by C. C. Piper
My mother’s hot chocolate was the one thing she made from scratch. She pulled the milk from the refrigerator and a saucepan from the cabinet. She heated the milk on the stove. “When we were dating, your father used to ask me to make this for him.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said, watching her take the pan off the heat right before it boiled. She took the chopped pieces from me and dumped them in the milk.
“He quit drinking it when we were older. Said it was too much sugar for a drink. But he still liked it.” She stirred, mixing the chocolate in. “He’d add a little Bailey’s Irish Cream to it and say it was dessert.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” My father had always enjoyed an after dinner treat.
“Now.” She added whipped cream. Then she put the mug in front of me. “Tell me.”
I took a sip. Under the whipped cream, the hot chocolate was rich and creamy.
How many times had my mother tried to connect with me, but I missed it because I was so busy blaming her for not loving my father?
And yet my father had not needed my protection — he loved my mother with his entire being. Maybe I didn’t need to understand or approve of their relationship. Maybe I needed to start over with my mother, with a clean slate.
“Like I said, I met someone. And now she’s left me.”
“Why did she leave you?”
“Travis is the short answer. He attacked her. He tried to force himself on her, and then he lied about it. I would call the police but I don’t want to upset her. He is no longer welcome here or at any Boswell property, including the company.”
My mother sighed. “That poor girl. I hate that for her, and for you. I never trusted that boy. But I know he was a reliable friend to you for all these years.”
“You didn’t like him?”
“He was always jealous of you.”
How had I never noticed? How had my mother, who lived in her own world, known this and I didn’t? She was right though. During the screaming rant when he woke up on the floor of my office, he’d revealed quite a bit more about his true nature.
“He’s a monster.”
“I’m glad you see that. You did the right thing, getting rid of him in every way.” My mother scooted her stool closer to mine. “Were there any other problems besides Travis?”
“No, at least I don’t think so. The situation was a little unusual. Her name is Chrissy. And she’s young, only twenty, but she was raising her little sister. Her father’s been in and out of prison, and her mother’s a drug addict. She works three jobs, and goes to school, and supports her sister.”
I paused. In the past, my mother would have been quick to tell me not to spend too much time around someone like Chrissy. She’d be in favor of me donating money to the less fortunate, as long as I didn’t sully my own reputation by hanging out with poor people.
To my surprise, she simply nodded. “She sounds like a very resourceful girl.”
Whatever had brought my mother back early from her trip must have had a profound effect on her. I’d never seen her so thoughtful, and so non judgemental.
“I love her,” I said.
“Do you want her back?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Then you have to go get her.”
The scent of the warm cocoa was comforting, but I felt pretty hopeless about winning Chrissy back. “I’ve tried.”
“It sounds like you’ve made a few lackluster attempts. Calling her. Leaving messages. Sending her texts. That’s not enough. If you really love her, and you want her back, you have to make grand gestures.”
“You think so? I don’t want to pressure her.”
“Honey, if she feels pressured, she’ll tell you to get lost and call the police. If that hasn’t happened, then you’re good.”
“What should I do?” For the first time in my adult life, I was asking my mother for advice. I liked to think that my father would be pleased.
“I’ll tell you a few things your father did.” She paused to smile as she recalled the memory. “One day he knew I was feeling a little down. Trips always cheered me up, just like they do now. So he arranged a scavenger hunt for me. He had photos printed that each held a clue to the destination where we’d be going. Then he hid them all over the house and the grounds.”
My mother paused and stared into space for a moment. “It started to rain, and I saw him running around outside with little plastic bags, trying to stuff the pictures into the bags so they wouldn't disintegrate.”
Maybe my mother really had loved my father. Maybe she’d seemed cold and callous because she was dealing with her own issues, and I’d seen her behavior as black and white because I was a child.
“I’ll tell you this. If you love her, you keep trying. You make every grand gesture there is.”
My mother was right. At this point, I had nothing to lose.
Whatever it took, I was going to try and win Chrissy back.
23
Chrissy
“Ms. Evans? We’ve found a donor for Bella.”
I dropped the phone. It slid under my desk and I scrambled to pick it up. “Oh my goodness. Thank you.” I grabbed my books and backpack and rushed out of my Western Civ class.
My professor knew what was going on, and gave me an understanding nod as I scrambled out of her room. “Bless you,” I said to the nurse as I headed toward the exit. “I’ll be right there.” I bit my lip. I hated to bring this up, because I didn’t want to ruin Bella’s chances, but I thought it best that we were clear up front. “I don’t know how we’re going to pay for it yet.”
“It’s been taken care of by an anonymous donor. All the costs of Bella’s treatments, including the hospital stay, have been covered. However, we can discuss this later. We will begin the surgery immediately.”
How was that possible? Richard would have been the obvious answer, but I’d left him with no explanation. “Thank you so much. I’m leaving now.”
