Unexpected Chances (Fairshore Series Book 2)

by Christina Butrum

  “It should, it’s your favorite,” Zach mentioned again.

  She smiled and said, “Thank you for making it.”

  She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She had to stand on her tip-toes to do it, but she accomplished it. “I’m sorry for everything I said earlier.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and leaned down to kiss her. “You don’t need to apologize. I understand.”

  “I’m glad someone does,” she said and continued on, “because I sure in the heck don’t understand anything lately.”

  Zach chuckled as he said, “We’ll just keep blaming the hormones. They’ve got you quite aggressive lately, but I don’t mind. In fact, I kind of like you like that.”

  He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She knew it wouldn’t be long before he could no longer lift her. She knew the time would come where he would no longer be able to wrap his arms around her waist.

  He kissed her softly as he held her close to him. He let his lips leave a trail from her neck to her chest as he followed the V-neck of her shirt. “We have some time to kill while we wait for the pizza to finish cooking,” he stated. “What do you say we do something with that time?”

  She tossed her head back and giggled as his mouth latched onto her breast. He carried her to their spare bedroom and placed her on the bed. He stripped her clothes off and she watched him undress. As she laid flat on her back she looked down at her stomach where a small bump had formed in the last week. She smiled as he approached her and kissed her stomach. She wondered how long they would be able to enjoy their intimacy until the baby bump got in their way.

  His lips trailed from her stomach to her chest. His mouth hovered over her hardened nipple and she held in a scream. The sensitivity had increased in the last week. She arched her back as he slowly entered her. She moved her hips in rhythm to his movements. She shifted out from underneath him and into a new position. He carried on with his actions. Together they moved in rhythm and did not stop until both had reached the peak of satisfaction.

  * * *

  “Are you sure you want to move?” Amelia asked Bailey as Bailey shoved her boxes into her car. “I know I’ve asked you this a million times.”

  Bailey smiled at Amelia. “Yes, I’m sure,” she said. “You act like I’m leaving and you’ll never see me again.”

  Amelia carried a little box out to the van and placed it on the floor. “You can’t really blame me. The thought of you moving away has haunted me for a while now. I don’t like it.”

  Bailey grabbed another box from her front porch and carried it to the back of the van. “I know you don’t like it, I don’t like it either.”

  Amelia rolled her eyes and chuckled. “That’s a lie. If you didn’t like it, you wouldn’t be moving.”

  Bailey threw her head back and laughed. “Okay, you’re right, but I’m sad that you’re sad.”

  “Thanks,” Amelia said. “I’m glad you’re affected by it.”

  “I promise I’ll be back to visit,” Bailey said.

  Amelia crossed her arms in front of her. “You can guarantee I’ll be in Bexley visiting you all the time.”

  Bailey laughed. “That’s fine with me. He has a spare bedroom we’ll fix up for guests.”

  Amelia had worried a few months ago that Bailey and Benny had moved too fast. She had been set straight by Bailey that it wasn’t the case at all. Bailey had called her out for how fast she and Zach had known each other before dating. She felt comfortable with the idea of Bailey moving to Bexley to be with Benny now because they had been together for a while now.

  “Maybe I’ll just move in with you guys,” Amelia stated. “How about that?”

  Bailey let out a loud laugh and said, “I’m sure that’d be fine, but I don’t know where we’d stick the baby once it’s born.”

  Amelia shrugged. “I’m sure we’d figure it out.”

  Bailey placed the last box into her van and closed the back door. She slammed it shut and looked at Amelia. Amelia could feel the tears as they trickled down her cheeks. She wiped them away the best she could and smiled. “These are tears of mixed emotions,” she explained to Bailey. “I’m happy for you, but at the same time, I’m sad for myself.”

  Bailey chuckled as she reached out to Amelia and pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around Amelia. “It’s okay to cry, but don’t make it a habit. There’s no sense in being sad all the time. We’re best friends, more like sisters, which simply means we’re inseparable. Time and distance will not keep us apart.”

