One Year and One Day

Miles paced in the waiting room of the hospital, watching the door where they had taken Ramona hours ago. She had woken up soon after the fall but their mother and other medical staff wanted to keep her overnight for observation. Her parents had disappeared behind the doors soon after she arrived, staff of Tormino’s coming and going with the restaurant now closed to clean up the mess. It was nearly midnight and only Leigha and Miles were in the room along with the desk clerk.

“You want to talk,” offered Leigha, who had been surprisingly quiet since their arrival at the hospital. No hugging, no urging him to eat, or go home to sleep. Just sitting, watching the door and her brother.

Miles groaned in frustration, “It’s my fault.”

“How? She’s always been clumsy, even before meeting you.”

“Exactly, before meeting me, she was wary and cautious, not taking unnecessary risks. I gave her a false sense of confidence that I would always be there to catch her and I failed.”

“You gave her confidence, nothing about it was false,” Miles stopped to look at his sister, “Because of you she wants to be better. She wants to be more confident and you have been pushing her to, in your own way. And she helped you learn to care again. I don’t think we would be where we are now as siblings without everyone at Tormino’s, Ramona especially.”

Miles smiled, “Is this some advice from your manga?”

Leigha chuckled, “No, just being a good big sister for my little brother. Although,” Leigha adjusted her seat, resting her chin on her fist, “Seeing as how you feel responsible for Ramona and have been pacing like a sad puppy waiting for any news, what are you going to do about it?”

Miles sighed, sitting down in the seat next to his sister, “I don’t know. School will be over soon, and I’ll be off to university, so I’m not staying Tormino’s forever. And I don’t know what Ramona plans to do, and I don’t want to end up like Cyrus and Linda.”

“Then talk to Ramona, and take it one day at a time. As we both can testify, a little communication goes a long way.” Leigha bumped Miles' shoulder, Miles doing the same.

The doors opened, both Sonata’s snapping their attention to the newcomers. Linda escorted Mr. and Mrs. Mori out of the hospital wing, the three talking in hushed tones as Miles ran over.

“Is she going to be alright,” asked Miles.

The three gave small smiles and nodded.

“She’ll be fine, but we are going to keep her for a bit for observation. If all looks well, she should be able to go home tomorrow,” answered Linda.

Miles sighed in relief, a weight lifting off him. He felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Mr. Mori.

“We’re going to stop by the convenience store to get a bite to eat real quick. Why don’t you go check on Ramona. She might still be sleeping, but it would put our minds at ease having you there in our stead,” offer Mr. Mori.

Miles nodded, looking between the three adults for confirmation, “Thank you. I would like that.”

“Why don’t you come along too, Leigha,” offered Linda. Leigha hesitantly approached the group.

“Collin, Madison, this Leigha, Miles’ sister and Ramona’s coworker at Tormino’s. Leigha, these are Ramona’s parents, Collin and Madison Mori.”

“Nice to meet you, your daughter is a pleasure to work with,” greeted Leigha.

“Pleasure’s ours. Thanks for helping take care of our girl,” returned Mr. Mori, his wife nodding, trying to stifle a yawn.

“Now you two go get some food, Ramon’s in safe hands with me and these two,” encouraged Linda as she shooed the couple  before pulling Leigha and Miles into the hospital wing. She guided them to the elevator, pressing a floor for the doors to shut. Only then did she breathe a sigh.

“Is Ramona really going to be ok,” asked Miles.

“Mhmm, luckily she had Leigha and your mother on scene so that helped a lot.”

The kids nodded, both seeming tense.

“I heard about your mother, she mostly works in surgery, but I never put one and two together. But now I can see you both take after her a bit.”

“Looks mostly,” confirmed Leigha, “personality-wise…” she grimaced.

"Well, people grow. Cyrus has, you both did. People change a little every day; there's no guarantee today that you will or will not be like your mother in the end."

"I'll make sure Miles and I don't end up like our mother."

"Well, your mother does have some good points that you might want to learn. There isn't even a guarantee that she will be the same as she is now for the rest of her life either."

