Life's Second Chances: The Show Me Series: Book One

by Anne Stone

  Alejandro started the car.

  “I really wanted Matthew to be the first one to know about the baby. But just as long as he finds out before my family, I’ll be happy with that.”

  They drove the remainder of the way in silence, as she fell asleep just as they pulled away from his parents’ driveway.

  Chapter Thirty

  The next morning Angelina phoned her mother. She discovered that her family would all be home the following evening and not that day like she’d hoped. She paged Alejandro at the hospital and suggested that they take Matthew out to dinner to tell him the big news instead. She phoned Maria and told her that they wouldn’t be able to tell her parents until the following day. Angelina assured her that her mother would be calling her immediately upon discovering the news.

  That evening, Alejandro surprised Angelina with a bouquet of roses. “What’re these for?”

  “Just because I love you.”

  They also surprised Matthew with a trip to the local pizzeria. He liked playing video games while they waited for their pizza. Alejandro reached for her hand. He was sitting across the table from her. “This is it,” he said.

  “Yes, it sure is. I hope he’s okay with becoming a brother.”

  “I think he’ll be fine with it. When should we tell him?”

  “Let’s get our pizza first. Do you want to tell him?”

  “Why don’t you?”

  The pizza arrived just as Matthew finished his game. They started eating and listened while Matthew discussed his day at school. When he reached for a second slice of pizza, Alejandro started. “Matthew, we have a surprise for you.”

  “What is it? Can I guess?”

  “You can try. I’m not sure you’ll be able to.”

  “Let me try. Give me a clue.”

  “Okay. Let’s see… Angelina, what would be a good clue?”

  “It’s small.”

  Mathew jumped a little in his seat. “What else?”

  “Let me give it a try,” Alejandro said. “How about, we won’t be able to see it for a while?”

  “What else? Those aren’t very good clues.”

  Angelina looked at her husband. “How about, it may like the color pink or blue?” She smiled at Matthew when she gave her clue.

  “Are you having a baby?”

  They both nodded.

  “Cool. So I’m going to be a big brother? I’m going to have a little brother or sister?”

  “Yes. How do you feel about that?”

  “Wow. I can’t wait! This is the best news except for when you adopted me.”

  He jumped out of his seat, ran over, and hugged Angelina. “When will it be here?”

  “Oh, we have a few months yet.”

  They finished their dinner and went by Alejandro’s parents’ house after.

  “Grandma, did you hear the news?”

  “I sure did. What do you think?”

  “I’m so excited. I can’t wait. You know, I’ll be the best big brother ever. I’m going to teach it the alphabet and how to count—”

  “Honey, it’ll be a while before he or she can do that. But I’m sure you’ll be a great big brother.”

  While Matthew and Angelina talked with Maria, Alejandro sought out his father.

  “Dad, I wanted to chat with you for a few minutes.”

  “What’s up, son?”

  “I wanted your thoughts on Angelina’s pregnancy. What do you think happened? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful. It’s just…”

  “Son, don’t rack your brain trying to figure it out. Just be thankful.”

  “It’s just—”

  “Alejandro, don’t question it. It’s a miracle. You know medical science only goes so far. Sometimes we’re wrong. It happens all the time when couples who think they can’t have a baby pop-up pregnant. You’re a fabulous doctor. If you’re questioning your diagnosis, don’t. Just move on.”

  “I just wish we’d known before. Then Angelina wouldn’t have had to go through that heartbreak. That’s all.”

  “I understand. But just live in the moment and enjoy her pregnancy.”

  Alejandro agreed. It just bothered him that he’d put her through that time. He took full responsibility for it.

  The following day, they headed over to her parents’. When they pulled up in front of the house, Angelina reminded Matthew not to say a word about the baby—it was a surprise. With it being Sunday, her entire family was present. Even Kelly had come in from Atlanta for the weekend.

  Alejandro helped Matthew from the car while Angelina reached in the back for her bag. They walked around the back of the house and greeted everyone. Her mother was in the house preparing salads while her father had begun barbequing. Alejandro kissed Colleen and Kelly on the cheek. He hadn’t seen them in a while since he’d missed quite a few of their dinners over the last few months. He shook her father’s hand and asked if he could help. Matthew ran off to play with Wyatt. Angelina tried to help her mother, but Jackie insisted that she join the rest of the family on the patio. She was surprised that her mother hadn’t said anything about her weight loss, but she was happy that she didn’t have to deal with her about it. Alejandro’s mother had quite honestly taken it all out of her.

  “Time to eat,” Ben called as he removed the burgers from the grill. Her mother and Colleen had brought the remainder of the dishes from the house while Angelina went inside to get Matthew and her brother. Dinner was a pleasant event for a change as it was the direct opposite of the one held with Alejandro’s parents. She’d been stressed waiting for the next shoe to fall. Thankfully, she hadn’t experienced any nausea in the last day or so—the last bout was at her in-laws. She could only hope that she was over it.

  They finished dessert and, just as they were ready to clear the table, Alejandro stood. He reached for Angelina’s hand and she joined him. He put his hand around her shoulder and smiled at her.