  Amelia wiped the tears as they fell. She was unable to control them. “You should stop talking or we’ll have a flood here.”

  They laughed as they hugged each other. Nothing needed to be said. They knew exactly what this meant for their friendship. Nothing was going to change between them, except for distance. Amelia hated the fact she would no longer be able to run across the street to tell Bailey something or to show her something. It saddened her to think of them being separated by too many towns.

  Bailey rubbed her hand on Amelia’s back before she stepped away. “I’ll call you when I get there so you know I made it.”

  Amelia nodded. She watched as Bailey motioned for Bella and the not-so-small puppy, Bear, to get into the van. The dogs jumped into the front seat and hung their heads out the windows. The van was fully loaded with boxes. There was just enough room for Bailey and her dogs in the front.

  Amelia waved at Bailey as she drove the van out of the driveway and down the road. Emptiness clung to Amelia as she watched the van drive out of sight.

  Zach pulled into their driveway. When he got out of his car, he looked over at Amelia. She stood still as she looked at the empty house that had once been her best friend’s.

  “I didn’t know she was leaving today,” Zach said as he walked over to Amelia.

  Amelia shrugged. “She told me a few days ago that she was moving today.”

  She looked at Zach and tried to fight back the tears when they threatened to escape. He reached for her hand and grabbed it. “I’m sure she’ll call you all the time and visit.”

  Amelia nodded as she wiped tears from her face. “I hope so.”

  “How about we go to our house and watch a movie?” Zach suggested.

  Amelia walked with him to their house. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to watch a movie, but she decided to go with him anyway.

  “I’m sure you and her will visit each other quite often,” Zach assured her as he put the movie in the VCR.

  Amelia shrugged. She wanted to think positive, but she knew what distance could do to friendships. She was reminded of this because of her and Alisa’s friendship. They had been best friends until she had decided to move to Fairshore. They no longer talked. “Distance hurts friendships,” Amelia said. “I’m not sure how this is going to affect our friendship.”

  Zach sat next to Amelia on the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him and paid no attention to the movie as it played on their television screen. All she could think about was Bailey and how their friendship was going to change.

  At the end of the movie, the phone rang. She jumped and raced to answer it.

  “It’s probably Bailey,” she hollered to Zach.

  “Hello?” She answered the phone on the third ring.

  “Amelia, it’s Bailey.”

  “Hey, Bai, how was the trip there?”

  “It went fast. Benny was waiting for me and helped me unload the boxes from my van. Now I have to unpack,” Bailey informed her. “I just wanted to call and tell you I made it.”

  Amelia felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She could not stop them if she tried. “Okay, thanks,” she said.

  “Hey, don’t sound so bummed,” Bailey stated. “Benny says we’ll come visit a lot.”

  Amelia smiled. She was glad they had already discussed the visits. “That’s good.”

  “The dogs are loving it here, too,” Bailey mention
ed. “I think we’re going to be fine here.”

  Amelia wiped the tears from her face and said, “That’s great, Bai.”

  “I better get off of here and get to unpacking before it gets too late.”

  “Alright, I’ll talk to you later then,” Amelia said.

  “Okay, I’ll call you later or tomorrow.”

  Amelia hung up the phone and a rush of emotion overwhelmed her. She collapsed onto her knees and cried for a while.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  A couple of months passed with little conversation between Amelia and Bailey. They had their phone conversations once a week for a few weeks, but then the phone calls slowed.

  “She’s probably busy with adjusting to the new life,” Zach said as he tried to assure Amelia.

  Amelia shrugged. The baby kicked and she rubbed a hand over her stomach. Her baby bump had grown quite a ways in the last month. Dr. Bohage had told her it was a girl and so far, she and the baby were healthy. He estimated she was around four months along, give or take a few weeks. She was already exhausted.

  “Would you like me to make you something to eat?” Zach asked. He was always ready to make her something to eat. She loved to graze throughout the day. She knew she shouldn’t do that, because Dr. Bohage had told her too much weight gain was unhealthy. She knew that it was not only unhealthy, but the weight would be hard to get rid of once the baby was born.