The door opened to the mostly vacant floor, a couple nurses milling about. Linda stepped ahead and led the Sonatas to a room with the curtains closed.

“She may still be sleeping, so be careful.” Linda slowly opened the door to the dim room illuminated by monitors and moonlight. Ramona lay sleeping on the bed, tubes attached to monitor her well being otherwise normal. 

Miles slipped inside, sitting quietly in the chair beside her bed.

“I’ll be in a bit,” whispered Leigha as Linda shut the door. Miles nodded, scooting the chair closer to the bed. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to reach out and take her open hand but holding back. His eyes drifted to her face, peaceful as she slept, though the steady beeping of the monitor in the background reminded him of the afternoon’s events.

“I’m so sorry, Ramona,” he whispered, resting his head on the bed to hide any tears that might come. A moment later, he felt soft fingers gently running through his curls. He looked up to see Ramona’s eyes slightly open, a small smile on her lips.

“Miles,” she murmured, her voice weak. Miles sat up and took her hand, relief flooding his chest.

“Ramona, how are you feeling?”

“A little groggy, but otherwise fine. If anything, I’m just tired from all the fuss everyone made. It’s only a bruise, luckily, but they want to make sure I don’t have a concussion.” She looked down at her lap, her voice filled with guilt. “Sorry if I worried you. I didn’t mean to make things worse with your mother and everything.”

“No, I’m sorry I couldn’t catch you. I know you rely on me, and I’m sorry for failing you.”

“You didn’t fail me,” Ramona replied softly. “I’m trying to get better at not being so clumsy and handling things on my own.” She squeezed his hand, her gaze drifting away as she added, “I don’t want to be a burden to you.”

“Never,” Miles said firmly, placing his other hand over theirs. “You are never a burden to me. You are the kindest, most selfless person I know. And… it is an honor to protect you.”

He felt his palms start to sweat, nerves creeping in from the weight of what he almost confessed. He quickly let go, glancing up to see Ramona’s head turned away, her hands gripping the sheets tightly.

“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No!” Ramona’s voice came out louder than she intended as she whipped her head back to him. She winced and sank down onto the pillow, causing Miles to lean over and help her readjust.

“Sorry,” she said more softly. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. Just really… happy.”

Miles smiled, his shoulders relaxing as he finished adjusting her pillows before sitting down again.

“So, may I continue protecting you?” Miles asked with a playful smile. “At least while we’re at Tormino’s?”

Ramona looked down at her lap, biting her lip as she scrunched the bedsheets in her hands. After a moment, she let go and whispered, “And after?”

“After?” Miles repeated, a little surprised.

Ramona nodded, her fingers itching around the bed as if searching for something.

“Even when I go to university,” continued Miles?

Ramona nodded again, her eyes downcast.

“But what if it’s far away? What if it’s like Cyrus and Linda, and we end up all confused, and in a decade, we don’t even know what’s going on anymore?

Ramona started to giggle, trying and failing to hold it in. Her laughter was contagious, and soon Miles joined in, both of them laughing at the absurdity of the thought.

“Then you need to be extra clear with me so there’s no misunderstanding. And I will be clear with you,” Ramona assured him, holding up her hand as if making a vow.

“Right,” Miles said, taking her small hand in his. He swallowed, gathering the courage to say what had been on his mind for so long. “Ramona… I like you.”

Ramona’s eyes widened, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find the right words.

“I… I like you too,” she finally managed to say.

“And I don’t know where we are going,” Miles continued, his voice steadying, “but for now, will you be my girlfriend? I promise to do my best to protect you.”

"Y-yes! Please take care of me!" Ramona’s voice wavered with excitement as she tried to bow from her bed, wincing at the sudden movement. Miles quickly helped her readjust, concern etched on his face.

“Sorry, this is probably a lot to take in the middle of the night,” he apologized, starting to rise from his seat, only for Ramona to tug on his hand, pulling him closer.

“No, it’s exactly what I needed,” she assured him with a big smile.

Miles smiled back, slipping off his shoes before carefully laying down beside her on the narrow hospital bed.

