The Christmas Promise

by Sean D. Young

  Jennifer turned around and walked back over to where Barbara and Edward sat. “Mrs. Baker, I think I’m going to go home and take a shower, change clothes and come back.”

  “Okay, Jennifer. We’ll be here.”

  “Charlie, do you have my number? I want you to call me if there is any change in his condition.”

  Charlie pulled out his phone. “Give me your number.”

  Jennifer rattled off the digits and soon her telephone buzzed.

  “That’s me calling you, so now you have my number,” Charlie said.

  Jennifer smiled. “Great,” she said, bending to pick up her purse out of one of the chairs. “I’ll be back a bit later.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Curling her trembling hands over the steering wheel, Jennifer rested her forehead on the back of her wrists waiting for the car to warm up. It was a cold December day and she felt a chill just going the short distance from the hospital door to the vehicle. Scared and exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days, she didn’t want to leave the hospital, but desperately needed a break.

  Simeon still hadn’t opened his eyes and Jennifer was starting to wonder if he ever would. That thought made her feel numb inside as she couldn’t imagine her life now without him. Quickly, she turned up the knob on the heater and pushed the button on the radio.

  She raised her head to check her rearview mirror as she backed out of her parking space. “Christmas just ain’t Christmas without the one you love…”

  Jennifer jammed on the brakes, causing her to jerk forward, her eyes dropping down to the radio console. She couldn’t believe that one of her favorite Christmas songs was being played on the radio at that very moment. Tears sparkled in her eyes, her heart filling with sadness as she remembered how helpless Simeon looked and there was nothing she could do to make him better. Wiping the tears away as fast as she could, she took a deep breath, looked in her rearview mirror once again and proceeded to back the car out of the parking space.

  A handful of tiny snowflakes hit the windshield of the car, and she hit the bright lights so that she could see the road clearer. She listened to the rest of that song, humming along with it as she drove from the hospital to her apartment. She spotted the faint twinkle of Christmas lights in the windows of the houses and shops. They were probably even more beautiful against the moonlight at night.

  Jennifer had always loved Christmas—the lights, all the festivities her family planned, just the sheer beauty of the holiday. But this year it just wasn’t the same. She tried to hold on to her hope, but it was slipping. It was supposed to be a holiday of faith and good cheer and she felt that she had neither.

  Pulling into a space near the door to her building, Jennifer stepped out of the vehicle. The winter wind slapping her face, she threw her hood over her head and hurried inside.

  Once she got into the house, she immediately dropped her purse in the nearest chair, removed her coat, and stripped her clothes off. In the bathroom, she stood under the spray of the shower, needing to get some of the tension out of her shoulders.

  She closed her eyes and a vision of Simeon came before her. From the moment she met him he had been nothing but kind to her. She realized that there would never be another person like him who was so easygoing and considerate. Suddenly tears started leaking from her eyes as she thought about their journey together. Especially his recent promises that he would be there for her and now, after so much wasted time, there was a possibility that he couldn’t fulfill that promise.

  Unexpectedly, he had reappeared in her life and she’d rejected him, but still, he was nothing but patient and kind towards her. The most important factor was that from the second he found out about the children, he loved them unconditionally, unequivocally without even asking for a paternity test.

  Most men would have denied being the father of twins from a woman they’d only known for five days, but not Simeon Baker. He was such a strong, upright man with a kind and giving heart.

  Jennifer pushed her hand forward, pressing against the shower tile, and cried. She cried for the time they’d lost, cried because there was a possibility that her children may grow up and never know their father, and she cried because she wouldn’t find a man to care for her the way he had.

  Releasing all that pent-up anguish made her feel good, so she turned off the water, wrapping herself in a bath sheet. She went into her bedroom and got dressed so that she could get back to the hospital and see about her man.

  Getting off on the second-floor ICU, Jennifer looked for Simeon’s family in the waiting room, but it was empty. She decided to go to his room, even though he was only supposed to have one visitor at a time. She wanted to make sure that nothing had happened in her absence.

  Gently knocking on the door, Jennifer pushed it open slowly and peeked inside. The room was still dark and it seemed that Simeon still hadn’t opened his eyes. She noticed Barbara sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, her head back and eyes closed.

  Jennifer eased inside and over to Mrs. Baker. “Barbara,” Jennifer called out, slightly touching her arm.

  Barbara’s eyes popped opened. She sat up straight in the chair. “Jennifer, you’re back.”

  Jennifer smiled. “Yes, ma’am. I am.” She looked over at Simeon, whose eyes were still closed.

  “Any update?” she wanted to know.

  Barbara got up from her seat. “Why don’t we go out into the hall?”

  Jennifer didn’t read anything into the request. If there was something they needed to talk about it made sense to go to a place where they could speak freely and not have to whisper.

  In the waiting area they sat down next to each other and Jennifer waited for Barbara to start the conversation.

  “Jennifer, right after you left, Charlie took Edward back to his house so he could rest a bit. He was tired from our travels. I told them I’d stay here with Simeon.”