  “Sure,” Amelia said. “I’m thinking a vanilla sundae sounds amazing.”

  Zach hopped off the couch and walked into the kitchen. “Do you want caramel and nuts on it with the chocolate syrup?” he asked from the kitchen.

  “Mmm…that sounds good!” she hollered to him.

  Suddenly, a sharp pain shot across her stomach. It started in the center of her bellybutton and went into her right side. She gasped and placed a hand on her side. She thought maybe the baby had moved and had put pressure against her, but when the pain turned into a cramp, she knew it was serious.

  Zach walked into the living room. He had a dish of ice cream in each hand for both of them. When he saw Amelia doubled over on the couch, he dropped the bowls and ran to her side. “Amelia, what’s wrong?”

  Through a grimaced face and clenched teeth she said, “Pain.”

  “I’m calling the doctor,” Zach said as he hurried to the phone.

  “Zach, no, don’t call him,” she said as she pleaded with him not to call the doctor. “I’ll be alright.”

  “You don’t look like you’ll be alright,” he stated as he dialed the number for Dr. Bohage’s office.

  Amelia could hear him as he talked to the receptionist at Dr. Bohage’s office. She heard the fear in his voice as he explained to the receptionist what had happened. She heard the tremble in his voice when he called out to her, “You stay put. They have me on hold.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised as she ran a hand over her stomach. Beads of sweat ran along her forehead. She felt dizzy and nauseated. She prayed nothing was wrong with the baby. She prayed everything would be okay.

  Zach rushed to her side and helped her stand up. “Dr. Bohage wants me to bring you to the emergency room. He told me he’ll meet us there.”

  She limped next to Zach toward the door. She tried to get her shoes on, but failed. She was in too much pain. She couldn’t stand up straight, so she stayed bent over.

  “Forget your shoes, I’ll carry them,” Zach told her as he grabbed her shoes. He threw her jacket around her shoulders and guided her out of the house and to the car.

  She stopped and let out a moan. “This…pain…is…” she tried to explain, but could not get the words out. She felt out of breath. The world spun out of control around her. She felt dizzy. She clung to Zach’s arm and dug her nails into him.

  “Are you able to keep walking?” Zach asked her. He did not wait for an answer, he picked her up and carried her to his car. He placed her in the front seat and ran to the driver’s side door. He tossed her shoes in the backseat.

  Amelia looked in the mirror. Her face was pale and sweat rolled down her face. She was in so much pain, she could barely stand it. Her head spun and everything blurred. She bent forward in the seat and let out a cry. “It hurts! Make it stop!” she screamed.

  “Amelia, stay calm. Breathe through the pain. We’re almost to the hospital,” Zach reassured her. “Stay focused. I know it hurts, but please, babe, stay with me.”

  She did not feel well. She felt weak and her stomach cramped. The words barely left her mouth before she passed out. “Hurry, Zach, we’re losing the baby.”

  * * *

  When they arrived at the hospital, Amelia was well aware of her surroundings. The pain was unbearable in the lower part of her stomach and she had felt a rush of warmth between her legs. Fear overcame her and she cried. Her body shook as she sobbed. Zach tried to comfort her the best way he knew how. He held her and rubbed her back while they sat on the hospital bed in the emergency room.

  Dr. Bohage entered the room and closed the door behind him. The lab techs had been in the room prior to his arrival, to draw blood and start an IV. He held a paper in his hand as he approached the other side of the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to explain what was going on to Amelia and Zach. “I think you’re having a spontaneous abortion, Amelia.”

  Amelia’s eyes widened when she looked at the doctor. “What does that mean?”

  Dr. Bohage’s face twisted with emotion and he said, “A miscarriage.”

  Amelia held back the tears that tried to escape. Angered, she said, “I don’t understand why it’s called abortion. I’m not aborting this baby.”

  Dr. Bohage shook his head. “It’s another term used to describe a miscarriage before twenty weeks.”

