Chapter 49
Payton
MONDAY I SUFFERED through work. Luckily, my students were older which meant they tended to work quietly when instructed, but I was still exhausted and sad, and I missed Alex. Like my heart broke a thousand times in one day at the thought of not being with him.
At the end of the day, I headed home, surprised to find my mom in the kitchen. “Hi,” I said. “You’re home early.”
She smiled. “I quit.”
“What? You did?”
She nodded. “Took early retirement.”
“Can you do that?”
“Apparently so. Your dad and I ran the numbers and it worked, so I quit. I gave them three weeks, but I need to burn up some vacation time or I’ll lose it, so I’m only working one day at the end of that three–week period, and I’ll still have five weeks paid vacation to cash out.”
“Wow, Mom, that’s awesome.”
She studied me and then smiled. “What’s up with you, honey? You look sad. How’s Alex?”
I forced back tears again and made my way to the fridge, grabbing the O.J. from the top shelf. “It’s been a rough couple of days.”
“Want to talk about it?”
I poured a glass of juice and leaned against the island. “I don’t know what to say. So much of it’s complicated and I’m trying to work out if it’s worth it.”
‘Honey, it’s always worth it.”
‘What do
you mean?”
‘Let’s sit,” she said, and led me to the dinette table. I sat across from her and she squeezed my hand. “You’ve always been my careful one. You weigh the pros and the cons, make a graph and a chart, and then make your very informed decision based on the data you gather.”
Does everyone think I’m a control freak?
‘That being said, I don’t worry about you… at least, not in the same ways I worry about your siblings. But that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you in other ways. Alex is different than anyone you’ve ever dated and that boy loves you better than any of the others have.” She smiled a little sadly. “He knows my baby. Truly knows her and that’s more than any mother can hope for because I know he’ll take care of you in all the ways that count.”
‘But you don’t understand everything.”
“I know, honey. And that part’s where being an adult sucks, because it’s ultimately your decision. Whatever way you go, you know Daddy and I will support you, and you know all of us will be here to help put your heart back together, but just know that we all love Alex, Kayla, and especially little Lily. They fit perfectly into our family.”
“I know.” I nodded, blinking back tears. “I really love him, Mom.”
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“But he scares you.”
“So much.”
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“So did your dad, honey. He turned my world upside down in a way that rocked me to my core.” She smiled again. “You and I are very much alike, Payton, so I’ll give you a promise. When you take a risk, you reap really amazing rewards, and you will feel more alive than you ever have. It’s worth it, honey, and I think he’s worth it.”
I sighed.
The house phone rang and my mom rose to her feet. “Hold that thought. Hello? Hi, Gordon.” Her face fell and I sat up straighter. “Where is she? Yes. I’m coming now. We’ll call everyone. Okay, honey. See you soon.” She hung up and grabbed her keys. “Kris has been admitted. She’s bleeding. They can’t find the baby’s heartbeat.”
“Where is she?”
“Legacy.”
I shot out of my seat, set my glass in the sink, and went for our coats. I fired off a group text to the rest of the family. knowing Mom would want to tell Dad herself, and then followed her into the garage.
As I climbed into my mom’s car, all I could think about was I needed to talk to Alex. I was worried about my sister and I needed him to hold me and tell me it was all going to be okay. Since I didn’t know if I could talk without crying. I fired off a text to Kayla, filling her in on what was going on. Kayla and Kristen were getting close and I knew that if Kayla felt Alex should know, she’d tell him.
When we arrived at the hospital, Mom took advantage of the valet parking, and we rushed inside and up to maternity. Gordon was pacing the waiting room and Elizabeth sat crying on one of the seats, but she rushed to Mom and wrapped her arms around her waist.
My mom stroked her hair. “Hey, honey. It’s okay.”
I went to Gordon and gave him a quick hug. “Do you need me to do anything at the office?”
Gordon and Kristen owned a pretty successful real estate company, and I had worked in the office during summer and school holidays during high school. It had been a great way to earn some money and get some administrative skills under my belt.
“No. I have an open house this weekend, but Sam’s going to cover if I need him too. The paperwork’s covered, so I’m set. But thank you.”
“Well, if anything changes, let me know.” I smiled. “Have you seen Kristen?”
He shook his head. “They’re running tests. They won’t let me see her until they’re done.”
“Okay,” I said. I mean, what could I say? The whole thing was just awful.