  “Mr. Baker is okay, isn’t he?”

  “Sure, he’s just tired is all. Needed to eat and take his medication. He’s not used to all the rushing and excitement. We live a more laid-back lifestyle.”

  “It probably has taken a toll on you as well,” Jennifer said. Even though Barbara Baker looked youthful and acted very energetic, the fact remained that she was older.

  “I’ve got to keep my strength up for my son.”

  “Speaking of which, you were going to tell me something,” Jennifer said, changing the subject. She wouldn’t dare interfere with Barbara being there, but she had planned to take care of Simeon herself.

  “Yes, they’ve decided to change his medication again because he had another seizure.”

  Jennifer willed herself not to shed a tear, but her heart was in pain because of all the hell Simeon was going through.

  “What? But he’s still unconscious.”

  “The seizure activity showed up on his EEG.”

  Jennifer covered her mouth with her right hand as tears filled her eyes anyway, but she inhaled deeply, willing herself to stop crying. She had shed so many tears already. “What does this mean?”

  Barbara laid her hand on Jennifer’s thigh. “I don’t know. They are trying to find the perfect combination so that he won’t have the seizures anymore. The bleeding has stopped, so now we just need him to wake up.”

  Jennifer exhaled at the news that the brain bleed had ceased. She looked over at Barbara. “That’s some good news then.”

  “Yes, it is. I thank the Lord for it. We’re taking baby steps, but I don’t mind that at all as long as we’re moving.”

  Barbara shifted in her chair toward Jennifer. “I think now is a good time for us to have that conversation we started yesterday.”

  Jennifer had no doubt that this time would come and she would have to talk to Barbara about her and Simeon’s relationship. She understood why the woman wanted to know mo
re about the mother of her grandchildren. Children she’d just met a couple of hours ago.

  “It’s just me and you here, so I don’t see why not. What do you want to know?” Jennifer offered.

  “When did you meet him?”

  “We were both on vacation in the Caribbean.”

  “So, you’d never met him until that time?”

  “No.”

  Barbara twisted in her chair, clasped her hands together. “How do you feel about my son?”

  “Simeon and I are very close,” Jennifer said in response.

  “Are you here just for the children? I would imagine that would be the only thing you two have in common.”

  Hearing his mother say the words made Jennifer extremely uncomfortable because it was not at all how she felt about her relationship with Simeon. They had more than just children in common; there was an undeniable connection between them, one that she hadn’t cherished until now.

  “No, Barbara, it’s much deeper than that.” Jennifer moved in her chair. “We both love our children, but we love each other too.” She knew in her heart that she never had a connection with a man like the one she had with Simeon and may never again.

  Barbara bent forward, placing her elbows on her knees. “How could it be? You haven’t known each other that long.”

  Jennifer stood up and glanced over at Barbara. “Mrs. Baker.” She pointed to her chest. “I know what’s in my heart. I love your son and there is not one doubt in my mind that he loves me and our children.”

  Jennifer walked away from the chair and turned around. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I would like to see Simeon.”

  Jennifer left the waiting room, headed to Simeon’s room. She didn’t want to discuss their relationship any longer with his mother. Being concerned is one thing, but Jennifer didn’t want to be interrogated. She hoped that Barbara understood her position and respected her as the mother of her son’s children.

  When Jennifer rounded the corner, she saw the nurse coming out of Simeon’s room, which was good because she wanted to spend some time with him alone. There were some things she needed to say to him, even if he couldn’t hear her.

  “How are you doing today, baby?” she said, moving to stand beside his bed. She repositioned the sheet over him, placing her hand over his heart. She could feel it beating underneath his hospital gown. She stared at his smooth chocolate-colored face for a few minutes.

  “It’s almost Christmas and you’re still in here,” she said to him. She wanted him to open his eyes so badly that she stared so long she thought she saw them move. Blinking her eyes several times, she realized she was only imagining it.

  She wanted to get closer to him, so she grabbed a chair from the other side of the room, moved it over to the bed and sat down.

  Pressing the button on the side of the bed to let down the side rails, she leaned in as close as she could and whispered, “Simeon, baby, did you forget that you said we were going to make this the best Christmas ever?” Her gaze was fixed on his face but there was still no movement, no sound, nothing.

  Jennifer picked up his hand and dropped her head close to him. She wrapped his arm around her neck as best she could. She needed to feel his hands on her. Closing her eyes, she exhaled loudly, laying her face on the bed, his palm resting on her face.

  She stayed in that position for several minutes, before lifting her head and looking at him.

  “Come on, Simeon, come back to me. You told me you would never let me go again. Baby, I need you to keep your promise.”

  Tears leaked from Jennifer’s eyes. Exhausted, she leaned back and relaxed in the chair. She was trying to hold on and not give up. She didn’t want to go back out in the waiting room; all she wanted was for him to wake up. Plain and simple.

  With her hands on the arms of the chair, she pushed herself back, lifting her feet on the bottom of the recliner. She would just have to wait here until he opened his eyes.

