Just a Little Hope

by Amy J. Norris

  Anthony leaned back and rubbed his chin. “What’s going on?”

  “Well, my…” Girlfriend? He and Tori hadn’t discussed what to call their relationship. “A friend of mine is here visiting and got some pretty bad news today. She’s going to have to fly back to St. Louis tonight, and I thought it might be good for me to be with her.”

  The skipper sighed. “Normally, I would say no problem, but we’re a little shorthanded right now since Thompson strained his back the other day. I was planning on giving him the day off to try and recover. I wish I could, son, but I don’t think I can spare you. I’m really sorry.”

  Carter frowned but nodded his head in response. “Of course, Skip. I didn’t even think about Tommy’s injury. He doesn’t need to be swinging the bat for sure.”

  He got up from the chair and headed for the locker room when Anthony’s voice stopped him. “I am sorry. I wish I could give you the day off. Any other time, son.”

  Turning to face him, Carter tried to smile. “It’s okay. Thanks anyway.”

  Disappointed didn’t even begin to describe how Carter felt, but he understood. He’d just have to deal with it.

  When he reached his locker, he sat down on the bench in front of it. He dialed Tori’s number. The voice that greeted him sounded exhausted.

  “Hey, Carter.”

  “Hey, Tori. I’ve booked you a flight. It leaves in about four hours. Seb’s going to take you to the airport, okay? And he’s already called Traci, Linc’s wife, to pick you up. He’s got your boarding pass already printed, and you’re good to go. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

  “Oh, I can’t thank you enough. You didn’t have to do all that. But I appreciate it just the same.”

  The sound of a muffled sob caused his heart to crumble.

  “Tori…What can I do?”

  “Nothing. You’ve done so much already. I’m sorry. I need to get a hold of myself.”

  He gripped the phone tighter in an attempt to rein in his emotions. “Just let it out. It’s okay.”

  “I’m fine. I should go get my things together so I can be ready to leave.”

  Carter rubbed his eyes and whispered, “I know. I’ll be thinking and praying for you. Text me when you get there to let me know you got home safely, okay?”

  “I will. I promise. Good luck today. Hit one out of the park.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not one to normally hit homers, but I’ll give it my best. Take care, sweetie.”

  “See you.”

  The phone went silent. He pressed it to his forehead and sighed.

  Dear Lord, give us the strength to get through this.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Tori watched the conveyor belt wind its way around the carousel carrying the various assortment of luggage. As the minutes passed, pieces emptied off the carousel, but her one suitcase still had not appeared. She feared it hadn’t made the flight.

  “Great. That’s all I need.” Dear Lord, I know this sounds so trivial right now but please…

  Before her prayer was finished, she saw the corner of her bright pink suitcase appear through the dark passageway and plop on the rubber mat of the belt. She rushed to yank it off the moving carousel before it passed her by.

  Her phone buzzed in her hand. Looking down she saw a text from Traci Holmes, the wife of Carter’s teammate Lincoln.

  “Hey, Hon. I’m circling the parking lot, so just let me know when you come out and I’ll swing by and get you.”

  Tori wanted to cry. Everyone was going out of their way to help her.

  “Hey, T. I’m coming out of baggage claim now. I’ll flag you down when I see you approach.”

  Throwing her purse on her shoulder, she then pulled the handle up on her luggage and started pulling it toward the automatic doors. She felt a laugh bubble to her lips as she realized what a pickle she’d be in if she’d packed in several suitcases instead of just the one Seb had demanded. Tori was thankful for the laugh, if only because it staved off the tears for a few moments.

  Exiting the baggage claim area, she stood on the sidewalk watching vehicles inch their way along the road as they paused for pedestrians or buses and taxis pulling out ahead of them. After a few minutes, Tori spied Traci’s white SUV and raised her hand to draw the blonde’s attention. Traci’s face brightened, and she whipped the vehicle into the empty slot in front of Tori.

