Creative Love (Ladies of L.U. #1)

by J. Nichole

  With his hand outstretched my mother takes it in hers and I wrap my arm around her. We both stay seated side-by-side with my brothers gathering around us. “The surgery went well. We were able to implant the stent and his artery appears to be responding.” My mother’s shoulders shudder and she begins to sob. “He should be out of recovery within the hour and you can go in to visit him.”

  My mom sniffles. “Thank you, doctor.”

  David walks with the doctor out of the waiting room. Chris and I stay with my mom and let her release all her tears. Once the floodgate is open the tears continue to flow.

  Laila hands me a cup of water and I place it in my mom’s hand. “Here Mom, take a sip.” My mom takes a few sips and hands me the cup. “As soon as they let us in the room we’ll go check on Dad.”

  Laila starts pacing back and forth and I stand, leaving the seat for Chris to take. “Laila, are you okay?”

  Laila looks back at my mom and I follow her into the hallway. “I didn’t realize how much this reminded me of my mom being in the hospital until now.” She looks up the hallway. “When the doctor walked in I was reminded of how I felt waiting for the doctor to give us news about her.”

  I close my eyes and imagine how much harder today would be if it was my mom in surgery instead of my dad. “This is taxing on all of us.”

  “Being in the hospital with any family member is never easy.” Laila leans against the wall. “After you all are able to see him, I’d recommend you all take turns getting a break away from here.” I don’t agree because I’m not sure I’ll be able to leave after I see my dad, especially if my mom decides to stick around.

  Laila twirls her phone between her hands. “I’m glad you were able to come down with Chris. I’m sure you being here is easing his stress,” I look from her phone to her eyes, “even if only a little.”

  A slight smirk forms on Laila’s face. “And looks like you had someone looking out for you too.”

  Shrugging off her reference to Shelby I say, “The last person I wanted to see, honestly.”

  “Who was she?” Laila whispers as if she was unsure if her question was appropriate.

  “My ex from college.” Laila’s eyes grow wide. “First time I’ve seen her since we broke up.”

  “Wow. I bet that was awkward.”

  “Not as awkward as I had imagined.” A nurse approaches us and slows as she nears the waiting room entrance.

  “Are you all here for Mr. Clark?” I nod my head. “If you come with me, a couple of you can come back to visit him.” I put my hand in the air and enter the waiting room to inform my mom.

  Laila takes a seat near Chris and I walk with my mom behind the nurse. Instead of going inside with her, I give her a few minutes to speak with my dad. From the window I see her take his hand and lean into his ear. With his eyes half-open, he watches my mom but his mouth doesn’t move.

  When my mom takes a seat near the bed I walk into the room and take his free hand. His head turns toward my direction and I say, “Old man, you can’t scare us like that.” He doesn’t respond verbally, but I feel his hand squeeze mine just a little tighter.

  Although I don’t want to leave him, I’m sure David and Chris are eager to lay eyes on him. I pat his hand and tell my mom I’ll send them back. On my way to the waiting room I’m tempted to call Nicole again, but decide against it. Now is the time my family needs me, and I’ll be here for them.

  Chapter Twenty

  Nicole

  Yesterday he was blowing up my phone and now he won’t answer. Petty. With my hair wrapped and my baggy sweats on, I take a seat on the couch and flip through the channels. Last time I sat like this he showed up, and I would love for him to show up now, but he won’t even answer the phone. Maybe he’s done with me, maybe he’s had a change of heart, and working this thing out is no longer his goal.

  I stop flipping the channels when I see black women arguing on the screen. Diving into someone else’s drama always clears my mind. My phone rings and my breath stills. I let it ring as I avoid looking at the screen. “Hello.”

  “Nicole, what are you doing?” Her voice is soft and she sounds exhausted.

  “Sitting here watching television. My Sunday routine.” I lower the television volume to hear Laila speak. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m in Tennessee.” In Tennessee? Laila only has one reason to be in Tennessee, and the same reason she has to be in Tennessee would probably put Bryan in Tennessee.

