by Grady, D. R.
“So my baby sister is dating a neurosurgeon?” Reed and Shawna both looked flabbergasted.
“Yes,” Katy confirmed. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”
“It’s nerve racking, and scary and you have to have really steady hands—” Trixi picked up Katy’s thought process.
“And really steady nerves—” Katy cut in.
“And a lot of brains—” Trixi added. Memories of the week she had spent assisting a different neurosurgeon still elicited the occasional bad dream.
“And the ability to think on your feet when something happens—”
“Because something always happens,” Trixi agreed.
Mark shook his head. “I love what I do, but I’m no superman. Katy’s job is every bit as challenging as mine. There’s no way I could survive doing what Leo does, and he’s top of his profession. Neonatal...” he turned to her and shook his head harder.
“It’s not for everyone,” Johnny agreed. “I love cardiology, but please don’t ask me to work with children,” he smiled at Leo, “or babies,” he gave a faint shudder. “On the same token, I didn’t enjoy neurology or neurosurgery because there is a required skill set you either have or you don’t succeed. I did enjoy surgery though and that was my backup plan.”
Katy nodded. “Cardiology was one of my alternate picks as well.”
“I have the best of both worlds.” Johnny helped himself to more potatoes.
“I prefer regular surgery and I get to work with Janine Morris,” Katy burbled.
Johnny whistled softly. “I’ve heard of her.”
“So have I.” Miriam’s grin was impish.
Everyone laughed, since Miriam, although she didn’t work there, knew a lot about the hospital because she served on several hospital related charity boards. She was a great source of information, and could have been a doctor herself, except she had a flair for business like Rylan.
The conversation changed again, as her dad asked Shawna about her recent promotion. “It’s hardly a promotion.”
Reed corrected her. “You’re a vice president now.”
With pink cheeks, she glanced at Leo, Mark, and Nina, the newcomers. “It’s not as impressive as it sounds. My family owns the company.”
“Becoming a vice president is impressive.” Nina pointed out.
“She beat out several other candidates, all of whom are older than her, but Shawna was the best choice,” Reed said proudly.
“How long have you worked there?” Leo sounded interested.
“I’ve had an actual job there since I turned fourteen. So it’s been eighteen years.” Shawna looked surprised.
“What all have you done?” Trixi knew Shawna had started at the lowest level.
“I swept the floors and cleaned, and then moved into the mail room. From an early age I wanted to go to work with my dad.” She smiled.
“So she worked her way up, earning a Bachelor’s degree, then CPA, and finally her MBA, all while employed full-time.” Reed slid his hand up and down her arm. “Her experience and education is why she got the vice presidency. Because she’s the most qualified.” He kissed his blushing wife.
“That’s what my dad said when he appointed me.” Shawna smiled at Reed. Trixi had known from her first meeting with Shawna that she would do very well as Reed’s wife, and hadn’t been surprised when the couple later announced their engagement and then married.
“What does your company make?” Leo asked.
Shawna tore her gaze from Reed’s to focus on Leo. “Electronic components.”
Reed explained further. “It was Shawna who figured out which way the electronics market was going and convinced the board to head there. It shot them to the top.”
“I like technology so my interests helped,” Shawna said modestly. A mischievous smile overtook her. “My company and Reed’s compete for a few of the same contracts.”
“Don’t we know it.” Her dad moaned. “My shark of a daughter-in-law has snatched several tasty contracts from our grasp.”
“We’ve since moved in a different direction,” Reed added.
“You’ve entered the medical side rather than consumer electronics.” Shawna rubbed Reed’s hand.
Mark turned to Rylan. “So you’re also in the electronics business?”
“Correct, but like Reed said, we’ve switched to the medical side now.”
“I wonder why?” Leo asked facetiously.
“He was being threatened.” Gran smiled at her, Katy, and Johnny.
“This is only going to get worse.” Her father glanced at Mark and Leo.
“I’m in the medical profession, too,” Nina piped up and set them all off on another round of laughter.
Her father leaned forward to plant a proprietary kiss on Nina. That lady blushed prettily and her embarrassed happiness wasn’t lost on anyone in the room. “Yes, you are,” her dad agreed.
Trixi was super happy for both of them.
“What do you do?” Shawna’s curiosity was genuine.
“I’m a receptionist on the surgical unit.” Nina smiled at her.
“Oh, you are in the medical field then.”
“I enjoy it.”
“Not half as much as we’re thankful Nina is there. She’s one of the few who sends through everything correctly,” Trixi said loyally. Except it was true, not just loyalty. Whenever one of her tiny patients returned from Nina’s department, Nina could be counted on every time.
Nina’s peachy color heightened. “I’m just doing my job.”
“It’s nice when people enjoy their jobs though.” Katy set down her butter knife. “Some people don’t and they make the working conditions miserable for everyone.”
Bernadette served dessert then. Trixi wished the meal had lasted a little longer. It was one that would stand out to her for the rest of her life.
This sense of family, love, and warmth was precious. It was wonderful to not feel the deep sense of loss for her mother. There was a pool of sorrow there that would always remain, but it was calm now.
