Chapter 2
Edward watched me crawling on the floor, poking around under the fridge with a ruler, and finally gave Emily a gentle nudge.
"Alright, enough. Let's eat," he said.
They started unpacking the takeout, while I grabbed my folder, headed back to the bedroom, locked the door, and called the moving company.
The mover asked how many boxes I had, so I counted them up and gave him the address.
There were two knocks at the door.
"Sophia, the food's getting cold," Edward called out.
I didn't answer. I just stuffed my ID into my bag and started sealing up the boxes.
By the time I opened the door and walked out, Edward was already on the phone with my dad. "Can you come over for a bit?"
I set the tape down and hurried over.
Edward held me back with his arm, still speaking into the phone. "She's locked herself in the room and won't open the door no matter what I say. I don't want to push her, so could you come over and check on her?
"I'm fine. You don't have to—"
Edward hung up.
"Why did you lie to him?" I asked.
"Didn't you just lock yourself in the room? I called out to you, but did you even respond?" Edward put his phone away. "Let your father come over and talk you out of it, so you don't get stuck in your own head."
My dad had knee surgery, so he always needed his cane to get around.
After my mom passed away, he kept his phone volume cranked up all the way, even at night, and kept it right by his pillow, just in case he missed any calls from us.
I called him, and it took two tries before he finally picked up.
"Sophia, come out first. My father-in-aw was almost there," Edward said.
I could hear the taxi's GPS in the background.
I told him I was fine, that Edward was just making things up, and asked the driver to take him back.
But Dad refused. "I'm already in the car. I'll come see you first, then head back."
Edward heard and came over, giving my shoulder a pat.
He said, "Look how worried your father is about you. We're married now. You can't just keep talking about leaving every time things get tough; you're scaring everyone."
I shook off his hand and grabbed my coat.
Emily was spinning my keys around her finger, but when she saw me heading for the door, she stuffed them behind her back. "Your father is not even here yet, and you're already trying to run off again?"
I reached out for the keys, but she looked at Edward.
Edward didn't stop her, so she slipped the keys into the couch cushions and opened her hand to show me they were gone.
I ignored her and went straight for the door.
"Dad's got a bad leg. I'll go down and get him," I said.
Edward finally put his phone away and blocked the door with his hand.
He said, "Let me go. You stay here. If he shows up and doesn't see you, he'll probably think I did something to you."
Emily followed, slipping on her shoes. "I'll go too. Gotta apologize to him first, just in case Sophia decides to snitch on me."
After they left, I texted the mover and asked him to wait a bit when he got here.
I tidied up the cushion Dad always used and poured him a glass of warm water.
Before I could even set the cup down, my phone rang.
It was Edward. "Come down. Your father fell."
When I got to the entrance, Dad was sitting on the steps, his right leg stuck and his cane lying by the flower bed.
He was holding onto Edward's sleeve, kept asking where I was.
"Dad," I called out.
I crouched down beside him, and he let go of Edward, reaching out and gently patting my arm.
"It's good you came out," he said softly.
He tried to push himself up, but as soon as he moved his leg, he winced and fell silent.
The security guard stopped him, telling him not to move; the ambulance was already on its way.
Emily was standing off to the side, her phone screen still glowing, the recording timer kept counting up.
When I reached for her, she instantly clutched the phone to her chest.
"I already called the ambulance," Emily said.
"What happened? How did Dad fall?" I asked.
Edward stepped in front of Emily, blocking her from view. "Let's just get to the hospital. This isn't the time for fighting."
The security guard picked up the cane and grumbled, "The old man already said his leg's bad. Why'd you take his cane?"
Emily ducked behind Edward.
She said, "I was just messing with him. He was moving so slow. I didn't think he'd actually fall."
When the paramedics arrived, she stepped back a few paces.
As Dad was being lifted onto the stretcher, he still had a tight grip on my sleeve.
Dad said gently, "Don't cry. I'm alright."
I got in the car and reached out to take the cane the security guard handed me.
Before the door closed, Emily leaned in and said, "Sorry. I didn't mean it. I really didn't do it on purpose."
Dad was in too much pain to answer.
She rushed over to Edward, grabbing his sleeve and whining that she was really freaked out too.
*****
At the hospital, Dad was wheeled off for tests.
Edward showed up with Emily in tow, and she had a steaming cup of milk in her hand.
I was standing at the payment machine when I heard Edward ask how much the bill was.
"I'll pay," Edward said.
He reached for my phone, but I blocked his hand.
The payment page was taking forever to load, and there were people waiting in line behind me.
Edward waited a moment and then lowered his voice. "I'm covering the bill, and Emily's already said sorry. What more do you want?"
I hit pay and pulled out the receipt.
"Hand over the video," I said.
Emily's straw froze halfway to her lips.
Edward cut in, "I deleted it."
"Who deleted it?" I asked.
He ignored my question and just pulled me away from the payment machine.
"Why keep it? Your father would feel worse if he saw it. The doctor's waiting; let's go hear the results."
Dad had a fractured right ankle and four stitches above his eyebrow, so he had to stay in the hospital for treatment.
When he was settled into the hospital bed, his right leg was already in a brace, his pants cut open below the knee, and there was dried blood along the edge.
Emily set her milk on the windowsill and walked over to the bed.
"Sir, I'm really sorry. I'm always joking around with Edward, and I guess I went too far this time. Hope you won't mind," Emily said.
Dad turned his face away.
Emily stood there for a moment, then tugged at Edward's sleeve.
Edward pulled out a chair for her.
"She already apologized. Don't be mad at a kid," Edward said.
Dad looked at me.
"Let them go home. Get me some water," Dad said.
I asked the nurse for a cotton swab, dampened it, and gently wiped Dad's lips. Then I grabbed the thermos and went out to get some hot water.
Edward followed me into the boiling water room, took the thermos from my hands, and set it down on the counter.
Edward said, "I told the movers not to come. Just stay here with your father for now; forget about the studio."
Seeing I didn't object, Edward kept going with his plans. "Once your father's out of the hospital, we'll bring him home.
"I'll hire a housekeeper to take care of the meals. You don't need to stress yourself out; everything will be taken care of at home."
Emily leaned against the doorframe, twisting her milk cup in her hands.
"Guess every cloud has a silver lining, huh? Sophia's father fell, but at least you two don't have to fight anymore," Emily said.
I turned off the faucet and picked up the thermos.
Edward reached out to stop me. "Careful, it's hot. I'll handle it."
"Let go," I said.
Emily wiped her nose. "Sophia, I've been apologizing to you ever since we left downstairs, all the way to the hospital.
"What do you want me to do? Is it gonna take me falling and getting hurt too for you to finally let it go?"
I kept my eyes locked on her phone.
"Get the video back and send it to me," I said.
Edward gripped the thermos handle, refusing to let me leave.
"Are you seriously not done? Your dad's lying in there, and you're out here stirring up trouble. Is that what you want, for him to hear you going off?" Edward snapped.
I set the thermos back on the counter and walked back to the hospital room empty-handed.
Dad handed me my phone.