  “Is everything okay?” My hand lays over my chest hoping to still my heart’s fast pace.

  “Mr. Clark.” I gasp waiting for her to tell me the worst possible news I could hear. Maybe that’s why Bryan was calling and no longer is answering his phone. Dammit. “He had a heart attack, and had surgery yesterday. He’s recovering, but he hasn’t been able to speak since he’s been out of the surgery.” Laila sniffles.

  “Oh my goodness. How’s the family?” Of course I’m worried about Bryan’s mother, and his brothers, but mostly I’m worried about him.

  “They are having a hard time right now. I was headed back to New York this evening but I’ve rescheduled my flight.”

  If Laila misses work I know it’s something serious. “Do you need anything?”

  “I haven’t been able to get any of them to leave the hospital. They’ve been taking turns sitting up with Mr. Clark. Sitting in the waiting room is starting to take a toll on me, but they’ve had plenty of people coming in with food and snacks.”

  “I’m coming.”

  “Coming to Tennessee?” Laila stutters. “I can’t ask you to do that, Nicole.”

  “You didn’t ask, Laila. I offered.” Hopping off the couch to find my work laptop I turn it on in preparation to send an email to my manager and one to Krista who will have to cover my meetings. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way.” Then it dawns on me, I need an address and should probably figure out how long it will take me to get to them. “Wait. Laila, text me the address of the hospital.” She agrees and we hang up.

  I walk between the bedroom and the living room a couple of times before I actually accomplish anything. A road trip to Tennessee to sit in the waiting room with a man’s family who I’ve never met. This could turn out to be a terrible situation. What if Bryan needs space? If nothing else, I’ll be there for Laila.

  Grabbing my weekender bag, I throw in a couple of shirts and pants, and my necessities to stay hygienic as much as I can in a hospital waiting room. I stand in the middle of my room and try to think about other things I may need, but come up blank. I don’t bother changing clothes since I’ll be traveling for a few hours.

  On my way to my car I call my parents to let them know I’m going on a road trip. “Nicole, hey baby. How are you?” I’m sure my mom is walking out of church where she prayed hard for me to return with them one day. At least that’s what she’ll tell me. “We missed you in church today.”

  “I hope it was a good service. If Daddy preached, I’m sure he delivered the word.” Growing up as a preacher’s kid, I stayed in church on Sundays, and throughout the week. After all those years, I learned to have a personal relationship with the Lord and decided I didn’t need to be amongst His people in the church house. At least that’s how I’ve convinced myself.

  “Oh yes, dear. He preached the word today. Are you coming by for Sunday dinner?” As much as I love to eat my mama’s cooking, like the church house, I’ve avoided my parent’s house on Sundays. Feels like a mini church service with many of the church members visiting for a good meal and fellowship.

  “Not today mama. I was actually calling to tell you I am taking a road trip.”

  “A road trip. On a Sunday, where are you going?”

  “My friend’s father had a heart attack. It’s actually Laila’s boyfriend’s father. She’s there at the hospital and I’m going to check on them.”

  “I’ll be praying for his father, Nicole. I’ll also be praying for your safety. Be careful on the road and call me as soon as you ar
rive.” I didn’t expect anything less from my mom. She’s always been supportive of my decisions, even if deep down she may think I’m half crazy. Now had I called my dad, he would have told me to sit my butt down and pray. He would have told me to stay off the highway. I won’t be surprised if he calls after my mom shares the news with him. But by then hopefully I’ll be half way to Tennessee.

  When I hang up with my mom I start my car and say a prayer, one for me and one for Mr. Clark.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Bryan

  It’s Chris’ turn to relieve me from the bedside. We’ve been rotating every couple of hours to keep an eye on my mom who refuses to leave my dad. Her eyes have nodded off a few times since I’ve been sitting here and I wish my dad would wake long enough to tell her he’s going to be okay, to tell her to go home and rest. Our only interaction with him has been to watch the machine that’s been pumping oxygen into his body. He’s taken a terrible turn since leaving surgery, and I hang my head as I leave his side; each time I leave I am reminded it could be the last.

