My world spun and I locked eyes with Charlie to ground me. She frowned, took a step closer as I choked, “Grandpa Michael? Is he…?” I couldn’t say the word dead. I just couldn’t.

“He’s in critical condition. Where are you?”

Running a hand through my hair I wished I had a different answer. “I’m in Scotland, Mom.”

“Oh, Ethan!” she moaned. “Hurry home! Please!”

“Right away. I’ll get there as fast as I can. I gotta call my pilot. I’ve gotta go!”

“Of course! Be safe, but hurry, honey!”

We hung up and I locked eyes with Charlie. She looked as helpless as I felt, her face contorted. “Your grandfather?”

“He’s in the hospital.” My chest twisted in pain as my fingers trembled as I dialed my pilot’s phone and muttered to myself, “Why couldn’t I have invented a fucking teleportation machine—”

“Hello?”

“Todd! It’s me. I need to get back to Atlanta right away. It’s an emergency. We’re heading back now to grab our bags, and we’ll meet you at the airport right after. Have the plane running.”

“Copy that.”

We hung up and Charlie and I ran for the stairs. We saw the older couple and it hit me. I wanted Grandma Nance and Grandpa Michael to be able to travel more. I didn’t want this to be the end of their love story.

We got to the street as a cab was approaching. I shouted at it and rushed forward to open the door for Charlie. She remembered the address and told the driver where to go before I’d even shut us in. I appreciated that more than I could voice.

She took my hand and I watched our fingers lace together in slow motion. The pain I was going through amplified every passing second. My heartbeat was pounding in my ears. All I wanted was to be at that hospital. “If he dies before I say goodbye,” I rasped.

Charlie squeezed my hand as the driver took off like a New York cabbie. He kept the engine running as she and I rushed inside and packed.

On the way to the airport, she said, “I’m so sorry, Ethan.”

“Don’t say that yet. He’s going to be fine. He’s got to be.” Pulling out my phone I saw Emma’s picture lighting up the screen. I answered in an instant. “Hey, you there already?”

Emma sounded just as panicked as Mom had. “I’m on my way to the hospital. Mom said you’re flying back now?”

“Yeah. What about Eric?”

“She called him. He has a game today.”

“Of course, Sunday football. Is it a home game or away?”

“Away. Falcons are playing Tampa Bay.”

“So it’s just Florida. Quick flight.”

“He told the coach he can’t play. He’s taking the first flight home.”

“Good. Good.”

“You’re panting, Ethan.”

“I’m fucking pissed I’m all the way over here! I want to be with you guys!”

“I know,” Emma whispered. “But you couldn’t have known this would happen. He takes such good care of himself!”

“How’s Dad? He okay? He’s gotta be losing his shit right about now.”

“I asked Mom to speak to him, and she said he can’t talk. So you know he’s wrecked.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, rubbing my face with my free hand. “Grandma Nance has to be worse.”

“And Grams, Ethan!”

“Oh God, Grams, I hadn’t thought about that yet. Grandpa Michael is her pride and joy. She can’t lose her husband so young and now her only son.”

“I know! Hey, watch where you’re going you stupid jerk!!”

I heard horns honking through the phone. “Emma, focus on driving! What the fuck are you doing talking to me right now?”

She whispered, “Because I’m scared.”

“I’ll be there soon. Focus on the road. We don’t need you laid out in the hospital, too.”

“You’re right. When I get there I’ll tell you what I find out, okay?”

“Yeah, Emm, okay, the phone’s ringing again. Hann’s on the other line. Drive safe!” My sister agreed, and I hung up to switch over to my cousin. “Hannah, you at the hospital?”

“We’re leaving now. We had the phone off since it’s Sunday morning and I didn’t see my dad’s calls until I turned it on. You want us to pick you up on the way?”

They lived right down the street from me. I winced because nobody had told her. “I’m in Scotland, Hannah.”

“Oh no!” she gasped. “Tobias, Ethan’s in Europe.”

I heard him utter a few swearwords for me. He’s new to our clan but he knows how tight we all are. He felt my pain.

“I’m heading to the airport now, Hann. Tell Uncle Justin I’m coming, that I’m sorry I’m not there.”

“Of course I’ll tell Dad that for you. Don’t feel guilty. You couldn’t have known, and it’s not going to help anybody.”

I knew she was right but it didn’t change how shitty this felt. I asked the one question I’m sure everyone was asking each other, “Did anyone call Uncle Jett?”

“Dad said he’s on his way. Aunt Luna and Sofia Sol are coming with him, too.”

“Good. Good. Where were they? On a mission?”

“No. I called Sofia. Thankfully they were all home at the plantation in Louisiana so they’re riding their motorcycles over since the next flight doesn’t leave quick enough for their tastes, plus the time to and from airports.”

“Yeah, it adds up. You called Sofia first, huh? So I’m second best?”

There was no smile in her voice as she joked back, “You’re fourteenth on the rung. Get used to it.”

A short, pained laugh escaped me. “That’s two better than sixteenth. I’m guessing Gabriel and Elijah hold those pathetic spots.”

Her turn to chuckle, and it sounded just as hollow as mine. “Exactly. It’s all of my cousins, you last of all, then my brothers. They are always last.” I heard Tobias ask her a question and she answered, “You’re first, babe. Always first.” To me she smiled, “My husband is jealous of our family.”

“Tell him he’s last and see what he says. No, tell him I said he’s last.”

“Ethan says you’re last.”

Tobias called out, “Tell that to my face, computer nerd!”

I smiled and glanced over to find Charlie was biting her lip, elbow on the armrest, as we pulled onto the airport’s long cement driveway. I reached over and took her hand, entwining our fingers. “Hannah, I’ve gotta go.”

“We’ll keep you informed.”

“Emma’s going to call. She’s my phone-vine person now.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

We hung up and I blinked at the phone as I brought Charlie’s fingers to my lips to kiss them. The cabbie asked me which was mine, and I pointed. He drove up to my jet and stopped a safe distance from its roaring engines. Charlie and I flew out, and she went to help me with the suitcases.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve got these,” I told her.

She nodded and tipped the cabbie, because I’d forgotten about him already. Casting a look over her shoulder, she told me, “Let me help,” before I could voice irritation for having forgotten his tip.

We strode quickly to the plane. My legs were longer so at the bottom of the stairs I waited for her.

“It doesn’t have to be ladies first at a time like this.”

“Let me be the man.”

She smiled a little and shook her head. “Okay.”

As soon as we were inside, my pilots informed me everything was in order. I didn’t alarm them with my news because I wanted their focus to be steady. When emotions are involved, you never know what people are going to do.