by Syndi Powell
Nikki frowned when Page opened the car door and crouched down. “What’s going on, Nikki? Why are you breathing like that?”
Nikki, panting, glared at Chad. “I told you I didn’t want to come here.” She pulled her arm away when Page grasped her wrist to check her pulse.
Chad leaned in. “Nikki, give me a break. She knows what to do.”
Despite Chad’s insistence that she did, Page wasn’t completely comfortable with his confidence in her. She had studied about pregnancy complications, and had seen and experienced quite a lot, but Nikki really needed a doctor. “Can you tell me what’s happening?”
“I’m fine,” she answered through clenched teeth. “Can we go now?”
Page backed up, unsure what to say or do next.
“Don’t go.” Chad turned to Nikki. “Either you tell her or I’ll take you to the ER. I don’t care if you think you’re okay, babe, you’re not.”
Page wanted to tell him that that’s what he should have done in the first place. Nikki gave a curt nod. “Fine. I’ve been having these dizzy spells for the past few days followed by headaches. But I figured it’s just morning sickness or whatever.” She put a hand on her belly. “Then when I met Chad for lunch today, I stood up, and it felt like something was ripping my insides. I can’t seem to catch my breath.”
Page glanced at Chad. “She needs to go to the emergency room. This could be serious.”
“That’s what I told her, but she won’t go.”
Nikki shuddered. “I’m afraid. Of what they’ll tell me.”
Page raised an eyebrow at this. She never thought she’d understand how this woman would feel. “I get it. I’ve had those moments, too. In the doctor’s office. But listen, this is what’s best not just for you, but for your baby. You have to be brave, you have no other choice, right?”
Nikki closed her eyes.
Page turned to Chad. “Her blood pressure might be spiking, which could lead to some big problems, like a placental rupture. If she doesn’t get checked out, she could lose the baby.” For the first time she looked at Nikki hard. “Go to the ER. That’s your best option.”
Chad raced around the car and got inside. “Thanks,” he called out and the car sped off.
During dinner, her cell phone chirped. She placed her plate on the coffee table and picked up her phone. Recognizing Chad’s number, she paused the movie she and Ruby were watching. “How is Nikki?”
“She’s going to be okay,” Chad replied. “You were right about the high blood pressure. Gestational hypertension, they said. If she hadn’t been seen by a doctor, we could have lost the baby. So thank you.”
“She’s not out of the woods yet. You need to monitor her diet and make sure she’s drinking enough water and getting some exercise. Take her for walks.” When he didn’t say anything, she checked the cell-phone screen to make sure that they were still connected. Then she heard him crying. She’d never known him to cry. He’d always said tears were for wimps. “Chad, are you okay?”
“I’m so scared of losing them.”
Those whispered words made her heart break. Sure, he might not have ended their marriage the right way, but she could understand his fear of losing so much. After all, he’d almost lost Page twice before the divorce. She stood and walked into the kitchen. “You need to take care of her, Chad. You need to be there for her.”
“I know.”
“You can’t expect her to do all this on her own. She needs you.”
He sniffled and gave a soft cough. “I know. Please forgive me, Page, when I couldn’t be there for you like you needed me to be. I didn’t know how to handle it. I was immature and a jerk, and I’m sorry.”
“It’s in the past.” She glanced out into the living room, where she saw Ruby watching her from the sofa. “Listen, I need to go.”
“Thank you again, Page. I couldn’t have convinced Nikki to get checked out if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Don’t forget what I said.”
“I won’t.”
Page ended the call and returned to the living room. She put her plate back on her lap and restarted the movie. Ruby looked over at her. “Who was that?”
“The ex-husband. He wanted to thank me for helping him out.”
“You two friends or something?”
Page wanted to laugh at the suggestion. She didn’t think she could be friends with him because she didn’t trust him anymore. But she could offer advice and at least he’d distracted her for a moment from how she’d messed things up with Mateo. She shook her head. “No, he’s just Chad.”
* * *
LULU OPENED THE front door to her apartment and waved Mateo inside. “You don’t look so good, bro.”
To be honest, he hadn’t felt good since he’d left Page on the balcony at the wedding. He’d been so drawn to her that he’d gotten burned in her flame when she kissed him. His lips still felt as if he’d been scorched. He shook his head and handed his sister the bag of treats he’d brought her. “I wasn’t sure if you had cravings yet.”
Lulu stuck her head in the bag and squealed as she brought out a plastic tub of French macaroons he’d bought at a local bakery. “You remembered my obsession.”
“How could I forget? You dragged me to store after store looking for those cookies when you got a taste for them.”
She reached up and kissed his cheek. “You’re sweet.”
He wasn’t sure how sweet he was. He’d hurt a good woman like Page to protect his own heart. He glanced around the living room. “Where’s Roberto? I thought we were going to a movie.”
“He’s working nights this month, so it’s just you and me.” She pointed to the sofa. “You sit. Do you want some iced tea or water or something?”
“I’m fine.” He checked his watch. “We should get going if we want to get our tickets and some popcorn before the show starts.”