  “She needs to get some real sleep before she ends up sick.” Chris looks beyond me as we pass each other through the door of my dad’s room. “We don’t need both of them in the hospital.”

  Looking back at my mom I nod my head. “The nurses have even offered her the shower down the hall to freshen up, but she won’t move.”

  “Alright man.” Chris pats my back and I leave the room. “I can stay longer if you want to go home and get some rest. David went to the office to send emails to the staff.”

  “I’ll be okay.” I continue down the hall to the waiting room. I rub my eyes and blink a few times. Exhaustion must be setting in because the woman I see walking my direction strongly resembles Nicole. I shake my head but the image doesn’t refine itself. The woman stops walking and watches as I approach her.

  “Nicole?” When I’m in front of her there is no denying what I see. My mind isn’t playing tricks on me. She’s here. I reach out for her hand. “When did you get here?”

  She looks down at our hands. “I just pulled up a few minutes ago.” She starts to speak again but stops with her mouth slightly open. I have an urge to take her lips in mine and kiss her, show her how much I appreciate her being here. But instead I remove my hand from hers.

  “Thank you for coming, but you didn’t have to drive all the way here.” She steps back and looks me in the eyes.

  “I don’t want to be in the way. But when I talked to Laila, I wanted to be here.” Of course, Laila is here. I look into the waiting room and see Laila sitting up in a chair with her head stretched, leaning against the wall.

  “Right. Maybe you two can head to my parent’s house. Let Laila get some rest.” I walk over to Laila and nudge her arm. “You should go lay down. If we all end up sick, we won’t be any help around here.” Laila nods her head. I look at Nicole who is standing an arm’s length away from me. “And after your drive you should get some rest too.” I dig through my pocket for my keys. My parent’s key has remained on this ring since childhood.

  Handing the key to Nicole I let my hand linger in hers before saying, “Whatever you do, don’t lose it. I’ll text you the address.”

  “Thanks.” Nicole places the key in her pocket before wrapping her arm around Laila and helping her out of the seat.

  “Tell Chris I’ll be back in a few hours. Let me know if y’all need anything while we’re gone.” As they walk out of the door Laila looks at me. “Maybe I’ll bring pillows.” She twists her neck around.

  Taking a new seat in the waiting room, by myself I look around and realize we were the only family in the waiting room. Usually the waiting room has other families waiting on their loved ones, but I’m glad others aren’t going through what we are going through right now. I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy.

  Instead of resting my head against the wall, like Laila, I manage to rest my head in my lap. Sleep has escaped me since we’ve been back in Knoxville, but I let my eyes rest and my breathing slows.

  “How long have you been asleep?” I sit up in my chair and blink my eyes as I try to focus on the person interrupting my sleep. I look around the room at the sterile walls, the medical signage, and realize I’m sitting in the waiting room. It wasn’t a dream.

  “I don’t even know. How long have you been gone?” David looks at his watch and hunches his shoulders.

  “I don’t remember when I left.” He sits beside me and asks, “Do you need to go to the house and get some rest?” His lips curl into a smile. “Or maybe get in a quickie.”

  I squint my eyes at David. “What are you talking about?”

  “I had to go let your girl in the house. They set the alarm off.”

  “Oh shit. I forgot to tell her the code to the alarm.” I shake my head. “Why didn’t she call me?”

  “Guess they couldn’t reach you. Laila called Chris and he called me cause he didn’t want to leave.” David leans back in the chair looking for a comfortable position. “I was able to give them the code before the cops showed up, then I stopped by on my way back here to make sure they were okay.” I stand up to stretch. David looks up at me with the same goofy smile. “Your girl is bad. Even with her hair wrapped up and those baggy clothes on.” He trails off and I feel some type of way about him describing Nicole like some random chick on the street.

