“Yes!” Morrison nodded before laughing again when Amy lifted the hem of her shirt and blew a raspberry on her stomach. “Stop, Mommy, stop!”
Amy chuckled and kissed the toddler against before holding her out towards Ronnie. Ronnie took her in her arms, the corner of her mouth creeping up when the girl put her head on her shoulder, sticking her thumb in her mouth.
“Make sure you're a good boy, too, Tommy.” Amy crouched down and adjusted his jacket before patting him on the rear. She kissed her forehead before straightening up and ruffling his hair. She looked at Ronnie. “The park is just down the street. A lot of the neighborhood kids play there, so I normally let Tommy play with them, as long as he stays where I can see him. Morrie can play on the smaller playground, but I promise that as soon as she sees Tommy go down a slide, shes going to try and follow him.”
Ronnie nodded. “Noted. Tommy can play with other kids, Morrie is a little explorer.”
Amy bit her lip before crossing her arms again. “Are you sure you're good with taking them? They'll get over it if you don't want to take them. We can just put on a movie for them, or they can play in the backyard for a while. They won't mind.”
“I'm sure we will be fine.” Ronnie stuck her tongue out and winked. “I've watched my niece and my nephew before. How hard can it be?”
8
Watching Morrison and Tommy was much harder than Ronnie expected it to be. Tommy seemed to fly from one end of the playground to the other, and by the time Ronnie got Morrison to stop trying to flip off the side of the slide, she had to dart across the sand to stop Tommy from sticking a clump of something in his mouth. Then, Morrison decided she wanted to potty “like a big kid!” regardless of Tommy's insistence that Amy hadn't started potty-training her out of the house yet.
It was especially difficult when Morrison's attempt at using the restroom ended up with both girls having soaked shoes and streaks down their legs.
“It's okay, sweetheart,” Ronnie assured the toddler as she used a handful of paper towels to mop up the floor, putting the little girl on the sink and stuffing her shoes. She glanced out the open door at Tommy, groaning at the sight of the boy covered in dust. He seemed happy, laughing and jumping with his friends, a complete foil to the sickly kid that Ronnie saw in the hospital that first day. Ronnie wasn't looking forward to explaining to Amy that she had managed to allow both children to become absolutely filthy in the hour-and-a-half that they had been in her care, but at least Tommy was happy.
Ronnie looked up when Morrison let out another sob, holding apart the loose sides of her pull-up. “Broken,” she said, pushing the sides together again before letting out a sound of frustration when the Velcro didn't stick.
Ronnie put Morrison's shoes on the ground next to her and straightened up, kissing the girl on the head before correctly hooking the Velcro and straightening the girl's clothes. “There, is that better?” she asked, bending down again to pick up Morrison's shoes and putting them in an empty trash bag she found behind the sink.
Morrison shook her head and pulled on Ronnie's shirt, burying her face against Ronnie's stomach. “Hold you,” she begged, sniffing loudly before rubbing a long line of snot into Ronnie's blouse. Ronnie did her best not to grimace at how disgusting she felt as she picked Morrison up.
“Come on, sweetie, let's get your brother and walk back to the house.” Morrison nodded against her shoulder. Ronnie picked up the trash bag and walked out of the bathroom, adjusting her hold on Morrison so the girl was on her hip rather than straddling her stomach. She made her way over to Tommy, whistling between her teeth to get the boy's attention.
Tommy looked up at the sound, then pouted when he saw Ronnie and his sister coming towards him. “Awe, do we have to go home already?” he groaned, sticking his chin up and his shoulders drooping, his back arching so much he was nearly bent in half. “We just got here!”
“I'm sure dinner is almost ready, and your sister needs to get cleaned up. She had an accident.” Ronnie couldn't help but wince as her shoes squished uncomfortably at the reminder. “Come on, say goodbye to your friends.”
Tommy groaned again but did as he was asked, turning towards his friends. “Bye, guys,” he said before sticking his lower lip out and looking at Ronnie. He started walking slowly before suddenly straightening up, his eyes wide and his excitement back as he saw a dog near the entrance of the park. “Oh! Look, Morrie! A puppy!”