  Amelia looked at Zach and back to the doctor. “Is there a chance the baby will survive?”

  Dr. Bohage looked down at the paper in his hands. When he looked up at Amelia, Amelia could see the emotion in his eyes. She shook her head. Her face twisted in anger and sadness as she cried out, “No, I don’t want to lose another baby!” She leaned forward and drew her legs up close to her chest. She rocked back and forth as she sobbed uncontrollably. Zach rubbed his hand up and down her back. He did so quietly when he lacked the right words to say. He tried to tell her it would be okay, but he knew it wouldn’t be, not for her, not this time. Being pregnant a second time and losing the baby would be too much for her to bear. Instead, he kept quiet and said a silent prayer. He prayed this baby had a chance. He prayed it wasn’t a true miscarriage.

  Amelia said a silent prayer. She begged for this baby to make it. She could not afford to lose another baby. She pleaded in prayer, if she could have this baby, she wouldn’t ask for anything else for the rest of her life. She pleaded for her prayer to be answered.

  “What do we do now, doc?” Zach asked.

  Dr. Bohage looked at them with tears in his eyes and said, “There’s nothing more we can do. We wait it out and let it take its course.” He grabbed Amelia’s hand and said, “I’m sorry, but I have to tell you this. If the bleeding doesn’t stop within an hour, you’ll have to come back to the emergency room. We might have to do a D and C.”

  Zach and Amelia exchanged looks. “What’s a D and C?”

  Dr. Bohage stood up and looked at them with remorse. “It’s a minor surgery to remove…” he said as he tried to explain the procedure. “Sometimes during a miscarriage, the uterus fails to completely empty the contents…”

  Amelia covered her mouth with her hand as tears streamed down her face.

  Dr. Bohage shook his head. “Let’s take this one day at a time,” he said. “I want you to have a follow up visit at my office in the next couple of days.”

  Amelia nodded. The fear of losing this baby overwhelmed her. It was all too surreal for her to wrap her head around it. She wanted this baby and the kid-filled future with Zach, more than life itself.

  Amelia and Zach stood up from the bed and waited for the nurse to h
and Amelia the discharge papers. Amelia looked at the papers, which explained what had happened and what she was to do about it.

  “Get plenty of rest and take some over-the-counter pain medication,” the nurse stated. “It will help with the cramps. Call the doctor if the bleeding doesn’t stop.”

  Amelia nodded. Zach guided her out of the emergency room and out to his car. He held her close as her body convulsed as she sobbed. He rubbed her back and told her, “It’ll be okay, Amelia. We’ll get through this.” He opened the passenger side door and told her, “We’ll get through this, I promise. We’ll take it one day at a time.”

  * * *

  Amelia kept an eye on the bleeding for a few hours. The bleeding slowed and then stopped. She was thankful it had stopped. She had wondered why the baby had not left her body. She prayed she did not need a D and C. She never needed that with the last miscarriage.

  “The bleeding stopped,” she told Zach as she walked out of the bathroom and to their bed.

  “Are you still having cramps?” Zach asked.

  Amelia shook her head. “Nope, they stopped too.”

  She wondered if it was a good sign the cramping and bleeding had stopped. She wondered if the baby was still alive inside of her. She shook her head to dismiss the thoughts. She knew as well as anybody else time would tell. It’d be only a matter of time until she found out if she had truly miscarried or not.

  She walked to the doorway of their bedroom and looked back at Zach. He laid in their bed as he watched her. “I’m going to call my mom and Bailey.”

  He nodded his head in approval. “Okay, I’ll be here when you come back to bed.”

  She walked downstairs and dialed her mother’s number first. It was just after nine at night and she hoped she wouldn’t wake her mother.

  “Hello?” Her mother answered on the second ring.

  “Did I wake you, Mom?”

  “No, you didn’t wake me,” her mother said. “What’s wrong, dear?”

  Amelia fought the urge to break down. She did not want to cry into the phone. She cleared her throat and the emotion that swelled up. She said, “Dr. Bohage thinks I am having a miscarriage.”