by Chris Taylor
A stinging sensation burned between her legs and despite her best efforts, she screamed. Marguerite knelt down between her legs and lifted her dress. Lily would have died with embarrassment if she hadn’t been in so much pain.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Tom’s mom stated in a calm, but firm voice. “Tom, move Lily carefully and lie her down on the couch. Duncan, go to the linen press and get me four or five clean towels.”
Tom stared at his mother, his face dark with confusion. “Mom, the ambulance will be here soon. Surely we can wait until then?”
“I don’t think so, Tom. The baby’s head has crowned. In another push, maybe two, your baby’s going to be here. I don’t think it’s going to wait for the ambulance.”
Lily heard Marguerite’s quiet words and fear gripped her heart. She was going to have her baby in the Munro family living room! As if tuned in to her thoughts, Tom picked her up in his arms and murmured reassurances in her ear. Gently, he deposited her on the couch. In the distance, she heard a siren and was overwhelmed with relief.
Oh, thank goodness! The ambulance wasn’t far away. Perhaps she could just wait… A few seconds later, another wave of agony gripped her belly and Lily cried out against it. The urge to push came upon her and there was nothing she could do but go with it.
“Push, Lily. Push.” Marguerite’s encouragement gave her confidence.
“Oh, hell. I can see the head!” Tom shouted, his eyes wide with a combination of fear and excitement.
All at once, the burning sensation eased and Lily gasped on a breath.
“That’s it, Lily! The head is out! You’re nearly there, honey. One more push and it will all be over.”
With her chin pressed to her chest and her knees bent high, Lily clung to Tom’s hand and braced herself for the next contraction. It came hard and fast and she pushed with all her might.
“Quick, Tom! Get down here and help me. Your baby’s about to be born!”
Tom threw a panicked look at Lily and then toward his mom. Lily groaned and breathed and groaned again. Tom rushed to take the spot beside his mother. With something akin to wonder and terror warring on his face, he leaned forward and reached for their child.
“You’ve done it, Lily! You brilliant girl! What do we have, Dad. Is it a boy or a girl?”
Tom looked down at the squalling red mass of humanity in his hands and tears filled his eyes. He stared at Lily and shook his head, as if at a loss for words.
“It’s a girl,” he croaked, his voice husky with emotion. “We have a daughter!”
The pain that had held Lily’s body in its grip miraculously receded and her breath slowed. She collapsed against the pillows, exhausted and relieved. She watched while Marguerite expertly swaddled the tiny bundle in a towel and then handed her back to Tom. With reverence and awe flooding his face, Tom turned and brought their daughter to Lily and laid the baby on her chest.
The next while passed in a blur and in what seemed like no time at all there were strangers in uniform beside her, urging her to remain calm while they cut the umbilical cord and she delivered the placenta. A little while later, the paramedics urged her to shuffle across to the stretcher. She kissed the petal-soft skin of her daughter’s cheek and then handed her back to Tom. He took the baby from her and grinned so hard she thought his lips might split in two. She offered him a tentative smile in return.
“Is she… Is she all right?” she whispered.
“She’s beautiful, just like her mother and perfect in every way.” He bent down and brushed the damp hair off her forehead and kissed her softly on the lips.
“I love you, Lily Strickland. I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”
“I love you, too, Tom Munro.”
Tom’s eyes grew darker with emotion and he took her hand and raised it to his lips. “Will you marry me, Lily?”
Lily stared at him and her heart swelled with a love so deep and powerful she was surprised she could contain it. The people in the room faded away until there was no one and nothing, but Tom. She might have had a shitty childhood, but he’d shown her families weren’t always like that. He’d had the best of role models and together, they’d learn to deal with whatever life tossed their way.
“Yes, Tom. I’ll marry you.”
His eyes widened in shock. A split second later, he whooped his exhilaration so loud it rang out through the house. “You’ll marry me? You mean it?”
“Yes, Tom. I mean it.” And she did.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Royal North Shore Hospital—present day
Tom opened his eyes and blinked them, feeling a little groggy from the residual effects of the anaesthetic. His chest was sore and his mouth was dry. A headache persisted across his forehead. But Lily was awake. She was going to be all right. And that was all that mattered.
He stirred in the bed and lifted his arm, noticing the IV tube than ran into the vein on the top of his hand. Brandon sat in a chair in the corner of the room, looking more than a little disheveled as he watched his brother open his eyes.
“Tom, you’re awake,” he said and stood and came over to the bed. “Good to have you back with us, mate. You slept more than four hours. How do you feel? Can I get you anything?”
“Water, please,” Tom rasped and licked his dry lips.
“Sure, there’s a water jug right here.”
Tom watched while Brandon picked up a blue plastic jug and poured water into a glass. Handing it across the bed, Tom took the glass and swallowed a mouthful, sighing in relief.
“Ah, that tastes fantastic. I feel like I haven’t had a drink for a week.”
“Well, you hadn’t eaten all day and you were asleep when your dinner arrived. No wonder you’re thirsty. The nurses have been in and out through the night checking on you and replacing the bag of fluid running through your IV, but they decided not to wake you.”
