A Forever Family

by Sandi Lynn

  We waited for what seemed like eternity before the doctor came into the waiting room. “Mr. and Mrs. Black?” the surgeon asked.

  “Yes,” I answered as Ellery held on to me.

  “I’m Dr. Perry, the surgeon who worked on your daughter, Julia. She has sustained some injuries and we had to stop some internal bleeding in her abdomen. Unfortunately, her kidneys took the impact of the accident and we had to remove one that was completely severed.”

  Ellery was about to collapse as Collin grabbed her from behind. “Sit down, Mom.”

  “If you’re not aware, you can lead a completely normal life with one kidney, however, the second kidney was also damaged and I repaired as much as I could. I have a nephrologist coming in to talk to Julia in the morning about the next step.”

  “When can we see her?”

  “She’ll be waking up from the surgery soon. I will warn you that she will be in a lot of pain, but the nurses will have her on pain medication through her IV. We put her in a room with her husband. He’s fine. Just some bruises, but we want to keep him here overnight for observation.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Perry.”

  I sat down next to Ellery and held her. “She’s going to be just fine, baby. Our little girl is going to be okay.”

  “She has one kidney, Connor, and the other is damaged. I don’t call that fine!” she yelled.

  “She’s alive and that’s all that matters. We’ll deal with the rest later.”

  A nurse walked in and led us to Julia and Jake’s room. Standing in the doorway, an overwhelming fear took over me and I found it difficult to step inside the room. Ellery ran over to Julia’s bedside and began to cry. Jake stared at me from his bed and I could see the tears spring to his eyes. I walked over to him and grabbed his hand.

  “I’m so sorry.” He began to cry.

  “It’s not your fault. I’m just glad you’re both alive.”

  “She’s going to be okay, right?”

  “Yes, son. She’s going to be okay.” I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and Collin and Amelia walked over.

  I looked at my princess and my heart started to race. Thinking of how we could have lost her terrified me. I placed my hands on Ellery’s shoulders. She let go of Julia’s hand and walked over to Jake. I sat down on the edge of the bed and held her hand, holding back the tears that so desperately wanted to escape. I needed to stay strong for Ellery and for Jake. I buried my face in my daughter’s arm and said a silent prayer.

  “Daddy,” I heard a soft whisper.

  I lifted my head and Julia was staring at me. “What happened?”

  “You were in an accident, princess, but you’re going to be just fine.”

  Ellery ran over to the other side of the bed and gave her a light hug. “My baby,” she cried.

  “Where’s Jake?”

  “I’m right here, sweetheart.” He smiled.

  Collin and Amelia gave us some time with Julia before they walked over to see her.

  “Thank you,” Julia whispered to Collin. “You were there holding my hand and telling me that I was going to be okay.”

  “You would have done the same for me.” He smiled at her.

  “Where’s my baby?”

  “Brayden is with Peyton and Henry. Don’t worry about him. He’s fine.”

  Julia started to cry. “What if he was in the car with us?”

  I leaned over and lightly gripped her shoulders. “Princess, he wasn’t and that’s all that matters.”

  “Why am I in so much pain? My back and my stomach hurt so bad.”

  “Collin, go get the nurse,” I spoke.

  Ellery leaned down and pressed her lips against Julia’s hand. Telling her what had happened to her was going to be one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I swallowed hard and took in a deep breath.

  “Julia, your kidneys took the impact of the crash. The doctors had to remove one of them.”

  Shock splayed over her face as tears ran down her cheeks. “I only have one kidney?”

  “Yes, princess.” I gulped. “A nephrologist will be here in the morning to talk to you about your other kidney. It was also damaged but not as severe as the other one.”

  She turned her head and looked at Jake. “Oh my God,” she sobbed.

  The nurse walked into the room and saw how upset Julia was. “I’m going to give her a sedative. She needs her rest tonight. So say goodbye and you can come back in the morning.”

