The Big 5-OH!

by Sandra D. Bricker

  “I guess they’ll be leaving soon.”

  “Another couple of days and the happy married couple will be off to London.”

  “Leaving the old man far behind.”

  “There's a lot of that going around lately,” Jared remarked, pulling open the door of her rental car for her. “Have a good time, Georgia, and give my best to Preston.”

  “Will do, Jared. Have a good evening.”

  Jared closed the distance between their cars and, by the time he thought to ask how much longer it would be before her Toyota was repaired from the rumble with a fallen tree, Georgia had already pulled out of the parking lot.

  He slipped into his own car and turned over the engine, but then froze slightly as the CD loaded in the stereo queued up “their song.” Jared dropped his hands from the steering wheel and leaned back into the leather seat with a sigh.

  Had she really only been gone for less than forty-eight hours? It seemed like a lifetime already. And as the thought occurred to him that she might never come back, a lifetime without Liv seemed far too real a possibility.

  Once he arrived home, Jared changed clothes in a rush, flew into the garage, and wheeled out his bicycle. He was pedaling at full speed before he ever turned out of the driveway. Bike riding with a vengeance; it had always been his favorite way of relieving stress. But the kind of thoughts plaguing him now were far more deeply rooted and tangled up than the simple pressures of a hectic day.

  He steered his way around countless other riders, never once pausing to return their greetings with a casual wave or a nod. Jared shoved pedal over pedal over pedal without restraint until his leg muscles felt scorched. It wasn’t until he was already parked on the bench, downing cool water from his plastic sipper, that the memory smoldered its way to the surface.

  It was on another bench, far behind him now, that he’d shared lemonade with Liv. He almost wanted to laugh out loud when he thought about her behavior that day.

  “My leg. My leg! MY LEG!!” she had shouted at him. “Make it stop.”

  Jared remembered how he’d tried to disguise his utter amusement as he pumped her leg out and back in an effort to relieve her pain.

  “Better?”

  “A little. ”

  “We’ll just rest a while longer.”

  “Like until tomorrow?”

  There was a childlike, up-front honesty about Liv that had attracted him right off. He loved that about her. She was nothing short of adorable, and as he remembered it now, he felt something inside of him go hollow.

  He bowed his head and clamped shut his eyes.

  How am I going to live without her, Lord? Now that I know what it is to have her at my side, I don’t know if I can do it. I want her with me, every day. Please do what you do best. It was a sheer miracle that you put us on that plane together that day. I know you can do that again. Bring us back together. Somehow.

  Jared remembered Rand's wedding ceremony, and he marveled again at how brave the couple had been to accept the gift they’d been given without any doubts at all. No over-thinking it, no deep analysis. Just a general assurance in their hearts that this was the path meant for them.

  Why was I too dense to take the leap the way Rand did? I should have dropped to one knee and proposed to her the second I realized that she was The One.

  Recognizing that Liv might have run swift and fast in the opposite direction had he done just that, Jared pondered whether everything that had happened up to that moment might actually be a part of the grand scheme of things. Perhaps things had tripped along just as they’d been meant to unfold.

  Just relax. Timing is everything.

  On the ride home, he wondered where such a peaceful acceptance had come from. It was so unlike him to feel denied something he wanted with all of his heart, and then to simply accept the denial as a temporary thing.

  It must be you, Lord, because I don’t have that kind of wisdom.

  Liv stood at the side of the bed, brushing Hallie's honey-blonde hair. Hallie tipped her head back and grinned at her friend, and Liv gasped.

  “Don’t do that. I almost brushed your face.”

  “Thank you for doing this, Liv.”

  “Well, we couldn’t have you looking like a mangy dog.”

  “How can you talk like that about Boofer?” Hallie teased. “I thought you two were friends now.”

  Liv brushed Hallie's hair on each side, collecting it at the back of her head and drawing it upward into a short little ponytail. She clasped it loosely with a blue band.

  “There. That's better. Do you want to brush your teeth or wash your face or anything?”

  “Liv,” Hallie said, taking her by the hand. “Stop being my nurse. Sit down and be my friend. Talk to me.”

  As Liv rounded the corner of the bed and dropped to the chair, she noticed that Hallie winced.

  “Are you in pain?”

  “A little.”

  “Should I call the—”

  “Olivia.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Have you spoken to Jared since you came back?” Hallie was nothing if not outspoken.

  “I have. I called him the night I got in, and we talked for a few minutes.”

  “And?”

  “And … then … we hung up.”

  “Don’t make me work so hard for some details. I don’t have the energy. Have you talked to him since?”

  “Not since, no.”

  “And why not?”

  “Hallie.”

  “Come on. Give. Tell me what's going on.”

  “Well, there's not much to tell, really. We have deep feelings for each other. I miss him already. But it's not like we didn’t know the time would come. We always knew I’d come home and go back to work and that he’d go on with his life there.”

  “Do you know what your problem is, Olivia?”

  “I have a problem?”

  “Yes, you do. It's that you are inflexible.”

  “Inflexible!”

  “You are,” Hallie said, leaning back against the raised bed. “You get one plan in your head, and then you won’t deviate from it no matter what other things are tossed in your path.”

