The door to the lounge opened, and Maggie felt a wave of relief wash over her as Bobby and Michael entered. Her eyes met Bobby’s, and she could see his relief, too. She said nothing and waited until they crossed the room to where she and Savannah sat, unwilling to attract unwanted attention.
As Maggie stood, Bobby crushed her in his embrace. “God, I’m glad to see you,” he murmured against her neck.
“Daddy!” Savannah exclaimed.
Bobby reluctantly let Maggie go, kissing her gently as he did. “Hey there, June bug! Are you ready to go on a little trip?”
Michael watched the reunion, uncomfortably standing back a bit. Maggie moved to him and hugged him tightly. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He smiled. “I was happy to do it. Finally, after all you’ve done for me.”
“How are you feeling?” she asked, examining him closely. His cheeks seemed sunken, and there were dark circles around his eyes. “You look tired.”
He waved her off. “I am tired, but I’m fine. Are you all set? Going away may be a bit overcautious but better safe than sorry.”
“What about you?” She glanced at Bobby, deep in conversation with Savannah. “I’m not feeling good about leaving you for the week. You should have enough food, but still... We’ll be away from cell phone towers and the internet. I’m worried.”
Michael smiled his patent confident smile. “Ronni has volunteered to look out for me while you’re gone.”
Maggie smiled too. “Good. That’s really good.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “So what’s going on with you two?”
Michael rolled his eyes. “How long have we known each other, Mags? I haven’t changed.”
She pursed her lips and sighed. “I see. Well, I’m glad to know she’ll be there for you. I won’t worry as much.”
“Don’t worry at all. I’ll be fine. You three enjoy your ‘family honeymoon’.” Michael shook his head. “Look at you, Mags. You’re a mom.”
“Unbelievable, right?” she grimaced. “It’s uncharted territory.”
“You’ll be great.” He smiled at her affectionately, his eyes crinkling. “You always are.”
Chapter 26
Maggie sat up on her beach blanket and hugged her knees, wriggling her toes and burying them in the cooler sand below the surface. Further down the beach, Bobby dutifully carried a small pink plastic pail as Savannah gathered shells. Maggie gazed past them to the sailboat anchored a few hundred yards offshore. It was their home for the week, and they’d sailed it to remote coves and empty beaches, relishing the quiet and the opportunity to bond as a family. Her gaze returned to Bobby and his daughter, and she smiled contentedly. It wasn’t conventional, but it was just right.
As if he felt her eyes on him, Bobby turned and smiled knowingly. He bent and said something to Savannah who looked to Maggie and waved. Maggie smiled and waved back as the pair returned to where she sat, Savannah scampering along while Bobby strolled purposefully, dropping his tall frame to the space beside her on the blanket.
“You’ve worn me out, June bug. Let me sit here by Maggie a while. You can play at the edge of the water.” Savannah took another pail and shovel and sat where the waves gently lapped at the sand. She played at digging in the sand and watching the water push back again, filling the hole she made.
“Have I mentioned that I love this bikini?” Bobby asked, casually running his finger along the inside of Maggie’s top.
She glanced down at the purple and pink suit and shrugged, smiling. “It’s the same one I brought last time.”
“Maybe you brought it last time, cher, but I’m pretty sure you never wore it.” He grinned lasciviously, and Maggie’s mind drifted to her birthday weekend when they went for days without getting dressed at all.
She smiled too, leaning over to give him a kiss. “I was thinking that maybe we could have our wedding down here in the Keys. Wouldn’t a beach wedding be beautiful?”
“Any wedding where you are the bride would be beautiful.” He fixed her with a vaguely sad smile. “I didn’t mean for us to start out like this, Maggie. Instant family and all.”
She laced her fingers through his and watched Savannah playing in the sand. “It’s perfect. Honestly, Bobby. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She gazed back at him. “We’ll get home and get serious about finding a place to live. If you want to move out of the city, we can do that. People commute all the time. It’s not a big deal.”