Morrison let out a squeal and wiggled in Ronnie's arms. “Pet puppy?” she asked, turning her head and fluttering her eyelashes at Ronnie. Ronnie sighed but nodded, following Tommy over to the girl walking the dog.
From across the park, the girl didn't look like she was any older than ten or eleven, but as Ronnie got closer, she realized that she was much older than that. In fact, she was nearing twenty, and was simply petite due to her illness. She was pale enough to be mistaken for a ghost, and her white-blonde hair set off the deep violet color of her eyes. She was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and a “Slytherin rox my Sox” sweatshirt, singing under her breath as her border collie sniffed around a tree excitedly.
“Kendall!” Ronnie exclaimed, her own face lighting up as she recognized the girl as one of the success stories she had experienced in the year-and-a-half that she had been in the pediatric ward.
Kendall Motoga had been living in the pediatric ward almost full-time when Ronnie had started working there, her parents unable to manage her care in the comfort of their own home. She suffered from cystic fibrosis and, with a weakened immune system, she was sick more often than not. Her parents did everything they could to keep her away from germs: they home-schooled her, they had her wear a mask outside of the house, they gave her the healthiest and freshest organic food, but it never was enough. Every other week, if not every week, Kendall was readmitted to the hospital with all sorts of ailments: pneumonia, fever, was even nearly taken out by a serious bout of strep.
Two months after Ronnie met the Motoga family, they were met with tragedy when the father, Mr. James Matoga, was killed in an automobile accident on his way home from work as an instructor at the local community college. It had been snowing all day, and another car hit a patch of black ice on the highway. The driver tried to regain control of the car, but he was unsuccessful, crashing head-on into Jimmy's car. Both drivers were killed on impact. The passenger of the second car was unconscious, but she still had pulse. Unfortunately, she was nearly gone by the time that the ambulance had made it to the hospital.
Her lungs, however, were a near perfect match to Kendall's, and a transplant was able to be done successfully.
Now, almost a year later, the girl looked completely different. She was still very thin, but Ronnie could see smooth fat deposits beneath her cheeks and around her body. The dog was pulling on her arm and jumping around excitedly as she wagged her tail at the children, and Kendall was holding the leash without so much as breaking a sweat.
Kendall stared at Ronnie for a moment before she recognized her, too. “Hi, Ms. Ronnie!” she said, pulling on the leash and moving forward to give Ronnie a quick hug. “Oh, I didn't know you had kids! They're so cute! Do they want to pet Moxie?”
Morrison let out an excited squeal as Ronnie put her on the ground. She reached out, tangling her fingers in the dog's dark fur. Tommy squatted down next to the dog and hugged it around it's neck, laughing when it gave him a big, sloppy kiss across both cheeks. Ronnie smiled and ruffled Morrison's hair before looking back at Kendall. “They're not mine, but they're two of the sweetest kids I've ever met”“ She glanced over Kendall again, her eyes catching on her stomach when she saw how taut the sweater was around a small bump. Ronnie gasped. “Kendall, are . . . ?”
Kendall glanced down and blushed, nodding as she put a hand against her stomach. “I'm due in February. It's a little boy.” The corner of her mouth quirked up. “My mom's thrilled. I mean, I know I'm too young to be a mom, but she . . . well, she never thought she'd get to be a grandma, so . . . ” She tra
iled off, looking back down at the ground.
Ronnie reached out and took Kendall's hand, squeezing it softly. Kendall looked up. “Hey, you're going to be an amazing mom. You've gone through so much already, this baby is just one more miracle for you to celebrate. Do you have a name for him?”
Kendall nodded. “Yeah. Colin James. After my dad.” She sniffed, looking away again as her eyes turned glassy. She blinked several times before looking back down at the children. She crouched down next to them, kissing the top of the dog’s head. “So what are your names?”
Tommy answered first, laughing when the dog licked him again. “I'm Tommy, and Morrison is my baby sister.”
“I not baby, I two!” Morrison interrupted, giggling and holding up two fingers.
Kendall pretended to gasp. “Oh, my! You're such a big girl!”
