Cory relived their early courtship out loud and ended by describing their wedding in detail. He told of everything from the simple flowers she carried to her upswept hair; he remembered it all. When he repeated their emotional vows, he thought he felt a slight tickle on his cheek.
Jordan listened as Cory recited nearly word for word the vow she had made to him at their wedding. When he began stating the words again as he had said them to her, she could no longer handle the agony of feeling so isolated. She forgot about the exercises that she always began in her toes and ended with an attempted smile. Concentrating every ounce of her being into her fingers, she sent message after message from her brain to their tips where she could feel his presence. His warm breath on her arm made her work all that much harder. Come on. Move! She urged. A slight tingling traveled from her shoulder, down her arm and through the tip of her right index finger. Her mind smiled in triumph. She had just moved her finger ever so slightly. Since Cory’s monologue did not hesitate, however, she was certain he had not even noticed.
Sitting upright and placing his hand beneath hers, Cory entwined their fingers and studied her face as he described their first dance as husband and wife.
“I didn’t think you could get more beautiful than when you walked into Heritage Homes for our wedding, but I was wrong,” he said, holding back tears from the emotional memory mixed with the grief of watching his unmoving wife. “You were even more gorgeous up close, and I knew the minute I drew you to me that from that day forward life would only get better. The only problem,” he half-smiled, “was that when the song ended I didn’t want to let you go. You pulled away slightly, but I held you tight and kept swaying back and forth even after the music was long gone.”
He felt the slight tickle again, this time on the back of his hand. Pausing in his story, he stared down at their laced fingers. Her index finger was directly above the sensation. It couldn’t have been her, could it? It had to be his imagination; he was too wrapped up in the story of their love.
He noticed it that time, she knew. He had stopped his story, and she could feel the rising tension in the room as he waited for another motion. Jordan was exhausted, but she knew she had to try again. If she could move her finger one more time, she would surely be able to convey the message that lay so heavy on her heart. She concentrated and began to struggle, hoping the tingling would return to her shoulder and move down her arm just once more. As she realized she had lost the ability, she silently cried out in frustration. She knew she wasn’t making a sound, but her mind was screaming in fury. Calming, she settled back to listen to their wedding day story with as much peace as she could muster.
Cory shook his head as if he had been dreaming. He began his story once again, but this time he stared at her fingers. He talked about cutting the cake and tossing the bouquet. As he concluded the evening by talking about bidding their few guests good night, he gave up on her fingers and moved his eyes back to her lovely face. A single tear was rolling down her right cheek. Slow and solitary, it traced a path from her eyelashes to her cheekbone and then turned toward her ear.
* * * *
Jay jerked awake and rolled his head from side to side. He was used to sleeping in the hospital after all of the time he had spent by Jordan’s side, but he would never get used to the stiff soreness those nights created. Glancing at Madison, he smiled as he watched her sleeping soundly, snoring slightly, with a tiny smile on her lips. She was probably dreaming about their little girl just as he had. Jay moved to the window, peeking at the sun glinting above the horizon. He peered into the basinet by the bed; she was sleeping as well, making baby noises on occasion.
Placing his hands on the small of his back, Jay stretched, wondering how he could occupy himself quietly without waking his girls. He quietly exited the room and wandered to the nurse’s desk at the end of the hall. Ester was on duty, as usual, and Jay decided to face the inevitable and fine out what the financial damage would be after Madison’s hospital stay.
“Morning, Ester,” Jay greeted, more cheerful than he had been in weeks.
“Good morning yourself, Jay! What can I do for you?” Nurse Ester asked. She had heard every detail about his new little girl from the nurse on duty before her.
“Well, I wanted to see if you could find out how much Madison and I will owe the hospital. I figure I better start thinking about payment plans.”
