The Rose Ring

by Lucie Ulrich

  Thoughts hadn’t stopped tumbling through her head since he’d spent the night in the diner. Where to begin? His worried eyes tugged at her. “You’re doing and saying all the right things. I just didn’t expect them so soon. I love the idea of marrying you again… one day.”

  “One day?” A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, and his shoulders slumped. Then he smiled, albeit somewhat sheepishly. “I can live with ‘one day.’”

  “I know it’s not the answer you were hoping for. To be honest, it’s not the answer I thought I’d give, but with everything we’ve been through, I think it’s the right answer. I need time to fall in love with the real Micah, not the one I conjured up.” She pressed the ring into his hand and closed his fingers around it. “I want you to hold onto this for a while longer, ‘cause when you put this ring on my finger, it’ll be for keeps.”

  “In that case, be prepared to be swept off your feet.” Micah placed his ring in her hand and tenderly folded her fingers over it. “I’ll hold on to your ring, and you hold on to mine. When the time is right, we’ll make it happen.” He kissed the back of her hand. “In the meantime, what are your thoughts on coming clean about our marriage? At least to close friends. It’s been hard keeping things from Zeke and the guys.”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. “I hate living a lie.”

  A line creased his brow. “Interesting, you don’t kiss me when I propose, but you do when I want to tell people that our marriage is a sham. Should I read anything into that?”

  She kissed him again. “Only that I’m seriously crushing on you at the moment.”

  Micah ran his hand up her back and into her hair. He cupped the back of her head and captured her mouth. He took his time, allowing the kiss to build to the breathless one she’d longed for that day on the side of the road.

  She wouldn’t fool herself into believing things would be perfect, but if she and Micah stayed true to the path God set before them, she had no doubt they’d make it.

  About the Author

  Lucie Ulrich hasn’t stopped writing since her first skit was performed on a church stage more than fifteen years ago. An avid reader, she enjoyed sharing her passion for writing and storytelling with her middle and high school drama students. No longer part of the teaching profession Lucie looks forward to traveling the country with her husband, Rick, seeking story ideas, taking photographs, and enjoying life to the fullest.

  Also from Astraea Press

  Chapter One

  Elizabeth pushed herself up from the bed. Her gaze swept the dark room and fixed on the hall nightlight. Her hand grazed over her husband’s shoulder when a thought gripped her. Katherine. The baby monitor stood silent. Darkness shrouded the red and green lights that indicated movement.

  Her chest tightened. She hurled the covers away and leapt to the floor. Panic made her clumsy as she rushed to her daughter’s room. She lunged over the crib. No sound. No movement. Not even a stirring of air from her tiny nostrils.

  “Katherine!” Elizabeth snatched her daughter from the mattress. The infant drew a heavy breath as her eyes flung wide open.

  Lord, what’s happening?

  Elizabeth’s bare feet pounded the cold tile as she ran back to her husband. “Chris, wake up! Katherine quit breathing again!”

  Chris rubbed his eyes and scowled. “What is it?”

  “We need to take Katherine to the hospital. She stopped breathing.”

  He studied their child. “She seems to be breathing now. Are you sure?”

  “Of course, I’m sure.”

  “She’s fine.” Chris fell back against the pillow.

  “Please—”

  “We don’t have the money to take her to the hospital when there’s nothing wrong with her.”

  “But there is. She stopped breathing.”

  He sat back up. “You’ve been worried about her since before she was born. You’re all worked up because she hasn’t rolled over yet. The doctor said that’s normal for being early.”

  She’s called a preemie. She glared into his eyes. “If you were home more often you’d know she’s not fine.”

  “I’m home, Elizabeth, and she’s fine.”

  Heat flushed her cheeks as tears filled her eyes. “I’m scared. Can’t you see that? I need you to pray for our daughter. I need you to hold me and tell me everything will be all right.”

  “Look, she’s sleeping.” His voice softened as his hand ran down her thigh. “Come to bed.”

  “How can you care so little? I’m worried about our baby.”

