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"Yeah, she is," Brandon said, glancing at Regina, as looking out the

Feeling the fear suddenly overcoina freak out replaced every ounce of anger that had started building just o Suddenly, he couldn’t care less about any of that

"Can you please bring her to Mission Hospital?" She rattled off the inforain "Don’t tell her he was rushed here, okay? Just say he wasn’t feeling well so we brought hi up and turned to Regina, dreading his next words to her Her broas arched a little too high, and he knew her interest in the phone call was zero--she was still thinking about whatever it was she’d been told about him and Sofie

"That was Pat," he said, and her expression changed i well, so they took him to the hospital"

"What?" The panic was i in her purse "Why did she call you?"

Brandon had no answer for that He wasn’t even aware Pat had his nu his hand out over her knee to try and sooth her "She just said he wasn’t feeling well Relax It inning to shake as she dialed her sister

"Pat!" she said "What happened? What’s wrong with Daddy? And why didn’t you call me?"

She was quiet for a moment as Brandon juether much "What do theyabout? Was so a fever?"

As casually as he could, Brandon stepped on the accelerator Talking to Pat seemed to have calmed her some, but apparently she wasn’t satisfied because she called her sister Bell as soon as she hung up

Brandon listened quietly without saying a word, and he was glad she took his hand when he reached out for hers Her hand still tre like when she’d first pulled her phone out

"Are you sure you’re not keeping anything fro me first, but I had no missed calls, yet she called Brandon four ti at the clock, Brandon wondered how long her dad had been out before Pat and her ot there He didn’t want to even think it, but if it had been a ht already be dead He’d hate to think of what Regina one Ever since she’d told hi about her breakdown in New York, she’d reiterated how important it was that they never see that side of her For whatever reason, it was so she was co she didn’t need her ina had cal to both her sisters had done the trick She explained to Brandon why Pat had his number

"She asked for it the last time I had brunch at my parents She said it was just in case there was ever an eency You’d be the closest one to ht at your place" This seemed to embarrass her, and he actually smiled when she added with a whisper, "My mom and Bell have it too"

As soon as they were out of the car in the hospital parking lot, he came around and cradled her face with his hands then kissed her "No matter what, baby, you can handle this Okay?" He looked into her still-frightened eyes as she nodded "I love you"

"I love you too," she whispered back, and after seeing the suspicion in her eyes earlier, hearing her say it with such sincerity was music to his ears

~~~

Fortunately, her father was alive, but he was in surgery when they arrived It alone numb She didn’t shake or freak out when she was told that her father, in fact, had suffered a heart attack He was in surgery to have three stents inserted and would need to have ery to have two ina who’d begun to lose it in the car when she was si well sat next to herto be okay Romero held Bell a few times when she’d broken down and cried, and Pat sniffled the whole ti her mother calm

At one point, Brandon followed her out into the hallhen she excused herself to use the ladies’ roo into her al away "I’onna be okay"

"He is," Brandon agreed immediately and then said the exact opposite of what he’d always been taught to believe "It’s okay to cry, babe If you’re worried or afraid, you can let it out"

Shaking her head, she so, and she rushed away to the ladies’ roo in there to cry He knew hearing her dad was in surgery because he’d had a heart attack had to be terrifying

I’ve never dealt ith loss