Ester nodded. She knew the couple couldn’t have much, and she had experienced atrocious hospital bills. Turning to the computer, she crossed her fingers and began to pull up Madison’s file. Her jaw dropped when she located the bottom line Jay was asking about. It read zero. “According to this, you don’t owe a penny,” she said, as astonished at the results as Jay. “It looks like,” she continued, moving closer to the screen, “someone had paid for everything on your behalf. Yes…that’s what happened. You have nothing to worry about!”
“But who…” Jay began.
“Don’t you dare ask me to reveal confidential information young man. You get back in there with your wife,” she ordered, pointing a thick finger to Madison’s room. Jay reluctantly saluted the nurse and followed her demand.
Nurse Ester jolted upright at the squeak of a shoe on the freshly waxed floor. Tears brimming her eyes, she nodded as Doctor Rodriguez passed in a hurry. She wouldn’t reveal his secret to Jay or anyone else, but she couldn’t hold back the swell of emotion that brewed upon seeing the man who had just selflessly provided more than just medical care.
Surveying the room, Jay spied Madison’s bag that had been hastily tossed into the corner. The mail stuck out of the open zipper. He strode across the room on tip toes to dig it out of the bag.
Resuming his seat next to Madison, Jay began to shuffle through the stack much like she had just as her labor began. Their financial woes returned to him in a flash as he placed bill after bill at the bottom of the stack. As he flipped another bill to the back, a letter caught his eye. The address was handwritten, and the postmark was months old. Jay perused the return label. He recognized the street number immediately; they had visited that very place in Wisconsin not long before they discovered Madison’s pregnancy. It was from the orphanage.
Jay’s heart pounded as numerous possibilities ran through his head. Maybe this was a courtesy letter updating him on the latest happenings at the orphanage. Perhaps it would tell him that his parents had been found but were not willing to release their information to him. The last possibility intrigued Jay the most as he slid his finger beneath the flap. What if his mother had released her information, and this letter held the answers to the many questions he had asked for numerous years?
The flap of the envelope sliced into Jay’s finger, leaving a nasty paper cut as the door slammed open to reveal Dr. Rodriguez. “Jay,” he said urgently, forgetting his manners and not bothering to whisper in the presence of the sleeping girls.
Jay placed his freshly cut finger to his lips and shushed the doctor as he threw the mail at Madison’s feet and ushered him outside. “Someone wants to see you,” Evan said without slowing to explain. He rushed down the hall, beckoning Jay to follow. Confused, Jay hurried after him, wishing he could return for the letter he had left behind in such haste.
Dr. Rodriguez led Jay down the hall to the elevator and punched the familiar button. As the doors closed, it dawned on Jay. “Is it Jordan?” he asked. “Is she all right?” Evan ignored Jay as the elevator doors slid open. The doctor led the way down the familiar hall, stopping in front of the room Jay had frequented for so long. “What’s going on, Evan. Is Jordan okay?” he asked frantically.
“Go see for yourself,” Evan said, swinging the door open and giving Jay a slight push into the room. Dr. Rodriguez followed him and blended into the wall paper as he watched from a distance.
Cory moved slightly from his position bent over his wife as he caught sight of Jay. “She moved her finger twice, I think, and she cried,” he said, pausing for a deep breath. “She’s been mumbling for
an hour now. The only thing she’ll say is….” Cory was cut off by his wife’s sudden motion. Her lips were forming the word again, and Jay stood, stunned at the transformation. They were all so used to getting no response. It was unbelievable to see even the slightest movement from her.
The first word spoken was jumbled and so quiet Jay couldn’t recognize its meaning. He quickly moved closer and placed his head opposite Cory’s, close to her lips. They strained to hear, occasionally catching each other’s eyes across the bed. Soon it came again.
“Jay,” she whispered with a strained voice that had not been used in so long. “Jay.”
Jay recoiled in astonishment, watching Cory’s reaction. Cory was not shocked. He had heard this same word several times in the last hour. He looked at Jay. “She must know you’ve been visiting,” he said, still amazed and rather disappointed that she chose to speak the name of anyone but him.
