by Kristen Iten
He took half a step nearer, his body so close to hers, she trembled to be held in his strong arms.
“I made a promise.” He looked past her to where Molly lay sleeping in bed. “I told her I would stay, and I meant it. Please, I want to see this through for her… and you.”
It was hard—so hard—to be this close to him, knowing she could go no further, but how could she say no to a request like that? “All right.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you?”
The soft way he trailed his hand down the length of her arm left a tingle in its wake that refused to be ignored. She took a step back. Her emotions were going haywire. Every part of her wanted to take hold of Trent and never let go. But she couldn’t hang on to someone who was walking in the opposite direction unless she wanted to be ripped apart.
She turned back toward Molly and rested her hand on the crown of her head. “There is one thing,” she whispered. She stepped away from the bed and led Trent to the door. “Eddie has no idea what’s going on with her. I was so caught up with everything while we were waiting, I didn’t even think to call him. Would you mind staying with her for a minute while I step into the hall to talk to him?”
“Of course.”
His simple reply was saturated with such tender concern that it weakened Olivia’s knees. She strained against her quivering chin. Why was it that kindness always brought her to the brink of tears? She could handle being mistreated, taken for granted, and generally ignored, but when shown an act of kindness, it brought on a flood of emotions she preferred to keep in check.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Trent said, “but I texted Aunt Kat a while back. I knew she’d be wondering where I was and she’d never forgive me if I kept something like this from her.”
“Kat! Oh, thank you. Kat has sort of adopted Molly as her own. I should have called her a long time ago.”
Trent took Olivia’s hand and traced a circle on the back of it with the pad of his thumb. “It’s okay. No one expects you to report in.”
There were those tears again. Olivia flashed a grateful yet withdrawn smile, detached from any real joy. “Thanks for having my back.”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sighed. “I’d better get this over with.” She stepped toward the door and paused with her hand on the latch. Looking over her shoulder, her breath froze in her chest when she gazed at Molly one more time before stepping outside.
It was impossible to count the number of times she’d watched her little girl sleep over the years. But this time was unlike any before it. Molly wasn’t wearing a sleepy half-smile brought on by sweet dreams. She was surrounded by wires, tubes, and beeping monitors. Olivia was afraid to step into the hallway, unsure of what would greet her when she came back.
“Don’t worry,” Trent said. “I’ll watch her every second.”
She nodded, forcing herself to take a step and allow the door to close behind her. She dialed Eddie’s number as she hurried to an alcove at the end of the hall that doubled as a small seating area. It held two empty chairs and a small round table with a chunky vase filled with dusty silk flowers.
The phone rang several times before Eddie answered.
“Hey! You two about ready to come home? I figured we could have popcorn and a movie tonight after I’m done with my research. How does that sound?”
His perky tone felt like a punch in the stomach after the hours she’d spent with Molly. “We’re not coming home tonight. They’ve just admitted her.”
“What? For a fever?”
“They suspect meningitis.” The words were hard for her to say out loud. “They’re treating her for it now.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
She rolled her eyes at his dismissive tone. Like always, he only heard what he wanted to hear.
“If they’ve already started treatment, she’ll get better and everything will be okay,” he said.
“It’s meningitis, Eddie! This is serious stuff. You should be here. If you could see her—” Olivia’s voice cracked and her words were met by a long stretch of silence. “Eddie? Are you there?”
“You know I’m not good around hospitals,” he said, a tinge of regret coloring his voice.
Another long stretch of silence followed. One Olivia couldn’t bring herself to fill.
“You say they’ve started treatment?” he asked with a long sigh. “What kind of treatment?”
“They’re pumping her full of antibiotics while she sleeps.”
“Then it’s only a matter of waiting to see if the medicine takes effect, right?”
Heat rose in Olivia’s cheeks. She knew Eddie well enough to know where this conversation was heading—she could hear it in his voice. “Yes, meds and more testing.”
“Testing means even more waiting,” he said.
“I guess.” Olivia clamped her jaw tight, narrowing her eyes at just how changed Eddie actually was.
“Look, Olivia, I’d love to be there for you, really, I would. But I’ve got the biggest interview of my life tomorrow. I have to finish brushing up on these reports and I have to be fresh in the morning. If I look at the cost-to-value ratio, my time is better spent here making sure I get this job for us—for our family. My presence at the hospital won’t bring any value, but me being at my best in the morning definitely will.”
Was he really talking about their sick child like she was nothing more than a business deal? Even though Olivia had expected him to say something like that, nothing could have prepared her for how much the words would actually hurt.
She didn’t hurt for herself. She hurt for Molly. She was the most wonderful little girl God had ever created and her own father didn’t care enough about her to give her the time of day—even when she was lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. Fire ignited deep inside Olivia’s being.
“Besides, Molly hardly knows me,” Eddie said. “She won’t miss me. You’re the one she’s going to want when she wakes up and I don’t blame her. I’ll have plenty of time to bond with her when you both come out to Cali once I’m settled in my new job.”
What dreamworld was he living in where he expected her and Molly to come to California?
