Safe Zone

{Matt’s Point of View}

It was pitch dark out while I waited in front of the hospital. The rain hadn’t stopped for what seemed like the whole two days that Katy had been admitted. So I decided to eat in my truck to give Katy and her parents a little time before I head back up to her room.

Val was heavy on my heart, because she would call and I would send her straight to voice mail. I wasn’t ready to talk to her. I’m sure she had a clue to what was going on. There was no doubt about it that I was being childish with not answering, but I just wasn’t ready to face the facts that I would have to confess.

Once I had taken my last bite, I gathered my things that I had bought to change into and my phone, before I turned the ignition off in my truck making my way into the hospital.



Katy’s large door was closed as I approached her room. Swallowing the last bit of water from my dinner, I knocked and then let myself in. Roy and Kim, Katy’s parents, sat in the corner of the room smiling and joking, which was different from when we were kids. When we were younger the only time I can recall the two actually talking to each other was when they were yelling and arguing.

“Hey there,” Roy stood up shaking my hand then sitting back down, “Long time no see.”

“Yeah, no joke. Hey Mrs. Reed,” I nodded and reached for Katy’s mother’s hand, shaking it.

“How’s the wife and kids?” Her father asked, so I quickly looked over at Katy whose eyes were wide with fear that I would let the cat out of the bag.

“They’re good,” I chuckled, because they had no idea, “boys are getting big and Val is moving forward in her career.”

“I bet that’s easier on the pocket book,” Kim exclaimed, I laughed in my head mocking her old lingo for a wallet.

I nodded and walked over to Katy’s beside to replace her phone with mine on the charger, “anyone call me?” Katy asked.

“No,” I answered, then Katy let out a sigh. In my peripherals I could see her parents watching us, so I quickly tried to get back to my seat away from Katy’s bed.



We waved bye as Katy’s parents walked out the door and said their good-byes. Katy looked exhausted, but it was probably from all of the pain killers they had her on for her head.

“I never thought they were going to leave,” Katy sighed. Her bed was slowly declining as she held down the button on the railing of the hospital bed.

“Poor girl,” I grinned sitting on the side of her bed, leaning over her as she laid flat. My elbow helping to keep my torso straddling hers, “Get some sleep. I’m going to finally take a shower.”

Katy grinned her eyes starting to already close. I leaned down and kissed her several times starting from the forehead to her nose then her lips.

“Katy?” We heard from the door, making me stand up quick and stepping from Katy’s bed. It was Katy’s mother and behind her was Katy’s sister, Elizabethe.

“Mom,” Katy sighed, pressing the button once more, this time inclining. It made for a slow dramatization.

“So- Wait- Well that explains why Brett isn’t here. Since when have you two became a thing?” She stuttered, her hand on her forehead.

“Hey Matt,” Liz waved then made her way past their mom to sit down and crossed her legs watching this all unfold. The two sisters were polar opposites. Liz had light hair and light eyes like her mother and Katy had dark features like her father.

“Hey Liz,” I waved, keeping the conversation short because I wasn’t wanting to start anything else.

“For two weeks? You’re married! He’s married! He has kids! Katheryn Marie! I have to go get your father,” Kim exclaimed, as I entered back into the conversation. If I was a teenager, fear would’ve already struck my mind but I was an adult and could do what I wanted.

“Great,” Katy sighed, “you can leave if you want.” I shook my head no and leaned back to prepare myself.

It took her about two minutes before the both of them came in, Kim pulling Roy into the room by his hand.

“I came in and he was kissing her. They’re both married,” Kim huffed and puffed as Roy stood there with a blank face, “He has kids in the mix. Tell them how wrong this is!”

Roy looked between the two of us, “You love him?” He pointed from Katy to me.
“I could,” Katy answered, her mother’s face dropping.

“What about Brett? Is it taken care of?” he asked still talking to Katy.

“I told him that I wasn’t happy anymore. And that if we’re meant to be then we’ll find each other again,” Roy tucked his top lip into his bottom and nodded with his eyebrows raised.

“Matt, you love her?” He pointed from me to Katy now.

“Y-” I began but Roy cut me off.

“More than you’re wife and kids. Because sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side. See I know Katy and Brett’s situation. I don’t know about yours. So you need to think about your kids. Custody battles, divorce, and separating things between houses will be the topic for the next three years of their lives.”

Roy had me silent, because I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t expecting the truth and the hard reality behind it all.

“I-” I tried to begin again but Roy cut me off once again.

“But then again you have a girl you love. Whom you’ve loved for a long time and she’s finally here and you feel like if you don’t drop everything now for her then you’ll lose her again and never know what will come of it. I’ve been there through both of those situations. I was lucky enough for Kim to take me back, after I found out that my ex and I weren’t meant for each other. So choose your words wisely. So what was your answer?”

My head kept chasing my heart like a dog chasing his tail. There seemed to be no right answer. Either way I was hurting someone.

“I-I need to go home,” I motioned grabbing my things and bolting out the door. Hopefully this was the right choice…