She took a seat next to him. “Can we skip the movie?”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Is there something wrong?”
He glanced at her still-flat belly, and she placed her hand there. “Besides horrible morning sickness that lasts all day, I’m fine. I’m just not in the mood to deal with crowds. I thought we could hang out here.”
She was up to something. He’d bet on it. When there was a knock on the door, she feigned surprise. “Now I wonder who that is?”
She went and opened the front door, revealing an attractive dark-haired young woman who handed her a casserole dish. “Thanks for dinner last night. The kids and I really enjoyed it.”
Lulu grabbed the woman’s arm and pulled her inside the apartment. “Ella, have I introduced you to my brother, Mateo?”
The woman gave him a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
He stepped forward and shook her hand, then dropped it just as quickly. “You, too.”
Both Ella and Mateo turned to look at Lulu, who smiled brightly. “I’ve been hoping to introduce you two. And look, fate stepped in.”
More like Lulu had arranged this little meeting. Ella glanced behind her. “I should get back to my place.”
“Ella lives on the floor above us.”
“Yep. I hate leaving my kids alone too long. Never know what I’ll return to.” She waved to Mateo. “Again, nice meeting you. And thanks again, Lulu, for the casserole. I’d love the recipe, if you get a chance.”
Lulu shut the door after Ella had left while Mateo returned to the sofa. He opened the container of macaroons and bit into a pink one that reminded him of the color of Page’s bridesmaid dress at the wedding. He chewed and considered the cookie.
“You could have been a little nicer,” his sister said, scolding him.
“I wasn’t rude. I shook her hand and said it was nice to meet her.” He shrugged. “You could have been more subtle. I don’t need you to introduce me to single women. I’m
all right as I am.”
“You don’t date.”
“I don’t want to.”
He started to grab another macaroon, but Lulu snatched the plastic tub from his reach and took it into the kitchen. When she came back to the living room, she handed him a bowl of chips and set another smaller bowl of onion dip on the coffee table. “You brought those macaroons for me.”
“I know, but I wanted to keep my mouth busy eating, rather than telling you something you don’t want to hear.” He brought a chip covered in dip to his mouth and chewed.
“I don’t understand why you don’t want to meet a nice woman.” She flopped next to him and took a chip from the bowl. “You’re a good-looking guy, I guess. You’re successful and smart. You have a good heart, not to mention your own place and car. You’re the whole package and have a lot to offer a woman.”
“Not quite.”
“What are you missing?”
He looked the chip over and dipped it into the dip before eating it. “I don’t want to be involved with anyone. I have you and Dad.” He smiled. “And soon, a niece or nephew. That’s all I need.”
“Okay, but what about wanting something more?”
The image of Page on the balcony popped into his mind, and he shook his head. “I can’t.”
“You won’t. There’s a difference.” She put a hand on his knee. “I know that losing Mom was hard on you. It was hard on all of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love anyone else.”
“It does for me.” He rested his arms on his thighs and kept his gaze on the floor. “I couldn’t go through that again. And Page is looking at me like—”
“Page is looking at you?”
“Forget it. It’s not important.”
“You seemed to be thinking about her there.”
“She’s not important because I can’t let her be.” He looked up at his little sister. “She has cancer like Mom.”
“But she’s not Mom. You don’t know how things will turn out. No one does. Meanwhile, you could be happy with her. Maybe really happy.”
He cocked his head to the side. “You think I don’t know that? But I can’t allow her to get close to me. It would kill me to lose her.”
Lulu scooted closer to him and put an arm around his shoulders. She laid her head next to his. “I love you, older brother, but you’re being ridiculous.”
He snapped his head up and stared at her. “What?”
“You could leave the apartment tonight and get in an accident and die. No one is guaranteed tomorrow much less the next five minutes. That’s harsh, but it’s the truth.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “If there’s anything to be learned from losing Mom, it’s to hold on to what time we do have with those we love. Because trying to keep people at arm’s length so you won’t care about them isn’t working, is it?”
“It was until Page.”
His sister grinned. “So what are you going to do about it?”
“I’ll be professional and treat her only as a client. Because no matter what you say, I can’t let her in. I just can’t.”
* * *
WHEN MATEO ARRIVED at his office the next morning, he groaned at the sight of a scruffy bearded man waiting in front of his door. Any visit from Jack Novakowski, a friend and Detroit police detective in the narcotics division, wasn’t likely to be a social one. He held out a cardboard cup of coffee from the shop down the street. Mateo unlocked the door and then accepted the cup. “A peace offering? This can’t be good.”
Jack took a seat and rested his feet on top of Mateo’s desk. He wore a T-shirt and cutoff denim shorts so perhaps it wouldn’t be an official visit. He took a gulp of his coffee. “You haven’t showed up to any of the softball games lately.”
“I’ve been busy.”
Jack crooked up an eyebrow at this. “Word on the street is that you’re not as busy as you were when you were taking juvenile cases.”
“On the street?” Mateo shook his head as he set his messenger bag and the coffee on his desk. “I’m expanding my caseload to include other family-law stuff. But then I’m sure you’ve heard that, too.”
