by Hannah Ford
He slid out of bed and padded to the bathroom, yawning, and she watched him scratching his shoulder, as he shuffled and closed the door behind him. She could almost imagine him as the old man he’d one day become, and she loved him even more somehow for that—for his humanness.
When she’d first met him, Red had been completely foreign, out of reach, strange and unattainable. Now she reflected on the fact that she knew him better than anybody in the world, and he’d opened himself completely to her.
Nicole sat up in bed and slowly swung her legs over the edge. Her feet struck the floor. She looked down at them and noticed they seemed unusually swollen. She knew that it was normal for feet to swell during pregnancy, and certainly hers already had, but this was different.
She told herself she was just being paranoid again.
Nicole gathered herself and then stood, a task that was becoming more and more of an effort lately. When she stood up, something strange happened.
She started seeing spots in her vision. “Shit,” she said, to nobody in particular. There was a sensation of vertigo again, and then her head started to pound instantly, as if someone had taken a mallet and smashed her in the face with it.
She stood there, swaying for a time, and closed her eyes.
“Hey, Nic! Nicole, what’s wrong?” Red cried, coming out of the bathroom and seeing her frozen in place, head bowed.
“I don’t feel so good,” she moaned.
“Tell me what’s going on.” He was instantly beside her, holding her, lowering Nicole back to the bed where she sat with him as he rubbed her back. “Something’s wrong,” she cried.
“What is it?”
Nicole could hear the anxiety in his voice, even though he was trying to be calm for them both. “I’ve been getting headaches and dizzy spells. My stomach’s been hurting.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? How long has this been going on?”
“I didn’t want to think anything bad was happening.”
“Okay. Come on, we’re going to see Dr. Rosen right away.”
Nicole nodded miserably. She put her hand on her stomach and tried not to sob as the fear and desperation overcame her.
***
The drive to the doctor’s office had been tense and quiet, with Red making lame attempts to keep things light and calm, but failing to do so. They were both petrified of losing the baby, and neither of them could pretend otherwise.
At the hospital, they were immediately seen by Dr. Rosen, who did her best to reassure them. But when Nicole described her symptoms, the doctor grew concerned.
“There’s swelling in the extremities, what we call edema,” the doctor said, examining Nicole’s hands. “It’s basically an excess of fluid in any body part.”
“What does it mean?” Nicole asked, her heart racing.
“It can mean different things—I don’t want to speak too soon.” The doctor began touching Nicole’s cheeks and sliding her fingers above and beneath Nicole’s eyes. “I think I’m detecting some swelling around your eyes as well.”
Nicole glanced at Red who tried to smile at her and let her know it was okay. His arms were folded and his jaw was tight, though—she could read him like a book and he was extremely worried.
Dr. Rosen took Nicole’s vitals—she took her blood pressure twice without saying a word, then listened to her breathing, moving the stethoscope around her chest and back for alarming lengths of time.
“Hear anything funny?” Nicole joked in a high-pitched voice.
Dr. Rosen didn’t even answer. She then listened to Nicole’s stomach, moving the stethoscope from place to place, and looking particularly attentive.
Finally, the doctor sat up straight and looked at them both. “We need to test Nicole’s urine for protein, but right now I suspect her symptoms are due to preeclampsia—which is a condition that is fairly common, but needs to be monitored.”
“Is the baby okay?” Nicole asked, her hands tightening into fists.
Dr. Rosen nodded. “I detected a heartbeat, everything seems normal on that front. Your blood pressure is elevated, although not alarmingly so, but due to the symptoms you described and the edema, I’m concerned enough that I’m recommending a combination of bed rest and minimal activity. You can spend a little time each day up and about, very light walking, but absolutely nothing even remotely strenuous or stressful.”
Nicole licked her lips. “So the baby is fine, though.”
“Yes. And we aim to keep it that way.”
“So what’s next?” Red asked.
“We’re going to get that urine test and have a look at the protein levels to make sure, but I suspect we’ll find that there’s significant protein in your urine.” Dr. Rosen looked at them both and smiled, her face relaxing. “Now, I’m not trying to alarm you. This is a fairly common condition. However, it does need to be monitored carefully and if there’s any progression in symptoms, we may have to deliver early.”
“Really?” Red asked, startled.
“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it,” Dr. Rosen said. “Right now, I don’t see that as a very likely possibility. What I want you to do is pick up a blood pressure monitor at the pharmacy—you can get them for fifty bucks. Take Nicole’s blood pressure a few times a day, once in the morning, once at night, and another time in between. I’d like you to email me the results at the end of the week so I can see how she’s doing, and tell me any other notable symptoms or concerns.”
“We really appreciate you taking that extra step,” Red told her.
“That’s my job,” Dr. Rosen said. “We’ll set up another appointment for the next couple of weeks to get you back in here and check on your progress.”
Nicole nodded and felt her eyes fill with tears. Dr. Rosen put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ve got a good handle on this, Nicole. Just try and relax, rest, let Red do the heavy lifting. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered, trying to smile.