  “Yo, dude, chill with all that.” He throws his hands in the air. “I can’t believe she drove here.”

  David shifts in his seat. “You mean you didn’t know she was coming?” He nods his head then says, “Laila’s idea?”

  “I don’t know whose idea it was but I don’t need her here as a distraction.”

  With a smirk on his face, David says, “Distraction?” He rubs his forehead. “Mom hasn’t left Dad’s side since he’s been in this hospital. When you’re in a relationship…”

  Before he can continue I interrupt him. “But that’s it. We aren’t in a relationship. She isn’t ready for all that yet.”

  “But yet she drove over three hours to be here at the hospital.” David adjusts in his seat again. I’m sure his height, a few inches taller than me, and his stature, much broader than mine is making it difficult for him to be comfortable in the seat. He finally stands and says, “I’m headed back to the room to relieve Chris. How about the two of you go to the house for a couple of hours then come back?”

  Instead of rejecting I agree with a slight nod to my head. I look around the waiting room to check for anything we could have left behind. Other than food we haven’t had much else in the room. I stack up a few bags of chips on a table, and if another family has to be here before we return, hopefully they’ll help themselves.

  “I hear we’ve been kicked out for a few hours.” Chris says standing in the doorway of the waiting room.

  “Yeah, but I’m not staying gone for too long. Leaving with him in this condition makes me nervous. Any change yet?” I walk toward Chris and we walk side-by-side out of the hospital.

  “Nothing yet. The doctors came in to check on him, but didn’t have much of an update. I can tell Mom is starting to get weary, almost as if she knows more than the doctors.” He looks at me and says, “She doesn’t seem optimistic.”

  I stop walking and look at Chris. “You’re not helping.” I point toward the hospital. “We should go back.”

  Chris grabs my shoulder and says, “Bryan at this point there isn’t much more we can do from that waiting room.” He pushes me forward toward the parking lot. “If he recovers, or not, we are going to need to help Mom. We’ll have to step in as soon as she walks out of this hospital. She’s going to be exhausted.” Although I don’t want to think about us leaving this hospital without my dad, I realize Chris is right.

  During our drive back to the house Chris reminds me of our times growing up. His memories differing from mine because of our age difference. When I was running the street, and chasing behind chicks, Chris was at home in his younger years. Being the you
ngest, he was able to have our parents to himself.

  “Dad must have grown tired over the years.” I laugh. “You had it easy.” Chris snickers. “Really, man. David probably had it the hardest. Just always had to be perfect in Dad’s eyes. Then there was me who came along breaking all the rules.”

  “I appreciate his tough approach though.” He looks from the road to me. “I think we turned out like decent dudes.” Hitting my arm he says, “Even with you going on your passion adventure.” Chris’ eyes shift from me to the driveway when we pull up to our parent’s house. I take a deep breath as I prepare myself to walk into the house. “Nice of Nicole to come here from Georgia to check on you.”

  I groan. “We only need to be here for a couple of hours.” I warn Chris, “Don’t get too comfortable.”

  The house is quiet and the lights are dim. Chris and I go our separate ways, both of us walking to our own rooms in the house. My room is empty and I’m relieved that I don’t have to face Nicole again. Shrugging out of my shoes and pants and throwing my shirt in a pile on the floor, I climb into my bed and shut my eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Nicole

  Laying uncomfortably on the couch I watch the ceiling and think how life could have been growing up in this house. I can’t believe Bryan walked away from his family firm, the one that provided all of this. And now that I lay on this overstuffed couch I can’t believe I hopped my ass in a car and drove to Tennessee.

  The front door opens and I can hear people walk into the house but I don’t move. After our breach of the security system, I decide to lay low until Laila and I return to the hospital. Instead of taking the bed Laila offered, I decided the couch would be the most appropriate. Laying in a random bed, in an unfamiliar house of a family I hardly know feels a lot like Goldilocks. And I pass.