"Les, my grandmother is in the ICU—"
He grabbed my wrist before I could finish. Wrapped his hand around my fingers and pried them open.
He was so much stronger than me.
I gripped the phone until my nails dug into my own palm.
"Les!"
He pried it free.
He turned and handed the phone to Lila.
Lila took it, tears still wet on her face, and bent her head to type.
I stood there.
Grandma Marianne's voice still echoed in my ears—that last, tentative "Hope?"
I wanted to grab it back.
Les stepped in front of me, his face hard with irritation. "One minute. You can't give her one minute?"
I looked into his eyes.
Those eyes used to be gentle when they looked at me.
Now there was nothing in them at all.
Lila finished and handed the phone back.
I looked down.
The screen was open to Lila's Instagram.
She had just posted.
The photo was of her and Les at the gas station.
His arm around her waist, her head on his shoulder.
The caption: Happy Labor Day weekend~ out with my husband, couldn't be happier ♡
I stared at that line.
My phone.
Her and my husband.
While my grandmother's last call was still on the line.
I looked up at Les.
He glanced at the screen, barely interested. "She's just playing around. What are you getting worked up for?"
Playing around.
I looked down at the phone.
The call with Grandma Marianne had ended.
I called back.
Dead. The phone was off.
I clutched the phone, shaking all over.
Les walked over. "What's wrong?"
I didn't look at him.
"My grandmother's call dropped."
"Probably ran out of battery—"
He went quiet for a few seconds.
"I'll handle it first thing tomorrow," he said. "Just calm down."
Calm down.
My grandmother could be dying right now. Could already be—
And he was telling me to calm down.
I lifted my head and looked at him.
"Les."
"Hm?"
I looked him in the eye.
"I want a divorce."
His expression finally changed.
"What did you say?"
"Divorced. We file as soon as we're back."
He stared at me for a few seconds.
"Hope—I…"
"Ahhh—!"
Lila's scream cut him off.
She was crouched by the bench, clutching her calf, her face drained white.
"A snake! There's a snake!" Her voice shook. "It bit me…"
Les looked at me.
Then turned and ran to Lila.
He crouched down and checked the wound on her calf.
Lila clung to his arm, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. "Les, am I going to die…"
"No." He tore a strip from the bottom of his shirt and tied it above the bite.
That was when the sound of an engine came from down the road.
Roadside assistance.
The tow truck pulled up and the driver jumped out. "You the ones who called?"
Les stood. He pointed at Lila. "She was bitten by a snake. She needs a hospital, now."
The driver looked at Lila's leg, then at me. "Cab only fits two. She can ride on the flatbed, but it's not safe."
Les didn't hesitate.
He pulled open the cab door and helped Lila up.
Then he turned back to me.
"Hope, just stay here. I'll take her to the hospital and send someone back for you."
"How long?" I asked.
"Soon."
Soon. Again.
He climbed in and shut the door without a second's pause.
I watched Les drive away with another woman and leave me behind.