  “Alejandro and I have an announcement to make.”

  “You’re not moving are you?” her mother asked.

  “No, why would you think that?”

  Her mother shrugged her shoulders.

  “Matthew’s okay, isn’t he?”

  “I’m great,” Matthew chimed in.

  Angelina smiled at her husband and he gripped her shoulders more tightly. “You’ll never begin to guess…”

  “Are either of you changing jobs?” asked Kelly.

  “Nope. I think we should just tell them. What you do you think, honey?”

  “Go ahead, Angelina. They’ll never guess.”

  Taking a deep breath she started, “Our news… Let’s see…”

  “Out with it,” cried Jackie.

  “We’re going to have a baby.”

  “You’re adopting another child? Don’t you think you should wait?”

  “No, it’s not that.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Chuckling, Alejandro thought that this was so much easier than dealing with his parents. Angelina took a deep breath, “We’re pregnant.”

  “What?” Jackie stammered. “Are you joking? Did you find a surrogate?”

  “No, Mom. We’re expecting. I’m going to have a baby.”

  “I thought…”

  “So did we. It’s a miracle. Our little miracle.”

  Jackie jumped up in delight and ran to her daughter. Both Ben and James shook Alejandro’s hand. Colleen and Kelly waited in line to hug their sister while Wyatt just stood there—he didn’t know who to congratulate first. He was just excited for his sister, then he and Matthew went inside to watch a hockey game on TV.

  “How long have you known?” asked Jackie.

  Angelina detailed the events over the last several weeks. She told her family that they’d wanted to wait until the following week, but had to spill the beans due to Alejandro’s mother.

  “So, how have you been feeling?”

  “Honestly, I’ve had morning sickness morning, noon, and night. I haven’t been able to keep
anything down.”

  “I noticed that you’d lost some weight but attributed it to Matthew’s transplant. I knew how upset you were. How has Matthew taken the news?”

  “He’s thrilled. He can’t wait to be a big brother.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  They enjoyed the remainder of the evening discussing the baby, Matthew, and life in general. When they decided to go home, Jackie told them that she’d be contacting Maria regarding their grandchild.

  Alejandro laughed, “She’s waiting to hear from you. My family is absolutely thrilled. Just do us one favor.”

  “And that is?”

  “Don’t go overboard like my mother. Please?”

  Winking at her son-in-law, she said, “I’ll try not to.”

  They left behind an overjoyed family. “Your parents were elated. I don’t think I’ve ever seen your mother like that.”

  “I know. I certainly thought she’d be harassing me about my weight, but she never thought twice about it. She just assumed it was because of Matthew. And that’s shocking because my mother was always on top of that.”

  Matthew fell asleep on the way home

  “Alejandro, how’s he doing?”

  “Just fine. I’m actually thrilled with his progress.”

  “I can’t believe how excited he is about the baby. He talks non-stop about being a big brother.”

  “I know, and I think it’s driving Gabriella crazy. She took him for ice cream after school and couldn’t wait to get him home. It’s question after question. Actually, she thought it was cute how excited he is. Alejandro, he’s really adjusted well between Duane and Jane’s deaths, his transplant, and now the baby.”

  “He has. We’re lucky, that’s for sure.”

  When they arrived home, Angelina headed off to bed while Alejandro carried Matthew to his bedroom. He settled him under the covers. Rarely did Alejandro take the time to sit with Matthew while he slept. Tonight was a different story. He pulled a chair beside his bed and watched him sleep. His mind drifted back to a time when he used to watch Michael sleep. That had been the most enjoyable part of his day. He’d sit and watch his son sleep and dream of the future that laid ahead for him and his family. He’d dream of baseball games, boy scouts, all of the fun times that he would have with his son. He’d often dreamed of Michael’s future siblings, but those days were over. Tammy and Michael were gone from his life.

  Alejandro found himself brushing the hair aside from Michael’s face. He was reliving their day. They’d gone to the park. He and Tammy had a blast at the playground. While Michael climbed on the various apparatuses, he pushed Tammy on the swings. Afterward, they’d found themselves at Michael’s favorite restaurant. Alejandro always enjoyed the time he spent with his family. They were his life.

  The next thing Alejandro felt was a coldness sweep across him. His heart rate accelerated. And fear… A fear that he’d never experienced before consumed him. He screamed Michael’s name and woke with a start. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. For a moment, he thought Matthew was Michael. He was confused when he woke, Tammy wasn’t there… Michael wasn’t there… They were forever gone. Then he realized it was just a dream, one that he’d been having quite frequently.

  He calmed himself as reality set in. Alejandro sat with Matthew for a few moments longer, then headed off to the den where he calmed himself with a drink. He’d been having these dreams a lot lately. They were so real and so unsettling. Before this round of dreams, he hadn’t dreamt of his family in quite some time… Why now? What brought about these dreams, these feelings? He threw himself down on the couch. Raising a hand to his forehead, he took a deep gulp of bourbon. Closing his eyes, he rehashed his day and tried to determine what was causing them.