  Chris’s hand dropped to the sheets. “Shut the door when you leave.” He turned away from her.

  Elizabeth stood for a moment unable to speak. With their baby in her arms, she slowly closed the door behind her and sank her teeth into her lip to keep from crying. If tears came, it would be for her daughter, not for the stranger in her bed.

  The nightlight’s faint glow lit the hallway as Elizabeth slipped back into Katherine’s room. She laid her sleeping child in her crib. Her knees buckled and tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “God, please…”

  ****

  The mid-January temperatures for South Florida remained in the seventies. A beautiful day to visit her sister, but thoughts from last night latched onto Elizabeth’s mind and wouldn’t let go. The what ifs oppressed her.

  “Are you ready?” Chris paced the living room.

  “Almost. Will you carry Katherine?”

  He linked his arm through the handle of the infant carrier that held their five-month-old daughter, and Elizabeth followed him to the car. With a single motion, he snapped the car seat and Katherine into place.

  Chris backed out of the driveway and drove down the street without a word. Not about Katherine, not about last night, or any other night.

  “What’s going on, Chris? You’re never home.”

  “I have a job, Elizabeth.”

  “You had a job.”

  “It was nice when I worked at the bookstore with you and Samantha, but we weren’t making it. I told you that. Now I have a job that requires my time. It’s helping us get out of the hole we’re in.”

  He sat a bit taller in the driver’s seat and placed both hands on the steering wheel. “Not only that. At work, clients, the bosses — they’re impressed with the blueprints I’ve drawn up for the new office complex. They have faith in me. I can go places and this job will take me there.”

  He smiled.

  “I had no idea.” Her husband always provided for his family. He had even put his career on hold to help out at the bookstore when the doctor put her on bed rest with Katherine. So she was told. She couldn’t remember what happened after the accident.

  Elizabeth looked over at her husband. “I know you’re working hard for us.”

  His smile vanished. The maddening silence returned.

  Chris pulled into her sister’s driveway. He hurried from the car carrying their daughter in her car seat. Elizabeth followed with the diaper bag and portable swing.

  Sam greeted them at the door. “Come on in, you two.”

  Elizabeth forced a smile and suppressed her unsettled thoughts as she dropped everything onto the living room floor. She wrapped her arms around her sister. Surely Phillip and Sam could make the distance between her and Chris disappear and ease her worry over Katherine. They had to.

  “Are you all right?” Sam pulled her back at arm’s length. She glanced over Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Where’s Chris going?”

  “No!” Elizabeth rushed to catch him, but he’d already pulled out of the driveway. He never intended to stay and hadn’t bothered to tell her.

  Phillip bounced their adopted daughter in his arms as she cooed. “Look who’s here, Juwonya. It’s Aunt Beth. She and Mommy are going to pick out some books for their store while you and I go to Grandma’s.” He glanced around. “Where’s Chris?”

  Elizabeth kissed her niece on the forehead to av
oid his question. How could she answer his question about his brother when she didn’t know herself? “Hey there, JuJu. You’re growing so fast, and pretty, too.”

  “She is.” Phillip beamed with pride.

  “And so is Katherine.” Sam knelt over the car seat. “Just you wait. Before you know it…” Sam gasped.

  Elizabeth spun around to find Sam hurrying to unfasten Katherine’s straps.

  “Please, no,” Elizabeth cried. “Not again.”

  “Samantha, lay her down! I need to start CPR.” Phillip set Juwonya in the play yard.

  “Wait! Now she’s breathing.” Sam handed the baby to her husband.

  Phillip took Katherine and watched her breaths grow stronger. “I don’t like this. She looks too pale. You need to take her to the hospital. Better yet, I’ll call an ambulance.”

  Elizabeth reached for Katherine and cradled her daughter to her chest.

  “And I’ll call Chris for you.” Sam rushed toward the kitchen.

  Time froze while Elizabeth stood in the middle of the living room. Her pulse throbbed in her ears, blocking out Sam’s words.

