by Amy DeMeritt
“This looks like a mess. I think I’ll wait for you to clean this up before I look through it.” I smile and hand her a plate. I love that Bailey values my participation in her writing process. She really doesn’t need my help, but it’s wonderful to be able to be a part of such brilliance.
“Ok. After we eat, I’ll organize your thoughts for you. But you have a great start so far. It sounds like it’ll be a very beautiful book when you finish it. It’s going to blow Tuesdays with Morrie out of the water.”
Bailey laughs and shakes her head. “I don’t know about that. But I am excited to write it. I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a novel for years, but I never really considered I could actually do it.”
“Well, I know you can. I think we need to take a visit to our favorite vineyard this weekend and buy a case or two of wine. We are going to need ‘brain fuel’ to get this masterpiece out of your mind and onto pages.”
“Yeah, that would be nice. I actually would like to do one of the tours with you. I want to walk through those rows and rows of grapes, holding your hand while inhaling the sweet perfume of the grapes made airborne by the sun warming their tender flesh.”
“Mm… I love when you speak so artistically, like you are painting a picture in my mind.” Bailey smiles and gently kisses my cheek.
“Are you going to be able to get up on time for work tomorrow if we stay up any longer after we eat? Maybe we should finish this tomorrow night.”
“Are you tired?” She bites her bottom lip and slowly turns her head side to side. I smile and nod my head once. “Then we are staying up. I’ll be ok.”
After we finish eating, I pour Bailey and I another glass of wine, I pull out my laptop, and we get to work organizing her thoughts and ideas for her first novel.
A novel has much more content than a magazine article so we opt for a more traditional “outline” format than the little “story tree” we have been using for organizing her articles.
We have finished a pretty decent outline that answers who the characters are, what they want, what they go through, and what the outcome will be. Just as Bailey is taking a sip of her third glass of wine, she smiles and opens a blank document.
I sit back and wait as Bailey furiously types away. Every couple minutes, she pauses, bites the corner of her bottom lip like she is thinking, and then after a minute or so, she starts typing again. After about an hour, Bailey exhales with a big smile and places the laptop on my lap for me to read.
I soak up every word like it is soul quenching lemonade on a blistering hot summer day. Every sentence brings me to happy beautiful places. After a page, I feel like I’m seeing the story in front of me and no longer seeing words. I’m transported into the story and feel like I am the character. When I reach the end of the chapter she wrote, I find myself frantically clicking the down arrow looking for more content.
I look up at Bailey and she is nervously watching me with her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Bailey, this is probably the best opening chapter I have ever read. I was riveted and couldn’t wait to read more. If every chapter is like this one, I think you will have a lot of ‘bloodshot eyed readers’ when this goes to print.”
“Really? You aren’t just saying that because you’re my girlfriend and want to support me?” I laugh and shake my head. “I will never falsely pump your ego, babe. This is my honest, heartfelt opinion. I can’t wait to read more.”
Bailey wraps her arms around me and kisses the side of my neck. I hold her a moment and when she pulls back, she gently kisses my lips. “Ok, I think I’m ready to go to sleep. Do you mind if I stay the night?”
“Nope. Let’s back your work up and then go to bed.”
Bailey grabs a flash drive out of her purse and saves the work she did while I clean up from dinner.
By the time we lay down, it’s around midnight. I have to be up in four short hours, but staying up this late was totally worth it.
Chapter Eighteen
“Look at you girls! You are just glowing! You must have done nothing but lay on the beach the whole time you were in California.” Bailey and I laugh as my mom envelops us both in a huge hug. After giving us both a kiss on the cheek, she takes our hands and pulls us along after her. “So, what did you bring me back from the ‘golden’ state?” I laugh and shake my head.
“Who said we brought you anything back?”
“Well, that bag you’re carrying isn’t luggage, so obviously, you have a present for me.”