For the first time since her mother’s death, she envisioned a brighter future.
Chapter 37
At breakfast the next morning Mark looked around. “Where’s Gran?”
“She was feeling tired, so decided to stay in bed.”
Mark frowned. “Is she okay?”
“I asked her that.” Trixi ladled cinnamon raisin oatmeal into two bowls. The enticing fragrance made her stomach rumble. This particular recipe had never turned out wrong.
“What did she say?”
“Sometimes she gets tired so decided it wouldn’t hurt her to stay in bed. I couldn’t fault her logic.”
He looked knowing. “What was her temperature?”
Trixi rattled off Gran’s temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. “I also checked her eyes and asked about aches and pains. She seems fine, just a little tired.” She handed him a bowl of the delectable cereal. “We’ve had a lot of excitement here lately but not much sleep. I think it’s realistic for her to need more rest.”
“I’m sure you’re right. If you checked her, I won’t.”
“If she’s coming down with something, she’ll let someone know. Our housekeeper lives a few houses down and knows Gran well. I called her already, so she’ll stop by later this morning.”
His lips twitched.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”
“You’re already way ahead of me.” He leaned over to kiss her. Trixi forgot all about her breakfast and instead lost herself in his kiss.
When they arrived home that evening, Trixi was ready to drop into a ball of exhaustion. They had a really sick baby on the unit and his care kept her moving. Between his treatments, assuring his anxious parents, and running the unit, it had been a long day.
Mark drove into the garage and parked with expert precision. As the door rolled down, she finally thought about Gran. “Oh no,” she said, worried.
“What?” Mark sounded as weary as
her.
Panic ensued. “Gran.”
He stayed her flight with a calming hand to her arm. “We can go see her now.”
Trixi nodded, but her internal critic berated her for forgetting all about Gran. When they entered the house, her neighbor, Josie, met them at the mudroom door. Her grim face catapulted both her and Mark into the room.
Lying against the pale blue of her sheets, Gran’s face lacked color except for a fever flush. Her eyes were dull and her entire state was one of listless disregard.
“Oh, Gran,” Trixi murmured, her heart beating unsteadily, as she took Gran’s pulse while Mark felt for swollen glands. They ran through their examination, both of them asking the poor woman questions. Once they were both satisfied, their diagnosis was the same.
“You have the flu,” they said together.
“Feels like it,” Gran rasped. She didn’t seem to care what it was.
Trixi rose from the bed to hurry into the kitchen. There she found the drinks she thought Gran might like and returned to her bedroom at top speed.
“Drink as much of this as you can.” She poured a generous portion. Trixi hoped the fluids helped combat dehydration.
Gran accepted the drink, but she didn’t swallow very heartily. She merely appeased them. Trixi understood but she still coaxed her grandmother to drain the glass.
Once they left her to sleep, Trixi sought out Josie for additional details. “She’s been lethargic all day. Just listless like and not herself,” Josie confirmed.
“She’s got the flu. Are you okay?”
As one who enjoyed good health, Josie nodded. “I’m fine, lovey. I assume you’ve got this now?”
Trixi assured her they did and sent some dinner home with the woman since she had spent the entire day with Gran.
“It was sweet of you to share,” Mark said from behind her. His arms snaked around her and she leaned into his warmth and strength. It was wonderful to be with him like this.
“It wasn’t sweet, it was necessary. Josie has been here with Gran all day. She’ll have a hungry husband to feed and nothing to give him. Whereas we have plenty.”
He hugged and then released her. Together they set the table and put their meal on. Trixi had started the rudiments this morning and now all she needed to do was place a tray of dinner rolls in the oven. They were ready by the time she and Mark sat down.
It didn’t take them long to polish off the meal. She took a roll in to Gran, who only took a few bites before she indicated she wanted to sleep again.
Behind her, Mark stood watching Gran sleep. His face was set in serious lines and her heart contracted. What if something happened to Gran? Her heart squeezed so tight it was painful. Not having Gran would be... unbearable.
Mark coaxed her out of the room and back into the kitchen.
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Her question was faint.
“Yes, she has the flu. Sleep is good for her.”
Trixi nodded as she started to clear the table. He helped and they soon set the kitchen back to rights. It didn’t take long since only the two of them ate. She shoveled the remaining food into storage containers before Mark tucked them into the fridge.
After she gave a final swipe to the island and then ran her sponge over the table, he pointed toward the family room. “Let’s go in there.”
With a nod, she followed his direction. She had spent a lot of time here during her growing up years. Now it seemed to be transitioning into her, Mark, and Gran’s room.
“Gran’s made some changes,” Mark commented.
Trixi smiled. “Yes, it looks nice. She moved things around.” She had also added a few of her favorite pieces.
Her thoughts drifted from the room to her companion. This man was her boyfriend. Therefore, she could kiss him whenever she wanted and right now, she needed to.
Leaning in she kissed him, thankful she could. He responded by yanking her closer and she lost herself in the kiss. This was exactly what she wanted.