  Phillip motioned for her after several minutes, but it was if she were caught in quicksand. She couldn’t move.

  “Elizabeth, the ambulance is here. We need to put her back in the car seat so they can take her to the hospital.”

  “Yes, this way,” Sam spoke to the paramedics and pointed to Katherine. “She stopped breathing. She’s almost six months.”

  “Ma’am.” One paramedic reached for her daughter while the other commented on the bluish tint around her lips.

  Elizabeth didn’t resist when he took Katherine from her arms, though everything within her screamed otherwise. The pace quickened — Katherine, in her car seat, was strapped to the gurney.

  Without a second thought, she climbed into the ambulance. The doors slammed. The siren took up a wailing cry, and spurred into motion. A paramedic placed a mask over her daughter’s face and began checking her vitals.

  “Which hospital are you taking us to?” Elizabeth fought back her tears. The taste of salt seeped into her mouth.

  “Miami Children’s.”

  ****

  Elizabeth cradled her daughter in her arms, inhaling the delicate lavender fragrance that rose from Katherine’s skin. A shadow stretched into the room, and Elizabeth turned to find her sister in the doorway.

  “Did you hear anything while I was gone?” Sam asked.

  Elizabeth wiped a tear from her cheek. “No.”

  “I wasn’t able to reach Phillip or Chris. I can’t imagine what’s taking them so long to get here. How’s she doing?”

  “She’s breathing.” Elizabeth’s gaze followed her sister, stopping next to the rocking chair.

  “Oh, sis—”

  A deep voice sliced through their soft whispers. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Do you mind if I turn on the light?”

  Elizabeth’s head shot up. A doctor stood in the doorway.

  Sam whirled around. “Yes, that would be fine.”

  Light filled the room.

  “I’m Dr. Moore. Would you mind placing her in the crib so I can examine her?” He pointed with one hand while he removed a stethoscope from his pocket with the other. With the same fluid motion, his long strides reached the crib before Elizabeth had a chance to process his request.

  Elizabeth considered the sleeping child cradled in her arms. All she wanted to do was close her eyes like Katherine, and maybe, when she awoke, the events from the last twenty-four hours would have been a terrible nightmare. But it wasn’t a dream. The doctor was waiting.

  Sam reached for Katherine. “I can take her to the crib.”

  “No, it’s all right. I’ve got her.” Elizabeth stood and approached the metal-framed crib. Her heart rebelled as she laid Katherine against the sheet. The doctor inserted the stethoscope into his ears and leaned over her daughter.

  “Mrs. Roberts, a nurse will be in shortly to apply patches along her chest and one on her toe.”

  “Do you know what’s wrong with her?”

  The doctor didn’t answer. She waited while he examined Katherine, but after a few more seconds passed, her eyes bored into him. “Doctor—” she glanced at the name badge that hung from his white coat. “Dr. Moore.”

  He turned and stuffed his stethoscope back into his pocket. “I believe she has apnea, but we’ll need to run a few tests.”

  Wasn’t that a sleeping disorder? It took a moment before her focus met the doctor’s gaze. “When will you know?”

  “I’ll have more of an idea once we start monitoring her heart and oxygen levels.”

  “Hopefully my husband will be here soon.” She lowered her head as she felt Sam’s arm encircle her waist.

  “He will, Elizabeth,” Sam reassured.

  “Dr. Moore, this is my sister, Samantha.”

  “The nurse should be here shortly.” He nodded, then slipped from the room.

  Elizabeth pulled away from her sister and wrapped her arms around her middle. “Where are they, Sam? Where is Chris?”

  “He’s right here.” Phillip stood in the doorway.

  Elizabeth ran to Chris, burying her face in his shirt. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “How is she?” Chris’s arms came around her in a loose hug.

  “I don’t know.” Elizabeth inhaled his spiced aftershave as she reluctantly moved from the warmth of his arms. Her tears left marks on his shirt. She slid her hand across one of the moist spots, where a button was undone.

