Hopefully, she wasn’t working today. Instead, he hoped she was spending time with Eloise. Maybe she’d bake them a small turkey and make all the fixings. Would Tyler come by and keep them company? It was clear the other man cared deeply for Lacey, so maybe he would check in on them today. Either way, it didn’t matter. Or so he tried to convince himself.
There were much more important things at hand. The intel leak that resulted in their little ambush upon arrival in Kuwait still had everyone on edge, weeks later. Even with the threat neutralized, everyone’s guard was up – unsure of who they could trust, other than themselves. He didn’t have time to worry about Lacey and what she was doing. He needed to remain focused, vigilant. They needed to complete the mission and get the hell out of dodge.
At night, when he should have been sleeping, his mind would slip back to her and loneliness creeped back in. When things got too quiet during the day, visions of Lacey flooded his mind. He was in a lose-lose situation when it came to matters of the heart.
Swallowing down the last bites of his food, Bryce stood and tossed his plate in the trash, before stepping outside the mess hall for fresh air.
It had been long enough. He needed to forget about Lacey and keep his head in the game.
He thought about his cousin and his family. Maybe he should call Connor, check in on them. That might make him feel better; distract him for a while.
“Matheson,” someone called out to his right, breaking his thoughts.
Bryce turned and saluted his commander.
“At ease. Listen, I got something I need you to look over for me.”
And just like that, he had something else to focus on. His walls went up and thoughts of Lacey drifted from his head, for the moment.
The kitchen timer buzzed, Lacey grabbed the pot holders and lugged the turkey from the oven. Holly had come over early in the morning to join them for the holiday – as a friend. Her own family was too far away for Holly to travel home for a visit, and both Eloise and Lacey refused to let her spend the day alone.
They’d spent most of their time in the tiny kitchen preparing food, baking pies and turkey. Laughing and listening to Eloise recall stories of Thanksgiving’s past, and following her instructions to make some of her favorite side dishes.
Every moment brought a smile to Lacey’s face, even though her heart felt like it was missing a piece. She couldn’t shake away thoughts of Bryce and where he might be or what he might be doing, praying he was safe. The man may have left her brokenhearted, but she didn’t have it in her to shut off her emotions and forget him. She couldn’t, even if she tried.
In the short amount of time she’d known him, he had imbedded himself, deep down inside of her.
“Now, Lacey, you’ve got to let it sit for just a tiny bit to cool. Then you can cut it.”
“Sounds good, Grams. Tyler should be here soon, too.”
A knock on the front door and Tyler stepped inside, as if he’d been summoned. “Happy Thanksgiving to my favorite ladies.” He held the door open and made room for another young man to step in beside him. “I hope you don’t mind. I brought a friend.”
As the other man stepped through the threshold, he held a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, a shy smile on his face.
“This is Scott.” Tyler pointed to each woman. “Eloise is the young one over there, with the bouffant curls in her hair. Miss Holly; watch out for her, she’s a charmer. And Lacey, my best friend in the entire world. She’s a sass though, so beware.” He winked.
They all laughed as Scott shook everyone’s hands and delivered the bouquet of flowers to Eloise. He handed Lacey the bottle of wine, a relaxed grin on his face now. “Momma always taught me to never show up empty-handed. Tyler said you ladies like wine, and this is some of the best.”
Lacey wrapped him in a warm hug. “You’re too sweet. I think we’ll keep you.”
Scott and Tyler laughed.
“See, I told ya. The sass is strong with that one.” Tyler gave Lacey a brotherly hug. “Is dinner ready yet?”
She elbowed him in the stomach. “Yes, you brat. The turkey is probably just about ready to be carved. Are you going to do the honors?”
Tyler rubbed his stomach. “Hell yes, I will.” He turned and looked over his shoulder. Scott had already been cornered by Eloise. “Well, guess we’ll find out real soon if he makes the cut.”
“Grams! Take it easy on the man, ok? Don’t scare him off.”
Eloise waved them off. “Nonsense! You know I have to make sure he’s going to make an honest man of Tyler.”
“And there he goes, running scared,” Tyler joked nervously.
“She hasn’t scared me off yet,” Scott reassured him.
“Come on, go carve this turkey, so we can eat.” Lacey nudged Tyler forward.
Turkey carved a few minutes later, and Lacey made plates for everyone. Holly had already graciously set up Eloise’s small TV tray table, and they all huddled around the small living room. Lacey poured them each a small glass of wine and they sat their plates down to say grace before digging in.
Laughs continued to flow as they got to know Scott and swapped stories. Her heart squeezed again as she watched her friend with his new lover.
God watch over Bryce, and keep him safe.
My Angel—Kellie Pickler
Snow covered the ground as Lacey looked out the hospital window.
“It’s snowing today, Grams. You’d love it; if only you could open your eyes and see it.”
Summer heat turned to winter frost while Lacey spent her days working at the doctor’s office and most nights working at the bar. Thoughts of the soldier who managed to steal her heart dwindled with each passing day, or so she tried to convince herself.