  Angelina found him sitting in the den in the middle of the night. When she’d awakened and he hadn’t been beside her, she’d become worried. The last she’d seen him, he was putting Matthew to bed. When she found him, he was clutching his drink in one hand while the other was flung across his eyes. She sat beside him and reached for his glass.

  He hadn’t heard her enter the room. Softly, he said, “What’re you doing up? I thought you went to bed.”

  “I did. Alejandro, aren’t you coming to bed? It’s almost four in the morning.”

  “It is?”

  Shaking her head, she moved closer to him and placed her hand on his chest. “Honey, is something wrong?”

  “No. Why would you ask?”

  “Just a feeling, that’s all.”

  He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. They both drifted off to sleep there, and it’s where Matthew found them the next morning, nestled in one another’s arms.

  He wasn’t sure what to do. He stood there looking at them and then tapped Alejandro on the knee. Alejandro jumped up, practically knocking Angelina to the floor.

  “Matthew, is something wrong?”

  “No. But it’s morning. I have to get to school.”

  It took a few seconds before they both became fully alert. Alejandro looked at the clock and it was almost seven. He needed to get to the hospital. Angelina rushed to the shower and dressed while Alejandro quickly prepared breakfast. When Angelina reappeared almost forty-five minutes later, Alejandro had also showered and dressed. He ruffled Matthew’s hair and kissed Angelina goodbye. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you both this evening.”

  Alejandro rushed out the door. She wasn’t sure what was up with him but she’d find out.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Alejandro was feeling run down. He’d been pushing through the week since they’d told Angelina’s parents of the pregnancy. He’d just seen his last patient of the day and decided to stretch out on his office couch. It was early. He thought he’d get some rest before going home for the weekend since he was off and they had no plans. Alejandro covered his eyes with his forearm and drifted off to sleep. His dreams were again filled with memories.

  Angelina had expected him for an early dinner. They’d planned all week to visit his family. She knew his last patient left before noon and that he’d given his staff the remainder of the day off. It was nearly four o’clock and she hadn’t spoken with him. She was getting worried because he always stayed in touch with her. She’d tried his office and cell phone, and even had him paged at the hospital. No answer.

  Angelina called his mother and asked if she could drop Matthew off at their house. She let Maria know she was worried that she hadn’t heard from Alejandro. Maria told her not to worry, that she was sure he was just fine.

  “I know, it’s just that he hasn’t been acting like himself. I’m concerned. I’m going to run by his office just to make sure he’s okay.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you. Angelina?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine.”

  “I hope so. I just have this bad feeling, that’s all.”

  Angelina dropped Matthew off at his grandparents and headed to the hospital. The closer she got to the hospital, the more anxious she became. She pulled into the garage and sought Alejandro’s parking place. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his car parked in his assigned spot.

  She quickly found a parking spot and hurried to the clinic entrance. She pressed for the elevator, but it was too slow so she ran for the stairs. She entered the stairway and headed up the stairs towards his office. She was out of breath as she entered the hallway and had to stop to catch her breath. No one was in the hallway as she neared his office. The main door was locked, so she headed for his private door. Her hand shook as she tried the door—it was unlocked. Slowly she turned the knob and pushed open the door. Alejandro laid on the couch.

  She closed the door and called to him. He didn’t respond. She ran to his side and noticed he was covered in perspiration. She reached for his forehead. He was burning up. She tried to wake him. He was mumbling. “Alejandro?”

  She stroked his cheek as he continued to mumble. “Honey, wak
e up. I’m here.”

  “Tammy. Is that you?”

  Tammy, she thought. What’s going on with him?

  “Michael? It’s time to go…”

  He was dreaming. He had to be.

  “Michael, go get your mother and we’ll head on out…” He continued to mumble.

  She shook his shoulder and he opened his eyes.

  “Tammy?”

  “No, Alejandro. It’s me, Angelina.”

  He blinked several times until she came into focus. He brushed his hand across his forehead. Blinking several more times, he finally said, “Angelina? Where are we?”

  She stroked his forehead and told him that he was in his office. “I’ve been calling you for hours. You were supposed to be home some time ago. It’s almost seven. I got worried, so I dropped Matthew off with your mother. Alejandro, you have a fever. Can you sit up?”

  Alejandro dragged himself to a sitting position. “Go into the examining room down the hall. There’s a thermometer in there. Can you also bring me a glass of water on your way back?”

  Angelina nodded and hurried to gather the items. When she reentered the room, Alejandro had slumped back down onto the couch. She reached for him and helped him sit up. She took his temperature. “Your temperature’s 103.”

  “I knew it was pretty high.” He gulped down the water and brushed aside her hand. He tried to stand, but quickly sat back down. “Give me a minute to get my bearings and we can go home. I want to grab an aspirin before we head out. Can you call my mom and see if Matthew can stay with her overnight? I don’t want him exposed to whatever I have.”

  “Sure.” Angelina left the room so she could get another glass of water. She called Maria and told her she’d found Alejandro and that he was sick. Maria agreed to keep Matthew all weekend—she didn’t want him getting sick. Angelina asked if John was home.

  “I expect him shortly. Why?”

  Angelina asked that he meet them at their home. She wanted him to examine Alejandro.