  Traci hopped out of the vehicle. She came around and embraced Tori, talking a mile a minute. “Hey, girl. How are you? Let me grab your bag and stick it in the back. The boys are in the car and are so excited to see you. And forgive the state of the car; it looks like a fast-food restaurant threw up in there.”

  Before Tori could get a word in edgewise, Traci had popped open the back of the SUV and hoisted her bag inside. Tori opened the front passenger door. A chorus of “Hi, Miss Tori!” greeted her from Traci’s twin boys. Thankfully, she’d spent enough time with them recently, she thought she could tell them apart. Hopefully.

  “Hey, boys! How are ya’, Brett? Bradley?”

  The chattering of their answers cheered her a bit, and she smiled as she tried to interpret their toddler-speak.

  “They’ll talk your ear off if you let them.” Traci climbed in the driver’s seat. Shifting the gear, she maneuvered into the traffic. “So, where to? Home? Your folks? I’m ready to drop you wherever you need.”

  She sighed as the full weight of why she was back in St. Louis hit her again. “Um. How about home? I want to change into something more comfortable, and then I’ll have my own car at the hospital.”

  “You bet. We’ll be there in about forty-five minutes. Have you talked to your mom any more today?”

  “I called her at the airport in Los Angeles and told her I was on my way. She sounded okay, but I could hear the fear in her voice. Daddy, of course, is making friends easily and seems to be doing okay.”

  Traci checked the mirrors as she changed lanes and quickly glanced in Tori’s direction. “That’s good. I would think any sense of normalcy would be what he needs right now.”

  “Yeah. Oh! I need to text Carter. I know he’s in the middle of the game, but he wanted me to let him know when I arrived. Just a sec.”

  Traci waved her hand and smiled. “Go on. You just do whatever you need to.”

  Tori dug through her purse and found her cell phone. Her breath quickened at the sight of the voicemail notification on the screen. Had she missed an important call from her mom?

  Preparing herself for the worst, her heart raced until she saw Carter’s number on the display. Her body relaxed as Carter’s Oklahoma drawl played in her ear.

  Hey, Tori. I know you’re on the plane right now. We’re about to head to the field, so I won’t be able to check my messages for awhile, but just know I’m thinking and praying for all of you. Text me when you can.

  As much as hearing his voice made Tori smile, tears began to creep down her face. She missed him already.

  ****

  Carter roamed the right field section of the outfield, waiting for the next batter to step into the box. Double checking his positioning with signs from the first base coach, he pounded his fist into his glove. He was determined to focus in on the game, but he would be lying if he said his thoughts didn’t drift to Tori every now and then. Carter worried about her flight, if she found Traci okay… if she was holding up under the stress of everything.

  The smack of the barrel of the bat on the ball snapped his attention back on the game, and he relaxed when he saw Linc charging forward from third base to make the play at first. One out. Two to go, and if the score held, they’d be off the field in the next twenty minutes with another win under their belts. And Carter could get his stuff together and prepare for the team’s flight out the next morning.

  He wished they were leaving that night after the game. As it stood, he wouldn’t get back to St. Louis until early afternoon, and there was no telling if Tori’s dad would already be in surgery. He hated the unknown. The
fear of upcoming treatments, prognosis for survival, these were not foreign concepts to him. Carter knew Tori was terrified.

  Another ball went into play, and Carter centered himself as he saw it fly in his direction. Waiting for it to drop out of the sky, he held his position and squeezed his glove when the ball thumped into its deep pocket. Two outs. He held up his hand showing two fingers and threw the ball back into the infield.

  He needed to phone his parents. If anyone could understand what Tori and her family were going through, it would be them. Why he hadn’t thought of that earlier, he couldn’t imagine. But the first call, after checking on Tori, would be to his mom and dad. They’d give the advice he needed.

  Another crack of the back, and Carter ran toward the dugout, knowing the shallow fly ball to center would be handled easily by Durango’s capable hands. Three outs. Game over. Carter couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so anxious for a game to end.

