The Space Between

Chapter 7: The last breath

"Hello, this is Sheriff Spencer. Is this Melanie Sinclair?" His voice was smooth and professional, the kind that might have felt reassuring in any other situation.

Melanie's heart skipped, her fingers tightening around the phone. "Speaking." She forced the word out, trying to swallow the lump lodged in her throat.

"Mrs. Sinclair, thank you for answering. I have some unfortunate news." The sheriff paused briefly. "Are you sitting down?"

Melanie's pulse thudded in her ears. She began pacing, her hands clammy. "I—no, I'm not sitting. What do you mean, 'unfortunate'? Can you just tell me what this is about?"

"Mrs. Sinclair," the sheriff said gently, "your husband has been involved in a serious accident. He's being transported to the hospital in critical condition. We called to inform you because you're listed as his emergency contact."

Melanie felt the air sucked from her lungs. A chill spread through her limbs, making her shiver despite the warmth of the room. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until the room started to tilt around her.

A soft knock on the door startled her, and her parents' voices drifted through.

"Melly? Everything okay in there?" her mom called, concern woven into each word.

Sheriff Spencer continued, his voice steady but solemn. "I'll notify the hospital that you'll be on your way. I'm sorry to give you this news, Mrs. Sinclair."

Before she could respond, the line clicked, leaving Melanie alone in the silence.

She stood motionless, staring at the dark screen. It felt like time had stopped, like the world outside no longer existed. A strange buzzing filled her ears, drowning out everything else.

"Melanie, we're coming in," Georgia called from the other side of the door, her voice rising with concern.

The door opened, and as soon as Melanie saw her parents, everything she'd been holding back came crashing down. What had started as a few silent tears turned into deep, gut-wrenching sobs. Her whole body trembled as she stumbled forward, collapsing into her mother's arms.

Georgia wrapped her tightly, stroking her hair. "Shh, baby, it's okay. It's okay."

Melanie buried her face in her mother's shoulder, her tears soaking through Georgia's shirt. Her mother whispered soft reassurances, but they did little to slow the tidal wave of emotions that poured out.

"What's going on, Melly?" Georgia asked, brushing damp strands of hair from her daughter's face. "Talk to us, sweetheart."

Harold appeared beside them, a glass of water in hand. "Here, hun. Drink this."

Melanie took the glass, her hands still shaking, and drank deeply. The cool water helped steady her, just enough to force the words out.

"I—" Her voice broke, and she took a breath, trying to pull herself together. "Me and Dom... we had a fight earlier. I couldn't take it anymore, so I just... left. I grabbed a cab and came here."

She exhaled, the weight of finally saying it lifting just a little from her chest. But the relief was short-lived.

Her parents exchanged a glance, worry deepening the lines on their faces.

"He was looking for me," Melanie whispered, her voice cracking. "And... and the sheriff said he got into a car accident. It's bad—he's in critical condition."

Georgia tightened her arms around Melanie, holding her as though she could shield her from the reality crashing down around them.

"Oh, baby..." Georgia whispered, rocking her gently.

Harold knelt beside them, rubbing Melanie's back in slow, soothing circles. "We've got you, Melly. Whatever happens, we'll figure this out. You're not alone in this."

Melanie nodded weakly, though her thoughts were a swirling mess of guilt, fear, and confusion.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Georgia asked softly, still holding her daughter close.

"I..." Melanie's voice faltered. She didn't know what she wanted. Didn't know if she could face Dominic after everything—or if she even should.

"It's okay," Harold said gently. "You don't have to decide right now. Just breathe. We're here."

And for the first time since the phone call, Melanie let herself breathe—deep, shuddering breaths—as the warmth of her parents' love held her steady against the storm brewing just outside.