by Beth Wiseman
“I’ll go help too,” Ansley said.
After Chad and Ansley left, Grace sat down beside Brad. “Dad, should we say a prayer for Layla?”
Brad swallowed back a lump in his throat. “I think that’s a great idea.”
They lowered their heads, and Grace reached for Brad’s hand. He fought the tremble in his bottom lip. Things hadn’t gone well when he’d talked to Barbara today. And now this. “Why don’t you lead us in prayer?” Brad said in an unsteady voice.
Grace squeezed his hand.
Darlene was still in her raggedy shorts, T-shirt, and flip-flops. There hadn’t been time to change clothes, nor had she grabbed a bag for herself. She’d just wanted to get to the hospital as soon as she could. Earlier she’d worried that Tom wouldn’t get the news of Layla’s accident, but in the waiting room, she’d seen it on two different TV channels already.
Both broadcasts said that Layla was not expected to live, then they gave a brief history about her, showing clips of the films she’d made in her twenties. Darlene knew enough about the media to know that they were just building hype. They didn’t know anything more than Darlene knew. There were six men and one woman in the waiting room with her. Two of the men appeared to be waiting for news about someone else’s surgery, someone named Sam. The others appeared to be waiting for news about Layla.
In the chapel, she’d prayed for Layla, questioning God, crying, begging for forgiveness, and begging Him not to take Layla when her friend was so close to happiness again. She’d also covered just about everything in her life, including Grace’s continued recovery, healing in her marriage, no matter what the causes of their discord were. But mostly she’d asked for the Lord to lay His healing hands on Layla.
She laid her head back and closed her eyes, said a few more prayers. But the conversation between two of the men caught her attention.
“She was a beauty back in the day, huh?”
Darlene glanced to her left. The man doing the talking didn’t look much older than Chad, though he likely was, maybe a recent college graduate.
“She still is,” the other, slightly older man said. “I have a cousin who lives in Round Top. We bumped into her one day at a store. She’s still a beautiful woman.”
“Kind of a has-been, huh?”
“Yeah. She dropped out of the limelight after her daughter overdosed on pills.” He paused. “That’s what I heard anyway.”
“I heard that she hates the media, and that one time she kicked a cameraman in the shin, then pushed him down.”
Darlene grinned.
The older man chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve heard that story too. And a few others.”
Darlene jumped when the door to the waiting room opened. A herd of reporters piled into the room, some toting television cameras. Darlene frowned, knowing Layla wouldn’t like all this. She’d worked hard to stay away from the media.
A scowling African-American woman entered the room behind the crowd. She spoke loudly. “Which one of you is trying to pass yourself off as Layla’s sister?”
Darlene froze for a moment, then stood and walked over to the woman. She leaned close and whispered, “Can we talk somewhere else?” Darlene hurried out of the room, hoping the woman would follow.
Not only did the woman follow, but so did the reporters. Darlene opened a door that said Private and hurried inside, followed by the woman. She glanced around, glad that no one was in the business office, then closed the door and locked it.
“I’m her best friend. I knew they wouldn’t let me be with her unless I said I was her sister. Please don’t say anything. She’d want me to be here.”
The slender woman looked to be in her midforties, and she was well dressed in a tan pantsuit. Darlene thought briefly about her own appearance.
“You her neighbor?” The woman folded her arms across her chest.
“Yes. My family lives down the road from her in Round Top. Have you heard anything from the doctors?”
“No. But I’ve heard plenty about you.” She extended her hand. “I’m Sheila, Layla’s agent.”
Darlene shook her hand, again glancing around the private office and wondering how long they could stay in there before they got thrown back out to the media outside the door.
Sheila’s left eyebrow rose a fraction. “Layla’s told me about you. She obviously cares about you a lot, so I won’t blow your cover, but be careful what you say around those vultures.
They’re gonna latch onto you as Layla’s sister and quickly report that you’re a fraud.” She paused, shaking her head. “I might as well go out there and give them some sort of statement so they don’t complicate your life. I’ll tell them you are her best friend, and as such . . . you call each other sisters. They’ll probably still hound you for a while, but it won’t make you look like a groupie fan trying to get in to see Layla.”
Darlene nodded. “I’m guessing Tom found out from the news reports. Do you know if he’s on his way?”
“He’s in Thailand on a movie shoot, but he was booking a flight to leave when I talked to him.”
“Oh. I didn’t even know he was a movie star.”
“I don’t know if the term ‘movie star’ is accurate, certainly nothing like Layla, but he steps into a few small roles here and there.” She dug into her purse. “I live in New York, but I happened to be in Houston and saw the report on the news.” She handed Darlene a card. “I’m going to go out and speak to the media, then I’m going to have the hospital kick them all out, which should have already been done. Wait here until I’m through.”
Darlene did as Sheila asked, worried that the doctor would go into the waiting room to report on Layla and Darlene wouldn’t be there.
About ten minutes later, Sheila returned. “All clear.” She motioned for Darlene to follow her. They walked back to the waiting room where Sheila walked up to the TV in the corner and turned it off.