  Simeon woke up disoriented and drowsy. He could only remember bits and pieces of what happened to him. He remembered resonating pain pulsing in his head, making his eyes hurt. The pain in his eyes pounded so badly that he couldn’t keep them open any longer.

  Now, his eyes heavy, he had to fight to keep them open. He needed answers. He shifted his gaze to the right and there she was sitting right beside him.

  His beautiful Jennifer was there with him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he moved his hand, resting it on top of hers. He visualized skating around the park with her and how she kept slipping. Once she gave up, he picked up his daughter and took her for a twirl around the rink. He could see Mariah’s tiny face glowing, showing her little teeth, clapping her hands.

  Jennifer jerked her head up, pulling the chair to an upright position. Leaning over the bed she looked into his eyes as her own filled with tears. She stroked his cheek and smiled down at him. “How do you feel?”

  Simeon didn’t really know how he felt. He still had a dull headache and when he opened his eyes for an extended amount of time, he felt dizzy and had to close them.

  Jennifer wiped away her tears, kept smiling. “We were so worried about you.” She rained kisses all over his face.

  “We,” Simeon managed to say. He turned his head slightly to see her better.

  “Yes, your brother, mother and father.”

  “They’re here?” He cleared his throat, hurting each time he swallowed.

  Jennifer stood up straight. “Yes, your mother is just down the hall. She is going to be ecstatic that you’re awake. I’ll go and get her,” she said moving away from the bed.

  Simeon caught her hand. “Wait, love. Don’t go yet.”

  Jennifer went back to the bed and their eyes met and held. Sitting at his side, she rested her head on his chest. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  Simeon could tell how frightened Jennifer was, but he wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay from now on. He rubbed her dark-brown hair gently to try to soothe her. “Love, I told you that I would never let you go.”

  Jennifer nodded.

  “I also promised you that we would never be apart again.”

  Jennifer moved back slightly, staring at him. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.”

  Simeon blinked several times then licked his lips. “Listen to me,” he said, reaching out, slipping his hand behind the nape of her neck and drawing her against his chest. He hoped that his holding her in his arms comforted her in some way because for him it was soothing. “Look at me, love.”

  Jennifer held her head up and they gazed into each other’s eyes. She then pressed her cheek into his chest, words pouring out of her. “I love you, Simeon. I love you so much,” she cried.

  She sat up straight, lifting her body next to him, wiping away her tears. “There are some things I’ve got to tell you.”

  Simeon held his hand up to stop her, but she continued. “No, I just haven’t done this whole thing right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I had been too stubborn to admit it, but I’d been holding resentment toward you for abandoning me.”

  Simeon opened his mouth to speak.

  “No, baby, let me tell you because I owe this to you. You need to hear this from me.” She lifted his hand off the bed.

  “I know that the accident wasn’t your fault. I had my own insecurities with trust before I met you. As a matter of fact I was on the rebound from a bad break-up. It was unfair for me to hold you to the same standard as the other guy. You were nothing like him.”

  Simeon tried to push himself upright in the bed.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to do that, Simeon?” Jennifer wanted to know.

  “I want to sit up,” he replied.

  Jennifer reached for the controls and pushed a button to raise his head. Extending his arms
, Simeon offered her solace in his embrace. She scooted her body closer to him, wrapping her arms around his back, and they held each other tight.

  Breaking the embrace, Simeon’s eyes dropped to Jennifer’s lips. “Love, no matter what, I have always believed that we belonged together. You are the one for me. I knew it from the first moment I met you and it was confirmed that day I saw you in the store.”

  He watched as Jennifer allowed tears to stream down her face. He wanted her to feel the love they had for each other and not try to push it away. Lifting her hand off the bed, he squeezed it slightly. “I’ve always felt that the biggest problem between us was that you didn’t allow yourself to feel love. I understand it because your heart was badly bruised, but you don’t have to do that with me. I’m not going to ever hurt you. You and our babies are safe with me. I promise.”

  “Simeon, you can’t promise that because we don’t know if you’re going to have another sick spell or some other type of relapse.”

  “True. So that means we’d better get on with the business of living our lives.”

  Jennifer smiled. “You’re right.” She released his hand and stood quickly. “I’d better go and get your mother. She’s going to kill me if she finds out you woke up and I didn’t go to get her.”

  Simeon gave her a slight smile. “Well, we needed that time and my mother will get over it. As long as I’m okay, she’ll be fine.”

  Smoothing out the bed covers, she gave him an under-eyed look. “I’ve got to tell you that she met Micah and Mariah,” she said, standing.

  “How did she react to seeing them?”

  Jennifer walked to the door. “Both her and your father said the same thing you did about them looking like you and your sister.”

  Simeon gave her a slight nod and smiled.

  Jennifer pulled open the door. “Let me go and get her.”

  Simeon watched the door until it closed behind her. Exhaling, he shut his eyes and thanked God he was still alive.

  Chapter Twenty-Five