  “There is no way I’m leaving my daughter!” Ellery snapped as she stood up from the chair.

  “Mom, it’s okay. I want to be alone with my husband. You and Daddy go home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Julia!”

  “Mom, please. I need to be alone with Jake.”

  We kissed Julia and Jake goodbye and the four of us walked out of the room, preparing ourselves for what the nephrologist would tell us in the morning. Somehow, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

  * * * *

  Ellery

  It was almost midnight when we stopped by Peyton and Henry’s apartment to pick up Brayden. We told them everything that had happened and what the doctor said. Henry said that he’d stop by Julia’s room in the morning and look at her chart. Connor tried to get hold of Jake’s parents, but they were vacationing in Europe. He didn’t want to tell them on a voice message what had happened, so he just said to call him when they had a chance. As we were driving back to the penthouse, I pulled out my phone and dialed Mason.

  “Hello, sweet cheeks. To what do I owe the pleasure of speaking to you today?” he spoke in a cheerful voice.

  My voice was shaky and I began to cry. “Can you come to New York right away? We need you.”

  “Elle, what happened?”

  “Julia and Jake were in a bad accident and we need you to help with Brayden.”

  “Oh my God. Are they okay?”

  “Julia has some issues. Please, Mason. I need you.”

  “I’m on the next flight out, Elle. Don’t worry. Is Brayden at the penthouse with you?”

  “Yes. We’re taking him there now.”

  “Okay. I’m on my way.”

  We finally arrived home and Connor carefully laid Brayden down in his crib. Connor and I changed out of our clothes quickly and into our pajamas. We were both exhausted as I snuggled up against him.

  “She’s going to be just fine, baby.”

  “I hope so. Because if she’s not, I don’t know what I’ll do.” I kissed his bare chest as he kissed the top of my head.

  The next morning, my eyes flew open and I was still wrapped around Connor’s body. I looked at the clock and it read seven a.m.

  “Connor, wake up. Brayden never woke up this morning. How did we sleep so late?”

  “Ellery, I’m sure he’s tired.”

  I jumped out of bed, threw on my robe, and ran down to his room. He wasn’t in his crib, but I could smell the aroma of coffee infiltrating the penthouse. Only one person made a special blend of coffee that smelled like that. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Mason was feeding Brayden his oatmeal.

  “When did you get here?” I asked with a sigh of relief as I walked over and kissed him.

  “I got in about two hours ago.”

  I poured a cup of coffee, said good morning to my grandson, then sat down and let the tears fall once again.

  Mason put his arm around me. “Aw, Elle, don’t. Our princess is going to be okay.”

  “He’s right, baby. Julia is going to be fine,” Connor spoke as he walked into the kitchen.

  “Hello there, handsome daddy.”

  “Thanks for coming so quickly, Mason.” Connor gave him a light hug.

  “Anything for my favorite family. You know I’m always here for you.”

  Connor took Brayden from his bouncy seat and held him close, kissing the top of his head. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he could have lost his parents. The thought consumed me as my tears flooded my face. Mason g
ripped my shoulders.

  “Listen to me, Elle. You aren’t going to do this anymore. This isn’t like you. You’re one of the strongest women I know and for you to keep breaking down like this is unacceptable. I’m sure you had your fill of tears last night and that’s fine. But now, you need to dry them up because you need to be strong for Julia. Do you want her to see you fall apart? She was in a horrific accident and the last thing she needs is her mother losing it. She’s alive, Elle, and that’s all that matters. All the rest will fall into place. Whatever she may face or what’s yet to come, you have to be strong for her.”

  “He’s right, baby. Listen to him. Julia needs us more than ever right now and we can’t let her down. We better go get ready. Mason, can you bring Brayden by the hospital later so Julia and Jake can see him? I’ll send Ralph to drive you.”

  “Of course I will.”

  I went upstairs, showered, and got dressed. Jake’s parents had called Connor back and wanted to get on the next flight home. He told them that everyone was okay and to finish their vacation, not to worry, and that he’d keep them updated every day. I was a nervous wreck on the way to the hospital with the fear of what bad news about Julia was to come.

