by Ruby Rowe
“Wake up, sweetie,” I say to Elliott as I sit next to him on his bed. Lazily, he opens his eyes.
“Morning.” His lungs unleash a coughing fit, and I swear, he needs to listen to me and go to the doctor. I can’t believe he’s a physician yet refuses to stay on top of his health.
“Jake’s back,” I say with a smile. “We fixed brunch, and I didn’t want you to miss it.”
“I saw his car when I came in last night. As soon as I discovered you weren’t in my bed, I figured he had come to his senses.”
I sigh. “I wish there were two of me.”
“I’m pretty happy with this one right here.” He squeezes my thigh, and his crooked smile, which has caught up to his loving eyes, melts my heart.
“Do you feel like eating?”
“Yeah, I didn’t have dinner last night.”
“Why?” I frown.
“I was exhausted when I came in.”
“I’m worried about you. Why don’t you get a chest X-ray? Won’t that show if you have pneumonia? I really think you might have it.”
“I’m sure I’ll be better in a week. This latest round of antibiotics should be kicking in.”
“You’re pale, tired all the time, coughing up a storm and losing weight. I don’t like it.”
“Baby, I’m good. We’ve been slammed at work, so I’m not getting long breaks to sleep or much time to eat. Don’t worry about me.”
“It’s impossible not to worry, but I’ll try for now. I better get back to helping Jake.”
“I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Leaving his room, I pad downstairs. My stomach is churning, and it’s been doing that a lot lately from all the stress.
The doorbell rings, so I hurry down the last few steps to answer it. Shit.
“Mrs. Callister, hi.”
“I’m here to see Jake.” Her lips purse and eyebrows lift. So much for thinking today could be better.
I step aside. “He’s in the kitchen. We’re about to have brunch. You’re welcome to stay and eat with us if you’d like.”
“I don’t think so.” She strides through the living room, and I notice she’s in jeans today and short boots. She’s not removing her coat, either, and that can’t be a good sign.
“Mom, hi,” Jake says as he turns from the stove.
“I’ll take over,” I insist from behind Jeanine.
“If this is about me moving back here, we already discussed it yesterday. If you have anything else to say, you can do it in front of Sailor.”
Summoning some bravery, I move past her and stand next to Jake.
“That wouldn’t be polite,” Jeanine replies.
“Why? She already knows how you feel about her and our relationship.”
“You two can go talk, Jake. I can finish up here,” I say.
“No.” He slides an arm around my waist, so his mom digs in her heels, too, shoving her hands in her coat pockets and scowling.
“Fine. Your family doesn’t support you being here.”
“Like I’ve told you countless times, I love Sailor, and I’m not leaving her. I want to live with Elliott, too. The three of us are a family now, so you’ll have to accept it or at least keep your comments to yourself. If not, you’re going to see a lot less of me.”
“Sailor, I envisioned a different life for my son. I thought he’d marry one woman and have children. How will that work with two men? I feel like you’re robbing him of his future for your own selfish reasons.”
“Sailor doesn’t know how to be selfish,” Elliott says from the doorway, “and you’re not welcome in our home if you’re going to talk bad about her.” Jeanine spins around, and they have a staring showdown.
Elliott’s dousing her with intimidation, warning her not to say another negative word. “She’s not robbing us of anything, but if the day ever comes when we feel like she is, we’ll address it.
“Jake’s also a big boy; he doesn’t need his mother telling him what to do. You should give yourself more credit, Jeanine. If you felt confident in your parenting skills, you’d trust Jake to make good decisions.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t understand how any of you are OK with this.”
“It works for us, and I should’ve never let you put doubt in my head,” Jake replies. “Until you saw Sailor and Elliott together, you believed she loved me and that we were great together. She wasn’t pretending. Sailor gives me all I need, and I only doubted it because I had always taken your and Dad’s advice, but you’re wrong about this.”
“Jake—”
“Mom, stop. I don’t expect you to understand, but I do expect you to trust me and treat Elliott and Sailor with respect. Yes, I’d like to marry her and have kids with her, and—”
“You would?” I ask, the surprise resonating in my voice. Although Jake has talked about us being together forever, he’s never flat-out said he wants to marry me and have children with me.
A smile breaks through his stubborn expression as he glances down at me.
“Yes, and I was about to say that I have faith we’ll resolve those situations in a way that leaves the three of us happy.”
Jeanine pulls her hands from her pockets and drops them to her sides.
“All right. I’ll let this go, but if I sense you’re unhappy, Jake, I won’t be able to keep my opinion to myself. Neither will your father or Marcy.”
“I’m almost thirty. I can handle my life and all it throws my way, so you need to let me live it.”
“OK, I hear you.” Her expression is stern as she looks at Elliott and me. “Sailor … Elliott, take care.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for brunch?” I ask.
“I’m sure, but you three have a nice day together.” I catch a glimpse of her eye roll as she leaves us alone in the kitchen, but at least she’s finished dishing hurtful words.
Jake follows her to the door, and Elliott smiles as he stalks toward me.
“You’re not burning my bacon, are you?”