“Replacing, more like. You haven’t taken a juvenile case in over three weeks.”
“You’re keeping track?”
Jack put his feet back on the floor and leaned forward. “I need your help on a case.”
Mateo shook his head. “No.”
“You haven’t heard the details.”
“If you’re already bringing up juvenile law, then I know where this is headed.” He could see the wheels twirling in Jack’s brain, already trying to assess the best way to convince him.
“But you are the best.”
“Was the best. I don’t take those cases anymore.”
“We all get discouraged and question our career choices from time to time, but that doesn’t mean you just walk away.”
“I have. So unless you know someone who is looking for a lawyer to help with a divorce or child-custody case...” He pointed to the door and sat to turn on his computer. “You know your way out.”
“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to bring out the big guns, but you’ve given me no choice.” Jack stood and pulled out a photo of a child who didn’t look directly into the camera, and Mateo recognized the background as the wall of a Detroit precinct. More specifically, the wall outside Jack’s office. “She’s seven and got roped into being a drug mule. No parents have come to claim her, but I know the gang the drugs are connected to. My guess is that no one will touch her now. Not unless they want to be incriminated.”
Mateo tried to look away from the photo, but he couldn’t. “No prosecutor in Wayne County is going to charge her for a crime she’s obviously too young to understand.”
“You’re right.”
“So why are you here?”
“I don’t want her to get lost in the foster-care system. And because she knows who gave her the drugs, she could be in danger of retaliation if they think she’s talked. She’s been given some hard breaks, and she needs someone to look out for her.” Jack grabbed the photo and put it back in his pocket. “I was hoping that would be you.”
“I’m not a miracle worker, Jack. You’ve seen what’s happened to some of my clients in the juvenile system. I can’t do this anymore. I won’t.”
“Fine.” Jack picked up his coffee and walked to the office door. He turned back. “You remember what we once promised? That we would fight for those who couldn’t. But I guess I’m doing that on my own now.”
He slammed the door shut behind him.
Mateo put his head down and blinked several times before he allowed himself to start working. His coffee tasted bitter now and he set it aside.
The image of the child haunted him as he followed up on several cases. When his stomach growled to remind him that it was lunchtime, he saved the document he’d been working on and locked the computer screen. He stood and glanced at his cell phone. Before he could second-guess himself, he called Dez. “Hey, you free for lunch? My treat.”
Dez laughed on the other end. “Uh-oh. Sounds like you’re looking for a favor.”
“You’re right. I am. Lolly’s?”
“Meet you there in five.”
Mateo arrived first and got a booth for them. He fiddled with the menu though he already knew he was going to order the usual. The door to the diner opened and Dez entered. Despite the heat, Dez wore a suit and tie, the jacket concealing the weapon he had strapped at his side. Because of his job with Border Patrol, he often carried a gun. Dez took the seat on the other side of the table. “Since this is your treat, I’m ordering the works.”
“Good. Because this is a huge favor.”
After they ordered, Dez placed his palms on the tabletop. “So let’s hear it. Who do you want mentored?”
“I need something more than t
hat this time. You and Sherri are still certified for foster-care placement.” When Dez nodded, Mateo said, “There’s a little girl who needs a safe place. I can’t think of anywhere safer than your house right now.” He paused because he didn’t know what to do to get the girl out of his mind if this didn’t work.
Dez stared at him. “Sherri put you up to this, didn’t she?”
“She doesn’t know a thing about this. You’re the first person I’m telling.”
Their burgers arrived, and they ate in silence for a while. Finally, Dez sighed. “Last week after having Ruby stay with us for a few nights, Sherri talked about adding to our family. A child who needs a family like ours. Maybe adopting a little girl this time. You’re sure she didn’t talk to you about this?”
“As one of my best friends, I assure you that she didn’t say a word to me. And this is a temporary solution.”
Dez pulled out his cell phone and pointed it at Mateo. “You’ve got to stop finding us kids who need us.” But he said it with a smile before calling his wife.
Mateo pulled out his own phone and dialed Jack. It went straight through to voice mail. He waited for the beep. “I know of a family for the girl. Maybe we can set up a meeting between everyone. Call me back.” He paused. “I’m not done trying to help kids, whatever you may think.”
* * *
THE MALL PARKING lot was packed but April managed to find a spot and parked. She sighed and pointed at the ice-cream shop at the other end of where the Hope Center was located. “Rainbow sherbet sounds perfect right about now.”
Page got out from the passenger side. “Nice try. Meeting first. We’re late as it is.”
She opened the back door for Ruby, who groaned as she scooted out of the car. “I feel like I’ve gained thirty pounds this last week.”
Page helped Ruby to stand. “You and I need to start walking more. Exercise would be good for us both.”
“It’s too hot to walk.” The girl waddled beside Page and April. “I’m with April. Ice cream would be better for me than going with you guys to another meeting.”
Page linked arms with both stragglers. “After.” She pulled them along and soon they were inside the cool meeting room. Sherri waved them over to where she’d saved them seats.