“How’s Lily? When can I see her?” Is she still in the ICU?” Tom glanced out at the window that took up most of the far wall. The night sky was littered with tiny stars, barely illuminated against the lights of the city.
“She’s doing great. She’s supposed to be moving to a ward tomorrow, if she remains stable overnight.”
“Great. What time is it? Can we go now?”
Brandon smiled. “It’s seven-thirty in the evening. The nurses might not be so keen to let you out at this time of the night.”
“Bran, please. I need to see her. The ICU staff will understand. I’ve been a fixture at her bedside since it happened.”
“I understand, mate. I’ll go and talk to one of the nurses. I’ll see what I can do.”
Tom nodded in gratitude, but inwardly, he chafed at the delay. If he weren’t feeling so under the weather himself, he’d just up and get out of there now.
“Oh, the doctor stopped by earlier to check on you. She was pleased with how the operation went, but she needs to wait for the results of the pathology to ensure they got all of the cancer. She also said it’s important for you to mobilize as soon as possible. I’m happy to help you out of bed. We might not be able to walk to see Lily, but we could take a short turn around the ward.”
Tom looked at his brother and realized Brandon had spent the day by his side. His chest tightened with emotion. It made him feel good to know how much his brother cared.
“Yeah, thanks, but I might leave it a little while. I-I still have a bit of a headache and my chest feels like it’s been run over by a truck. I want to save my strength so I can see Lily.”
“Sure, I get that and we can always take a wheelchair.” Brandon yawned and stretched his arms way out over his head and then shot Tom a grin. “Let me tell you, that hospital seat sure leaves a lot to be desired in the way of comfort.”
“I want to thank you for staying with me, Bran. I-I don’t know what to say. I really appreciate it.” Tom cleared his throat. “It… It means a great deal.”
Brandon merely nodded, as if he was also struggling for wor
ds. Eventually, he said, “No worries, bro. You’d have done the same for me.”
“What about Lily? Was anyone able to stay with her?”
“Lily’s mom—Fiona, I think she said—took over from Mom this afternoon. Mom went to your place after she arrived, to help Dad out with Cassie and Joe. He’s been with them all day. Not that they’re babies, but…you know. As far as I know, Fiona’s still with Lily.”
“Yes, of course and I’m glad Lily hasn’t been left alone. She’s probably wondering where the hell I am. Has anyone told her about…?”
“Yeah, Mom did. She wasn’t going to, but Lily kept asking for you and wondering why you weren’t there. She was getting more and more distressed about your absence. Eventually, Mom decided it would be better to tell her the truth.”
Tom was flooded with guilt. He should have told Lily about the lump months ago. It shouldn’t have been left up to his mom. He remembered how hurt and betrayed he’d felt when Lily had hidden the truth about being pregnant with Cassie. Now that the tables were turned, he prayed Lily would be understanding of the situation and his reasons for keeping it hidden from her for so long.
“How did she take it?” he asked.
“Okay, I think. I only spoke to Mom briefly when she called in to see you and to tell me she was heading back home.
Tom sighed. “I’m so grateful to everyone for chipping in and helping out. It’s been such a relief knowing the kids have been taken care of and someone’s kept Lily company. You can’t know how much it means to me.”
“Of course. We’re family. It’s what we do.”
“Still—”
“Would you stop thanking me? It’s not necessary. You’re my brother. Of course I’m going to do all I can to help you when you need me, okay? End of story.”
“Okay,” Tom smiled. “I get it.” Tom’s thoughts shifted to his children. “Do the kids know their mom’s awake?”
“I assume Mom’s told them by now. I tried to call earlier when you asked me to, but I couldn’t get through to them. Mom called Dad on his cell phone and he admitted he’d fallen asleep and hadn’t heard the phone. I’m not sure what the kids were up to. Mom thought they were probably listening to music with their headphones on.”
Tom frowned. “What time was this?”
“I don’t know. Four, maybe five o’clock?”
“You’d have thought one of them would have heard the phone.”
“Hey, don’t stress about it. I’m sure it was nothing.”
“Yeah, I hope so.” Tom blew out his breath on a heavy sigh.
Brandon’s forehead creased on a frown. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“I’m… I’m a little worried about Cassie. Even before the shooting, things weren’t quite right.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Nothing in particular. I’ve just noticed a change in her attitude. She used to love school, she’s always been a straight A student. She’s always had lots of friends, been involved in sport. The last year or so, it almost seems like another girl has taken over inside her body. She looks the same, but she’s not my Cassie.”
Brandon pursed his lips in thought. “Do you think it might have something to do with that shit with Gibbons?”
Tom closed his eyes and tried to suppress a shudder. The memory of the sheer terror he’d felt when his daughter had been kidnapped by a pedophile still haunted him. Brandon had worked on the investigation. He knew firsthand the horror they’d all been through.
Tom rubbed a tired hand across his eyes. “I don’t know, Bran. Maybe. It was four years ago. The first couple of years were pretty rough, even with the intensive therapy, but she seemed to have come out the other side of it. A year ago I’d have even said she was the same old Cassie from before. Now, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on with her anymore.”