I wrap my arms around his neck. “You’re terrific. Thank you for taking up for us.”
“I only spoke the truth.” Winking, he reaches around me and swipes a piece of bacon off a plate. “Everything’s going to be OK. You’ll see.”
“That ended better than I expected.” Jake reappears at the doorway. “Now, let’s eat and put all this bullshit behind us.” Feeling the weight lifted off my shoulders, I load my plate and stroll to the dining room. Elliott takes a seat at the head of it, and Jake and I sit across from each other.
“All right, hold up your OJ,” he says with a wink. “I want to thank you two for forgiving me after my stint of stupidity. I was a jackass, but not having an instruction manual for this kind of relationship–my first relationship, has made it challenging for me. I’m not going anywhere again, though. I promise, so let’s toast to our future.”
“Cheers,” we say simultaneously before taking drinks.
“I’m not sure how we’ll work out the marriage part, but Elliott was generous and said you could have my baby first,” Jake says.
I spew my orange juice clear across the table at him. Picking up my napkin, I dab at my chin while my eyes bounce between the two of them.
“Um, did either of you think to ask my opinion on this?”
“We already know you want little Jakes and Elliotts running around the house. Don’t try to deny it,” Jake replies.
I shake my head. “Maybe the idea has crossed my mind.”
“Maybe, my ass. You tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll plant the seed.”
“Jesus, what’s up with you today?”
“Doll, I’m playin’. We don’t have to do it right away, but one day I hope to.”
He looks so pleased that I can’t resist reaching across the table to squeeze his hand.
“Sure, one day we’ll make this family bigger.”
Elliott clutches my knee, and I have to fight back the tears. I’m truly loved, and it’s the most wonderful feeling
in the world.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sailor
I’ve decided the New York Giants are like an alien mother ship. All its aliens (fans) are attached by this collective heartbeat, a devotion like no other, and they’re waiting to be called home with a victory.
It’s as if our home has become a stadium from the looks of all the blue jerseys. Or, maybe it’s more like a locker room of exuberant players about to take the field. In these guys’ dreams. I bet they secretly wish they were star football players. Hell, probably the women, too.
Since the Giants are in the Super Bowl against the Patriots this year, the enthusiasm in the city is off the charts, and I think our living room might burst like an eardrum from all the shouting.
To protect my own ears, I’m purposely hanging out in the kitchen and dining room where I’m providing a steady stream of food. Our place is impressive, but it’s not huge, so every room downstairs is crowded.
“Do you need any help?” Jake asks as he comes up behind me in the kitchen. He kisses my neck, his arms slithering around my waist.
“I’ve got it covered.”
“I don’t want you to miss the second half. The Giants are up by eight.”
“I’ve been watching here and there.”
“Are you sure you’re not hiding because you don’t want to see Nicole in the same room as Elliott?” he murmurs in my ear.
I shift around in his arms to face him.
“That’s not bothering me. She’s sweet, so it’s impossible not to like her.”
“Does that mean the rabid cat isn’t going to appear?”
I giggle. “Really, it’s fine that she’s here. Elliott told me all the reasons he invited her, and I was impressed by his concern for her.”
“That’s because you’re an angel in a human suit.”
I kiss his lips. “I know you’re trying to make me feel secure, but you don’t need to worry. Well, as long as she doesn’t hit on you. I’d lose my shit then.”
Pulling back, he cocks a brow.
“Why would you be jealous if she hits on me when you’re not jealous of her being around Elliott?”
“She’s already been with him. You’re different and all mine. Anyone interested better stay the hell away.”
He skims his thumb over my pouty lip.
“You’re so damn cute when you’re jealous for imaginary reasons. No one has hit on me in a long time. It’s like your feline scent keeps them away.”
“But you’ll tell me if anyone does hit on you, right?”
“Hell, no. I wouldn’t want to free the rabid cat.”
I swat his chest. “You’re funny. Now, go hang out with your friends and enjoy yourself.”
Piercing me with a salacious look, he clenches my hips.
“I think the hostess of this party needs to spread her hot legs for me tonight. She deserves a tip for all her hard work.”
“She’ll be ready to collect.”
“Get a room. I know you have some in this pad.” I look toward the doorway, and Harrison is leaning against the frame of it with a beer in his hand. He slides his fingers through the top of his hair while giving me an uneasy smile.
“Hello,” I reply.
“I finally found the balls to come in here and apologize to you. I’m sorry for what I said to Jake New Year’s Eve. Fortunately, he forgave me, and I hope you will, too. I was an asshole after having way too many drinks.”
“Yes, you were an asshole, but you weren’t the only guy behaving like one that night, so you’re forgiven.”
Jake covers his chest. “Ouch, Princess. I might have to forget that tip.”
“Oh, please. You’re not going to turn down an opportunity to get between my legs.”
“True that.”
A throat clears, so I look away from Jake. Nicole is smiling as she stands next to Harrison.
“Sailor, can I talk to you a minute?”
“Sure. I could afford to be around some estrogen for a change.”
“Thanks again, Sailor,” Harrison says with a nod.
“No problem. Thank you for the apology.”