“I checked with the doctor, and they are still operating on Layla.” Sheila blinked several times, pressed her lips together. “They don’t know if she’s going to wake up, and if she does, if she’ll ever . . . be the same.”
Darlene sat in a chair, bent at the waist, and laid her face in her palms. Please, Lord . . . heal Layla. Please.
Sheila sniffled as she sat in a chair next to Darlene and put a hand on Darlene’s leg. “I tell you what. They don’t get any better than that woman in there.” She paused, pulled her hand away. “She comes across as one tough broad sometimes, but she’d give you her right arm if you needed one. I guess you already know all that.”
Darlene still had her head in her hands, but she nodded. Then she sat up straight.
They were quiet for a few moments, then Sheila stood. “I have to go. Unfortunately, I’m having a crisis of my own. I was in Houston at St. Luke’s Heart Institute at the Medical Center because my husband is scheduled for a triple bypass this afternoon.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I have to be there. But I wanted to come check on Layla for myself. It gives me comfort that you’re here, and I know Layla appreciates it. I’ve got a three-hour drive back to Houston.” She handed Darlene a card. “Please call me at that number the minute you hear something, and I’ll be back to visit Layla as soon as my husband is stable.”
Darlene nodded. “I will.”
A minute later, Darlene was alone.
She called Brad to check on the kids, and once again, the sound of his voice was a comfort to her. Everything had to be all right. It just had to be.
Then she prayed. And she prayed some more. Surely God would answer her prayers.
Forty-five minutes later, a doctor emerged from behind a door that was marked Surgery. He pulled off his surgical mask, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, and approached Darlene. She stood up, a pulsing knot in her stomach. She could tell by his tense, drawn face that her prayers had gone unanswered.
Chapter Twenty-One
Darlene cried in the waiting room until she felt like there was nothing left in her. The doctor�
�s words rang in her ears. “I’m very sorry. The surgery on her brain went well, but her internal injuries were too bad. Her kidneys and other major organs are failing. You can go see her, but she doesn’t have long.”
The doctor had said that Layla was in and out of a coma. When she’d fallen off her horse, her foot had gotten caught in the stirrup. They thought something must have spooked the horse, maybe a snake, and that she’d been dragged across the pasture for a long time before the mailman came by and saw what was going on.
Darlene finally lifted herself out of the chair in the waiting room and made her way to Layla’s room. She opened the door hesitantly. Layla looked surprisingly calm, even with the many wires and tubes. A large bandage was wound around her head and across her forehead, but no ventilator or anything else obstructed her face. She had two long cuts on the left side of her face, both with stitches, and several smaller cuts on the other side of her face. Her upper lip was swollen, her eyes closed. Darlene pulled the chair closer to Layla’s bed and reached for her hand.
How was it possible that she could still cry? She gulped hard and blinked as fast as she could, but hot tears slipped down her cheeks just the same. A few minutes later, the door opened and a nurse walked in. She checked Layla’s breathing, her pulse and heart rate, then put a hand on Darlene’s shoulder. “It won’t be long, honey. Can I get you anything?”
Darlene just shook her head.
For the next six hours, she sat with Layla. Twice she’d called Brad with updates. Nurses came in and out, each time seeming surprised that Layla was still hanging on. Twice Layla had opened her eyes and stared at Darlene. Darlene had squeezed her hand and tried to talk to her, but Layla closed her eyes again. One time, Darlene thought she was gone. Her heart monitor still showed a heartbeat, though, and her breaths were shallow but there.
Darlene hadn’t realized she’d dozed off until she felt a gentle squeeze on her hand. She opened her eyes and met Layla’s glassy gaze. “Hey,” Darlene said as she leaned forward.
To her surprise, Layla whispered, “Hey.”
Please, God, don’t let me cry. Give me strength. And when Layla goes, take her to Your kingdom in paradise where there’s no more pain.
“Do you need anything?” Darlene didn’t know what else to say, and she didn’t know how much Layla knew. She couldn’t help but wonder if a person knew when life was slipping away. Or did Layla just think she was temporarily in the hospital, anxious to get back home?
“Tom?” Layla’s face twisted in pain as she spoke.
“He’s on his way, Layla. He took the first plane out of Thailand.” Darlene squeezed her hand again. “Is there anyone else you want me to call? Sheila was here earlier. She had to leave for her husband’s heart surgery.”
“No. You stay.” Layla’s voice was low and raspy.
Darlene’s entire body was trembling, and the knot in her throat made it difficult to swallow. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep from crying. Her chest hurt from the effort, but she was determined to be strong for her friend.
Then Layla whispered something Darlene didn’t understand. “I didn’t hear you, Layla. What did you say?” She leaned her face closer to Layla.
“Tell—tell Tom . . .” Then she closed her eyes, and Darlene started to cry. She shook her head, forced herself to stop.
“I’m listening, Layla. What would you like for me to tell Tom?”
Layla slowly opened her eyes again. “Tell him that I’m sorry I won’t be around.”
Darlene’s entire body shook, tears pouring down her face. “I’ll tell him.”
“Tell him he’s always been the one . . .” A slight smile formed on one side of her mouth. “Tell him snow bunnies never freeze. He’ll know what it means.”