We’d been at the hospital just over an hour when Gordon was finally called back to see Kristen. Elizabeth stayed with us, and by now, my dad, Anna, and Brock had arrived. Anna’s husband, William, was still at work so Bailey had offered to watch all the kids at my parents‘ house until we could get things figured out. Elizabeth wanted to stay with her parents, so she stuck close to my mom.
I was sitting with my face in my hands when Brock said, “Payton?”
“Hmm?” I looked up and he nodded toward the open hallway. I followed his nod and my heart raced. Alex was walking towards us and in that moment, I knew. I just knew he was it for me. No more guessing, no more worry. Just love.
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I rose to my feet and rushed to him. He held his arms out to me and I slid into his embrace, squeezing my eyes shut as his hands moved to my hair. “I came as soon as I could, baby. Sorry it took a little while.”
I bit back a sob and nodded.
“Any news?” he asked. I shook my head, and he stroked my back and pulled me closer. “Okay, honey. I’ve got you.”
I don’t know how long we stood there, but if anyone had asked us to move, I probably would have kicked them. It was Alex who broke the moment, suggesting we join the family, and leading me back to the waiting area.
My mom hugged him, as did Anna, and the men shook hands, and then he was all about me again, and I gladly accepted the support. We sat on a love seat type thingy and he had his arm around me while my back was to his side. As we waited for news, no one spoke, which was weird for us, but I think we were all afraid to say anything wrong.
Gordon walked into the room, his face grim as he sat beside my mom. “It’s not good.”
“Hey, Elizabeth,” Alex said. “Will you help me grab some snacks from the cafeteria?”
I wanted to kiss him.
“Um, sure,” she said, but I could tell she didn’t want to leave.
“I’ll fill you in when you get back,” Gordon promised.
“Okay, Daddy.” She stood in front of him. “Is Mommy okay?”
“She will be, sweetie.”
Gordon hugged her and then Alex guided her out of the waiting area. Gordon broke down and it took a few minutes for him to gain his composure enough to speak. “They want to induce. There’s no heartbeat.”
My mom wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. Brock and Dad held it together, but the rest of us couldn’t stop the tears.
“What does Kris say?” Mom asked.
“She’s refusing to let them do it. Wants to see a miracle,” Gordon said.
We’d all been raised in a somewhat loose Catholic family, but Gordon was an evangelical Christian and he and Kris had a pretty strong faith.
“What do the doctors say?” Mom asked.
“We can wait a day, maybe two, but any later and she might be in danger.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom crooned. “This is a tough decision, but we know you’ll make the right one and we’re here. Whatever you need.”
My mom was the best person ever. None of us would survive without her.
“She’s so stubborn,” Gordon said.
A hint of a smile crossed my dad’s face. “She gets that from her mother.”
Now, bear with me here, because something happened that had never happened before. At least, none of us had ever seen it, and it was the most inappropriate thing on earth, but it also managed to do something none of us could imagine.
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My mother (the supportive, gorgeous, G.LLE who always said and did the right thing… you’re tracking with me right?). Well, my mother flipped my father the bird. In the middle of the hospital waiting room. Just raised her middle finger and scrunched up her mouth… all silent and totally non–graceful like.
“Mom!” Anna exclaimed before the rest of us dissolved into much needed giggles. “Ohmigod, Dad, I blame you,” Anna continued. “She was sweet before you got hold of her!”
“How would you know?” my dad countered. “She could have been a bad influence on me.”
“Highly doubtful,” Anna grumbled, grinning like a loon.
Alex and Elizabeth returned, their arms laden with food and drinks, and he raised an eyebrow in my direction as I helped distribute food.
Needless to say, the mood wasn’t quite so heavy, which was a relief. Gordon pulled Elizabeth aside and filled her in, age appropriately, on what was happening with Kristen, and then took her back to see her mom.
Once Kristen was settled in her private room, we all had a chance for a visit, albeit a short one, before it was time for us to let her rest. Gordon would stay at the hospital for as long as he could, so Mom and Dad took Elizabeth home with them. I was tasked with packing a bag for Kristen and Elizabeth, which Mom would bring back to the hospital when she brought Gordon dinner, so Alex drove me to Kristen’s home and I went about packing.
