Chapter 39
Jake
I waited by the hallway window, watching the sun faintly reflect off the snow piled up on the streets. The winter storms had made it impossible for my brother Ryan to land on time, and his delay had only prolonged this limbo I was stuck in. I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to say, and I couldn’t walk into that room without feeling consumed by anger every time I thought about my father and everything he had done.
Finally, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the hospital. I turned my head just as Ryan appeared at the end of the hallway. He was dressed in travel clothes—a thick jacket and boots still covered in snow. He looked tired, his face tense and hair disheveled, but his eyes immediately searched for mine.
“Jake,” he said, walking quickly to
