My Reunion

•23•

I wake up to another cloudy day. I look beside to see my phone buzzing. Huh.

Unknown number.

"Hello?" I answer slightly confused.

"Hazel?"

"Luke?"

"Yeah yeah it's Luke."

"What's wrong are you ok?"

"No. No I'm not."

"Slow down what's wrong?"

"Um ok so remember emberly?"

"How could I forget."

"Well we were walking down the street window shopping. Next thing I know I get a call from the hospital saying my dad is dead."

"Oh my gosh."

"Dead Hazel. Dead! As in gone. I don't know what to do. I'm freaking out and I know I haven't been the best but I seriously need you right now."

"Ok where you at?"

"I'm at North West hospital."

"Ok I'm on my way. Stay on the phone with me Luke."

"Ok ok."

I race throwing on some clothes then running down the stairs. I grab my keys, rushing out to my car.

"Ok tell me everything." I instruct driving away.

"They said something about a tumor growth in the left side of his brain. At first it was controllable but then it got too much for him to handle. His left side completely shut down and he died of organ failure."

"Was it unexpectedly?"

"No. It was a long, hard process and all they could do was limit the pain. Hazel my dad died alone. Alone." He starts crying.

I pull into the hospital and jump out of the car.

"I'm here Luke."

I run in looking all around. I see him stand up from the waiting room. His face all red and puffy from crying. I run to him giving him a big hug.

He cries in my shoulder mumbling under his breath. I kiss his head rubbing his back.

"I'm here."

He wraps his arm around my neck crying. Luke never had any family. He was in the foster program with me as a little kid.

The man who took him in, Don, was the closet he's ever been to someone. Don treated him like Luke was his own son.

They would always go to the park to throw a football, wrestle each other, and just being there for one another. Luke always looked up to Don.

Besides Don was his father. Sure he wasn't blood but come on. For a man to treat you like that was someone special.

"I have no one left Hazel." He cries.

"Hey look at me." I say pulling away.

"You have me ok? Forget the past you'll always have me Luke."

He just looks at me not knowing what to say.

"We have an extra room in our house. Cam won't mind if you stayed with us."

He just looks down at his shoes.

"Hey. Look at me. Just look at me. You'll make it through ok?"

He nods brushing his tears away. I kiss his cheek.

"You're strong Luke."

He smiles and we hug again. We just stand in silence hugging. Because that always seemed to work with us.