We all sit down in my mom’s living room that’s full of mismatched furniture, lots of animal and fairy figurines, and lamps that look like she stole from the set of a 1960’s TV show. Next to the recliner, my mom has a basket of various health and home magazines that she never reads and I never understood why she subscribes to them. It makes me smile every time I see that damn basket full of unfulfilled dreams and resolutions.
My mom sits down in the recliner and Bailey and I sit down on the couch across from her. My mom reaches her hands out, jiggling her fingers in a “give me” motion with a big smile on her face. “Hand it over, Piper. I know it’s for me.”
I exhale slightly impatiently and laugh at her. “Fine, Mother.” I hand her the bag and she hops in an excited way as she sits up straighter to open the bag.
I look at Bailey and she’s fighting trying not to laugh. Bailey really likes my mom, even though she’s a bit nutty sometimes.
My mom is a super cat lady, without the actual cats. She has terrible allergies that prevent her from being able to own any, but even if she didn’t, she definitely does not have the time to look after them with how much she works. So, instead of collecting and feeding every stray cat in town, my mom collects cat merchandise – like oven mitts, figurines, tissue box holders, couch pillows, etcetera. My mom’s decor is very eclectic, but primarily cats.
The first item she pulls out is an unnecessary addition to her already ridiculous cat collection, but I just couldn’t pass this one up because I know she doesn’t have one.
“Oh cool. I love this, girls!”
She keeps turning the wine topper over in her hands, inspecting the details. Bailey had actually spotted it in a gift shop at a vineyard that Angela took us to. The wine we sampled was really good, but I’m still partial to the wine from our local vineyard. The wine topper is a cat standing on its hind legs, with its front paws up in a begging pose. It’s carved out of olive wood from the olives that are also grown on the property – now, those were something delicious. We also brought her a couple jars of those.
My mom goes through the bag, pulling each item out with a big smile on her face. In addition to the wine topper, a bottle of wine, and two jars of olives, we also got her a San Diego beach sleep shirt with a cat laying out on the beach. It has a silly joke on there about “cats preferred form of bathing”. I thought it was perfectly corny and befitting for my mom’s odd obsession with this creature. Just as I knew she would, she laughs really hard when she reads the shirt.
“Girls, you spoiled me. Thank you so much. So, I want to hear all about your trip. What all did you do?”
“Glad you like everything, Mom. It was a great trip. Angela was a great hostess and her place was really nice, but we were also able to get out and have our own little adventures as well.”
“Yeah, it was so beautiful there. There was just so much to see and do. By the third day though, we were just so obsessed with the beautiful beaches that it was hard to pull ourselves away from them to go do anything else.”
“I see that. You both are very tan. That’s good though. While the rest of us pale mountain folk will go into winter still pale from last winter, you two will come out of winter still glowing next spring.” I laugh and shake my head at my mom’s “pale mountain folk” quip.
“So, it wasn’t weird being there with Angela?” My mom knows I had once been in love with the blogger and that she had come out here just to connect with me. She thought it was very weird and a very bad idea for u
s to take the trip out there and stay with her. But her worries had been unnecessary.
“Nope, no issues. It was very nice. Angela is actually dating a very nice woman she had met after revealing her identity on her blog. I teased her that her blog is going to turn into her personal dating website now.”
“Well, that’s great. It was very brave of her to finally be honest with her readers about who she is. I’m glad it’s going so well for her.”
Just as I’m about to answer, my purse starts buzzing. I reach inside and pull my cell phone out. I read the new text and instant panic rises up in me and chokes me. I stand up and try to sputter out something about having to go, but I can’t get it out.
“Piper, calm down. What’s the matter?” I try again, but my words just can’t come out, so I hand Bailey my phone. She reads the text and her face goes pale. “Oh no. It’s Naomi and the baby.”