Giving me a kiss on the cheek, Jake leaves the room with him.
“How are you handling all the testosterone out there?” I ask Nicole as I dump a bag of chips in an empty bowl.
“Actually, I wish I had more of it at the moment.” She glances around like she’s ensuring we’re alone. “I’m having terrible cramps. I think I might be starting my period soon, so I thought I better take precautions. Do you have any tampons?”
“Sure. There are some under the sink in the bathroom upstairs. This is weird to say, but I think you left them here.”
She blushes. “Oh, right. I never did get the last of my things. I’ll go grab one then. Thanks, Sailor, and I appreciate you having me over. I hope it hasn’t been uncomfortable for you.”
“Not at all. I’m glad you and Elliott are able to be friends.”
“Yeah, so am I, and you must be pretty special. I’m blown away by how much he’s changed.”
Ugh, she’s still in love with him. Her daydreamy expression as she thinks of my handsome man is a dead giveaway.
“I sometimes say he’s changed, too, but what really happened was he found himself again. Elliott’s always been amazing; he just lost sight of it.”
Nodding toward the other room, she says, “I better go upstairs.”
“Right. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks.”
I don’t know why I opened up to her about Elliott. I guess I needed her to know he’s always been a good guy and didn’t mean to hurt her. Elliott deserves for her to hear it from someone other than himself.
I can’t believe I had to direct her to her own tampons. How awkward. Wait … what day is it–no, what month is it? It’s the first week of February, and my last period was … December.
Oh, no.
Elliott
I stare up at the ceiling from my bed, wishing I didn’t feel like I was run over by a subway train. Why can’t I get well? All the antibiotics I’ve taken haven’t done shit, and I wouldn’t have a virus this long.
The more recent symptoms I’ve developed have me fearing the worst, and it’s why I’ve avoided getting my lungs checked. Life’s finally good, and I don’t want to know if there’s something that’s going to screw it up.
I should be downstairs with my buddies, yelling at the TV and drinking beer, but instead, I was counting down to halftime so I could escape to my room and lie down.
Feeling another coughing fit stirring, I sit up at the side of my bed and hack up a fucking lung. I can’t stop.
“Elliott, are you OK?” I hear Nicole ask from outside the door. I try to tell her I’m fine, but it’s hard to get the words out as she peeks inside.
Feeling something running down my fist that I’m holding to my mouth, I pull my hand down and look at it.
Holy shit. Not again.
“Elliott!” Nicole pushes my door wide open and hurries to my side. “Oh, my God. Let me grab a washcloth.” She runs into my bathroom, and she shouldn’t be in here. Sailor would flip if she saw.
Of course, she’d flip more if she spotted the blood running from my mouth and the teaspoon of it I’m holding in my hand.
Nicole is back in no time, and takes over, pushing my other hand away when I try to clean up the blood. I smell her rose scent, but it’s soon masked by the taste of metallic in my mouth.
“I’ve got it,” she says. “How long has this been happening?”
“Not long.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Elliott, be truthful.”
“Only a couple of weeks, but I’ve been sick since fall.”
“OK, I’m not a doctor, but blood is bad, right?”
“Yeah … it’s bad.” I take the washcloths from her.
“You have to get this checked out. Promise me you will.”
“All right, Mom.”
She sits next to me
on the bed. “Do Sailor and Jake know?”
“No, and you can’t tell them. I’ll do it if it’s necessary. They worry too much as it is.”
“That’s because they care. I do, too, so promise me again that you’ll get your lungs checked and will call me when you find out the results.”
“I promise, and thanks for helping me out. You should probably go before Sailor shows up.”
“As long as you’re sure you’re all right.”
I stand from the bed, needing to get to the bathroom to clean up.
“I’m fine. Thanks again.”
I’m likely not fine, but I’ll keep telling myself that until I’m forced to accept otherwise.
Elliott
“I need to speak with you,” Dr. Raynard says close to my ear by the nurses’ station. Her tone is solemn, and I feel the weight of it in the air. I turn my head to look at her, and the concern in her eyes confirms what I suspected; my chest X-ray from this morning was abnormal.
“Page me the second Mr. Dunlap’s labs come back,” I say to one of the nurses before I follow Dr. Raynard down the hall and into an office the attending physicians share in the ER.
As she sits in the rolling chair, I slump onto the leather loveseat, and it pisses me off that I’m exhausted before noon.
“Pneumonia, right? Must be a resistant bacterium, so we’ll need to try a stronger antibiotic regimen.”
“Elliott, there’s a spot on your right upper lobe. It looks like a mass.”
“Maybe it’s a benign nodule.”
“Possibly…
“I’ve never smoked.”
“You know that doesn’t matter. I managed to get you in for a CT scan at one today. Here’s the radiologist’s preliminary report.” She hands over the paper, but I don’t bother reading it. I can’t get caught up in the what-ifs.
“I can’t receive preferential treatment over other patients.”
“You save lives every day. That makes your health a priority. Have you had other symptoms besides the cough, the weight loss and bloody phlegm?”
I failed to tell her this morning that it was straight-up blood I’ve been coughing up lately.
“Fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain.”