He leaned over to kiss her. “You are amazing. I can’t believe the kind of lucky man I am. We’ll look at all of our options. Maybe we can find a place in the city.”
Savannah came running up to Bobby and leaned over to whisper in his ear. Bobby’s face registered surprise and he blinked at his daughter. “I think you should ask her, baby.”
The little girl moved around the blanket to Maggie and held out her closed fist. “Hold out your hand and close your eyes!” Maggie complied, and Savannah placed a tiny pink shell in her palm. “Okay, now open them.”
Maggie opened her eyes and exclaimed over the gift. “It’s beautiful! I love it, thank you so much!”
Savannah continued to look at her, blue eyes large with thought. “Can you be my mommy?”
Maggie’s eyes darted to Bobby’s. He was watching with rapt interest. “Um, I... Sweetie, I’d be absolutely honored to be your mommy.”
The little girl beamed. “Good!” She turned and ran back down to the edge of the water. Bobby reached for Maggie’s hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing her palm tenderly.
* * *
Michael woke up gasping for air. He’d been dreaming that he’d fallen into a deep lake, his body sinking down into the dark water as people on the shore stood talking and laughing, oblivious to his distress. The thing that terrified him, though, was the fact that although he was awake, he still felt like he was drowning.
Veronica hurried into the room, wide-eyed. “What’s wrong, Michael? Do you need your oxygen?”
He could only nod as he clutched his hand to his chest and tried desperately to breathe. Veronica ran to retrieve the oxygen tank from the living room and brought it back to him. He fumbled with the controls and Veronica managed to help him on with the cannula but it still didn’t provide relief.
“Fuck it,” Veronica growled, “I’m calling 911.”
In his twilight consciousness as the paramedics tended to him and loaded him into the ambulance, Michael marveled at his rapid decline. Twenty-four hours ago, he’d fucked Ronni like he had years ago when they’d first met. He’d begun to think that they might begin a full-blown affair.
But he’d started feeling tired that afternoon, a deep ache settling into his bones. Reluctantly, he’d gone to bed for a nap. And awakened to find himself drowning. He wondered vaguely where Ronni was, whether she’d come to the hospital. Messy wasn’t really her style, he knew. He couldn’t remember when Maggie was coming back. Today? Tomorrow?
Suddenly there were blinding lights, and he felt a jerk as the gurney was lifted out of the back of the ambulance and wheeled into the hospital. Cold outdoor air prickled his face and hands before he was inside again watching ceiling tiles, interrupted at intervals by blinding florescent tubes, passing above him like some odd white moonscape. Sounds and voices assaulted him from all sides. There were faces above him, people speaking to him, asking him questions. He ignored them, preferring to embrace the disassociation of the twilight.
The next moment he was aware of, he was surrounded by quiet in a small private room. He glanced over to see Veronica sitting in a chair near a large window. When she realized he was awake, she stood and came to the side of the bed.
“That was a hell of a thing, sailor.” Her face was strained and anxious.
“Sorry,” he croaked, becoming aware of the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth.
She took his hand. “I imagine the doctor will come in soon and explain all this to you. But you’ve got a drain in your chest to relieve the fluid on you
r lungs. They’ve given you medicine for the pain.” Michael blinked his eyes and nodded slightly.
Veronica pressed her lips together. “I’ve, uh, I’ve called Maggie. She didn’t answer, I guess they’re still off the grid. But I left detailed messages so as soon as she gets to civilization she’ll know what’s going on.”
Michael nodded again. “You have to go,” he whispered.
Veronica looked away miserably. “Michael, I just don’t do hospitals. I don’t want to be a shit, but I’m coming out of my skin, here.”
He smiled sadly. “It’s okay. I get it.”
She held his hand and looked deeply into his eyes. “We had us a time, didn’t we, sailor?”