My mom jumps to her feet and takes my hand. We get halfway to the front door and my mom comes to an abrupt stop. “Hold on one second.” She runs away and then rushes back with a bottle of whiskey. “Piper, two, right now.” I shake my head and my mom pours the shot anyway. “Piper, I know how you get in these situations, and we do not need you admitted to the hospital with heart issues from your anxiety level. Just trust me.”
I don’t like hard liquor and as I shoot back the dark liquid, I’m reminded why. It burns so damn bad that I almost cough the liquid right back out again. My mom starts to pour another shot, but I shake my head.
“Mom, one is fine. I can’t handle the hard stuff like you can. Please, can we go now?”
My mom insists on driving, saying that neither Bailey or I should drive because we’re both too emotional. I know she’s trying to hurry, while still being safe, but her speed just seems entirely too slow. I’m unreasonably frustrated that the car cannot sprout wings and fly like a jet to the hospital.
The trip takes us nearly twenty minutes because of the number of traffic lights we have to sit through and getting stuck behind a couple public transportation buses. I actually feel the alcohol start to work halfway through the trip and I’m able to restrain myself from yelling out the window for people crossing in the crosswalk to get the hell out of our way. Good call on the shot, Mom.
When we come into the maternity ward, I send Henry a text to let him know we’re here. The receptionist, of course, tells us we cannot go back, so we take a seat in the waiting area.
Several minutes later, I still haven’t heard back from Henry, and that’s making my nerves even worse. I’m sitting forward with my elbows on my knees, my legs are bouncing on the balls of my feet, and I’m barely holding up the flood gates. If I don’t hear something soon, I think I will turn into a sobbing hysterical mess.
“Miss? Can you come up here, please?”
I look up and the receptionist is standing and motioning for me to come over. We all stand and walk over to her.
“You are here to see Naomi Radcliffe, correct?” I nod my head and she motions to a couple double doors down the hall, saying, “Mr. Radcliffe just approved you to come back. You won’t be able to stay long, just a quick visit.”
When we get to the room, Naomi is hooked up to a bunch of machines, is pale, and does not look good at all. I rush to her bedside and crumble. I start bawling my eyes out into her neck.
“Hey sweetie.”
I look at her face and she tries to smile, but she’s too weak. I hear urgent whispers behind me. Henry and my mom are talking and then I hear unfamiliar voices get into the mix; they must be nurses. I can’t hear what they are saying though – I feel almost like I’m in a wind tunnel. I’m almost in a full on panic.
“Naomi, what’s happening? Please, you have to be ok. You and your baby.”
“We will be. Please try to relax, Piper. I love you.”
“Naomi, don’t close your eyes. Naomi! I love you, Naomi. Henry, why is she closing her eyes?”
I look back at Henry and he and a couple nurses quickly rush forward. Another nurse grabs my arms and starts gently guiding me backwards. I try to pull away and get back to Naomi’s side, but a few more people quickly grab onto me and start pulling me out of the room.
“No, please let me go back to her side.” I’m crying hysterically. I feel like I’m hyperventilating. Everything around me is getting blurry with my panic and the tears in my eyes. I hear my mom’s voice nearby say, “Yes, give it to her now.”
Something cold brushes my arm and then I feel a sharp stabbing prick in my arm. I gasp and try to pull away, but there are a few arms holding me down so I can’t move.
A warm sensation flows up my arm and I feel an odd sense of calm rush over me, like snow falling on the ugliest parts of the city, making it look clean and pure.
“What… What’s happening?”
A nurse presses her palm to my cheek and asks me to follow her finger with my eyes. I obey and she smiles. “Feeling better now?”
“I… what did you do to me?”
“I just gave you a little cocktail to calm you down. Good thing your mom was here and recognized the signs of your panic attack. She asked us to get this ready as soon as you saw your friend.”
“Is that even allowed?” She smiles and shrugs a shoulder. “Yes. Having consent from your mom helps, but also, if we think your health is at risk, we can administer the medicine to bring you under control. Come on, you’ll have to wait in the waiting room now.”