It was freeing, scary, magical, and wonderful.
“Is everything all right at Trixi’s house?”
Rylan looked up from his plate, where he wasn’t eating the beautifully presented meal. “What?”
“What’s wrong?”
He sighed and pushed his plate away. It looked like he had barely touched it. Nina laid her own fork down, alarmed.
“Trixi is fine. With Mark there and some of his cousins keeping watch, she’s as safe as she can be.” He drank some water. “She mentioned my mom is down with the flu.”
That didn’t account for how upset he was. “A lot of people get the flu,” she said gently.
“Yes.” He ran an agitated hand through his hair.
Nina picked up his other hand. It was slightly cold and a little clammy. A sneaking suspicion crept up on her. She waved their waiter over to request the check and ask for their meals to be boxed.
“She’s tough and healthy. However, she is living with two doctors.”
“Why does living with Trixi and Mark matter?” Rylan’s voice sounded a little hoarse.
“It means a lot of germs are being brought home to her. So she needs to build up her immune system. She might get sick a lot this year. And then by next year she’ll be fine.”
“This is common?”
“Oh yes. I imagine you were exposed to a lot of germs, but did you get sick very often while living with Trixi?”
He frowned. “No, it was rare.”
“It will be the same for your mother,” she assured him.
“How do you know all this?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Because I work in the same germ factory they do.”
“Oh, right.” His cheeks flushed but she wasn’t certain if it was due to embarrassment or because of something altogether different.
The check came with their boxed meals. She handed over her credit card. Rylan didn’t seem to notice which further added to her concern. She used her chin to indicate Rylan and mouthed “hurry.” The young man took one look and nodded before he did indeed hurry.
It didn’t take him long to race back and she quickly signed the bill, offered a generous tip and then bundled up Rylan. He didn’t protest when she helped him with his jacket or took his car keys. She drove him home. By the time she assisted him out of the car, he was leaning on her. Her internal alarm jangled, heart pounding in her ears.
His housekeeper flung open the door and moved aside so she could lead Rylan in. He moaned, as if he wasn’t feeling well. “Bernadette, there are some boxes in the car, they’re our meals. Could you please have someone store them in the fridge?”
Bernadette propped Rylan’s other side. “He didn’t eat?”
“No.”
“You didn’t get much opportunity to eat either.” Sympathy laced Bernie’s voice.
“Correct.” Her stomach sent up a protest.
The housekeeper helped her steer Rylan to his bedroom. Nina was so concerned about him, she didn’t take notice of the suite. She couldn’t have cared less about it. At the moment, she just wanted him to be safe.
He was safe. She understood this, but he wasn’t feeling well and she wanted to take it away. She helped him to the bathroom where Bernadette handed off some clothes from his closet. He was wobbly by the time he returned. Nina peeled the covers back and tucked him in.
Bernadette left after they settled him. Nina tugged a chair close and watched as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. His breathing sounded labored. She took his temperature with an ear thermometer, and it confirmed he had a fever.
By then Bernadette returned with a tray of food and Nina nearly cried. “Oh, Bernadette, thank you so much.”
The housekeeper had rewarmed her meal and added a small plate of cookies and some fruit. She also supplied plenty of liquid for Rylan. Nina helped Rylan drink some juice and then he slept. The food went down fast because she had missed lunch again.
After she ate, she settled in with a game on her phone. She
could stay a little longer.
She did run her tray downstairs and asked if someone could eventually drive her home. Rylan’s wonderful staff all jumped up to do so. “Thank you,” she said in heartfelt tones and then explained how she planned to sit with him for the evening.
They quickly established a time and then she ran back up the stairs to sit with Rylan.
If there had been any question about whether she loved this man, they fled into the night.
“Hello?” When her phone rang, Trixi didn’t look at the number.
“Trixi? This is Nina.”
She abruptly sat up. “Nina? What’s wrong?”
“I think everything is fine.” Nina’s tone wavered.
“You only think this?”
“Well, your dad got sick while we were eating. He didn’t touch his meal and then got feverish and wobbly.”
“Where are you now?”
“He’s in his bed here at home.” Nina drew in a shaky breath.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I think so. I’m pretty certain he has the flu, like your grandmother.”
“Do you want us to come over and take a look?”
“No, yes, I don’t know.” Nina didn’t wail, but her agitation was evident.
Trixi exchanged a look with Mark.
“I’ll go take a look at him. Tell her to meet me at the front door. If he’s okay I can run her home,” Mark offered.
She relayed the information to Nina. Who sounded relieved when she offered her thanks. “I’m fretting, I know.” Nina’s admission was humble.
“You’re doing the right thing. It’s better if a doctor can at least verify what’s wrong.” In the back of her mind, Trixi wondered about having someone check in on Gran tomorrow while she and Mark were at work.
“How long will it take Mark to get here?”
“Between five and ten minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll go downstairs to meet him.”
He was standing by the time she and Nina said goodbye. Mark stretched before he bent and kissed her. “I’m going over there now.”