“Well, you’ve got a lot on your plate. You’re busy at work and Lily’s been busy, too. She’s working all day and now she’s gone back to school at night—neither of you have special powers to deduce what’s going on in your daughter’s head. I don’t have teenagers yet, thank Christ, but I’m sure sometimes it’s far from easy to know what’s going on with them.”
Tom laughed without humor. “You have that right. Hell, you want to brace yourself for the day your kids hit their teens.”
Brandon chuckled. “I’ll know where to come to for advice. The three of them are growing like weeds. The teenage years will be upon me before I know it.”
Tom forced a smile, but his thoughts were still on Cassie. “Do you mind going over to the house tomorrow and just checking to see if Cassie and Joe are both okay?” he asked.
“Sure. No problem, but I’m assuming they’ll come and visit here, anyway. With Lily awake and you out of surgery, I’m guessing Mom and Dad will have a hard time keeping them away.”
“Yeah, you’re right. They might even drop by tonight. I’m probably apprehensive for no reason.”
“Hey, you’re their dad. You’re allowed to care and be concerned, particularly if Cassie’s been giving you cause to be worried. I tell you what, I’ll take them back home after they’ve been to visit and spend a bit of time with them. I’ll see if I can work out what’s going on with her. How does that sound?”
Tom sighed in relief and reached up to squeeze Brandon’s arm. “That sounds great, bro. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
Brandon shook his head, even as a smile tugged up his lips. “Don’t tell me we’re back to that thank-you shit?”
* * *
Lily took a moment to check out her new surroundings. Her stomach still hurt like hell and every part of her body ached, but she was awake and lucid and had been transferred out of the ICU, so she couldn’t complain.
The ward she’d been taken to was so much nicer than the ICU. Not that she could fault the ICU staff—their care of her had been beyond reproach—but there were no windows in the ICU, no connection to the outside world. It was a blur of pale walls and white sheets and machines that beeped all night. It was cool and calm and efficient and everyone spoke in hushed tones. There was no life, no sunshine no…anything. She couldn’t wait to leave.
The private room she’d been taken to had a window that looked out onto a park. The trees stood tall and fresh and green with their new leaves and even from a distance, the grass looked soft and inviting. The gentle hum of traffic filtered in and a scattering of people wandered through the grounds, heading to wherever.
Obviously, the world outside the hospital continued. For many people, it was just another day. Lily rejoiced in the normalcy of it. Normal was good. She’d had enough excitement and drama over the past week to last a lifetime. Being shot by one of her students wasn’t even the half of it.
She still couldn’t believe Tom had not only been diagnosed with breast cancer, but he’d also been operated on and the tumor removed. That alone would have been enough to send her mind into a spin. On top of the fact she was still recovering from a bullet wound, she was surprised she could function at all.
She prided herself on being someone who could remain calm in a crisis, but it was different when the crisis was so close to home and happening to someone she loved. In a way, she was grateful she’d been unconscious when Tom’s health drama had unfolded. She’d been spared the agony of fear and uncertainty that surely their kids and his family must have suffered.
At the thought of Cassie and Joe, Lily smiled in anticipation. Tom’s mom phoned her earlier and had assured her the kids would drop by as soon as they could. It seemed like a lifetime since Lily had hugged them. It felt even longer since she’d held Tom.
Tom. A rush of love and gratitude flooded through her with the knowledge that he’d come through his surgery okay. When Marguerite had finally told her the reason for his absence, she’d been almost paralyzed with shock and fear.
Breast cancer? How could he have breast cancer and she not ev
en have a clue? It didn’t seem possible and yet it was. The odds of him getting it had to be miniscule. Most people thought of breast cancer in terms of the sufferers being women, but that wasn’t always the case. She was beyond relieved it had been discovered in time and dealt with. She shuddered at the knowledge it could have been terminal and pushed the negative thought away.
He was fine. Marguerite had assured her he’d come through the surgery well. That his doctor was pleased with the operation. That he was going to be all right.
She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost him. He was her rock, the very foundation that she balanced her life and existence on. To lose him, would be to lose her footing and she had no doubt that without him, her life would come crumbling down. They might have started off a little rocky, but the years had proven their love could stand the test of time, just like Tom had promised.
She smiled a little at the memory of their wedding. It had been the most wonderful day of her life. Tom had wanted to get married the minute she returned home from the hospital with baby Cassie by her side. Of course, she loved that he was so eager, but Cassie was already there. His concerns about their daughter being born out of wedlock had been moot.
She made him wait for more than a year before she finally walked down the aisle. She wanted the day to be perfect and refused to be rushed. She had no intention of marrying again—this was it, for life. Besides, she’d gained nearly twenty pounds of baby weight and there was no way she was getting married until she’d lost every one of them.
Tom agreed with huge reluctance to let her have her way, despite his passionate arguments that he didn’t care what she looked like. Baby weight or not, she’d always be beautiful to him. She loved his sentiments, but held her ground. By the time she slipped into her custom-made white satin-and-pearl embroidered wedding gown, she was back to her usual shape and was pleased she’d remained firm.