  Chapter 21

  Julia

  I missed my baby and I wanted to hold him. Jake had climbed in bed with me last night and carefully held me. I was still in a lot of pain and had nightmares about the accident. I hadn’t told my dad yet about Denny. In fact, I didn’t even tell Jake. If I did, people would think I was crazy. But I wasn’t. It was real. He was real and he had spoken to me. I tried to wrap my head around the things he said about my dad. I didn’t understand, and if I told my dad, he wouldn’t understand either. For now, I planned on keeping this my little secret.

  “I miss Brayden, Jake.”

  “I do too, sweetheart. I’m being released today so I’ll bring him up to see you.”

  My mom and dad walked into the room with Collin and Amelia following behind. My mom looked as if she’d been crying.

  “Good morning, my sweet girl.” She put on a brave smile as she leaned over and kissed me.

  “Good morning, Mom. Dad. Collin. Amelia.”

  My dad leaned over me, placing his hand on my head. “How are you feeling, princess?”

  “Not real good. I’m so tired and in pain. How’s Brayden?”

  “Brayden is fine, Julia,” my mom spoke as she took hold of my hand. “Mason flew in and is taking care of him. He’s bringing him up later.”

  A small smile escaped my lips. Knowing that Mason was here eased my mind.

  “Hey, sis.” Collin smiled as he kissed my cheek. “Did you sleep okay?”

  “I did once Jake climbed in bed with me. You’re supposed to be in California.”

  “Nah. We postponed it. There’s no way I was leaving when you’re stuck in here.”

  The door opened and a tall, older gentleman in a white coat and black-rimmed glasses stepped in.

  “Good morning, Julia. I’m Dr. Benson and I’m a nephrologist.”

  “Hi, Dr. Benson.” I introduced him to my family.

  “I looked over your chart and spoke with Dr. Perry. I also got the results back of your bloodwork from this morning. Your other kidney isn’t functioning like we hoped it would. Now, it is still early, so we’re going to carefully monitor you over the next week to see if there’s any improvement.”

  Tears filled my eyes and breathing became difficult.

  “And if there is no improvement, doctor?” Jake spoke.

  “Then you have two options: A kidney transplant or dialysis, which you’d be on the rest of your life. Considering your age, I think a transplant would be the best option. But like I said, we won’t fully know until about a week.”

  “When can I go home?” I asked.

  “Not for a few days. I’ll keep monitoring your bloodwork and ultrasound scans that you’ll be having. It was nice to meet you all. Take care, Julia.” And, just like that, he walked out of the room.

  I lay there in shock, Jake gripping my hand tightly and trying to hold back the tears. My mom and dad staring at me with somber looks on their faces and Collin and Amelia looking down. Nobody knew what to say. This was not the news I was hoping for. Suddenly, my mom perked up and walked over to me, adjusting my pillow.

  “You heard what the doctor said. It’s too early to tell anything. So we’ll just hope and pray that your kidney starts functioning correctly and we can move past everything else.”

  “It’s not that simple, Mom.”

  “If you would all please leave the room, I would like to talk to Julia in private,” she spoke as she shooed everyone out.

  ****

  Ellery

  I sat down on the edge of the bed and took hold of Julia’s hand. Seeing her in so much pain, not only physically but emotionally, killed me.

  “I’ve been where you are, Julia. Different circumstances, but nonetheless, I’ve been there. You know about my past because we’ve talked about it before. I know you’re scared, believe me. Nobody else will understand the depths of your feelings but me. When I was going through my treatments, not knowing if it would work, I was terrified. Please don’t tell your dad this, but even he couldn’t erase the doubt in my mind. He had more faith that the treatments would work than I did. You will get through this, baby. You have so much support and so many people to lean on, and that’s exactly what I want you to do. If you need a transplant, we’ll find a donor. Believe me when I say that your dad will go to the ends of the earth to find one. If you need dialysis, then so be it. You’ll make it work. You’re a strong woman, Julia Rose, but it’s okay to be weak every now and again and I want you to know that I’m here for you when it’s just too much to handle.”