  He greeted each of his teammates as they walked off the field celebrating another victory. Seb met him at the dugout steps and slapped him on the back. “Good game, C. I know it was hard to keep focused on what was going on around you.”

  Carter nodded in acknowledgement and started down the tunnel to the locker room.

  “Manning. Step into my office, if you will.”

  The skipper’s voice caught him off guard. Carter thought back over the game. He played a clean game in the outfield—no missed balls or errors. His batting wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. He hadn’t been able to knock the homer for Tori like she asked. But the double he’d smoked to left field had scored the winning run. Carter walked into his office, unsure of what was going to happen next.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Tori’s VW Bug coasted down the interstate. She was determined to keep under the speed limit, but every time she looked down her foot was pressing harder on the gas. Getting there five minutes earlier wasn’t going to change anything, but she was desperate to see her parents.

  With still another fifteen minutes to go in her drive, she punched the button to turn on the radio, hoping an upbeat song would help pass the time. Scanning the stations, she had just settled on one when her cell phone rang. Tori grabbed it from the console and smiled, seeing Pax’s face on the display.

  “Hey, Pax.”

  “Hi, hon. Just checking in. I’m guessing you got there okay?”

  “Yeah. Traci picked me up and dropped me at my apartment. I’m heading over to the hospital now. I talked to Mom for a few minutes. Dad’s gotten tons of visitors already. He’s eating it up.”

  “I’m sure he is. Listen, Seb and I will be home tomorrow afternoon, but I’m not sure we’ll make it before the surgery. I am so sorry we can’t be there with you.”

  Tori flipped on her blinker as she passed a slow moving car in front of her. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you and Seb had some time together. Don’t hurry home on my account. I’m sure there will plenty of time for us all to spend time together.”

  “I still hate it, though. Be sure and give your folks a hug from Seb and me. And tell them we’re praying fervently.”

  “I will, Pax. Thanks for checking in. I’ll call or text after we hear from the doctor. Oh! I don’t know if I told you. We’re so blessed, Pax. My dear friend Clint, has agreed to take Daddy on as a patient.”

  “Tori! What a godsend! I know your dad is in good hands now. Clint loves him like his own father.”

  “I know. It’s the first real good news after the initial report.”

  “Well, I’ll let you go. I love you, Tori! Keep your chin up, and never give up hope, okay?”

  “Thanks. I promise I’ll try.”

  She ended the phone call just as she pulled into the hospital’s parking garage. It was hard to believe it was just a few short weeks ago she was here after Pax’s accident. Tori certainly hadn’t planned to be back so quickly.

  As she circled up the ramps looking for a parking place, she thought about Carter. Who would’ve thought a hospital parking garage was where she’d meet such a kind and thoughtful person? She smiled as she remembered their first awkward meeting. How silly she’d been and how his eyes twinkled at her. Her heart burned within her, knowing it would be another couple of days before she’d see him again. His warm embrace sounded so safe right now.

  She parked in an empty space on the fourth level. Tori paused a few seconds to consider all that had happened. The moment she entered the hospital, her life would never be the same. She shouldered her purse and laptop then hurried to the elevators.

  She navigated the busy hallways of the hospital and finally approached her dad’s room. Tori heard several voices inside but knocked on the door before stepping inside. Her dad was in the bed, with the back raised almost to a seated position, laughing with his friends.

  He glanced in her direction and opened his arms out wide to her. “Tori!”

  She rushed to his side and buried herself in his arms. The same arms that comforted her after bike accidents, bad grades, and a broken heart. Now it was time for her to be there for him.

  Tori whispered into his neck, “Hey, Daddy. How are you?”

  “Just fine now that you’re here. I’m sorry you had to cut your trip short.”

  She sat back on the bed. “Now, Daddy. Don’t you even worry about my trip. I’m here, and that’s all that matters.”

  “Do you remember the people here?” He reached out his hand and tugged the arm of the man nearest him.