I didn’t wait for the bus, but took a taxi. I figured my sister having a kidney transplant was a good enough reason to splurge on the cost. Plus, it was more time I’d get to spend with Bella.
I jogged to her room, taking care not to crash into patients or staff. Most people inside the hospital understood that I was running for a reason and gave me sympathetic looks. I was breathless by the time I got to her room.
I rushed to hug her. “Hey, Sweetie-Belle. How are you?”
“Kinda nervous.”
“I am too.”
“I heard the doctors saying someone paid for the whole thing. I tried to listen but I couldn’t understand how much. It was a lot! Maybe it was a hundred dollars?”
I loved Bella’s eight-year-old perception of how much was a lot of money. Of course, there were times when even one hundred dollars was as out of reach for the two of us as one hundred thousand dollars. “It was something like that.” I kissed her forehead. “But don’t worry about that.”
“You think we have a fairy godmother?”
“I bet we do. Someone wanted you to be well.” I wondered if the Wish Maker had arranged to pay for Bella’s surgery, but I doubted it. I assumed she’d be pretty displeased with me for walking out on one of her best clients.
I wasn’t going to spend my precious time with my sister fixated on the money. “We got lucky, for once in our lives. So we’re going to sit back and enjoy it.”
I opened my bag. “Guess what? Your class made get well cards for you. They can’t visit because the doctor didn’t want any germs around you, but they all wanted to say hi.” I scooped out a banner and around twenty brightly colored get well cards. “Your teacher will be coming to see you pretty soon — the doctor said she can visit as long as she isn’t sick.”
At first, Bella lit up as I taped the cards and banner to her wall. Then she scrunched her nose up. “I don’t think you’re supposed to put tape on a wall. We can’t do it at school.”
I put my finger to my lips. “Shhh. Don’t tell then. You and me, we’re p
artners in crime.”
Bella broke into a fit of giggles at that.
Way too soon, the nurse came to let us know that it was time. I squeezed Bella tight around the shoulders. “I love you, so much. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
I bit my tongue so I wouldn't cry as the nurses took Bella away. I kept smiling as she waved to me, but once I was back in the waiting room, I let the tears flow. I didn’t sob, but tears rolled down my face in a steady stream. The surgery would be long. I laid down on one of the short couches and let my mind wander.
It had been days since I’d heard from Richard. And even though I’d made the painful decision not to see him again, I missed his texts and voicemails. I missed hearing his voice. More than that, I missed his face, and I longed for the time we spent together.
Thanks to the money he’d given me after the trial period, I had enough money. I had only been going to class, and not working. I’d been spending time with Bella. Hopefully the money would get us through the next two weeks while Bella was still in the hospital. I’d saved all of it, because it was going to have to last until I could find a third job.
I picked up the phone to call my mother. I wanted it on record that she’d failed to visit her child in the hospital during a kidney transplant. My mother didn’t answer, so I made a mental note to add the date and time of my call to my growing list once I got home.
Unable to rest on the small couch, I went to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. I took my time, knowing it would be at least an hour before I even got an update. When I got back to the waiting room, it was no longer empty.
Richard stood in the middle of the room. He was dressed in his usual bespoke suit, but the expression on his face was one I’d never seen before.
He looked … sad. Sad and resigned and lonely.
I pulled my arms into my chest, clutching my coffee to keep from reaching out to him. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to be here with you while Bella’s in surgery. I don’t want you to wait alone.”
That was kind of him. I had insisted that Lily not miss work today, because I knew I’d need her help in the coming weeks, but waiting alone was hard.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” I stepped past him and sat in one of the hard backed chairs. “How did you know it was today?”
“When you were still staying with me, I told the staff I wanted to cover everything, even the transplant and care afterward. They weren’t supposed to tell me any of the details, but one of the hospital staff contacted me today to finalize the payment.”
I put my coffee on a side table and covered my face with my hands. The tears were back. For Richard, this was a generous act. For me, it was everything. Even if the transplant had been covered by insurance, the portions not covered could have set us back so far that we’d ended up homeless. I’d seen it happen before to people we grew up with.
Not only had he saved us from financial ruin, he had done something much bigger.
He had saved my sister’s life.
This time the tears weren’t silent. I sobbed. Soon my hands were wet from my tears. I felt a tentative hand on my back. I didn’t pull away — Richard’s touch was comforting.
24
Richard
Chrissy didn’t pull away, so I continued rubbing her back until her sobs subsided. I hated seeing her cry, but I knew she had a lot of stress built up inside. Eventually she sat up and wiped her eyes. I found some tissues and handed them to her, and she dried her face.
“I know this isn’t a great time,” I said. “But can we talk?”
“Sure. We might as well since we’ll be here for awhile. Maybe it will take my mind off Bella’s surgery.”
