Chapter 59

Pearl made it back to her hotel with a few hours to sleep before Iris was supposed to arrive. She was so happy about Dylan's prognosis and him waking up, it was a rush of emotions. She fell into bed and was asleep instantly.

Iris arrived right on time and helped Pearl carry her things down to the car. "I hear you and Jason have a mutual friend that is letting you stay at their place. It's a really nice area. They must do well for themselves." Iris was looking out of the window, half talking to herself.

"Yes. They do well. And I'm grateful for being able to stay in town a few extra days." Pearl said, still exhausted.

"Jason said he was able to contact the housekeeper and she is meeting us there to let you in." Iris said. "I'm glad Dylan is doing well."

They stopped in front of a high rise, directly across the street from Central Park. Once inside, they took the elevator to the top floor. An older, friendly looking woman met them at a door directly across from the elevator.

"Hello. I'm Martha. Are you Pearl?"

"Yes, I'm Pearl." She replied as the Martha unlocked the door and let them inside. Rhys called it a studio apartment, but it wasn't what Pearl was used to calling that. It was at least 1000 square feet, open concept and had an loft upstairs that was a bedroom with what looked like a second bathroom. It was industrially designed with exposed duct work and brick. The kitchen was small but had modern fixtures and high tech appliances. The living room had a vaulted, open ceiling with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the park.

"This is his studio apartment?" Pearl muttered to herself.

"Yes, it is" Martha responded, smiling.

Martha gave Pearl a key and her number before she left. She was only there every other week to dust and get the mail and to clean up after Rhys, Holden, was in town. She said she had grabbed a few food items per Holden's request so there was something to eat in the apartment if Pearl got hungry. Pearl thanked her.

Iris told her that Jason would be in contact with her soon and if she needed anything while she was in town to look him up. Iris had also canceled their flights for her. Pearl thanked her and she closed the door behind her.

Pearl looked around the expensive apartment. She remembered Rhys saying he had two places and had made an offer on the giant house near her hometown. She was way in over her head.

She put her luggage near the downstairs bathroom, showered and changed. She didn't want to leave Dylan alone for long. She called the desk on his floor and asked how he was doing. The nurse told her they still had him on oxygen and that he was working with therapy on his speech and swallowing. He was still groggy and advised Pearl to get some rest and allow Dylan to do the same. Pearl gave her cell number and told them to call her if anything changed.

Pearl headed back to the hotel to say good bye to the guys. They were checking out, then heading to the hospital to say goodbye to Dylan before their flight left at 4.

"You sure you're going to be ok here. This is all trustworthy?" John asked.

"Yes. Even if it wasn't, I'm not leaving Dylan". Pearl said.

She gave them all a hug and told them she would be there to see Dylan the next day. She was going to get some rest and didn't want to overwhelm him. She also told them they should hear from Jason soon.

She decided to walk back to the apartment. It was a chilly autumn day, but she didn't mind walking. There were shops she had passed that she wanted to check out and the distraction was welcome. She stopped into a bookshop and found a copy of Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin's letter exchanges. She knew Dylan would love it. She also found a dry erase board that she thought might help him communicate better. She passed a men's clothing store and decided to stop in there as well and found a sweater and a hat that she thought would be perfect for Rhys. A way to thank him for his kindness, letting her stay at his place, the record deal, for everything.

She made it back to the loft feeling exhausted. She managed to find some things to make a sandwich and after she ate, grabbed a blanket off the couch, and promptly fell asleep.