  “Of course, Dad. I remember Frank. Thank you so much for coming.”

  Frank Tollison had been her father’s friend in high school and his roommate in college. A slender man with graying temples, her dad’s old friend put his arm on her shoulder and pressed gently. “I’m just glad I happened to be in town when I got the news.”

  Her dad gestured to the other man beside Frank. “And Paul Greevy. Do you remember him? He went to high school with Frank and me.”

  Tori smiled in Paul’s direction. She hadn’t seen him for several years, but she remembered his bright smile. “It’s been a while, Paul.”

  She turned to her father and squeezed his hand. “Well, this is like a class reunion of sorts, isn’t it?”

  Her father grinned. “Yes. I’ve enjoyed visiting with them very much.”

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to it. I want to speak to Mom for a minute.”

  Leaning over, Tori kissed him on the cheek. Then she stood and looked at her mother. Even though her mom was smiling, Tori saw the fear in her eyes.

  She crossed the room, her bottom lip trembling. Seeing her mother scared reinforced Tori’s own insecurities.

  As they embraced, Tori’s mother murmured in her ear. “Clint came by and wrote down what he thinks your father has.”

  Tori released her and stuck a loose curl behind her ear as her mother fumbled in her purse for the paper.

  “Here. It’s something called a GBM.” Tori took the paper from her and looked it over. Clint, in his physician scribble, had written out glioblastoma multiforme. Whatever that meant.

  “Did he say if it was something easily curable?”

  “He didn’t say anything. Part of me wants to look it up, and the other part thinks living in ignorance is smarter. What if Clint is wrong and we get all worried over nothing?” Tori took her mother’s hand. She could feel it trembling and squeezed it in reassurance.

  “I’ll do whatever you want Mom. I brought my laptop. I can do some research if you like. Did Clint say he was going to stop by again?”

  “Yes. I think he’s coming by in the next thirty minutes or so.”

  Tori nodded. She trusted Clint implicitly. “Well, then, I think we should just wait and let him explain his reasoning for thinking it’s this GBM thing.”

  “You’re right. We’ll just wait and see. Besides, your father is enjoying visiting so much right now, it helps me to stay as calm as possible.”

  “I know Daddy appreciates it so much. Has he had other visi
tors besides Frank and Paul?”

  Tori sat down beside her mother as she relaxed back in the chair. “Oh, yes. Several from church have come by. He hasn’t lacked for company at all.”

  “Good. That will help keep his mind off of things. Has Clint indicated when Dr. Jones wants to do the surgery? And if they will do surgery?”

  “Yes. Your dad has to have some tests run tonight, and then if all goes well, surgery will be first thing in the morning.”

  Tori squirmed at the thought of her dad’s brain being operated on. She knew there had been great strides in medical technology, but part of her wondered if he would be the same person after the surgery. Or maybe he wouldn’t even survive the surgery. Her nerves started to get the best of her, and the light lunch she ate at the airport threatened to erupt.

  “Have you heard from Carter since you’ve gotten back?”

  At the mention of Carter, Tori felt a smile cross her face. “He left a sweet voice mail. I texted him on the way home. I suspect it will be a while before he can respond since he’s at the game and all. I know, let me check and see how they’re doing.”

  Tori checked the sports app on her phone. Although happy to see they had won, she frowned when she saw the game had been over for an hour and a half. She thought she would’ve heard from him by now. Maybe they had a post-game celebration or something. Beating the Dodgers in three straight games was quite an accomplishment. But still, she thought he’d have at least sent a quick text.

  Tori stood when Paul and Frank decided to leave and gave them each a hug. Sitting back down, she thought about sending Pax a text to see if she knew anything about Carter’s whereabouts when Clint, her dad’s newly agreed upon oncologist, arrived.

  “Hey, Tori. It’s good to see you.”

  Tori rose and hugged her old college friend. “It’s good to see you too, Clint. Thank you for taking on Daddy’s case. I know it was not an easy decision for you.”