by Karen Pokras
“Why?” Sophie asked.
“That’s an excellent question, and one that perhaps you should add to your list.” She pointed to the paper and watched as her daughter wrote, “Why did you leave when Mommy was pregnant with me?”
There were other questions Sophie should ask as well, like why he stayed away so long, and why he chose now to come back, but for the time being, that single question should be sufficient to get the conversation started.
“We should get going,” Nicholas said, putting his hand on Tessa’s shoulder.
~~~
Once at the diner, the three looked around. They were a few minutes early and didn’t see Scott yet, so they asked the hostess for two tables next to each other. This time, Tessa wanted to be able to watch Sophie. She especially wanted to see Scott’s face when her daughter asked her tough question. It was about time he gave his daughter an explanation for his cowardly disappearing act all those years ago. Twenty minutes later with no sign of Scott, Tessa checked the bus schedule. She supposed it was possible he missed the bus he said he’d be on. The next one was only an hour later. She ordered Sophie a milkshake and tried Scott’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
One hour, several more phone and text attempts, and a cheeseburger for each of them later, Tessa, Nicholas, and a very disappointed Sophie left the diner. Tessa took her daughter home, while Nicholas headed to the hospital to check on Ben.
Chapter 26 – Holly
Holly sat in the waiting room, hunched over with her head in her hands. Ava, sitting next to her, gently rubbed her back. Ben’s father paced the floor, while his mother nervously sat with Holly’s own mother, holding her hand in an attempt to comfort her. Holly’s father, not one to often show emotion, sat staring straight ahead, a deep sadness in his eyes.
“Holly?” Nicholas asked with a hint of caution, as he approached his sister-in-law.
“Dr. Golden is in with Ben right now,” she said, looking up. Red swollen rims framed her glazed over eyes. While she appreciated Ava and Max’s hospitality, she did not sleep for even a second. Shutting her eyes only brought her back to the accident. Like an unending loop, the sounds and sights of crushing metal, shattered glass, and excruciating screams played in her mind, torturing her psyche with guilt. She should have waited until they arrived at the cabin to tell Ben such unexpected news. Of course, he’d be distracted. Forcing her eyes to stay open, she felt even worse for leaving her husband’s side. What if she missed her final moments with him? Eventually, she got up and paced in her room, haunted by every passing minute. After three torturous hours, she knocked on Ava’s door and insisted she drive her back to the hospital. Max stayed back at the house to take care of the kids.
She looked at her brother-in-law. As soon as he heard about Ben’s prognosis, he told her about the doctor he knew in the Mid-West. Nicholas had already been so generous with his offer to help pay for the IVF, and now he was offering to help arrange for a top doctor to take over her husband’s care. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you for bringing him here, Nicholas. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“Of course, Hol. Anything you need … anything at all. We’re here for you.”
She nodded with a smile that quickly faded at the sight of Ben’s door opening. They all stood as the doctor walked out of the room.
“Nicholas,” Dr. Golden said, extending his arm for a handshake. “So nice to see you again.”
“It’s a pleasure, William, and thank you so much for coming out here on short notice. I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.”
“Not at all. My associates are more than capable of handling things at my practice, and I’m way overdue for a visit, although I do wish it were under better circumstances. I must say, however, your brother-in-law has quite the personality.”
“So Ben is doing well then?” he asked.
Dr. Golden smiled and looked at Holly. “Is it okay to discuss your husband’s condition with your extended family?”
Nodding, Holly took Ava and Nicholas’ hands. “Yes, of course, please continue.”
He smiled at her and began speaking. “You and your husband were very lucky. In fact, it’s remarkable to me you are standing here with only that scratch on your head. The nurse told me you refused treatment, but I imagine you’re quite sore today, am I right?”
Holly nodded. After they’d gotten back to Ava’s this morning, she let her sister remove the bandage on her forehead and clean up her cut. The bleeding had stopped, and the cut proved to be just a scrape, but a nasty bump along with a bruise appeared. With all of her attention focused on Ben, she hadn’t had time to think about herself. Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, she had to admit … her entire body ached.
“I can prescribe you something to take the edge off, but promise me if you have any headaches, trouble with your eyes, or sharp pains, you will let me examine you immediately.”
“Okay, thank you,” she said, relieved he wasn’t also going to pressure her for an exam. She was fine. Well, better than Ben at least. The point was, she needed every possible resource at that hospital to be focused on her husband right now. “So about Ben?” she asked, trying to get the doctor back on track.
“Yes,” he said, “as I was saying, he was very lucky. Despite getting banged up the way he did, his brain function seems to be completely normal. I suspect he only has a slight concussion. In fact, he was talking up a storm just now, joking and laughing about how awful your hockey team is doing this year.”
“That sounds like Ben,” Nicholas said, rolling his eyes, “although really, it’s no joking matter.”
“But,” Holly said, anxious to get past the small talk. It was obvious there was more to this. Nicholas wouldn’t have had one of the country’s top doctors flown in on a moment’s notice just to sit around and shoot the breeze about some crappy hockey team.