“Just let me know if there’s any change, okay?” he asked.
Olivia didn’t respond.
“This is for the best. You understand that, right?” he asked.
Boy, did she ever understand! She understood so well that every bit of exhaustion in her body was replaced by an adrenaline-fueled rage that coursed through every vein in her body.
“I understand a lot of things.” She hissed the words into the phone. “I understand that you’d better be out of my house before Molly and I get home. I understand that you’re just as selfish today as you were three years ago when you walked out on us. I understand that all of your grand talk of change was nothing but a load of garbage.”
She took a deep breath, preparing for round two. The words came fast and furious and she had no desire to put a lid on them this time. “Here’s something you’d better understand; you have no right to ever call us a family again. I gave you a chance to prove you deserved a place in our lives and you just threw it away. I’ve chosen to forgive you, Eddie. But I’ve also chosen not to allow you to hurt the single most precious thing in my life—my daughter. If you’re not all in where she’s concerned, you’re all out. I feel sorry for you. You have no idea what a beautiful thing you walked away from. Call me sometime if you ever decide to grow up enough to be the man that Molly needs.”
She hung up her phone and collapsed into a chair, tears pouring down her cheeks before her pants even touched the cracked, green vinyl. She clapped a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook violently with silent sobs, years of pent-up emotions purging from her system.
“Olivia, honey,” a familiar voice called from the elevators.
Olivia looked up through her tears to see Kat rushing toward her with outstretched arms.
Kat slid the other chair up to Olivia’s and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “I came just as soon as I could after I got Trent’s message. Let it all out, darlin’. Kat’s got you.” With her free hand, Kat dug a small package of tissues from her purse and handed them to Olivia. They sat like that for a bit, until the flood of Olivia’s emotions ebbed.
She leaned into Kat’s embrace and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “Thanks for coming, Kat.” She sniffed and took a deep, steadying breath.
“A pack of wild dogs couldn’t keep me away… in fact, they didn’t.” Kat’s warm chuckle put a smile on Olivia’s face. Quiet fell over the women as they sat, huddled together in the small nook. “How’s our girl doing?” Kat said, a somber tone entering her voice.
“They’ve had her on antibiotics for the last few hours. Her fever is still high, but at least she seems to be resting well.” Resting well. Yes, that’s how she would choose to look at it. Molly was a strong little girl. With plenty of rest and medicine, she was sure to come through this.
“That’s good to hear. I was looking all over the place for Trent after his realtor called the front desk. I was a little worried when he said Trent wasn’t answering his phone all morning, but my heart about dropped down into my toes when I finally got Trent’s message.”
“His realtor called?” A twinge of pain shot through her chest. There was only one reason for a realtor to call a property developer. Olivia may have tried to send Trent away a few minutes ago, but that didn’t mean it was going to be easy to see him leave town to build his business in another city.
“Yeah, he was all worked up about some piece of property in San Antonio that’s going up for auction tomorrow. But who cares about that? Will they let me see that baby?”
“Let’s go ask the nurses.”
Kat linked her arm with Olivia as they strolled toward the nurses’ station. A thick fog of sadness rolled in and clouded Olivia’s vision. Eddie wouldn’t come—his work still came first. Trent was sure to be leaving soon—he had a company to build. Soon it would just be her and Molly. Alone. Again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“She’s down eight-tenths of a degree.” A middle-aged nurse smiled up at Trent after recording Molly’s latest vital readings. “It might not sound like much, but it’s movement in the right direction, and that’s what we like to see.” She spoke the words in a quiet tone to keep from waking Molly from her light sleep.
Relief washed over Trent at the good news, but deep down, he was anxious to do something—anything to help. He stood at Molly’s bedside, unwilling to move for fear of disturbing her. “Is there anything I can do for her?”
“You’re already doing everything you can. Times like these are mostly about being present. Don’t underestimate what a powerful gift that can be.” She patted Molly’s knee. “You keep fightin’, sweet pea,” she said before leaving Molly’s side.
Taking on a passive role was a foreign notion to Trent. It was a difficult concept to wrap his mind around. He was used to being the one doing all the fighting. He gazed at Molly, a burning desire raging in his gut to wage this war for her.
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he studied her features. She was a perfect miniature of her mother in every way. They’d weathered a lot of storms over the past few years. Pride surged into his heart. Those two were fighters. If his presence could help them fight just a little bit harder, he’d stand guard over Molly around the clock for as long as it took her to get well.
He rocked on the balls of his feet, bursting with anticipation to report the news of Molly’s drop in temperature when Olivia returned. Molly wasn’t out of the woods yet—not by a long shot—but at least this was an early sign that things just might be starting to turn around. Olivia could use a bit of good news about now, even if he only had a sliver of it to offer.
The solid-wood hospital room door opened and Olivia walked through it, followed closely by Aunt Kat. Trent’s heart sank as Olivia stalked across the room. She may have put a smile on her face, but her steps were slow and labored, as if each one took a herculean effort to produce.
“Thank you so much for staying with her, Trent.”