Morrison nodded proudly. Tommy shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Kendall let the children pet the dog a few more times before she stood up, pushing down on her quads to balance her weight as she moved. “It's been great seeing you again, Ms. Ronnie,” she said, smiling at her, “but I need to get going. I have class at Meramec in an hour. I'm studying to be a LPN. I want to do the kind of work you do.”
“That's wonderful, Kendall. I'm sure you're going to be great at it.” She leaned forward and hugged the girl again before leaning down and scooping up Morrison. “Okay, kiddos, we better get you home before your mom finishes up dinner. Tell the puppy bye.”
“Bye, bye, puppy,” Morrison said, waving her hand before putting her head back on Ronnie's shoulder.
Tommy scratched the dogs ears. “Bye, puppy.”
Ronnie adjusted Morrison on her hip. “It was really good to see you again, Kendall. I'm glad you're doing so well.”
Kendall smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Ronnie. Have a good night.” She pulled on the dog’s leash and turned around, walking in the other direction.
Ronnie watched her walk away before taking Tommy's hand. “Okay, sweeties. Off we go.”
***
By the time Ronnie arrived home a few hours later, she was exhausted. Working with kids all day was one thing, but it was a whole other ball game when there wasn't a whole nursing staff around. She had helped Amy finish up with dinner, and then after they had eaten, she helped give Morrison a bath while Tommy took a shower in the other bathroom. They played with dinosaurs in the living room while watching a movie, and by the time Amy had announced that if was time for the little ones to go to bed, Ronnie was ready to go to sleep herself.
She gave the children a hug goodnight before giving Amy one as well, thanking her for such a wonderful afternoon. It really was the most fun that she had had in a long time.
Now, though, a half hour after Ronnie had walked through her front door, she couldn't stop thinking about the other woman. There had only been a few brief touches between the women, but it was enough to send shock waves through Ronnie's skin.
Maybe “admiration” really wasn't the correct word for what she was feeling.
Ronnie slouched down on the couch and ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a breath as she ran her fingers over her phone screen. She had sent Amy a message to let her know that she had gotten home safely, but she hadn't gotten a reply back.
I bet she's asleep by now, Ronnie thought as she shifted her body, kicking her legs up over the arm rest. She had a crazy day.
She was just about ready to go to bed, herself. Before she could sleep, though, she had a few things that she needed to get done.
She set the alarm on her phone to get up for work before pulling up her contacts, scrolling idly for a moment before clicking on Kenny's name.
The phone rang only twice before Kenny answered. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey. How's work going?” Ronnie leaned down and pulled a blanket out from under the couch. She threw it over herself, shaking her head when she heard a low meow from under the cushions.
“It's fine, bit of a slow night. Just doing some paperwork. Did you and your mom find anything good today?”
“Did we－what?” Ronnie's brows furrowed in confusion before her eyes opened wide. “Oh! Yeah, we, uh, found a thing or two that we agreed on.”
“That's good. Did you finally decide who you're going to use as bridesmaids, besides your sister?”
“Not yet”
Kenny started to answer, but he cut off suddenly, clearing his throat. She wasn't positive, but she thought she could hear Kenny's sergeant, Caroline Masters, giggling in the background.
Sure enough, Kenny answered whatever the woman had said before speaking to Ronnie again. “I'm on the phone, Carrie, but I'll . . . I'll check in a minute, okay?” He cleared his throat again. “Sorry, baby, but duty calls. Get some sleep and I'll see you after work tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. Have a good night. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Ronnie ended the call and lowered the phone onto the arm of the couch. She rolled onto her side and dangled her arm, wiggling her fingers and chuckling when Reagan pounced on her hand and began to roll around, swatting at her wrist and gnawing on her nails. The cat bit down a few times before darting away, grabbing her favorite stuffed mouse and throwing it from under the couch and across the floor.
Ronnie didn't let Reagan get the toy. She grabbed it and shook it, her smile growing when Reagan's eyes widened and her tail began to shake. Ronnie moved the toy from left to right. Reagan followed the movement, her whole body vibrating before she launched herself off the floor toward the mouse. Ronnie tossed it, and Reagan nearly bent herself in half trying to flip over and catch it.