A lone tear rolled down her face. Michael reached shakily to brush it from her cheek. “We did,” he breathed.
Veronica leaned over him, kissing his forehead. “Goodbye, Michael.” She turned and walked out of the room without looking back.
* * *
Maggie grimly watched as a nurse took Michael’s vitals. As soon as they’d arrived back in the city, Bobby had taken Savannah home while Maggie rushed to the hospital. Veronica’s messages had shaken them both. Maggie promised to update Bobby as soon as she knew anything.
When the nurse left, Michael looked sheepishly to Maggie. “Sorry, Mags,” he wheezed.
“Sorry for what?” she asked irritably.
He shrugged. “Sorry for being a pain in the ass. I don’t know.” The effort of speaking left him breathless.
“I don’t know what possessed Veronica to just leave you here. Dammit, Michael. What the hell? Who does that?”
“I’d have done the same thing. Ronni and I, we aren’t the kind of people to be inconvenienced by the frailty of others.”
“You’d never have left someone alone like this,” she challenged him.
He blinked at her. “In a heartbeat.”
Later, the doctor entered the room. “Michael, how are you feeling?”
Michael closed his eyes. “I’m hurting,” he answered softly.
The doctor nodded sympathetically. “We’ve drained the fluid off your lungs, but it will probably return. And the disease has spread. The ache you’re feeling is where the cancer is attacking your bones.” He sighed deeply. “We can give you narcotics to help make you comfortable.”
Looking at Maggie, he continued, “Michael and I have discussed bringing in hospice care.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “Hospice?” she whispered. Both men watched her quietly. “I don’t... I mean, isn’t there something else we can do?” Her voice broke.
The doctor smiled kindly. “I’m afraid we’re all out of solutions. We can make him comfortable here, or hospice can help care for him at home.”
She looked to Michael. “What do you say, Michael? This is totally your call.”
“I don’t want to die here in this hospital bed.”
Maggie nodded. “Alright. Let’s take you home.”
Chapter 27
Savannah’s clear blue eyes were huge as Bobby introduced her to Michael. “Savannah, you remember Mr. Michael. We met him at the airport that time. He’s invited us stay here with him for a while until we find our own house.”
When the doctor had released Michael from the hospital, he’d given him a timeline of a few weeks. Maggie had approached Michael, asking if she and Bobby could bring Savannah and stay with him for a while, and Michael had balked. “I don’t want a bunch of people waiting around for me to die.”
She’d convinced him that he’d be doing them a favor, buying them time to find the right place. The truth was, she couldn’t bear to think of being all the way in the East Village when he might need her.
Now, the little girl regarded Michael solemnly, taking in his gaunt appearance, his grey sunken cheeks and his eyes with their dark circles. Her little brow wrinkled. “What’s wrong with your face?” she asked.
“Savannah!” Bobby exclaimed sharply.
Michael chuckled softly. “It’s okay. I like someone who calls them like she sees them.” He spoke to the little girl matter-of-factually. “I’m sick. Not like a cold, you can’t catch it. I have cancer.”
“Oh.” Savannah considered this for a moment. “I’m going to get you a Band-aid. That always makes me feel better.” She turned and ran out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a pink princess bandage. Michael suppressed an indulgent smile as she fumblingly placed it on his left forearm.
He nodded at her approvingly. “You know, that does feel a little better. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I have more, so when you need another one, just let me know,” she said.
“Baby, how about you go see if you can help Maggie unpack your things,” Bobby said.
“You mean Mommy,” Savannah corrected as she headed off to find Maggie.
“Mommy,” Bobby agreed, “I keep forgetting.”
The two men watched as Savannah scampered out of the room. “She’s a great kid,” Michael said. “You’re all welcome here, you know. I’m happy to be able to help.”
“Thanks, man, this means a lot. We’ll find a place and get out of your hair as soon as we can.”
“No hurry.” Michael looked down for a moment. “With all of you here, it feels like family.”