Darlene squeezed her hand. “I will, Layla. I will tell him.”
Layla locked eyes with her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Layla closed her eyes again, and Darlene yielded to the sobs that burst out of the heaviness in her chest. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Layla’s breathing, and relief washed over her when Layla opened her eyes again.
“Thank you, Darlene, for nudging me back onto the path. His path.” She said something else, but Darlene didn’t hear her. She leaned closer, but Layla’s eyes shifted to her right. Layla smiled again, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Marissa . . .”
Darlene looked to the far corner of the room, to where Layla’s eyes were fixated and glowing now. She looked back at Layla and saw her smile broaden.
“Marissa . . . ,” she said again.
Then Layla closed her eyes for the last time.
Layla’s funeral was three days later in Round Top, and Sheila made sure that the details were kept from the public. Tom and Sheila agreed that Layla would have wanted a small gathering, so after the funeral, Sheila had organized a meal at Layla’s house, catered by a local company. Darlene couldn’t have eaten anything if she’d tried. And seeing Dave among the guests only upset her more, especially when she saw him talking with Brad in a corner at one point.
She knew she had to tell Brad, but it might be awhile before she was mentally able to focus on anything. She was trying to be strong for her children. All three kids had liked Layla a lot, and Grace was taking it the hardest, crying uncontrollably on and off throughout the funeral and even now. Darlene stayed close to her, and she thought it was touching the way Ansley never left her side. Chad had cried during the funeral, and Darlene had hardly been able to breathe, but he was holding himself together here at Layla’s.
Throughout it all, Brad did everything in his power to ease Darlene’s pain—having food brought in the past few days so she didn’t have to cook, running her hot baths, tucking her into bed, keeping the kids occupied. And always telling her how much he loved her, which made her cry harder.
One thing gave her comfort. Layla had formed a strong faith and renewed her relationship with God before she’d passed. But Darlene worried about her own relationship with God. What if she died tomorrow? Would she have the same kind of peace that Layla seemed to have in the hospital? She’d prayed and prayed the past few days, but not always with a clear conscience. Sometimes she knew she was talking to God because there was no one else. She couldn’t confide in her best friend about how guilty she felt, the regret in her heart. And she couldn’t talk to Brad about her guilt, her suspicions, and her need to have things right between them. So she’d talked to God. For hours.
And even though it seemed to her that she’d chosen God last, He made her feel like she was number one to Him, and love, comfort, and strength had come from those prayers the past few days. Her conversations with God were honest, tearful, and genuine. She’d talked to Him like she would a best friend, often aloud when no one was around.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Tom walked up to her. She’d met him before the funeral that day, but they hadn’t been able to talk. Everyone had been so upset, including Tom, who had cried hard. His eyes were still red and swollen.
“I’m glad you were with Layla when she went,” he said, then swallowed hard. “She said you were the first best friend she’d ever had that she trusted.”
Darlene forced a smile. She wanted to go home, to bed, to cry in private. “I’m going to miss her a lot,” she finally said. Then she remembered Layla’s last words, which she should have told Tom earlier. “Tom, Layla wanted me to tell you that you were always the one.” She took a deep breath. “And that she’s sorry she won’t be around.”
He covered his eyes with one hand for a moment, then looked at Darlene. “Layla and I were in a good place.” He blinked back tears.
“She also said to tell you that snow bunnies never freeze.”
Through tears welling in the corner of his eyes, he chuckled. “That’s my girl. Thank you for telling me that.” He kissed Darlene on the cheek. “I hope to see you again soon, to stay in touch.”
Darlene nodded. Sheila was Layla’s executor and
would be putting Layla’s house on the market, so Darlene doubted that she’d ever see him again.
She walked out of the crowded living room and down the long hallway to the bathroom. She ran right into Dave on the way. She’d done her best to keep her distance from him and avoided eye contact whenever she caught him looking at her.
“Can I talk to you?” His tone was urgent, and even though now wasn’t the time to talk about anything to do with them, she briefly wondered if maybe something was wrong with Cara.
She followed him into a large library off one end of the hall. “What?”
“I’m just worried about you.” He touched her arm, and she quickly jerked away.
“I’m heartbroken. My best friend just died.” She knew her tone was laced with resentment, but being around Dave only served as a reminder of what she’d done.
“I know. We’re all going to miss Layla.” He paused, and Darlene could see the sincerity in the depth of his blue eyes. She looked away.
“I don’t regret it, Darlene. The kiss.” Even though his words said otherwise, Darlene detected a hint of apology in his voice.
Darlene glanced behind her, then back at him. “I do, Dave. I regret it very much, and I’m going to tell Brad about it.”
“What? Don’t do that, Darlene. Why would you do that?” He shook his head, frowning. “That’s a mistake.”
“It’s a mountain between me and my husband, and I want it moved.” Although she wondered if her confession might just dirty up the already polluted air. Either way, she couldn’t live with it anymore.
“It was just a kiss. I don’t think you should tell him.”
“Dave . . .” She took a deep breath. “It shouldn’t have ever happened. I regret it. Please stay away from me. And Brad.”
She left the room, even though she could hear him calling after her. She found Brad as fast as she could. “Can we go?”
