by K. C. Crowne
As I finished my tea, I made an effort to set all that aside. I still needed to go to my doctor’s appointment. After that, I’d have to tell Patrick. But there was no rush on that front. He’d need some time to recover from his surgery – dumping the news on him when it was still uncertain whether he’d make a full recovery didn’t seem like the hottest idea. I had time.
I finished my tea and checked in on Patrick and Finn. To my surprise, Patrick was already up. The man was good and groggy, barely able to figure out where the hell he was. We gave him an hour to come back to it before checking him out and loading him into Finn’s car.
He spent the trip to the house in a daze, and it took some team-effort to get him through the main house and into the guest house. The kids were out with their mother, who’d taken them on some errands to make the process of bringing home Uncle Patrick a little easier.
“What’re these fuckin’ things on my face?”
It was the first complete sentence he’d managed to get out since waking up. He was referring to the eyepatches. Finn and I had to hurry over to stop him from groggily peeling them off.
“Now, here’s the deal, brother,” Finn explained. “You’re home with Lola. And while you get better, you’ve got one rule – do exactly what the good doctor says.”
I smiled as I watched the two.
It was time to get to work.
Chapter 29
PATRICK
“Now, you keep your arse right where it is, lad.”
I grumbled, my body feeling heavy, like my bones were made of solid lead. “I need to get up,” I said. “And get these fuckin’ things off me.”
I reached for the bandages on my face but didn’t even get close before the same thing happened as all the other times I’d tried to take them off. Finn rushed over and swatted my hands away like I was some toddler reaching for a tray of cookies fresh out of the oven.
“The surgery sure as hell didn’t change his personality a damn bit. Stubborn as ever.” Aunt Roxie’s voice came from Finn’s phone.
“I suppose this is all funny to you, yeah?” I asked. “Watchin’ me flop around like a damn fish outta water?”
“It’s not funny,” Roxie said. “You’re mad if you think I’d take any kinda levity from the suffering of my family.”
“Sure as hell doesn’t sound like it.”
“How’s he been?” she asked, directing her question to Finn.
“Good,” Finn answered, his disembodied voice clear among the pure blackness in front of me. “He’s been here since noon. And as you can tell by the sourness in his voice, the anesthesia’s startin’ to wear off.”
“I’m fine.” I gripped the couch and pushed down, heaving myself up and off it.
“Easy!” Finn called. I could hear him coming closer to stop me.
He didn’t get there in time. I managed to push myself up, but the moment I was on my feet, my legs turned to jelly underneath me. I stumbled forward, slamming my shins into the coffee table, pain blasting through my body.
“Fuckin’ hell!” The words exploded out of me. Finn was on top of me by this point, putting one hand on my shoulder and the other on the small of my back.
“Alright, alright,” he said. “Did you learn your lesson yet?”
Between the pain and the heaviness in my legs, I could barely stand up straight. With a push, Finn had me back on the couch.
“Oh, you poor baby boy,” Roxie lamented. “You doin’ alright?”
“Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to put the coffee table right in front of the damn couch?” I shouted, my words mostly motivated by frustration.
“You’ve been sleepin’,” Finn said. “Here.” The squeak of wood on wood sounded as he pushed the table out of the way. “You’re blind as a bat right now, brother. Don’t get any big ideas about movin’ around.”
“How long until he can take those things off?” Roxie asked.
“End of tomorrow,” Finn answered.
“And he’ll be all better?”
Tension formed in my belly as I listened to her ask the question that had been on my mind since I’d woken up.
“No reason to think he shouldn’t – surgery was a total success.”
“Ah, thank Christ,” she said. “You hear that, boy? You’re gonna be fine.”
“I won’t be fine until I can get to the bathroom without someone holdin’ my damn hand.”
“Suck it up and let your family help you,” she ordered sternly. “And if I hear you’ve been givin’ attitude to anyone, you know I’ll be on the next flight there to whip your arse into shape.”
“Alright, alright.”
A knock sounded at the door to the guest house.
“Lola’s here,” Finn announced. “I’ll talk to you soon, Roxie – let you know how it’s goin’.”
“Be well, boys. And Paddy, stay strong like I know you can.”
I grunted in response, still irritated from the shin-banging. Not to mention I was steamed from being helpless.
“Is that Lola?” I asked.
“It is. She went out to grab us a little somethin’ to eat. Figured you’d be good and hungry.”
My stomach growled at the mention of food, and my heart skipped a beat at the mention of Lola. She’d been over earlier, but I’d been so fucking out of it that her presence seemed more like something out of a dream than anything else.
“Hey!” she said, Finn opening the door. “How is he?”
“You tell me, doc,” I said.
The scent of barbeque followed her in. Lola set the bags in front of me, the crinkle letting me know they were within grabbing distance. I didn’t waste any time opening the bags open and fumbling around.
“Easy, Patrick!” Finn said. “Let me set all that out for you.”
Before I could take my hands out of the bag, I accidentally opened one of the plastic containers of sauce, the liquid spilling all over me.