  Sam’s face tightened. “What took you guys so long to get here?”

  Chris buttoned his shirt.

  Phillip stepped forward. “When I couldn’t reach Chris on his cell, I went to his office and waited until he returned.”

  “Where were you?” Suspicions gnawed at Elizabeth’s gut. Like a flash of lightning, she remembered the cigarette she’d found in Chris’s car two weeks ago, stamped with mauve lipstick.

  “I had a dinner engagement. I turned off my cell for the meeting, but if I had known Katherine was ill, I’d—”

  Elizabeth’s hands fell to her sides. “You did know. I told you Katherine had stopped breathing twice before. You told me it was all in my head.”

  She never dreamed her life would be like this, standing in a hospital while her daughter struggled for each breath and her husband enjoyed life without her.

  Chris walked to Katherine’s side and ran a finger along her face. Tears glistened in his eyes. Drawn to comfort him, she moved toward the crib. But when he turned and saw her approaching, he looked away.

  A nurse breezed into the room. “Mrs. Roberts, my name is Brooke. I’ve come to put some patches on this sweet little thing.” She placed her hand on Katherine. “Dr. Moore has ordered several tests for tomorrow but in the meantime, we’re going to monitor her through the night.”

  “What are you monitoring?” Chris asked.

  “Her breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels. Now, Dad, if you don’t mind giving me some room to work. It shouldn’t take me too long.”

  The nurse placed white circular patches on Katherine’s chest, then strapped a glowing cord on her toe. Wires dangled everywhere.

  “I won’t be able to hold her,” Elizabeth moaned.

  “Being at a children’s hospital, Mrs. Roberts, we cater to children and their parents. This crib she’s lying in will hold both you and her. Actually, it’s not unusual for moms to sleep in there with their babies. Besides, those patches aren’t going anywhere so you are free to hold her at any time.” After applying the last patch, the nurse stepped back. “All finished. I’ll be by later, but don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.” Phillip kissed Sam on her forehead. “Does anyone need anything before I go?”

  Elizabeth leaned over the crib and stroked Katherine’s hair. “Sam, go home with your husband. There’s nothing you can do, and Chris is here now so I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”r />
  “Yes.” Elizabeth hugged her sister in a tight embrace. “If I didn’t have you, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

  “Well, little sis, that’s something you don’t need to worry about.”

  “Before we go, I want us to pray.” Phillip took his wife’s hand. Chris hesitated, then moved into the circle as they began. “Lord, we come humbly before You because Katherine is struggling to breathe. Please be with her little body, Lord, and heal her. Be with Chris and Elizabeth through this time. Amen.”

  Sam squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “If you need me, call. All right?”

  “I will.”

  After they left, Elizabeth didn’t know what to say to her husband, but she needed him. “Will you hold me?”

  Chris ambled over and wrapped his arms around her. Sobs racked Elizabeth’s body as she tried to catch her breath.

  Tears that were not her own trailed down her face as Chris clung to her.

  “I love you, Chris. I love you so much.”

  Chris drew back. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I’m so sorry.”

  She searched his tear-streaked face and red eyes. What she saw frightened her. “What is it?”

  “I have to go.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand.

  “I need you.” She reached out and gripped his arm. “Don’t leave me. Not now.”

  Chris pulled away from her. “I can’t stay, or I’ll lose you.” He darted to the door.

  “Lose me? Chris, wait!” Elizabeth called after him, but he disappeared down the hospital corridor.

  As she reentered Katherine’s room, Elizabeth dragged her heart through the door. Her mind screamed from the taste of fear, while anger toward Chris trickled into her veins like ice water. If Chris didn’t want her, so be it. As long as she had Katherine, she could live through anything.

  ****

  Chris ran through the parking lot, passing cars of every color and size, including his own. He pushed himself harder, faster, desperate to escape.

  He didn’t want to think about his broken promises or what he’d done. Nothing would ever be the same, and the blame landed on him.

  God. He almost laughed as he ran. How long had it been since he’d thought of Him?