The next year her mother, now an elderly widow, called to ask if Violet knew Chet was in the hospital. He’d suffered a major heart attack. Violet rushed to his side without thinking. She was greeted by a sobbing Loretta and Eric, white as a snowdrift and staring out the window. Eric moved to place a protective arm around his mother. Violet noticed he’d grown several inches taller than his dad.

Chet was hooked up to a bunch of machines, all beeping and flashing steadily. She introduced herself as an old friend of Chet’s family.

“I know who you are,” Loretta replied, swiping tears from her face. She said it without a trace of venom. Violet wondered what, exactly, Chet’s wife did know. “You used to babysit him.”

“Yes,” Violet smiled. “I did. How is he?”

“His doctor told us his chances of recovering are not good. His heart was badly damaged.” Loretta started crying again, and Eric tightened his grip.

“Hello, Mrs. Thompson,” he said. “I’m Chet’s son Eric. I’ll take Mom to get a cup of coffee and give you a few minutes with Dad. He’s asleep, but they think he can hear us.” He smiled Chet’s own smile at Violet and she nodded gratefully.

As soon as the door closed, she grasped Chet’s hand and bent her mouth to his ear. “Chet, it’s Violet. You have to get better. You have to be strong for Eric and Loretta and for me. I can’t bear to be in this world without you. Remember what I said? If your heart stops, mine does, too.” She tried to brush her tears off the pillow. The monitor beeped steadily, but Chet didn’t move. “Please, please Chet. Come back to your family. Come back to me, because there will be no light in the world if you’re gone.” She leaned back, never releasing his hand until she heard the door open.

Eric and Loretta found her sitting beside the bed, smiling strangely. She stood and told them, “Thank you for letting me spend a few minutes with him. I feel like he’s going to be all right. I’ll be praying for him. Loretta, will you please call me at this number and let me know something tomorrow?” She slipped a calling card to Chet’s wife and hugged her briefly. “It was good to meet y’all.”

The next day, Loretta telephoned and said Chet was awake and had amazed his doctor with his recovery. They would discharge him within a week. He would, however, have to be careful and take a variety of medications. Surgery would be scheduled if possible. “His heart is badly damaged,” she said.

Violet thought: yes, mine is, too. “Thank you, Loretta.” She hung up the phone and said a small prayer of thanks. Part of that prayer was to see Chet again someday, if only for a little while.