“Is this alright?” he asked, and Ramona responded by nestling up to his side.

“This is just going to be for a little bit. Your parents should be back soon,” he murmured sleepily, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to him. He didn’t stay awake long enough to hear her reply, his breathing evening out as he drifted off to sleep beside her.

---

“You sure you don’t want to go in?” Linda offered as she gently shut the door behind Miles.

“I’m sure,” Leigha replied, her voice steady. “I’ll just wait out here until the Moris return.”

Linda shrugged, giving her a sympathetic smile. “Alright, let me know if you need anything. I’m going to make some rounds.”

Leigha nodded and sat down in a chair outside the room. She pulled out her phone, surprised to find no new messages. Staff from Tormino’s had stopped by after closing, but no one had stayed too long. She briefly worried about Cyrus, who looked like he’d been run over by a truck when they left. Hopefully, Tormino’s was alright after she and Miles rushed Ramona to the hospital.

“You’re still here,” came a familiar voice. Leigha looked up to see her mother in full uniform.

“Yeah,” Leigha said, putting away her phone. “Miles was worried about Ramona and refused to leave until he knew she was safe. He’s keeping her company while her parents grab a bite to eat.”

“I see.”

The two women fell silent, both staring at the floor, unsure of how to bridge the gap between them.

“May I sit with you?” Dr. Sonata finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Leigha nodded, and her mother took the seat beside her. They both glanced around the hallway, searching for something, anything, to break the tension.

“You did very well today. Helping me with Ramona,” Dr. Sonata said after a moment, her voice softer than usual.

“Thanks,” Leigha replied, her tone subdued.

For a fleeting moment, Leigha wondered if she should have gone inside with Miles instead.

“Are you sure…” Dr. Sonata started, her voice hesitant.

“Mom,” Leigha interrupted gently, not wanting to go down this path again.

Dr. Sonata sighed and adjusted her glasses, her expression conflicted. “I know, you made your point very clear. But… you do have a knack for it, you know.”

“I know,” Leigha said, her voice firm but not unkind. “But I wasn’t happy. Hanging out with Miles and working at Tormino’s—right now, that makes me happy. And that might change someday, who knows? I don’t know where I’m going, but for now, this is where I need to be.”

Dr. Sonata looked at her daughter, her expression softening. “I just want you to be happy, Leigha. That’s all your father and I ever wanted for both of you.”

“We know.”

The two women sat in a more comfortable silence this time, watching nurses wander about.

“Heard from dad lately?”

“Spoke to him recently when I found out about you working next door. He figured you hit burnout, but may have been too scared to say anything, and to just keep an eye on you.”

“The psychologist would figure that out. How did you find out I was working at Tormino’s?”

“You deposit your payroll into the bank account we made for you when you started high school.”

Leigha groaned, realizing her mistake. “I should have known.”

Her mother’s expression softened. “Your father also offered his apartment near the beach if you wanted to get away for a while. And his office is always open if you want to talk.”

“Maybe we could all go this Christmas. It would be nice to see dad.”

Dr. Mori nodded, standing as she did.

“We’ll see, it’ll probably be just you and Miles though. Hospitals never sleep.”

“Mom?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you happy?”

Dr. Sonata paused, considering her daughter carefully before smiling, “very much so.”

And with that, she walked down the hall to the elevator, passing Linda and the Mori’s.

“Hey, any updates on Ramona?” Linda asked as she approached Leigha.

“All quiet here,” Leigha assured her.

Mrs. Mori offered a grateful smile. “Thank you both so much for looking out for Ramona. You and Miles can go home now if you want.”

Linda peeked inside the door, gesturing for Leigha to follow. “I don’t know if they can leave just yet,” she said with a grin.

Leigha peered into the room and saw Ramona tucked into Miles’ side, his arms wrapped protectively around her as if he was afraid she might slip away. A warmth spread through Leigha’s chest, and she couldn’t resist snapping a quick picture.

The adults cooed softly, sharing a knowing look. Leigha smiled to herself, pocketing her phone as she watched her brother and Ramona sleep peacefully together.