“But,” Dr. Golden continued, “Ben does have some substantial injuries that will be challenging to treat. We’ll keep him in the ICU for now for observation, and then he’ll be moved into a private room upstairs. The good news is he appears to be stable. He’s really doing great.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Ava said. “Isn’t that wonderful, Holly?”
“And what’s the bad news?” she asked, trying to stay focused. Yes, it was wonderful her husband was getting better, but the doctor started out by saying the good news is … nobody said that unless bad news followed.
“Well, as you know, he had some serious injuries. His right leg shattered and his back took quite a blow, as did his internal organs. None of his vertebrae are broken, however, there is substantial swelling around his spinal cord. As a result, his lower motor functions are impaired.”
“Impaired? What are you saying?” Holly asked.
“Well, two things really. My orthopedist is arriving tonight. He’ll assess Ben to see if we can fully repair his leg. He’ll no doubt need another surgery. However, even if we can reconstruct the bone, there’s no guarantee he’ll regain use of his legs again.”
“So he’s paralyzed?” she asked, letting go of the hands she’d been holding to clutch arms instead as the room around her began to sway.
“At the moment, yes. Once the swelling starts to go down, we’ll be able to determine the full extent of the injury. Either way, he’s looking at a long recovery. I know this is quite a shock, Mrs. Oakes, and I’m sorry.”
She paused, giving herself time to take it all in. “You say he’s stable, though?” she asked.
Dr. Golden nodded. “Yes.”
Closing her eyes, Holly let out a breath and said a silent prayer of thanks. “That’s all that matters,” she whispered as she wiped the tears going down her face.
Chapter 27 - Ava
Ava left the hospital at Holly’s insistence once the doctor gave his report of Ben’s improving condition. With Nicholas still there and Tessa on her way, Ava decided it would be all right to leave. After everything that had hap
pened, she wanted some time to spend with her own family, and she’d been worried about Max. Ben was his cousin. She knew he had to be worried sick—they all were. Thankfully, Max didn’t have to rush off for another flight that weekend. They’d have a few days together before she’d be on her own again.
As she got into her car, the promotional card for the exhibit, still in the center console of her front seat, caught her eye. Gregory Douglas, Artist. She hoped he didn’t think she’d purposely blown off the showing last night. Starting her engine, she checked her watch. The gallery was probably just opening for the day. She decided she had time to swing by and drop off a note of apology for Gregory before heading home. She quickly called Max, gave him an update on Ben, and told him she’d be home after making a short stop.
“Hello?” she called out, walking through the door. The last time she’d been there had been several years ago with Tessa. They’d come for an exhibit, but didn’t stay long as Tessa ran into a man she thought she was dating. However, upon meeting his wife that night, she realized he was only looking for some action on the side. Instead of looking at art, they went back to Ben and Holly’s place to overindulge in junk food.
Standing in the middle of the room, Ava took a deep breath. There was nothing like the smell of a painting … nothing.
“Can I help you?” A slender older man, with thinning hair, and wearing glasses that were much too big for his face, walked into the room.
“Oh, hello. My name is Ava. Ava Wallis. I’m an acquaintance of the artist you have on display.”
“Mr. Douglas,” he replied.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“He had quite an opening last night. I don’t blame you for coming back. It was a bit crowded, but I hope you had a nice time. Can I show you some of my favorite pieces now that there’s room to get up close?”
“Oh,” she responded, “actually, I wasn’t here last night. I wanted to, but I’m afraid I had a family emergency.” She briefly looked around before returning her gaze to the man. “His pieces are lovely, but I really only have a few minutes. Is it possible to leave him a note? I don’t want him thinking I was a no-show.”
“Certainly,” he replied. “Or you can tell him in person. He’s coming in now.”
Ava turned around as Gregory walked in the door … his smile once again throwing her off guard.
“So you made it after all,” he said, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. “It’s nice to see you again.”
She tried to ignore the quiver she felt down her spine solely from his touch, convincing herself with a silent breath it meant nothing. At the same time, nerves settled in as she tried to get her words out. She and Max were happy … solid. They always had been. There was nothing going on here. It was innocent … It was the damn smile. Leaving a note would have been so much easier. “I-I’m so sorry I missed your opening last night. We had a family issue.”
“Don’t tell me you lost your son again,” he teased, his green eyes picking up an extra shimmer from the overhead lights.
“No,” she said, a small giggle escaping her lips. She brought her hands up to her face to try to hide her reddening cheeks. “Nothing like that.”
“Well good, and I hope everything is okay now. I was worried when you didn’t show up. The Ava I remembered was very serious about her art.”
His shift from playful to sincere caught her by surprise. “Oh. Thank you,” she responded. “I think it will be. Okay that is.”
“I was just telling your friend here what a smashing success your show was last night,” the man from the gallery said.
Ava smiled at him, grateful for the interjection into what was about to turn into an awkward game of what should we talk about next? At least for her anyway.
“Yes, I heard it was wall to wall people, and from the looks of the open spots on the wall, I’d say you sold quite a few pieces.”