“There’s no need to thank me.” He caught a glimpse of Olivia’s bloodshot eyes as she walked by. He clenched his fists. What he wouldn’t give for five minutes alone with her ex. “Is everything okay?”
Olivia released a deep breath and took hold of Molly’s bedrail. “Yeah, I took care of some much-needed business out there, once and for all.”
Trent was pretty sure he’d caught Olivia’s meaning, but he had to know for sure. “So Eddie is…”
“Packing.” The way her left brow arched when she said the word told him everything he needed to know. Eddie was out of the picture. Excitement churned inside Trent. That was one less hurdle for him to overcome.
“Hey, nephew.” Aunt Kat rubbed a gentle circle between his shoulder blades, her subdued tone reflecting her concern for Molly’s delicate health.
An urge to wrap his aunt in a bear hug nearly overpowered him. If it hadn’t been for her incessant meddling, he would have never been acquainted with the transformative power of love. “I’m glad you could come, Aunt Kat.” He placed a single arm around her shoulders and settled for a side-hug instead.
“I’ll always be here when my girls need me.” She squeezed him back with surprising fervor. “And when my boy needs me.” She clamped a warm hand down on his for a long moment before approaching Molly’s side. “How’s this little darlin’ doing?”
“The nurse was here a few minutes ago,” Trent said.
Olivia’s brows shot up, deep concern lining her forehead. “Has there been any change?”
“Yes. Change for the better. Her temperature went down by almost a full degree.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” Kat said, circling around to the other side of the bed and pulling up a chair.
Olivia released another weary breath, relief softening the lines on her face. She slumped into the chair she’d refused to sit in earlier. “That’s such great news.” Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on her knees and pressed her palms together as if she were about to say her prayers. She rested her chin on her fingertips, puffy eyes roving over her daughter.
Trent stepped up beside Olivia and placed his hand on her back. He was present, and she needed to feel it. His heart warmed when she leaned into his touch.
A shock of nerves came to life in Trent’s stomach when Kat’s eyes bounced between him, his hand, and Olivia, but they only lasted for a moment. If all went according to plan, Aunt Kat would have a whole lot more to gawk at once they all went home.
Molly’s eyes fluttered open. “Mama?” Her little voice cracked as she reached for her mother.
Olivia slid to the edge of her chair and took Molly’s hand. “Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?”
“Where’s my kitty?”
Olivia stood and kissed Molly’s forehead. “I know right where she is. Hang on a minute.” She took a few steps to where her purse sat on a built-in cabinet. The head of a plush white kitten wearing a pink tiara poked out of the partially-zipped purse. She grabbed it and brought it back to Molly. “Here she is. She’s been waiting for you to wake up and give her some hugs.”
Molly offered a tired smile and hugged her toy. Hope surged through Trent’s veins. She definitely lacked her usual enthusiasm, but anything was better than seeing her lying still in bed.
“Hey, sweet girl, Kat Kat brought some stories. Want to hear one?” Kat said, digging around in the canvas bag hanging on her forearm.
“That’s a great idea,” Olivia said. She wore a smile on her lips, but her slumped shoulders and strained voice told a more complete story. She’d been up for more than twenty-four hours, carrying the weight of her and Molly’s entire world on her shoulders. She was exhausted. But there was no need for her to continue carrying the load on her own. He couldn’t let her go on believing she needed to
!
“Olivia, can I have a word?” he asked, gesturing toward the other side of the room.
She gazed at Kat. The gray-haired woman was settling in to read a picture book to a half-asleep Molly. Olivia nodded. “Sure.” She patted Molly’s arm. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” Molly sighed, her little fingers still clinging to her plush kitten.
Tingles of anticipation went off inside Trent when she turned toward him. He’d kept his feelings and intentions to himself today, out of respect for Molly’s condition. She was supposed to be the focus of the day—not him. But the pressure was taking its toll on Olivia and the time to speak had come. He couldn’t let her go on another moment thinking she was alone. He was ready to dig in right beside her and share the same foxhole for the rest of their lives.
He held back the curtain dividing the room, allowing Olivia to pass, then followed her through. They stood in an empty space designed to hold a second hospital bed. Olivia positioned herself just out of arm’s reach.
“It’s so good to see her eyes open. There was a little while where I was wondering—” Her voice broke off. She bit her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around her torso as if to ward off the same dark fears that had plagued his mind throughout the day.
“Yeah, I know. Me, too.” Trent stepped closer and brushed her hair away from her face, his fingertips grazing the soft skin of her cheeks. Electricity chased up his arms and swirled inside him, its wild current coming to rest in his stomach. “There’s something I need to tell you.” He whispered the words, his heart pounding against his sternum like a battering ram. He swallowed hard against the onslaught, but he wasn’t going to crack—not this time.
Olivia fixed her gaze on the ground at Trent’s feet. “I know, Kat told me about it.”
He cast a glance over his shoulder. “Aunt Kat? But how…”
She inched away, leaving a cold space between them. “Your realtor called the rescue while you were here with us. I guess you’ll probably want to get going pretty soon.” The light tone she used didn’t mask her true pain from Trent’s ears.