck at all.

Barbara just winked at her and smiled. “I know I’m leaving you in good hands, so I’m going to go to the hotel now and get some rest. I didn’t really sleep at all last night and I’m beat.” She leaned over and kissed Carey on the forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow, baby. Richard and I are going to meet for breakfast, then drive out to your place together.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Barbara walked around to Grace and surprised her by pulling her in for a hug. “You take good care of my little girl, now.”

“Don’t worry. I will.”

Grace watched the older woman leave the room. “I really like her.” She turned back to Carey. “You’re so lucky to have a mother like that.”

Carey smiled. "I know."

Grace's stomach growled and she looked at the Jell-O sitting on Carey's hospital table. "Are you sure you don't want to eat a little more of that?" she said, pointing to the green squares.

"I'm sure. The doctor said I had to be able to keep something down, he didn't say I had to eat it all."

Grace reached over and picked the dish up. "Good, I'm starving." She spooned a bite into her mouth. "I like orange best, but beggars can't be choosers."

Carey shook her head and managed a small laugh. Then her eyes rested on something behind Grace. "Uh-oh."

Grace turned to see what she was looking at and found a nurse standing there with her arms crossed. She looked down at the empty dish in her hand and smiled sheepishly. "She ate all she wanted, honest."

The nurse walked over to Carey and picked up her wrist to take her pulse. "Any nausea?"

"No," Carey said. "When do I get to go home?"

"The doctor will be in to see you shortly. If everything looks good, you should be released to go home." The nurse checked her blood pressure, then walked to the end of the bed and made a note on her chart.

"I'm going to give you a quick lesson on how to take care of the drain," she said as she walked back up and pulled the cover back. "Don't worry, it's not difficult," she added when she saw Carey cringe.

Grace watched as the nurse pulled back the covers and picked up a bulb that was attached to a slender drainage tube that disappeared into the bandages under Carey's armpit. The bulb was clear, and Grace could see liquid in it.

"You'll need to empty this several times a day," the nurse said to Carey.

Carey frowned and looked over to Grace. "This is going to be fun."

She looked back at the nurse. "Just kidding."

"It's very important that you keep the liquid drawing, or your arm will swell up like a balloon." Removing the bulb, the nurse emptied it out. "Now this is the important part. It's easier for the liquid to collect in your arm than to run into this tube, so we need to create suction." The nurse squeezed all the air out and folded the bulb in half so it could not re-inflate itself. She then reached for the tube to re-attach the bulb. "This creates a vacuum that will help siphon out the fluids that would otherwise build up in your arm." She opened her hand and allowed the bulb to open up and begin drawing liquid.

"How often does it need to be emptied?" Grace asked.

"That's hard to say. When it gets full, empty it."

Grace nodded and sat on the bedside chair. She reached out and took Carey's hand, squeezing gently. "Piece a cake."

"You think so?" Carey said. "Then you get to empty it."

"Do you need anything?" Grace asked for the tenth time that morning.

"I'm fine, hon. You don't need to hover over me."

"You didn't sleep well last night. You woke up before dawn and you didn't eat much, are you sure I can't get you something?"

"Grace, sit down." Carey patted the empty spot on the couch beside her.

Grace sat down and Carey reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "Sweetheart, I'm okay. Really, I am." She lifted the hand and pressed it to her lips. "If I need anything, I promise I'll let you know. Okay?"

"Okay, but remember, you promised. I'm gonna wait on you hand and foot. I don't want you lifting a finger. You got that?"

Carey smiled. "I got it."

The phone rang and Grace jumped up to get it. "Hello? Oh, hi, Dad. I didn't expect to hear from you this early. What? I don't know, hang on." She held the phone to her chest. "Carey, is your mother allergic to flowers?"

"No, she loves flowers," Carey said. "Why?"

"I don't know," Grace said, turning her attention back to the phone. "Carey says she likes them...I didn't ask that." She sighed and took the phone away from her ear again. "He wants to know what her favorite flower is."

"I have no idea."

"She said she has no idea. No...no...I don't know...try carnations or something." She sat back down on the couch next to Carey. "That sounds fine, Dad...uh-huh...yes, that's very nice...uh-huh...no idea, Dad...hold on, I'll ask."

"What?"

"He wants to know what her favorite color is," Grace said, making a circle motion at her head, then pointing at the phone.

"Blue," Carey said, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know."

Grace put the phone to her ear. "Blue...well, if they don't come in blue then buy them in whatever color they do come in. Dad...Dad...hey Dad, Carey needs my help. I've gotta go...yes, Dad...uh-huh…I'll ask her...okay, Dad...yes, Dad...okay...Dad, what do you want? A biography? Okay, Dad, hold on." She covered the receiver and turned to Carey.