“Oh dear,” the man exclaimed apologetically, “that part you weren’t supposed to notice. A respectable gallery should never have blank wall space. I was just getting ready to fix that.”
“Not to worry, Gene. Only Ava would notice that,” Gregory told him. “She used to run a premiere gallery out on the West Coast.”
“You don’t say?” the man replied.
“Oh, well, I don’t know about premiere.” She felt a blush rising to her cheeks again. “But I did enjoy those days. It was many, many years ago, mind you … feels like several lifetimes ago. Anyway, I really do need to get going.”
“I’m in town for a bit while the exhibit runs,” Gregory said, once again putting his hand on Ava’s shoulder. “If you’re not busy, maybe you’d like to come back? We’ll be having a reception next Thursday morning for critics. It would be nice to see a friendly face.”
Smiling, Ava nodded. Only top artists in the industry had separate critic receptions outside of their openings. She remembered how nerve-racking they could be, both for the artists and the gallery owners. Max would be back at work, and she could take Ryan to the sitter. Why shouldn’t she do something for herself once in a while? And she’d tell Max about it. That way, she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about doing something behind his back. Not that she was doing anything wrong by coming to the gallery. She’d want to come even if it wasn’t for Gregory. No, he had nothing to do with this. “Sure,” she responded. “I’d be glad to.”
“Great!” he said, clasping his hands together. “Thank you so much, Ava. I’m always a bundle of nerves during these things. It will be so much easier to get through it having you by my side.”
“Right,” she murmured, once again thrown off by what she hoped was just an innocent comment by an old client.
Chapter 28 - Tessa
“Look, I don’t want to hear your excuses. All I know is I sent you money to come out here, more than you probably needed to cover your expenses now that I think about it, and you never showed. Forgetting for a moment the part where you took advantage of my generosity, a very disappointed seven year old sat and waited for you to show up for over an hour.”
“What did you tell her?” he asked.
“Well, not what I wanted to,” Tessa replied. Tapping her fingers on her desk, she glanced over at the clock. This bozo had already wasted enough of her precious rehearsal time, although she had to admit her actors were pretty amazing. If they had to go on that evening, they’d be impressive without a doubt—she couldn’t imagine how spectacular they’d be on opening night. At least one aspect of her life was stress-free.
“I’m so sorry, Tessa,” he pleaded. “I promise to make it up to Sophie and to you. I had every intention of coming out, but at the last minute I got a call for a job interview. I couldn’t turn it down.”
“On a Saturday? And you could have called. You knew she’d be sitting there waiting for you.” You knew she’d been waiting for you for seven years.
“Everything happened so fast, and I didn’t have a chance to get in touch with you. I feel terrible. Ever since I connected with Sophie my entire outlook has changed. I’ve made so many mistakes with my life, Tess. I know my apology probably means nothing to you, but I am so sorry. I truly wish I could turn back time and change the past. While we both know that’s not possible, I have to do something … for Sophie. I’m trying to be a better person, and that starts with securing a stable job. It’s not too late to be a father to my daughter. I intend to be there for her going forward—to make up for lost time. She’s my everything now, and I was hoping you’d give me another chance to see her.
Tessa closed her eyes. The smooth talker. I love you, Tessa. I’m going to be there for you. You’re my everything. The words flooded her brain as if they’d taken place yesterday, and not the day Scott proposed to her all those years ago.
“So did you get the job?” she asked, a cold chill wrapping around her voice. While his apologies might work on Sophie, they meant nothing to her.
“No. Not that job. I found something even better. I meet with the owner on Thursday �
� only—”
“Only?” she asked. What now?
“Well, I hate to ask this, but it’s for a really good job … a sales manager in an established company. It’s perfect for me given my education and experience. The owner says the job is mine, I just need to go meet with him in person. This is just the break I’ve been waiting for.”
“Just what is your experience, Scott?” Exactly what had kept her ex-fiancé busy these past years?
“Sales. I can be convincing when I need to be,” he responded.
No kidding.
“I’m ready to move up into the world. Management is where all of the big bucks are. The problem is the job’s out of state.”
“Why’s that a problem?” she asked. It’s not like he was tied down to where he currently lived.
“Well, it’s like I told you last week, I’m a little short on funds.”
Shaking her head, she sighed. So that’s what he wanted. “You’re asking me for more money? What happened to all the money I sent you already?”
“I had to buy a suit for the interview … and I’m a little behind on some of my bills. Don’t worry, once I get this job, I promise to pay every penny back. With interest if you want. It pays six-figures. I just need a little help getting over this hump. I promise this is the last time.”
“You said the job was yours. Does that mean they made you an offer?” Before she agreed to send him money again, she wanted to get her facts straight.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s a done deal. I just have to go talk to them, but I need help getting there. I have to fly, and the tickets are a fortune.”
She crinkled her forehead. None of this made sense. “If they want you so badly, shouldn’t they be paying all your expenses?”
“They’re going to reimburse me, but with the way security is at the airlines these days, I have to pay for everything myself. How’s weekend after next, once I’m settled?”