“Ah, fuckin’ hell.” I shouted the words as I pulled my hands out. I didn’t need vision to know they were covered with sticky sauce.
“Here,” Lola said. “I brought some extra napkins over – figured we’d be in for a messier lunch than normal.”
“Meanin’ you figured that I wouldn’t be able to put food in my damn mouth by myself.”
“Easy, Patrick,” Finn warned.
“Alright, Alright.”
Finn portioned the food out, my stomach grumbling as I listening to him opening the bags and wrappers.
“Mine’s the one with no meat,” Lola said. “The tempeh sandwich.”
“Ah.” Finn passed it over, then set something in front of me.
“Got you the pulled pork sandwich, Patrick,” he said. “I swear, barbeque is one thing we’re all blessed you came up with.”
Lola chuckled. “Wish I could take credit for that.”
I reached forward, moving my hands slowly. When I felt the soft bun of the sandwich, I carefully wrapped my fingers around it and lifted the thing off the wrapper. I moved it slowly toward my mouth, eager for the bite. But as soon as I had it close, I felt something slip from the bun. The sandwich became immediately lighter, and I felt the wet, warm plop of something falling onto my lap.
“Whoa!” Finn said. “Got a little mess there, brother! Want me to grab you a bib?”
Frustration rushed through me. I tossed the sandwich down on the wrapper in anger. “This fuckin’ funny to you, Finn? I can’t even feed myself and you’re havin’ a little laugh?”
“I’m sorry, lad,” he said. “Didn’t mean to be an arse.”
I knew Finn well enough to get that his comment wasn’t about making fun – just trying to lighten things up. But fuck it all, I hated this.
“Mind if I talk to him for a bit?” Lola asked.
“Sure,” Finn agreed. “I’m sure you’ve been meanin’ to have a little doctor-patient chat anyway. I’ll eat my lunch in the house.”
I listened as he grabbed his food and left, the door
shutting behind him. As he departed, I fumbled around for a handful of napkins to clean myself up.
“Let me help,” Lola offered.
“I got it.”
“You don’t, Patrick. And if you keep swatting your hand around like that you’re going to make an even bigger mess.”
She was right and I knew it. I stopped, and Lola put a wad of napkins in my hand. I cleaned the meat off and set it aside.
“Whose idea was it to feed a blind man barbeque, anyway?”
“Thought you could use something filling. Here – start with the French fries.”
She guided my hand to the fries and I grabbed a few, bringing them quickly to my mouth. I chewed them so fast I barely even tasted the things.
“I know this sucks,” she said. “A guy like you, used to coming and going as you please…this can’t be easy to have others take care of you like this.”
“Just don’t want to be a fuckin’ burden, is all.”
“You’re not being a burden,” she insisted, not hesitating for a second. “This is what people do for the ones they love – they take care of each other.”
I said nothing, putting more fries in my mouth and chewing and swallowing them.
“I’m here for you, Patrick. And I want us to be there for one another. If that’s what you want.”
“It’s just…this is hard.”
“But it’s only for a day or two. And then there’s no reason to think you won’t be back to normal soon. You’ll have to actually wear your glasses, sure, but you should’ve been doing that anyway, you stubborn Irishman.”
I didn’t need to see her to know that she was smiling. I smiled a little and said, “Thanks, Lola. Thanks for everything.”
“Thank me by getting some food into your stomach – you need it.”
I reached for the sandwich and took it in my hands. Lola guided me this time, helping me bring it into my mouth. I took a bite and chewed slowly.
She was there for me. And at that moment, it was all that I needed.
Chapter 30
LOLA
“Now, is the father in the picture?” The nurse stood in front of me patiently as I tried to figure out how the hell to answer that little question.
Was the father in the picture?
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Patrick was a good man, that he would do what needed to be done. But if there was one thing I’d learned over the course of my love life, it was that people could surprise you. I was confident he’d step up, that he’d be the same man I’d seen run head-long into danger. But there was still a chance that he’d surprise me, that he’d run in the opposite direction.
“It’s…complicated.”
She nodded and jotted down something on her notepad. I knew there was a chance she’d written down “single mother” in big letters. But that didn’t matter. What did matter was that I was there, that I was going to find out more about this next, amazing stage of my life.
The nurse asked me a few more questions before stepping out of the exam room. I wasn’t alone for long, however. None other than the handsome-as-always Dr. Ryan Anderson entered.
“Good morning, Lola,” he said, shutting the door and leaning against the desk across from me. “And congratulations, if it’s not too premature.”
“Appreciate it. And thanks for squeezing me in. I know you’re not exactly easy to get an appointment with.”
“Of course. You know, when I started with Pitt Medical, I was worried it’d take me a little while to build up my patient base. Ended up being wrong on that score, believe it or not. Guess word of mouth travels fast.”
