Jonah wasn’t sure what happened.

One moment, he’d been standing against the wall, feeling hopeless. He didn’t even know why he looked up, but when he did he almost didn’t believe his eyes.

Mitch was there.

“Mitch?” Jonah called his name without even thinking, without even knowing if he was really there, or if this was some kind of crazy dream.

But no.

He wasn’t dreaming.

Mitch really was there. And he had heard Jonah’s voice.

“Mitch,” Jonah repeated, trying to make himself seen past the crowd of people milling around in front of him. “Over here.”

“I”m here, babe,” Mitch called back, scanning the faces in front of him. “I’m here.”

Jonah could see Mitch’s face light up the moment they made eye contact. It was like the sun had finally come out, like Jonah could breathe again and think again and he couldn’t help but smile as Mitch closed the distance between them and pulled Jonah close.

“You’re really here,” Jonah said, his voice muffled by Mitch’s shoulder as Mitch squeezed him tightly. “I was worried I’d be here by myself for a while.”

“I came as soon as I could. As soon as I saw your text.” Mitch pulled back and carefully looked Jonah up and down. “Are you okay? What happened? I thought… I thought you were…”

Mitch’s brow furrowed and it took a moment for Jonah to understand what he was trying to say, but then it clicked. He’d thought that Jonah was in the hospital?

God, Jonah couldn’t even remember what he’d sent in that message. It all seemed like it had happened ages ago, rather than in just the past hour.

“It’s Pop,” Jonah replied, feeling tears spring to his eyes again. “I’m fine. I’m good. It’s… we were at Rocket and he started having trouble breathing. He said he was okay but I could tell he wasn’t. Then he grabbed his chest and—”

The last word was lost in a sob as he buried his face in Mitch’s shoulder again. Jonah had done a pretty good job of holding it all together, of being strong and holding back the tears all morning. But now, with Mitch here, he could finally let go.

“It’s okay, babe,” Mitch said, rubbing Jonah’s back as he held him. “I’ve got you.”

He waited until Jonah had pulled himself together enough to at least stop crying before asking about Pop again.

“Do you know what happened yet?” Mitch asked. “Have they told you anything?”

“Not yet,” Jonah shook his head. “The paramedics asked me a bunch of questions while they were putting him into the ambulance, but that was the last time anyone has even spoken to me. It’s like a madhouse in here.”

“Yeah, I guess the hospital is closing down or something,” Mitch said. “I heard something about it in the lobby when I was looking for you, but I didn’t stop and ask for details.”

Jonah could barely believe what Mitch was saying. Maybe Mitch had misunderstood. The hospital was closing? But… how?

He’d have to figure that out later, though. He seriously didn’t have the energy to stress about anything extra at the moment.

“I’ll have to find out more about it later,” Jonah said, suddenly feeling more than a little exhausted now that he had Mitch there holding him. “Right now I just… can’t.”

“No, don’t worry about that right now,” Mitch said. “We’ll figure it out later, after we find out about Pop. I’m not leaving your side until we know for sure that he’s okay.”

Jonah smiled up at him, then realized everything they’d said and done—the holding, the crying, the terms of endearment—had been right here in the middle of the hospital waiting room with half the town looking on.

“God, Mitch, I’m sorry,” Jonah blurted out. “I wasn’t even thinking when I texted you. I’ll understand if you… if you need to leave.”

“What in the world are you talking about, babe?” Mitch took Jonah’s face in his hands and looked into his eyes, his brow furrowing. “I’m not going anywhere, Jonah. I promise.”

“I know, but I don’t want to make things hard for you with your dad. You know how people talk in this town… if he finds out we’re here and—”

He could see Mitch visibly tense, then relax again as he put a finger to Jonah’s lips.

“No. That’s not going to be a problem.” Mitch took his finger away as a faint smile crossed his lips. “I told him, Jonah. I finally told him that I’m gay and that I don’t care if he has a problem with it.”

Jonah felt his eyes go wide. Of all the things he’d thought Mitch might say, that was literally last on the list. He never thought Mitch would come out of the closet—and especially not with his dad still in his life.

“But… what did he say?” Jonah’s voice was barely above a whisper, as if Franklin Davis might pop up and start yelling at both of them if Jonah wasn’t careful. “I can’t even… you really told him?”

“He wasn’t happy,” Mitch said, his face clouding over again briefly. “But I told him. I didn’t back down this time. And anyway, I’m tired of trying to make him happy. Fuck that. I want to be happy. I want you to be happy. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

“I don’t think so, either,” Jonah grinned. “You deserve every bit of happiness that life can give you. I think that’s amazing, Mitch.”

“It’s not amazing. It’s something I should have done a long time ago. It’s something I should have done way before you ever moved away to New York.”