Jay stood, toppling the chair beside him. “I never told her my name, Cory. I never once said my name.”
* * * *
Madison woke slowly, gradually remembering all that had happened the previous day. The birth of her first child was the biggest event in her life. She was a mother now. She tilted her head to see into the bassinet near her bed. The nurses had wanted to take their little girl to the nursery overnight so the new parents could sleep, but Madison had refused to be separated from their baby. All of them had slept soundly for two hour intervals between feedings. The baby was still sleeping soundly, but Madison knew she would be awake and hungry any minute. Madison wanted more than anything to cradle her little girl in her arms again, but she knew it was best to let her sleep. Their baby was healthy, but since she had been a month early, the doctors wanted to keep them there for an extra day or two to make sure nothing troublesome arose. Madison cooed at her sleeping child, and then noticed she was alone in the room.
She didn’t wonder about Jay long as she noticed the mail piled at her feet and went back to her job sorting it. The letter from Wisconsin was on top, and she figured she may as well start opening the stack while she waited for the baby to wake. Inching her thumb under the torn corner of the envelope flap, she slid it across and retrieved the folded contents. Straightening them, she focused her eyes on the first page.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed, placing her hand over her mouth in utter shock. It was from the orphanage in which Jay had been born. She couldn’t believe her foolishness in not recognizing the letter’s return address earlier. She skimmed through the letter, highlighting a few key facts. Jay’s parents had released their information…enclosed is a complete report…sorry for the delay.
Madison couldn’t believe that she held in her hands the answers to the many questions Jay had about his past. Turning to the next page, she devoured the information. It appeared that Jay’s parents lived only twenty miles outside of the city. His family had been right under their noses all these years. Madison’s hands shook with excitement as she reached the portion of the document that gave actual names. Jordan and Cory James, parents of Baby ‘Jay,’ it read.
Gasping for breath, Madison couldn’t believe her eyes. But there it was in black and white, indisputable yet unbelievable. Without further hesitation, Madison hit the call button and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Forgetting the idea of letting their baby sleep peacefully, she jostled the little girl out of her cozy bassinet and placed her gently in the crook of her arm. Nurse Ester raced in and asked if everything was all right.
“Fine,” Madison stated briskly. “I need to see Jordan James.”
Nurse Ester rolled her eyes. Somehow Jay’s wife had caught the bug too. Jay had been vigilant about his visits, and now his wife looked determined to pursue her request. Arguing would probably just upset her, so Nurse Ester unfolded a wheelchair and demanded that she sit down for the ride.
Madison didn’t really want to see Jordan. She needed to talk to her husband, but she knew if she went to Jordan, she would find Jay. However, she didn’t protest as the nurse described Jordan’s condition and prepared her for what she would see when they arrived.
* * * *
Cory and Jay were bent over Jordan’s bed. Like a mirror, their actions imitated each other. Cory took one of Jordan’s hands, and Jay took the other. Cory spoke her name, and Jay repeated it. Neither could fathom why she had chosen to mutter Jay’s name over and over, but both were thrilled that she had spoken. Screaming profanities would have been an improvement over the unending silence. However, as the men saw that she was fast asleep again, they waited in suspense, wondering if she was sleeping from exhaustion or if she had fallen into her coma again.
Nurse Ester backed into the room, pulling a wheelchair that held a pale Madison cuddling her bundled baby girl. The new mother was frantic and shaking from head to toe as she met Jay and Cory’s eyes. She clutched the papers in one hand and the baby in the other. Upon seeing the similarity between Cory and Jay with their curly hair and steely eyes, she lost her voice altogether and just sat there, mouth open in astonishment. How did I not notice before? She wondered.
Cory asked if everything was okay, and she nodded rapidly as she continued to stare. Jay rambled on and on about Jordan’s improvement and told Madison she should wait with them to see what Jordan would say when she awoke. He only hoped it would be “Cory” this time instead of “Jay.” As the men turned their attention back to the bed, Madison began sobbing silently, not knowing how to interrupt the beautiful scene before her. Dr. Rodriguez came out of the woodwork and ushered Madison’s chair back into the hall.