Chance, their six–year–old Llasa Aapso, met us at the door and I realized that no one had mentioned what to do with him. “Would you mind grabbing his food from the pantry, honey? His leash and stuff should be on the second shelf. We’ll take him back to my parents‘ house and go from there.”
Alex nodded, and I gave him a quick outline of the house, before he headed downstairs and I continued to throw things into an overnight bag for Kris. I dropped one bag in the hallway and moved onto Elizabeth’s room. When I turned to grab her makeup, I jumped. Alex was leaning against the doorframe watching me.
“I need to put a bell on you.”
He smiled. “Kinky.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I grabbed the bag in the hallway and the food for Chance. Everything’s in the truck.”
“Thanks, honey.”
“You okay?”
I zipped up Elizabeth’s bag and sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know.”
“How about we head to your parents, drop everything off, and then eat on the boat?”
I smiled and nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
He reached for the bag, but I grabbed his arm. “I love you,” I whispered. “In case there was any question in your mind. I love you.”
Alex slipped his hand to my neck and covered my mouth with his. I did my best to relay my love in a kiss, but that proved to be difficult to stop, and had he not broken the kiss when he did, I’m pretty sure we would have made love on my niece’s bedroom floor.
“I love you, too,” he said.
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Chapter 49
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“Good thing you stopped.”
He nodded. “We’ll pick this up later.”
I met his eyes. “Please, honey. I really don’t want to wait anymore.”
“Fuck, baby,” he rasped, and kissed me again. He broke the connection quicker this time and stroked my cheek. “The boat.”
I grinned. “Awesome.”
I insisted on doing a little light housework before we left… making beds, doing dishes, and wiping down the kitchen counters and such. I knew Kris wouldn’t feel up to it, and Gordon did all the cooking in order to avoid the housework this words).
Once I was finished, we loaded Chance into the truck and took off for home. My entire family was in attendance, par for the course when something big happened… or something small. Pretty much all the time, really. Anna and Bailey were prepping food, Mom was playing with the kids downstairs, and William, Brock, and my dad were out on the deck grilling (and probably drinking beer).
I grimaced up at Alex and shook my head. He stroked my cheek and kissed me quickly. “No boat.”
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“Don’t be, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “I told you. Whatever you need.”
“Do you think Kayla would want to bring Lily up?”
“I can call her.”
“Do you mind?” I asked. “I like the idea of the whole family being here.”
The front door opened just as Alex pulled out his phone, and Macey and Dallas walked in. I rushed to my friend and pulled her in for a hug. “You’re here!”
“Where else would I be?” she challenged. “I brought wine.”
“This is why you’re my favorite.”
Alex ended his call, greeted Macey and Dallas, and then we moved enmasse into the family room. Kayla and Lily arrived an hour later, and we sat as a family and ate dinner before my parents headed to the hospital.
The rest of the evening was a much–needed distraction, even if we were missing a few of the clan, they were with us in spirit. Kayla and Lily fit right into the fold as they had on Thanksgiving, but it was different somehow. It was permanent this time and we all felt it.
We put the kids to bed, I called in sick to work, knowing I wouldn’t be able to function at school the next day, and then the adults congregated in the family room with drinks and snacks. My parents arrived home sometime around ten, and rushed to join us.
“The baby moved!” Mom exclaimed, clapping her hands. “The bleeding stopped and they found the heartbeat. She has been ordered on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, but the doctors are hopefully optimistic. If all is still good on Wednesday, she’ll be released.”
The relief we all felt was expressed loudly as we celebrated the good news as a group. Macey and Dallas left a little before midnight, as did Brock and Bailey, but Anna and William chose to leave soon after the good news had been relayed.
“We should go,” Alex said after we’d said goodnight to Macey and Dallas.
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Chapter 49
“I don’t want you to.”
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He chuckled. “I know, baby, but Kayla’s got work tomorrow and Lily has school,”
“Do you have to work?”
He shook his head. “I cleared my schedule in case you needed me.”
“I don’t think I could love you any more right now.”
Alex grinned. “How about I pick you up and we’ll eat lunch on the boat? If it’s not too cold, we can take her out.”
I licked my lips. “Yes, please.”
He smiled and kissed me. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
“Okay.”
“Love you, baby.”
“Love you too.”
He gathered a still sleeping Lily into the truck, while Kayla took off in her car, and after one more kiss my way, he left me standing on my parents‘ porch wishing I was going with him.
AD
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