From a Table Away ✓

Seventeen

*Andy's POV*

I was helping Celeste back into the car after the appointment when my phone started ringing. "Is this Mr. Barber?"

"Speaking," I say shortly.

"Mr. Barber, this is Officer Leland with the Newton P.D. I'm calling because there's been an accident with your ex-wife and your son." My face immediately turns ghost white and I know I've startled Celeste but I can't focus on anything else.

"Are they ok? Is my son ok?"

"Your son was conscious and talking on the ride to the hospital. But we're going to need you to get down here."

"I'll be right there."

"What's going on?" Celeste asks.

"Jacob and Laurie were in an accident. He appears to be fine but they're both in the hospital."

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Get your ass in the car. We gotta get to the hospital." I tell him and it seems to kick him into gear.

*Celeste's POV*

We rush into the hospital and Andy hurries over to the counter. "Jacob Barber, he was brought in on an ambulance a little bit ago."

"He's through here." She says, walking us down the hall and to his room.

"Dad!" Jacob yells from the bed. His leg and arm are wrapped up in makeshift casts, he has a bandage on his head, and he's covered almost completely in scrapes and bruises but he's alive.

"What the hell happened?" Andy asks, as he comes up beside Jacob on the bed.

"I'm not sure. Mom came by the house and was rambling about getting lunch. I figured, what could be the harm in that, so I went with her. Then she started asking questions about if I was liking living with you and how she was in complete control and then she swerved us off the road. Is Mom alright? I don't think I was brought in the same ambulance as her."

"Let me go find out." I say. Andy nods, not wanting to leave Jacob. I flag down one of the doctors outside and inquire about Laurie. He says he can't reveal too much information to non-family members but that it doesn't look good. Shit!

*5 Days Later*

Laurie had been declared brain dead upon initial observation at the hospital and the MRI that they had done on her backed that finding up. It was an emotional couple of days here as Andy prepared Jacob for saying goodbye to his mom while funeral arrangements were made.

The service had been lovely, more than she deserved after what she had tried to pull. Although it had been raining earlier that day, the investigators determined that Laurie crashed the car deliberately. No tire marks were found on the road that would indicate that the brakes had been applied, and the way the car had hit the guardrail corroborated that story. The evidence, along with Jacob's testimony, had found that Laurie's actions were intentional. Of course, as she was dead, nothing could be done. But at the very least, Jacob and Andy could start the healing process.

We were sitting at the funeral home and I was doing my best to remain unseen as their friends and family start filing in, ready to pay their respects. I see a woman with short blonde hair approach Andy and Jacob. "Thanks for coming Toby." I hear Andy say.

"Hey, anything for you. I know you and Laurie were split, but that it wasn't because you didn't love each other." She says, giving me a dirty look from the side.

I roll my eyes. "I'm going to wait in the car. I told you I shouldn't be here today." I whisper to Andy.

"You don't have to do that. Jacob wants you here... I want you here." Andy says, his eyes begging me to stay.

"You really shouldn't be, though." Toby snarls at me. "You ruined their marriage and then have the audacity to show up at her funeral like you were her friend."

"I'm not sure what exactly you could say I ruined if I wasn't even seeing him at that point anyway. And I'm sure I listened to her a lot more in one afternoon than you did recently, seeing as how I know you were part of the population that started treating them like pariahs." I take a deep breath. "Today isn't about you, or me. It's about them." I say, pointing to Andy and Jacob. "So if you're going to act like an ass to someone they both want here, you can leave. Because today isn't even for Laurie, it's for them." I say before taking my seat next to Andy.