  “That is just not true.”

  “Of course it's true.”

  “It's not. I was heading home a couple of days ago, but all the signs pointed to me staying. Jared came to the airport, and the weather turned, and … and …”

  “It was a hurricane, Liv. God had to send a hurricane to stop you in your tracks and make it impossible for you to leave because you wouldn’t pay attention to the more subtle signs. Like falling in love with someone in Florida!”

  “Don’t you need some more morphine?” Liv suggested with a grin. “You look tired. It will help you sleep.”

  “And shut me up?”

  “That too.”

  “You know what my mother used to say?”

  Josie walked through the door at just that moment, right on cue. “Don’t keep me in suspense, darlin’. What did your brilliant mother used to tell you?”

  “Hi, Mama.”

  The two exchanged a tender hug, and Josie kissed the top of Hallie's head.

  “What did I used to say?” Josie asked as she scuffed the second chair toward the bed and sat down beside Liv.

  “You used to say that sometimes we’re so busy following what we think are the signs that we forget to go to God and just ask for His direction.”

  “Oh, I still say that.”

  Liv chuckled.

  “Laugh it up, Liv,” Hallie said, shaking her finger. “But I have a feeling, if you’d just pray for a little guidance and intervention, this would all be taken care of for you.”

  “I keep telling her she needs more pain medication,” Liv said to Josie. “Don’t you think she needs a long nap?”

  “I do nothing but nap in this bed. Right now, I’m being smart and insightful for you. Sit back and enjoy it.”

  “Don’t you have something insightful to say to someone els
e? How about your mother?” Liv prodded.

  “In fact, I do,” Hallie replied. “Mother, would you please tell Olivia what a catch Jared Hunt really is?”

  “On that note,” Liv declared, “I’ll let the two of you visit so I can walk down the hall and make a couple of calls.”

  “Jared?” Hallie asked.

  Liv didn’t respond. She just wiggled her fingers at them over one shoulder and strolled out of the room.

  Becky sounded winded as she answered the phone in response to Liv's call.

  “Becky? This is Olivia Wallace.”

  “Liv! Where are you? Are you all right after that terrible storm?”

  “I’m safe and dry and back in Cincinnati,” she admitted with some reluctance. “I got a flight out yesterday.”

  “Oh, good! When can we expect you back at work then?”

  “Well,” she hesitated. “That's a bit of a conundrum. My best friend was in a car accident. In fact, I’m over here at Good Samaritan Hospital with her right now. She cracked two ribs and has a head injury.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “And Hallie has three young children.”

  “I see.” Becky's voice was tempered with cool anticipation. “You’re not coming back to us after all, are you, Olivia?”

  “Yes! I mean, I want to. I was just hoping you would reconsider the timing of it and allow me to wait until next week.”

  Becky didn’t respond right away, and Liv imagined the worst in those seconds of silence.

  “All right. Let's say Monday.”

  Pheeeww.

  “Thank you so much, Becky.”

  “But I do want you to know that I’ve checked with Dr. Bradley, and he said they aren’t going to be filling the openings at the peds clinic until late fall.”

  “Oh.” She felt the disappointment drop within her until it thudded at the bottom of her stomach. “That's a shame.”

  “She's willing to consider you then,” she added. “I’ve set up a meeting for the two of you to discuss it. Next week, Thursday, at four o’clock.”

  “Thanks, Becky. There's some hope then.”

  “Oh, there's always hope, Olivia. You would know that better than anyone. We’re so happy that you’re healthy again and ready to come back to us.”

  Ready? That might be an overstatement.

  “Thank you. I’ll check in next Monday then.”

  Liv sat down on the edge of one of the chairs in the lobby and stared at the cell phone in her hand. When she finally dialed Jared, the call went to voice mail, and she hung up without leaving a message.

  She stopped at the coffee cart and ordered two lattes and a cup of tea for Josie before heading back to Hallie's room. When she reached the doorway, though, she stopped just short of going in. She could hear Hallie whispering, and she didn’t want to intrude.

  “Oh, Father, she won’t ask for herself,” she clearly heard Hallie say. “So I’m asking you for her. Somehow, some way, Lord, if Liv and Jared are meant to be together, we just ask that you start laying the groundwork now to make it happen. They’re too ignorant to do it on their own, but miracles are what you do best. So make their crooked places straight and lead them to your will for their futures.”

  “Oh, yes, Lord. Show them the way to their destiny,” Josie added. And then they both agreed and harmonized a subdued, “Amen!”

  Liv leaned against the wall outside the room for several seconds, mulling over what she’d just heard before turning the corner and joining them at Hallie's bedside.

  The three of them sat in a semicircle, chatting for almost two hours over their coffees and tea. They touched on every subject under the sun, laughing like schoolgirls when Liv told them about the alligator in the swimming pool and the late afternoon bike ride with Jared that nearly crippled her for the rest of her life. Hallie and Josie gasped in unison at the tale of Morey's untimely death and Boofer's spontaneous exhumation of the body, and they roared when Liv recalled the first morning when she came across Clayton doing laps in Josie's swimming pool.