Christmas crept up, and her mind drifted, wondering what it was like where he was. Worried if he was safe. She managed to suppress her emotions and enjoy the day with her grandmother and Holly, who came by to spend some time with them.
She worked the big New Year’s party at the bar, while Holly stayed the night with her grandmother. When she came in around three am, both women were sound asleep; Eloise was tucked in her bed and Holly on the couch with the monitor nearby, so she could hear the older woman if need be.
The next morning though, everything changed. Eloise was usually up with the birds. Sometimes even before Lacey’s alarm clock. Holly met her in the hallway with a concerned look on her face. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Sometime overnight, her grandmother had a stroke.
The paramedics came and took her to the hospital. From there, the doctors told Lacey she was unconscious and they were unsure if Eloise would ever regain consciousness. Two months passed by; every day, her grandmother seemed to hang on, but she wasn’t really improving. Lacey feared in her heart that, sooner or later, the doctors would want her to make some tough decisions. Decisions she was nowhere near ready to make.
Lacey sighed. “I think I’m going to go home for a bit.” She turned back to her grandmother. “I could use a shower and maybe a nap. They tell me you’re doing good, so maybe it will be good for me to get out of here for a little bit. I can imagine you’d be fussing at me to do just that. I’ll come back later and bring a book to read. How about that?”
But only silence answered her.
She placed a gentle kiss on Eloise’s forehead before gathering her things and stepping out into the hall. Stopping at the nurse’s station, she let them know that she would be back shortly, and doublechecked to be sure they had her phone number, just in case.
Back at the house, she stripped down and stepped into her shower, letting the hot water and her cucumber melon-scented soap wash away the hospital smell from her skin. Her skin was red and the hot water ran cold before she shut it off and exited, wrapping a towel around her body as she made her way into her bedroom.
After drying off, she slipped on an old nightshirt and climbed into her bed, determined to shut her eyes for a little b
it and catch up on the sleep that she hadn’t been getting while sitting at her grandmother’s bedside.
Feeling like she had closed her eyes for only a few minutes, she let out a groan when her phone rang, before jumping from the bed in a panic. The hospital’s number flashed on the screen.
“Miss Lacey Halloway?”
“Yes, this is her. Is everything ok with Eloise?”
“We need you to come, as soon as you can.”
“Is she ok?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you more. The doctor asked me to call and have you come in right away.”
“I’ll be there in ten,” Lacey said as she raced around the room, throwing on more suitable clothes.
She pulled up to the main entrance, barely pausing to hand her keys to the valet. “Lacey. I was just here earlier. I need to hurry, my grandmother…” Her voice trailed off.
“We’ll take care of it; go.” The valet offered her a tender smile.
The elevator seemed to move in slow motion; 1… 2… 3… 4… 5. The door finally dinged and opened. Lacey bolted out and nearly ran down the hall. The attending physician was exiting her grandmother’s room with a grim look on his face.
“Is she ok?” she blurted as she approached.
The doctor extended his hands, blocking her from entering the room. “Let’s take a walk for a second.”
Lacey swallowed hard, panic racing through her veins she followed behind him hesitantly. When they entered an empty conference room, she felt the vomit creeping up her throat. Watching him reach for tissues, Lacey didn’t even need to hear him say the words.
“Miss Halloway, I’m terribly sorry to tell you this.” He paused and drew a breath. “Your grandmother has passed away. There was nothing we could do.”
Sobs wracked her body, a scream escaped her lips. “No, you’re wrong! She can’t be gone. Why would she leave me?” she pleaded.
“I’m really sorry. Is there anyone we can call for you?” Doctor Dornane handed her a tissue. “Any other family?”
“No!” she cried.
She was alone. She was completely alone now. Her grandmother was the only family she had left.
“Can I see her?”
“Sure. I’ll walk you back down.” He held open the door for her and led her back to her grandmother’s room.
Her tears came harder now as she looked at her grandmother, laying there. Not breathing. She looked peaceful. Still. Lacey reached for her hand, gasping at the warmth.
“She’s still warm,” Lacey whispered.
“Yes. That’s not uncommon. It hasn’t been that long,” Doctor Dornane offered. “Are you sure there isn’t someone else I can call for you?”
“No, no. It was just her and I. What do I do now? I have no idea what’s next. I should have been better prepared. I guess I thought she’d live forever.” She swiped at her tears again.
Doctor Dornane cleared his throat. “Umm well, you’d need to contact the funeral home. They would come get her from us and direct you from there.”
“Oh God.” Lacey’s knees grew weak.
The doctor put his hands on her shoulders and eased her into a nearby chair, as Lacey’s cell phone dinged from inside her pocket.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even think to turn it off when I came in; I was just trying to get to her.”
“It’s ok. If you’ll be all right, I’ll step out for a few minutes. Take your time.”
She nodded as he stepped away. Glancing down at her phone, she choked back another sob as a text message from Holly appeared.
Holly: I came by to see Mrs. Eloise. They said she’s no longer here. Did they transfer her to rehab?
Responding to her message with bad news just didn’t seem right; her finger tapped the ‘call’ button instead. As soon as Holly answered, she poured her heart out.