I nodded. “I hate to bring up such an unpleasant topic, but I want to apologize again for what happened the night of the party at my house. That should have never happened to you, and it should have never happened in my home.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my responsibility though. It was my friend, and my home. It will never happen again. I promise.” I wanted to kiss her so badly. I wanted to hold her, and breathe her in. But I couldn’t. I was grateful she was at least letting me rub her back. “Would you consider coming back to try again? Or even seeing me while you stay in your apartment? Let make it up to you. I miss you. Every single minute of every day.”
She stared at the floor. “I can’t, Richard. I miss you too. So much. But I can’t live like that. I can’t have something else I have to survive, and I cannot ever expose Bella to something like that. I won’t let her be his next victim because of what I want.”
“I understand. I admire your resolve. Travis won’t be a problem. He was my best friend, but I had no idea he was capable of behaving that way, or I would have ended the friendship a long time ago.”
She wrapped her arms around her purse, hugging it to her chest. “I don’t want to interfere with your friendship. I could never ask that.”
I tried to keep my voice under control. When I thought about Travis, my body and my mind craved violence. I could have easily thrown one of the ugly plastic chairs across the room. “There is no friendship. Not now, not ever again. I punched him until he blacked out. I fired him from the company. He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”
“You did all that because of me? Why would you do that? Wasn’t he your CFO?”
“He’s not fit to be a ditch digger. And I would have decked him if he’d done that to any woman. But yes, I did it for you, and I would have fired him for much less that what he did in that hallway. I can’t stand that he hurt you. I would do anything to take it back.”
“He’s never done that before?”
I was horrified that she’d think I’d be friends with a predator. “No. I promise you that I wouldn't have remained his friend if he’d done that to any woman. Not just you.” I took her hand in mine. “He told me that you came on to him. I knew immediately that something was wrong, I just couldn’t figure out what. I know now that I stuck my head in the sand and ignored the obvious signs that he was a creep.”
She pulled her hand away from mine and spun in her seat to face me. “That’s crazy. Why would I hit on him?” She dropped her purse and stood, pacing. “I tried to get away from him immediately.”
“I know. When I questioned him, he said you must have wanted more money. I knew then his story wasn’t true. You are the most caring, devoted sister I’ve ever seen. You do a better job with Bella than a lot of moms do for their child. You were never in this for money. I know you only met with me in the beginning because you were desperate to save her —”
She turned toward me. “But I fell in love with you. That was real.”
“I know. I know you agreed to meet me because you needed help. But I never doubted that your feelings were genuine. You have so much integrity. If you hadn’t had feelings for me, you wouldn't have lied about it.”
She stopped pacing and relaxed back into her chair. Thankfully, she let me hold her hand again.
“So that’s why I went to watch the video footage from the surveillance cameras. I knew there was a problem. My instincts told me Travis was lying.”
“Why would he do that to do you?”
“What he did to me was nothing compared to what he did to you.” I had to approach this carefully. “Do you want to call the police and file a report? We have proof. I will support you either way.”
She froze. “I didn’t think of that. I don’t think that kind of chaos would be good for Bella right now. I want to focus on getting full custody of her.” She rubbed her face. “Is that terrible of me? I don’t want Travis to attack any other women.”
“I have some contacts. I think I can have an officer pay him a little visit off the records. I think it will scare him enough to keep him from violating another woman.” I would handle that before the day was over. Travis played the tough guy, but it would only take seconds for someone to intimidate him into never harming another woman. I would also hire
a private investigator to follow him for a few months, to make sure he wasn’t stepping out of line.
“If he’s never done that before, why me? Do you think he thought I was willing?”
“No. Sweetheart, nothing about that was your fault. It wouldn’t have mattered if you flirted with him, or if you didn’t. You told him to get lost, and he violently attacked you. He’s a criminal and he belongs in jail. I hate it, but his motivation was me. He was jealous. He told me later, after he woke up. He said it wasn’t fair that he introduced me to the club, and dragged me there, and then I was the one who got what I wanted with the Wish Maker. He wanted a meeting with the Wish Maker, but he never got one.”
Part of me wondered if the Wish Maker had some kind of intuition about Travis, or a reason to believe he wouldn't be a good match. If so, she’d been correct.
I lifted Chrissy’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “He wanted to hurt me. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m still just stunned. You lost your best friend and CFO because of me.”
“No. He did that to himself. He deserves whatever he gets. Chrissy, I love you. I have never felt comfortable around anyone else in my life. But with you, I felt at ease. I could relax, and be myself. It was a business transaction at first, but it quickly became so much more for me. I would do anything for you and for your sister. I want to share my life with you. I want to share my home with you and Bella, and I want all three of us to make a life together.”
I wanted to get down on one knee, but I knew this wasn’t the time or the place. I just had to do a good job pleading my case, so that one day, I would get the chance to buy a ring and propose to her.
“I will do everything I can to keep you both safe. I can hire only women. I can assign a bodyguard to you and Bella, all the time, or when we have guests in the house. You can go to school full time if you want, or you can work. I just want you, any way that I can have you.”
“I love you.”
There was a flurry of motion, and Chrissy was throwing her arms around me. “I love you, too.”