* * *
Bobby sat on the bed in the largest of Michael’s guest rooms and watched as Maggie hung up the last of her clothes from her suitcase. He’d just checked in on Savannah in the room next door.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Maggie asked softly.
He drew her into his arms and held her close, gently kissing the top of her head. “Truth be told, it makes things easier. Your place is really tight with the three of us. We can’t keep putting Savannah to bed under a card table.”
Maggie chuckled. “Yeah. Michael has all these empty bedrooms. And I feel better staying close. To him and to you and Savannah.”
“It was understanding of Rance to give you a leave of absence,” Bobby observed quietly.
She nodded in agreement. “Between taking care of Michael and getting Savannah settled, it’s a huge relief.” She pursed her lips and glanced at him sideways. “I’m not going to lie about it, I don’t miss criminal court.”
“You know, if you wanted to quit working altogether, we could swing that financially.”
Maggie watched him thoughtfully and shook her head. “I don’t think I could not work. I might look into a change, though.”
Home hospice care had been arranged with a rotation of nurses for days, nights, and weekends. Michael insisted on being up and awake as much as possible, often enduring more pain than was necessary because he didn’t want to feel groggy all the time.
Maggie set him up on the leather sectional in the living room with everything he needed; a pillow, a soft throw, a small table within his reach for his meals and his laptop. The daytime nurse, Rosalie, even set up his oxygen and his IV unobtrusively at the end of the sofa so that he could receive his infusion of pain meds when he eventually relented each day.
Savannah was enrolled in kindergarten at a school not far from Michael’s apartment. Both Bobby and Maggie dropped her off for her first day, but Bobby had to be at work before school got out so Maggie picked her up afterwards. They stopped for ice cream on the way home, and Savannah insisted on getting some for Michael.
“Savannah, Mr. Michael is probably tired,” Maggie said as the child clambered up onto the couch beside Michael to give him his raspberry almond fudge ripple. “You can come with me to the kitchen and help with the chicken.”
Michael looked over Savannah’s head at Maggie. “She’s fine, Mags. I want to hear about her first day.”
Maggie dried her hands on a dish towel. “Okay, but in a few minutes, sweetie, you have some homework to do.”
“Homework? In kindergarten?” Michael was incredulous.
“Welcome to the twenty-first century,” Maggie laughed.
“Tell you what,” he said to Savannah, �
�how about I help you with your homework?”
Maggie smiled as she watched Michael and Savannah, heads close together, poring over a math page about groups of objects. Never in a million years... Maggie shook her head, smiling.
Savannah quickly developed a routine of sitting with Michael in the afternoons when she returned from school. Several times that week she drew pictures for Mr. Michael and for his part, Michael seemed to look forward to chatting with her after school.
* * *
Michael found himself rising early most mornings. He wasn’t sleeping well anyway, and he realized that he enjoyed the bustle of getting Savannah ready for school. After Bobby and Maggie dropped the little girl at school each morning, they got into the habit of stopping for coffee before returning to the apartment, and Michael took advantage of their absence by heading back to bed for a nap.
One morning after they’d left, Michael was slowly making his way down the hall when he felt his bowels give way. “Goddammit, motherfucker, son of a bitch!” he growled.
“What’s the matter?” Rosalie rounded the corner, concern showing on her face.
Mortified, Michael kept his eyes on the floor. “I just shat myself.”
The nurse nodded kindly. “No worries, baby, I have exactly the thing for this contingency. Just get in the shower with your clothes on. We’ll get you all cleaned up in no time.”
Nodding dumbly, Michael slowly continued to his room and stepped into his huge marble shower, sweatpants, t-shirt, and all. Hot water blasted away the offending mess and he stripped of the wet garments, washing briskly as Rosalie entered the bathroom. “Here are some clean clothes. You can hand me the wet ones and we’ll get those laundered and put away in no time.”
Rannigan's Redemption: Complete Collection Page 52