Ronnie threw the stuffed mouse a few more times before rubbing the cat’s head and pulling her up to the couch, holding her onto her stomach and petting her until Reagan settled down and started to purr. Ronnie turned her head and snuggled into the pillow, letting her eyes drift shut and her breathing even out as she thought about her day.
9
The weeks went by, and Ronnie found herself texting Amy and talking to her on the phone nearly every night. Kenny was working a lot of overtime, so whenever Ronnie wasn't at work or catching up with her co-workers (she seriously needed more friends) she was with Amy.
It got so bad that even when she was with her co-workers, they were teasing her about how often she was glued to her phone.
“You know,” Laci started, reaching out and tilting Ronnie's phone down, trying to see what she and Amy were talking about, “if you weren't marrying a dude, I'd say that you've got it bad for your phone buddy.”
Ronnie fought the blush rising to her cheeks. “Shut up.” She reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, clicking her phone off and putting it face-down on the table. Laci and she were taking a break at the coffee station, letting the ache of the morning wash away with the free coffee that Laci's new girlfriend was providing them (Bethany had finally owned up to her feelings with a perfectly spiced pumpkin latte). “She's just a friend.”
“Uh-huh, and I'm the Easter Bunny.” She raised an eyebrow when Ronnie's phone vibrated. “Seriously. Does she work or what?”
Ronnie resisted the urge to check the message, clicking the button on the side to silence the vibrating. “Uhm, yeah. She works at Capulet Café.”
“Why does that sound so familiar?” Laci slouched down in her chair, tapping her fingers against the plastic table and chewing on her lip. “What's her last name again?”
“Uhm, Vascar. Amy Vascar.” She glanced down at her phone, her fingers itching to read the messages as it buzzed again. “I think she's a barista there.”
Laci narrowed her eyes before opening them wide and sitting up straight. “Amy and Tony Vascar! They own the restaurant!” She snapped her fingers, nodding her head. “My brother and Tony used to be friends, and I remember him saying that he owned a café with his sister. I knew the name sounded familiar!”
Ronnie shook her head. “No, Laci, her name sounds familiar because her son was a patient here a few m
onths ago. Remember? He had a kidney transplant. He was here for over a week.”
“No! I swear, it's the same girl. Here, hold on.” She pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and opened her Siri, telling the Android the name of the café before turning the device around excitedly. “See? That's her, right? That's Amy?”
Ronnie looked at the picture. It was a group shot, and sure enough, Amy was in the middle in a striped purple-and-gray sweater, her hair curled and framing her face.
Andrea was standing next to her.
Ronnie swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, that's her.”
Laci turned the phone around and scrolled past the picture. She tapped on something on her screen, her brows immediately furrowing and her nose scrunching up in confusion. “Wait, it says here that the picture is David and Tony Ramirez-Vascar, and Amy and Andrea Vascar.” She looked up at Ronnie, her expression serious. “Ronnie, is Amy married? I don't remember another woman coming around when her son was sick.”
“She's . . . divorced,” Ronnie admitted, wringing her fingers. “She said her wife couldn't handle Tommy being sick or the possibility that Morrie could get sick, too, so . . . Amy is raising the kids on her own.”
“So, what, Andrea ended the marriage because Tommy needed a new kidney? Does she still see the kids at all?” Ronnie hesitated before shaking her head. Laci let out an angry breath. “Wow. So she just left her family behind just because her kids were sick? What if they needed her?”
“We see it all the time, Laci. Sometimes people aren't strong enough to deal with it.” She took a sip of her white mocha latte and looked down at the table. “Andrea just . . . she couldn't do it.”
Laci rolled her eyes and let out a breath through her nose. Ronnie couldn't help but feel the same way. Like she had said, it did happen all the time, but each and every time surprised her more and more. There were so many amazing kids out there, so many that had been forgotten by their families when they got sick. She didn't understand it, especially when the kids in question were Morrison and Tommy Vascar. They were two of the sweetest kids Ronnie had ever met, and Andrea was an idiot for leaving them behind.
In Her Hands Page 6