  Tears fell from her eyes and she began to sob. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her lightly.

  “It’s not fair, Mom.”

  “I know it’s not, baby girl.”

  “I feel like my whole life just changed in the blink of an eye and I can’t handle it. All I keep thinking about is Jake and Brayden. What if something happens to me and they’re left all alone? Brayden needs me, Mom, and so does Jake.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you because we won’t let it. You’re alive, Julia, and that’s all that matters. We can deal with the rest. It’s time to focus on the present and not the future. You need to take things one day at a time and one step at a time.”

  I wiped the tears from her face and handed her a tissue to blow her nose. “Thanks, Mom. I love you.”

  “I love you too, baby girl.”

  The door opened and Connor cleared his throat. “Is it okay to come back in now?” he asked.

  “Yes, Connor. Tell everyone they can come back in.”

  I gave Julia a small smile and a wink as I gently squeezed her hand. “One day at a time, baby.”

  Connor and I stayed with Julia and Jake while Collin took Amelia home and he went to the office. Someone had to be there to oversee things, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

  As I went down to the coffee bar to get coffee for me and Connor, I was texting Peyton and not paying attention when I bumped into someone.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said as I looked up at the woman staring at me.

  My heart started to pound fiercely and a rage crept up inside me as I stood there and stared at the woman I hated most in the world.

  “Ellery,” Ashlyn spoke with nervousness.

  I swallowed hard and it took every ounce of strength in my body not to punch her in the face. I won’t lie and say that it wouldn’t have given me great pleasure.

  “Excuse me,” I said as I stepped to the side and began to walk away.

  “Ellery, wait. I want to tell you how sorry I am about Julia’s accident.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks and slowly turned around. “How do you know about that?”

  “I’m a volunteer and I was here the night they brought her in. I’m sorry. It must be ha
rd for you.”

  With pursed lips and a closed fist, I stared at the woman who tried to destroy my husband and my family. “My daughter is none of your fucking business. Now I suggest you move along before I attack you like I’ve done twice before.”

  “I understand,” she spoke as she looked down. “But I’m not that same woman anymore. I’ve changed. People can change.” She walked away and I let out a breath.

  I closed my eyes for a moment to compose myself. I ordered two coffees and headed back to Julia’s room. Connor was under enough stress as it was and I wasn’t about to tell him about my run-in with Ashlyn.

  As I was walking back to the room, I saw Mason and Brayden walking down the hallway.

  “There’s my sweet boy.” I smiled.

  “Aw, Elle. Thanks, baby. I love you too.” Mason grinned.

  “Very funny, Mason.” I took Brayden from him as he took the coffee cups.

  When we stepped inside the room, Julia’s face lit up when she saw me holding Brayden. Mason set the coffee cups down and covered his mouth as he stared at Julia.

  “My little princess,” he began to sob as he raced over to her and gave her a light hug.

  Connor looked at me and rolled his eyes. “So much for his spiel about staying strong.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh as I handed Brayden over to Jake.

  Chapter 22

  Collin

  A few days had passed and Julia was scheduled to come home from the hospital tomorrow. Mason moved in with Jake to help with Brayden and we all tried to get on with life as normally as possible, with the exception of my mom, who wouldn’t leave Julia’s side at the hospital.

  I shut down my computer, changed into my workout clothes, and told Ethan I was leaving for the day. When I arrived at the gym, Liam was already on the treadmill.

  “Hey, bro.”

  “Hey, Collin. Finally escaped the madness of the office?”

  “Yeah. What a day.” I smiled.

  “How’s Julia doing?”

  “She’s getting out tomorrow. She has an appointment with the nephrologist to go over all her test results.”