Hearing the words New York made Jonah’s stomach clench. He was supposed to be on a plane back home to New York in a few hours. What the hell was he going to do about that?

Miss the plane, obviously.

But tomorrow, or the next day, or whenever? He had to have a conversation with his boss that wasn’t going to be easy or pleasant.

If Mitch could have a tough conversation and come away from it feeling better, then… maybe Jonah could, too?

Maybe.

Hopefully.

“I’m glad you did it now,” Jonah said, snapping out of his thoughts for long enough to give Mitch a chaste kiss on the lips. “It took guts and courage, and I’m proud of you—and so grateful that you’re here by my side through all of this. I truly don’t know what I’d do without you in my life.”

“You’re here and Pop is here,” Mitch said with a half-shrug. “So I’ll be here, too. I’m not going anywhere.”

Jonah exhaled a long breath and felt himself start to relax—just a tiny bit—for the first time all morning. He knew that Mitch meant every word he’d said.

Mitch wasn’t going anywhere.

Whatever else their complicated relationship might be—poorly timed, inconvenient, against the odds—there was no doubt in Jonah’s mind that it was real.

They were there for each other when it mattered the most.

And this time?

Jonah wasn’t going anywhere, either.

Nearly six hours had passed since Jonah had followed the ambulance to the hospital, but if the crowd in the waiting room had thinned at all, he couldn’t tell.

At least he had Mitch there with him, helping him through this unbearable situation.

And at least they had been there for long enough to each get a chair as people shuffled in and out through the afternoon.

Jonah had talked off and on with Mitch, but for the most part they sat there quietly, supporting each other without saying a word.

It had even become a little easier not to jump and get his hopes up when a doctor or nurse would come out of the emergency room.

Except this time.

Maybe it was because for whatever reason, the doctor had instantly made eye contact with Jonah when she appeared in the doorway. Or maybe it was because they had already been there for so long that Jonah’s ass was completely numb and legitimately in danger of falling off if he didn’t get up and move around soon.

But regardless of what made Jonah look up, he knew immediately that this doctor had information for him.

Information about Pop.

He could just feel it.

“Jonah Riley?” the doctor called out.

Jonah was on his feet before she even finished saying his name. “Yes, ma’am. Over here.” Mitch was right by his side as they walked toward her, meeting her in the middle of the room. “Is my grandpa okay? What can you tell me?”

She gave a weary smile and nodded. “He’s out of surgery and it’s looking good. There were no complications.”

“Oh thank God,” Jonah said, tears welling up as Mitch took his hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Do you know what happened? What was wrong with him this morning, I mean?”

“Your grandfather suffered a heart attack. But because you called the paramedics right away, we were able to get him stabilized and prepped for surgery almost immediately. My team and I performed a routine bypass and your grandfather came through with no complications. We’ll be monitoring him, of course, but right now I don’t have any reason to think he won’t make a full recovery.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor. Thank you, thank you…” He didn’t have the words to express just how grateful he was to this wonderful woman, but he hoped she could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. She really had kept his world from falling down. “When can I see him?”

“He’s resting now in his room, but I can take you back now if you’d like.”

“Please, yes,” Jonah nodded emphatically. “I’d really appreciate it.”

They followed her down a maze of twisting corridors until she stopped abruptly in front of a closed door and turned back to face them.

“He’ll likely be sleeping for some time, and will probably still be a little out of it when he wakes up, simply due to the painkillers and anesthetic.” She smiled and opened the door for them. “But he’s doing well and you can stay with him for now.”

“Thank you,” Jonah and Mitch said in unison before walking through the doorway into the dark room.

Pop looked so frail and shrunken in the hospital bed, hooked up to tubes and surrounded by machines. It broke Jonah’s heart to see him like that, but it was still so much better than the alternative.

He just had to remember the doctor’s words.

Pop was going to be okay. He was going to make a full recovery.

“He’s going to be okay,” Mitch whispered, echoing Jonah’s thoughts. “You made sure he got here. You kept him safe.”

Jonah nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. For the first time all day, he felt like everything really was going to be fine.

Jonah opened his eyes again and moved to the chair next to Pop’s bed and Mitch pulled another chair close. He was going to stay right here until Pop woke up. He wanted to make sure Pop knew right away that he was going to be okay—that they were all going to be okay.

He moved his hand to gently cover Pop’s and laid his head against Mitch’s shoulder. Jonah’s eyelids felt heavy and his body was starting to remind him of just how little sleep he’d had over the past twenty-four hours. He couldn’t even stifle the yawn that overtook him as his eyes drifted shut.

It was fine, though. He could rest now.

Pop was here. Mitch was here.

Jonah didn’t need anything else.