  “It sounds like you had a great time,” Hallie said, both arms folded across her ribs, trying not to laugh anymore and wincing when she did.

  “I really did,” Liv replied, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I loved it down there.”

  “I told you so,” Hallie cried. “Didn’t I tell you so?”

  “Well, you were right. The water out in the Gulf is just as green as an emerald, and the sky is just so perfect and blue. I think it would be impossible not to find that renewing.”

  “Oh, that's right,” Josie exclaimed. “Hallie told me you went for a ride on Jared's boat. He's offered many times, but I’ve never taken him up on that yet.”

  “You have to, Josie. It's just exquisite out on that water. There's nothing quite like it to bring things into clear perspective.”

  “I’d say you need another trip out then,” Hallie remarked.

  Liv chose to ignore the comment.

  “I thought I’d make lasagna for the children tonight,” Josie told them. “Does Jim like lasagna?”

  Liv's heart sank a little, and then she smiled. “Your lasagna is fantastic, Josie.”

  “Good. You had the one I left in the freezer for you?”

  “Jared and I had it for dinner one night. We both thought it was the best we’d ever tasted.”

  “What a sweet thing to say, Pumpkin. Would you like to join us for supper tonight then?”

  She knew it seemed silly, but Liv didn’t want to have Josie's lasagna again without Jared.

  “That sounds great, but I think I’ll pass. I have such a lot of things to catch up on at home. But tomorrow, after the kids go to school, I thought I’d come over and help get things ready for Hallie to come home.”

  “Like what?” Hallie interjected. “You don’t need to do that. We don’t even know yet when that will be.”

  “I just thought of a couple of things. Like I figured I’d change the linens on your bed and maybe bring over a few pillows so you’ll have some backups to prop yourself up in bed.”

  Hallie sighed, and her head fell to one side as tears welled in her eyes. “You’re such a good friend,” she said, and then she looked at Josie. “So are you, Mama. I’m so blessed.”

  “We’re just happy to have you with us,” Liv told her. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Just then, Liv's cell phone jingled, and she looked at the screen to find it was originating from a number in Florida. But it wasn’t Jared's.

  “Hello?”

  “Olivia, how are you? This is Georgia Brown.”

  “Georgia,” she said, and then pulled a face at Hallie before heading for the door. “I’m well, thank you. How are you doing?”

  “I’m well too. I’ve just had my second date with Preston. Do you remember meeting him at Shelby and Rand's wedding?”

  “Of course. Cary Grant, the later years.”

  Georgia cackled at that and then sighed. “Yes. We’ve had dinner two nights in a row now, and I have to admit to you, honey, he steams up my windows.”

  It was Liv's turn to laugh. “You’re a hoot, Georgia.”

  “Listen, honey, the reason I’m calling is that I heard something this morning that I thought, well, this is just meant for Liv to hear.”

  “What's that?”

  “Remember that conversation we had in the car the night of the first storm? When you told me you wanted to make a move to pediatrics?”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “Well, I was having lunch with my girlfriend, Marge, today. She works at the pediatric clinic down here, and she told me she's looking to fill two slots for nurses with emergency training. Well, you coming from the O.R. and being so wonderful with children, I had to tell her all about you. And she asked me to send you her information and maybe give her a call if you would be interested in filling one of those slots.”

  Liv wasn’t sure which part to react to first. The fact th
at Georgia thought to do that, or the fact that she was making a semi-offer of employment based on something she knew Liv wanted so badly.

  “Sugar? Are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here.”

  “You know how those cell towers are. I thought maybe you were dropped.”

  “No, I’m still here. I’m just … well … stunned.”

  “I know, Sugar. I just have to believe this is one of those opportunities you don’t let pass you by. I mean, I don’t know what your plans are with Jared, and I haven’t had the courage to come right out and ask him, but it could mean a reunion for the two of you, don’t you think?”

  “I—”

  “Well, at any rate, I wanted to ask you if you have an email address so I can send you Marge's details. Then the ball is on your bat, and you can decide what to do from there.”

  “Yes, I have email.”

  “Okay, then. What's the address? I have pen in hand right now.”

  Liv gave her the email address, repeating it twice at Georgia's request. Her heart was racing and so were her thoughts. Hallie and Josie's prayer bounced around her brain like a roller coaster about to slip off its track.

  Start laying the groundwork. Show them the way to their destiny.

  Liv pushed back as hard as she could as the hope that this was part of that plan began to rise inside of her. Could this be the first section of the road that would lead her back to Jared? An old scripture played in her ears.

  Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

  She didn’t want to start hoping too soon for something that probably wasn’t going to happen.

  What's the rest of that verse? she wondered. Hope deferred makes the heart sick …

  “I have an old scripture verse playing over in my mind,” she told Hallie and Josie when she returned to the room. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick. What's the rest?”

  Josie and Hallie exchanged secretive pirate smiles.

  “But when the desire comes,” Josie said, “it is a tree of life.”

  Liv rolled the words over in her mind, and then her heart raced out of control.

  When the desire comes …

  22

  “But what if I hope and hope and hope, and I never get what I’m hoping for?”