“Holly, oh God, Holly… Grams is dead. I left to take a shower and they called me to come back. She’s gone.”
“Oh, sweet child. I am so terribly sorry. Where are you, dear?”
“I’m still here, I’m in her room. It…it just happened.”
“You sit tight. I’m coming up.”
A few minutes later, there was a slight tap on the door. Lacey stood and squeezed out and Holly greeted her, wrapping her arms around her, and pulling her into a tight hug. “I am so sorry, baby doll. So, so sorry. She loved you so much, sweetheart.”
“She’s gone,” Lacey repeated over and over. “They said I need to call someone, the funeral home. I don’t know who to call. I know she has all this paperwork with instructions, but I refused to talk to her about it.”
“Now sweetheart, don’t you worry about that. We can go back to the house and get things together. You don’t have to do this by yourself.”
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” Lacey sobbed.
“I know, baby cakes. I know.”
Lacey pulled back from Holly’s embrace and stood tall, wiping her eyes. “I need to get out of here. I can’t… I need to leave.”
“All right dear, we’ll let the nurses know. They’ll take care of her until we get things together.”
Holly led the way, guiding Lacey and giving her the support she needed. She barely registering Tyler standing outside the door of the hospital, tears brimming in his own eyes.
“How?” she mumbled, falling into her best friend’s waiting arms.
“Holly called me. Let’s get you home.” He gave her a gentle squeeze while handing the valet her information to retrieve her car.
“I didn’t want you driving home upset.” Holly gave her a gentle pat on the back.
“Scott dropped me off so I can drive you home.”
“What are we going to do, Ty? She’s gone.”
“I know, sweet girl. We’ll figure this out together.”
Fight Song—Rachel Platten
The frozen ground seemed to crunch under her feet as she walked toward the chapel, Tyler and Holly flanking her sides. Tyler’s boyfriend, Scott, followed behind them.
The past few days passed in a blur of organized chaos. Lacey hardly remembered any of the details. And now she had to face Eloise for one final time before her body would be laid to rest next to her late husband. As much as the pain of losing her grandmother hurt, she tried to take comfort in the fact that she was reunited with her love.
Funny that losing Eloise made her long for Bryce even more. Wondering if he would have stood by her side and comforted her today.
It was Eloise’s wish to have a small ceremony, at the church they attended regularly until it became too much for Eloise to get out every Sunday. Her obituary ran in the local paper and though they maintained a very small circle of friends, Lacey was overwhelmed at the number people who had come out to pay their respects. But then again, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Eloise always had a way of charming folks, and was well-liked by many.
“You ok?” Tyler whispered in her ear as they took their seats.
“Nope,” she mumbled. “Is it wrong that I just want to get this done and over with? I’d rather it not be happening at all. I want to tuck back into my bubble and pretend she’s still here.”
Her friend gently rubbed her back. “I know. I wish I could make that happen for you.”
Once everyone filled in and took their seats, Pastor James led the service, speaking of his fondest memories of Eloise and how great she was. There wasn’t a dry eye left in the place when he called Lacey forward to say a few words.
Stepping up to the pulpit, she grasped both sides until her knuckles were white.
I can do this. I have to do this for Grams, she repeated to herself, until she found the courage to speak.
“I loved Grams with all my heart. For so long, it’s been just me and her.” Her voice cracked. “I lived in this world where I believed she was invincible. I thought she would live forever. I could stand here and tell you all the amazing things she would say or do, but I can’t. My heart aches so much without her here.” Lacey let o
ut a small laugh. “I had these grand plans about this speech I would give, but I just don’t think I can make it through. The world is a little darker without her light shining into it. I feel selfish for asking, but please – pray for me in the coming weeks as I learn to live life without her. Grams was my truest friend. Thank you.” Her final words came out in a whisper as tears began streaming down her face.
Returning to her seat, she waited as, one by one, rows of people paid their last respects to her grandmother who laid before them. The pain in her chest only increased as her chance grew near. It took every ounce of strength she had left in her to stand in front of her grandmother’s lifeless body and say goodbye for the last time.
Her body trembled with the sobs pouring from her. Tyler and Scott practically held her up as they made their way back to Scott’s car to drive to the cemetery. She sat in the back seat with her head on Holly’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around herself as she tried with all she had to calm herself.
At the conclusion of the graveside service, Tyler and Scott stood vigilant on either side of her as people stopped to offer their condolences. Inside, they both had to laugh each time one of her Grams’ friends would ask which one of the fine young men was hers. If only they knew.
Usually there was a reception after these things, and the church had been kind enough to host it, but Lacey didn’t think she could survive it. Most of these people she would, unfortunately, never see again; she didn’t have it in her to feel guilty for not attending. It may have been selfish and probably a little rude, but she had reached her max, and needed to do what was best for her.
In that moment, what was best was going back home, stripping out of her black ensemble, and slipping into her bed, where she could let her emotions out until her heart was ready to start beating again.
Scott drove them back to Holly’s place first, giving Holly, her grandmother’s caretaker and honorary family, a hug. One last time, Lacey fought back the tears as the woman slid from the car.
Come Back To Me Page 5