The doctor had Nicole go to the nearby bathroom and give a urine sample. When she came back, Dr. Rosen once again went over the plan and told them not to worry too much, how typical this was, yada yada.
Finally, Nicole and Red left the office together, holding hands. They walked very slowly together, heading to the elevators to go home.
***
When they got home, Red immediately set about making Nicole as comfortable as possible. When Kallie came downstairs, they explained to her what had occurred and she immediately offered to help with everything and anything they needed.
Red told her that wasn’t necessary, but Nicole was heartened to see that Kallie was already making it her personal mission to pick up the slack around the house.
Nicole retired to her room and slept for a while. When she woke, Kallie came in and asked if she was hungry, which she was. Nicole told her that a grilled cheese sounded good, and a few minutes later, Kallie came back with a perfectly toasted sandwich. The cheese was gooey and the bread was buttery and Nicole remarked that it was probably the best one she’d ever had.
Not long after that, Red came and took her blood pressure. “One forty over ninety-five,” he said.
“That’s high,” Nicole responded. “Don’t let me see the numbers anymore. The more nervous I get, the higher it’s probably going to go.”
He nodded. “What else do you need right now?”
“Nothing. Just you. You’re helping a lot by taking care of me.”
He stroked her hair. “I know everything’s going to be fine,” he said.
She nodded but couldn’t meet his eyes. For some reason, Nicole didn’t share his convictions.
For the rest of the day, she stayed in bed and watched a series of awful reality TV shows, talk shows like Jerry Springer and Doctor Oz, and then a terrible movie that was so bad she didn’t even bother to find out what it was called. Nicole drifted in and out of sleep, having restless semi-nightmares where she was being poked and prodded by the doctor and one where she delivere
d the baby under water and couldn’t fight her way to the surface.
She woke up gasping for breath, and Kallie was standing next to the bed. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked Nicole, alarmed.
“Yes. Just had a nightmare.” Nicole slid up in bed to a sitting position.
“I came in to see if you wanted another glass of water.”
“Yes, please.”
Kallie grabbed the empty glass from the bedside table. She returned a few minutes later. “Red’s downstairs in his office doing some work. He told me to let you know that he was around if you need him.”
“I’m sorry you ended up having to babysit me today,” Nicole said, taking the fresh glass of water and drinking gratefully from it. “This wasn’t planned, just so you know.”
Kallie laughed. “I’m happy to help out. After all, if you hadn’t come and picked me up the other day, I’d probably still be wandering the mean streets of East Hampton right now.”
“You’ve more than made up for it, Kallie. I really appreciate your kindness.”
Kallie looked down at her. “Same here. You’ve been kind of like a sister to me.” The admission seemed to embarrass her. “Sorry, I get super cheesy and emotional sometimes. I didn’t mean to go all dramatic on you.”
Nicole laughed. “I never had a sister either, so…maybe it’s good fortune we met when we did.”
Shortly after Kallie left the room, Red came in carrying his laptop and some files. “Hey there, beautiful,” he said, grinning.
“This looks official,” Nicole said, as he put the stuff down on the bed and leaned in to kiss her.
“It is. Very official business. I realized that I actually do need to get some work done while we’re here, but I also want to be with my wife. This is what’s called a good old-fashioned compromise.” He pulled himself up to the headboard and sat with his back against it, the computer propped up on his lap.
“That looks like fun.”
He glanced at her. “Do you need anything?” He peered over and saw that she had a full glass of water. “Hungry?”
“I think Kallie’s going to fix dinner soon.”
He whistled through his teeth. “She’s really running a tight ship around here. I have to say, I’m kind of impressed.”
Nicole nodded. “It’s like she anticipates my every need. She’s so helpful and sweet and—“
“And maybe she should stay on for awhile,” Red finished.
Nicole looked over at him. “I thought you said having her around was a bad idea.”
“I’ve been wrong before,” he replied, pecking away at his laptop.
It was funny how slow he typed for a man of his abilities and achievements. Nicole found it rather adorable.
“You’ve been wrong before? You don’t say.”
“I do. I do say, actually.” He smiled at her. “What do you think about it?”
“About Kallie staying on to be my nurse maid?”
Red laughed. “About her staying on to help out around here while you recover. She’s doing a good job so far and, frankly, we could use the assistance. Work’s picking up and I don’t like the idea of not being able to give you the care you need.”
Nicole sighed. “I’m fine, Red.”
He just looked at her. They both knew she wasn’t fine.
“Well, what do you think?”
“It’s a good idea. We can pay her and give her a place to live and maybe it will allow her to continue on in New York, instead of being forced to go back home.”
“Then it’s settled,” he said.
“First, we check and see if she even wants to stay on.”
“Oh, right. I forgot.” He began pecking away at his keyboard.
***
Kallie hadn’t been able to get Hunter Reardon out of her mind. Even now, as she started prepping for the Chicken Piccata she was making for dinner, she kept thinking back to last night.