It was hard to not grin at his charmingly clueless statement. The thing about Ryan was he was almost comically handsome. Tall, broad-shouldered, and square-jawed – the guy was as studly as they came. Of course, there was a certain Irishman who occupied the spot of best-looking man in my life, but Ryan was nothing to sleep on. Once word got around town that there was a handsome new OB/GYN in town, it didn’t take long for his appointment slots to start filling up. Seemed like every woman in the city got really into preventive care at the same time.
But good looks aside, Ryan was one of the best OB/GYN’s in the state and often specialized in high-risk cases. I knew my baby and I would be in great hands with him.
“Anyway,” he said. “I’m assuming you took a test?”
“Three of them. I wanted to be on the safe side.”
“Sure. Then let’s get to it.”
He asked me a few questions – the basic stuff, including questions about my birth control and sexual history. It was a little awkward talking to a colleague about my sex life, but we were both professionals.
“And how are you feeling now?” Ryan asked as he tucked his clipboard under his arm.
“I’m feeling…good.” I paused, realizing that word didn’t cover it. “No, I feel excited. Like I’m really ready for this.”
“That’s about the best way for a mother-to-be to feel. I hope your tune doesn’t change when I break out the ultrasound.”
I chuckled. “No, let’s do it. I want to know all I can as soon as I can.”
He excused himself, returning a few minutes later with a nurse and the ultrasound. Together, they helped me into the stirrups, followed by Ryan cleaning and prepping the wand.
“Alright, gonna be a little uncomfortable for a second.”
I nodded, waiting for the process to begin.
Ryan had a great reputation as a doctor – he was quick and thorough and professional, with an easy, laid-back demeanor. So when he popped his head up from between my legs with an expression of mild curiosity on his handsome features, it was enough to give me pause.
“Everything alright?” I asked as he withdrew the wand.
The surprise quickly vanished, and the easy smile returned. “Everything’s fine. Everything’s great, actually. But I have a question for you – any history of multiples in the family? Or the father’s?”
It didn’t take a genius to put together what he was getting at. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to focus and not freak out. “Not in my family. But in the father’s, yes,” I said, thinking about Finn and Kenna’s twins.
He nodded slowly, processing my words as he handed the wand to the nurse.
“Are you trying to tell me I’m having twins Ryan?”
He shook his head, and I was momentarily relieved until he said, “No. Triplets actually.”
“You’re kidding me. Three?”
“Yes. There are three very strong heartbeats in there. You’re gonna have your hands full in about seven or eight months, Dr. Bridges.”
The rest of the appointment passed in a daze. Ryan walked me through basic pre-natal health matters, giving me instructions to head to the nearest pharmacy after the appointment and pick up a prenatal vitamin.
The gravity of the situation didn’t really hit me until I was at the register handing over my card.
Triplets. It was scary and thrilling and mind-boggling all at once. A single baby was life-altering enough, but three of them?
And then there was the matter of telling Patrick. I could only guess how he might react to news like that. Then again, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? Letting him know he was going to be a father was the hard part. What’s two extra babies on top of that?
I stepped out of the pharmacy with a smile on my face. I had no idea what the future would hold for Patrick and me, but I was determined and excited.
It was going to be a hell of a year.
Chapter 31
PATRICK
If there was one thing I was getting good at since having my eyes operated on, it was detecting the slight difference in sound between pee hitting the bowl, and it hitting the floor. At that moment, it was hitting the floor.
“Ah, shite!” My voice filled the bathroom as I adjusted my aim toward the water, my free hand against the wall to keep myself steady. Once I corrected course and finished the job, I put myself away before fumbling
around to grab a handful of toilet paper to clean up my mess.
As I bent to clean the pee off the floor, my forehead clanged against something hard, pain ringing my head like a bell.
“Fuck!”
I’d slammed my head against the toilet lid. I let out a grunt of annoyance and anger before fumbling around to find my position. I cleaned up and washed my hands and got the hell out of the bathroom before I managed to do any more damage.
Once back in the living room, I did some more fumbling around to make my way over to the French press of coffee Kenna had made for me a little earlier. That was easier doing – a few moments later I had a mug of coffee in the microwave to heat up.
“Alexa – resume.” The podcast I’d been listening to before the bathroom debacle began again.
Normally, I hated tech stuff like Alexa, but since it would make my sightless days a little easier, Finn had picked one up the night before and installed it in the guest house. I’d grumbled about the matter when he’d done it, but I quickly found myself enjoying it.
I carefully made my way over to the microwave and then back to the couch with my mug in hand. A pleased smile formed on my face once my butt was on the couch, not a single drop spilled. Being blind wasn’t my idea of a good time, but at least it gave me some small victories here and there.
A knock sounded at my door, and I called out to Alexa to stop the podcast. “Who is it?” I called.
“It’s me,” Lola’s voice answered.
My heart leaped in my chest, and I had to catch myself to make sure I didn’t rush and trip over the coffee table in my enthusiasm. Careful was the name of the game these days. So I carefully set my mug down, then carefully got myself up, and carefully made my way over to the door and opened it.
I couldn’t see Lola, but knowing she was standing there looking as beautiful as ever was enough to bring a smile to my face. “Hey, there.”