“Wait, what’s happening with Naomi? Why is she here? She’s only seven months pregnant.”
“Normally, we can’t give you that kind of information, but Mr. Radcliffe gave us authorization to keep you informed on Naomi’s condition. She has gone into early labor. Her and the baby’s blood pressure is dropping too low to be able to make it through a natural birth, so she is being rushed into an emergency C-section.”
My brain logically knows it should be panicking from this news, but whatever this girl gave me is not allowing me to.
“Is she going to be ok? Her and the baby?”
“It is a pretty routine procedure and complications are rare.”
I just nod my head and allow her and Bailey to pull me up from the bench they had all forced me to sit down on. I sway slightly, and they both grip me behind the elbows.
“I feel very sleepy. Is that normal?”
“It is. You may actually fall asleep for a little bit. Don’t try to fight it. Just try to relax. As soon as news is available, we’ll share it with you.”
They actually make me sit in a wheelchair to get back out to the waiting room and then help me out of it and into a regular chair. Bailey and my mom sit on either side of me and Bailey wraps an arm around me. I rest my head on her shoulder and feel my eyes start to close.
When I open my eyes again, I’m lying in a bed facing a window with its curtains closed. My head is very foggy. Where am I? Just as I’m turning my head, I feel a hand on my arm and Bailey is at my side with a small smile on her beautiful face.
“Hey sleepy head.” I smile at her and she bends down to kiss me. “Where am I?”
“Look to your right.” I look over and see Naomi lying in a bed next to me with a small smile on her face watching me. I bolt straight up and immediately grab my head. “Oh god, my head.” Bailey helps me to lay back down.
“Hey sweetie. I heard they had to tranquilize your ass to get you to calm down.”
I look over at Naomi and the pounding in my head starts to slowly subside.
“Naomi, you’re ok. How is the baby?”
“Yes, I’m ok. The baby is doing ok, but will have to stay in the hospital for a bit. She is just a tiny little thing.” I smile really big. “You had a girl? Does she look like you? What did you name her?”
Naomi and Henry didn’t want to know the sex of the baby till it was born. I was secretly hoping she would have a girl.
“I think it’s too early to know which of us she looks like the most. Maybe in a few more weeks we will be able to tell. We named her Eli
se.”
“That’s a pretty name. I like that. Are you in pain?”
“I’m on some pretty good pain killers right now, so the pain is minimal, unless I move around.”
“How long do you have to stay in here?”
“Just a few days, probably.” She frowns and looks down a moment. “I won’t be able to take Elise home for some time though since she was born so prematurely.”
“I’m sorry, Naomi. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I’ll let you know if I think of anything. Maybe tomorrow you can come tell me all about your trip to California.”
“Yeah, definitely. I guess this means no eighth month nude photo shoot, huh?” Naomi laughs hard and then moans. “Oh god, that hurts. Don’t make me laugh, sweetie.”
“I’m sorry, Naomi.” She smiles and shakes her head. “You’re fine. I think I’m going to fall asleep soon. You should go home and get some rest, sweetie, you look like a wreck.”
“Well, thanks.” She smiles in a sleepy way and blows me a kiss. “Ok, we’ll get out of your hair. Please text or call if you need anything.”
Chapter Nineteen
I reach out, searching for Bailey, but don’t feel her body where it should be. I open my eyes and a small impression in the sheets where she had been laying is all that I see next me. I sit up and smile. It’s been over eight months since Bailey first led me into her bedroom, but I still smile every time I wake up in here.
I look around for my shirt, but don’t see it anywhere. I wrap myself in her sheet and walk out to the living room. Bailey is sitting cross legged with her laptop in her lap and she is typing away so fast I am surprised there isn’t smoke coming off the keys. I sit down next to her and kiss her cheek.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
She smiles and slowly turns to look at me, fingers still typing away even though her eyes have left the screen. I love when she does that. I think it’s so hot that she can type, nearly flawlessly, without even looking at the screen or the keys.
