Red, White and Royally fucked

-9-

Alex

My mom and dad are meeting us there, which is fine, but I kind of wish we were together. They might get more info than me. After all, I'm not her only emergency contact. Actually, they only called me because they couldn't reach my parents. So now that my mom has called the hospital back, they are calling her instead. I just have to trust that she will call me – or Nora since my phone is dead - with any information that she gets, but I know she won't. If there is bad news, she won't tell me before we land, and it is driving me insane.

I'm clutching the armrest between me and Nora so fucking hard my knuckles are turning white.

"Just breathe, Alex. It won't be long now." She says and caresses my hand. "You know Paris, right?" She turns towards Bea who sits behind us next to Henry. "You can guide is to the hospital fast, right?" I don't hear the answer, but I'm desperately hoping it's a yes. I close my eyes, trying to drown out everything around me and get rid of negative thoughts, but when I can't, I repeatedly hit my head lightly back against the seat trying to knock out all the horrible scenarios that floats around in my mind.

"It's okay..." I hear his voice whisper behind me a second before I feel his fingers in my hair. I stop moving my head and just lean back against his touch. He keeps massaging my scalp and it actually works. I can feel myself calming down. Until I realize how awkward he must be sitting and how ridiculous it must look, then I begin to laugh.

"What?" Nora asks and turn to me, then sees Henry's hand in my hair, awkwardly reaching over the seat from behind me. "Do you want me to switch seats?" she asks while still staring at Henry's hand.

"That's not necessary" Henry says. "I'm not uncomfortable."

"Yes, you are." Bea says and I smile. "You look like a buffoon." I snort at her comment and earns a pull in my hair from Henry.

"Alex," Nora addresses me directly this time, "Do you want me to switch seats with Henry?"

"Yes, please." I look at her, "it's not that I don't want to sit next to you, it's just..."

"He calms you down."

"Yes..." Nora has always known me better than anyone. She can read me like an open book and right now I really fucking love her for it.

"I understand." She stands up, "Get up." She commands Henry.

"But..." His resisting will be in vain. Nora gets what Nora wants. Especially when it is regarding someone she loves.

"Get. Up."

I can hear him sigh loudly and I know how annoyed he is with Nora barking orders at him, it's nearly seeping from his pores and I should be just a bit considerate of him, but I can't help finding it hilarious. I don't know exactly what went down between them at the airport, Nora just said she told him off. And clearly, he is not her biggest fan right now.

Henry drops down in the seat next to me, slightly irritated and I instantly feel bad.

"I'm sorry..." I say and he smiles at me and waves it of like an annoying insect.

"No, no, love. Don't be. I'm fine sitting here. I just don't want her to tell me to sit here."

"Do you want the window seat instead? Then you technically haven't followed her orders." I ask fully prepared to switch seat if it just means him being close to me.