The way he’d looked at her, the way he’d touched her. It was real, wasn’t it? It wasn’t just her imagination.
She seasoned the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper and dredged them in flour. Then she paused to return to her memory of the pool, the feeling of his hands on her thighs, the sounds of the water splashing her skin. The feel of Hunter’s body heat mingling with her own heat—and hadn’t she hoped that it could burn even hotter?
She’d kept her phone on her and checked it almost incessantly, in between helping to care for Nicole. Silently, she berated herself for being more concerned with Hunter’s call than she had been for Nicole’s health.
Shaking her head, Kallie washed her hands and started the burner under the large skillet. Added some butter and olive oil, watched it begin to heat.
Once it was sizzling, she took a fork and stabbed the chicken breast and tossed it into the pan, where it began to cook. She repeated this process for a second breast. The smell was already making her mouth water.
She took out her cell and checked it again. Nothing.
Did he forget her number? She should have written it down or had him plug it into his phone. Was it really so hard for a brilliant author to remember a few silly digits?
Unless…unless maybe he wasn’t going to call.
Kallie refused to think about that possibility. She turned the chicken breasts over, noting their nicely browned outer layers. Perfect. If only everything could be that perfect, that easy.
“Hey, Kallie.”
She looked up, startled, to see Nicole’s husband in the entrance to the kitchen, watching her cook.
“Oh. Hi.” She smiled, wondering what he wanted. Red didn’t tend to speak to her very much, so she knew it was probably something important. Probably he was coming to tell her that with Nicole feeling unwell, she’d have to leave.
“I thought maybe we could chat for a second. Will it put a crimp in the meal if we chat while you make the food?”
“Not at all,” she said, bracing herself for the news. It would almost be like getting fired a second time. Granted, she ran away from her other job, but somehow it felt as though she’d been fired anyway.
“So, obviously things have been kind of hectic and all over the place for everyone lately,” Red told her. “You’ve been dealing with changes, Nicole and I have been dealing with changes.”
“Of course,” Kallie said. “But what’s most important is Nicole’s health.” Part of her just wanted him to get it over with already. Now she’d definitely have to leave and go back to Ohio, and there would be no hope for anything between her and Hunter Reardon.
As silly as it was, her heart sank mostly because of that.
“Well, Nicole and I talked it over, and we’d like to offer you a more formal position here at the house.”
She just stood there for a long while, shocked. And then she smelled the chicken and realized it was about to burn. So she took the breasts out of the pan and laid them on a plate, where they continued to sizzle and crackle.
“What kind of formal position?” she asked, as the shock wore off.
“We’d like you to stay on and just help out like you’ve been doing. You’ll be paid by the week and you’ll get two days off per week as well.”
“Wow,” she said, completely stunned by the offer. “That’s so kind of you. I mean, it would be great to be able to stay. What would I be paid?”
“Does fifteen hundred a week sound about right?”
“Absolutely.” She couldn’t contain the surprise and happiness in her voice. After all, she’d made only a thousand a week working for the Danvers family, and she’d been taking care of two children and doing all of the cooking, cleaning, laundry—plus the parents had been assholes.
Red smiled. “Great. So, welcome aboard, Kallie.” He turned to leave and then stopped, turning back to her. “You understand that this position is only going to last until Nicole has the baby. Is that okay with you?”
Kallie nodded. “Absolutely!” That seemed to be the only word that could come out of her mouth right
now.
Red smiled perfunctorily and then turned on his heel and left the kitchen.
Okay, so Nicole’s husband still wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy, but he liked her enough to offer her the job—and she knew Nicole was happy with her being around.
Kallie did a little fist pump and then a dance move or two, before starting the next couple of pieces of chicken on the skillet.
In her head, she calculated what she’d clear in two months of work—just about twelve thousand dollars. And her room and board would be taken care of too, so that would be twelve thousand bucks free and clear.
She took her cell out and checked it for the millionth time. Nothing.
Despite the good fortune of getting an awesome job offer when she most needed it, a little of the wind was taken out of her sails.
She knew Hunter would contact her at some point, she knew it. She just hoped it would be soon.
***
Kallie couldn’t believe it had been a week.
A week that had been, by turns amazing and horrible. Working for Nicole was great. First of all, she really did feel like a sister, and a friend. They talked and laughed all the time, except when Nicole wasn’t feeling well—which hadn’t been as much lately. She seemed to be improving with time and her blood pressure was slowly getting better.
The awful parts came unexpectedly, like when Red went to Brad and Trina’s house to pick up the rest of Kallie’s stuff, and he came home having had strong words with both of the parents. He refused to even tell Kallie what they’d accused her of, but the look on Red’s face told her that he was less than happy about having to deal with them.
Another great moment came earlier that day when Nicole had cut Kallie’s first check, and given her a bonus out of nowhere. “You earned this,” she’d said.
The check amount was two thousand dollars. Two thousand dollars for basically hanging around an amazing house, cooking great food, and spending time with someone she’d have spent time with for free. Not too shabby.