Nurse Ester rushed away as Dr. Rodriguez bent to face Madison. “What is going on, young lady?” he asked. She had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl, and he wanted to make sure their health was her top priority. If she or the baby were showing any negative symptoms, he wanted to know about it. Madison just shook her head, staring straight through the doctor, waving the papers before him. She seemed to be trying to speak, but continuously incapable, she must have felt similar to Jordan.
Prying the papers from her hand, Evan knelt before her. “Shhh, it’s all right,” he soothed, stroking her hair with his strong hand. But Madison would not take her eyes from the papers, and she seemed to only get more upset when the doctor ignored their contents. “Is this what you want?” he asked. “Is this the problem?” She nodded emphatically again, and the doctor held the papers inches from his nose. Absorbing their contents slowly, he looked down on Madison with much the same expression she had when she’d first entered Jordan’s room. “Does this mean…?” he began as she nodded. “She’s his…?” he continued as she shook her head so hard he thought she might injure her neck. “Incredible.”
CHAPTER 23
Dr. Rodriguez called for Nurse Ester and sent Madison back to her room. He then dragged Cory and Jay from Jordan’s side and insisted that they go visit Madison. He had calmed her down and talked her through what she would say to them. He was confident she had calmed down enough to handle the situation. Cory and Jay were reluctant to leave Jordan, but Jay did want to see his baby, and Cory always loved a new little one. Plus, Dr. Rodriguez assured them that they would immediately be summoned if Jordan did anything but sleep.
With Cory and Jay on their way down the hall, Evan watched them in awe. Their shuffling gait was so similar; their hair the same shape with only the coloring different. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed before, but who would?
Dr. Rodriguez was determined to keep his promise, so he stationed himself at Jordan’s side to keep her company until her husband and…son…returned. He also had his own selfish reasons for being alone with her. He couldn’t believe the woman who had so much impact on his young life had been lying in front of him all this time. All of her monitors and readings were still strong, and now that she had shown signs of leaving the coma behind her, he was confident of her positive prognosis.
Taking her hand in his, Evan stared at the curves of her face. “I can’t believe you’re her,”
he spoke softly. He continued telling her stories about his successes later in life, divulging only the best memories to her. When he finished the favorable aspects of his life, he reverted to his approximate seventh year and dwelled on the time he and Jordan had spent together. “You were the closest thing to a mother I ever had,” he said remorsefully, “and I only got to know you for a few months.” His stories were sweet and his memories of her words vivid. Dr. Rodriguez became so wrapped up in his own soothing voice that he didn’t feel the tickle on the palm of his hand when she moved ever so slightly.
Jordan had awakened in the middle of his story, but she laid still and listened until she was sure. Opening her eyelids, she moved only her eyes as she squinted to focus on him. He was a grown man, but he was so familiar. His wavy hair was unchanged and still a mess. She had heard parts of what he had said, but as his face came into focus, she was sure. With a half smile, Jordan spoke her second word in months, “Evan?” she rasped.
Dr. Rodriguez nearly jumped off his chair, startled at a sound other than his voice. Composing himself, he returned to his seat and stared at the woman who had just spoken his name. “Little Evan?” she said softly.
The odds had to be a million to one, but Evan didn’t take the time to calculate them. He was positive that it was her. He knew he’d recognize her caring eyes anywhere, and as their blue depths swam before him, he couldn’t get over his emotions. The woman he’d dreamt about since he was a boy was holding his hand again.
Evan collapsed across her, tears coursing down his cheeks as he forgot his promise to Jay and Cory that he would retrieve them if she awoke. He’d only wanted three things in life--to create a better life for himself, to protect Jordan’s son, and to see this woman again. Now here she was. He had not known that she had been near him for months.
Someone Always Loved You Page 22
