A Merry Little Christmas

by Melanie Schuster

  “And best of all, you kept this all to yourself while your innocent wife was working with your would-be fiancee. How do you think she’s feeling right about now, Cochran? Are you proud of yourself? Happy with what you’ve accomplished? Because you’ve just about destroyed her, I want you to know that.”

  Rage was flowing from A.J. like sweat from a prizefighter. He was pacing back and forth and every so often punctuated a remark by poking Donnie in the chest. Donnie finally had enough and grabbed the man’s hand. A.J. wasn’t quite as tall as Donnie, but he was muscular and had enough adrenalin pumping to do some serious harm. None of that mattered to Donnie, though.

  “Look, man, I just want my wife. Where is she? I need to take her home; we need to talk about this. This is none of your damned business anyway. Now get the hell out of my way, I need to see my wife!”

  “You don’t deserve her, Cochran. You’re not fit to wipe her boots. She needs to be loved, Cochran, she needs to be with someone who’s going to give her the love and understanding and support she needs,” snarled A. J.

  Understanding broke over Donnie in a flash. His face lit up in a feral smile that held no hint of humor whatsoever. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you? I knew there was something more to this so-called friendship. You want my wife, don’t you? Well, I got news for you, pal, she’s mine and she’s going to stay mine,” he said viciously.

  “Like hell she is, not when you treat her like garbage.” A.J. suddenly stopped talking and grabbed the lapels of Donnie’s topcoat with his left hand and landed a right hook with the other. After his initial shock, Donnie immediately retaliated and they were embroiled in a full-out fistfight until Angelique’s faint voice from the doorway made them stop.

  “A.J., A.J., I’m bleeding... help me.”

  ***

  The next few hours were hellish. The only thing Donnie could relate it to was when his beloved only sister had been in the accident that caused the loss of her first child. This was even more agonizing because this was his wife, the person he loved more than anyone else. After rushing her to the hospital, he was forced to wait around with A.J., who had followed them and showed no signs of leaving. The doctor had come out to speak to them once, but the rest of the time had been spent waiting for lab results, waiting for consults, just waiting.

  He had to call Warren and Lisette and let them know what was going on, as well as Paris. He was hesitant to call her mother just yet; he wanted to wait until they were sure of her condition. But he did call Renee and Andrew. Andrew surprised him by coming right over to the hospital. He gave Donnie a brief hug and said, “What’s the point of being a doctor if I can’t use my clout once in a while?” Then he disappeared into the restricted area and left Donnie alone with A.J. once again.

  A.J. was the first to speak. “I probably owe you an apology, Cochran, but I don’t want to give it to you. I can’t sit here and pretend I like you, or act like the way you’ve treated Angel is okay with me. But for some reason you mean everything to her, and what matters to her, matters to me. She would want me to apologize. I can say that I regret my behavior; I’m not a violent person by nature.”

  Donnie raised his eyebrow and smiled to himself. He’d never heard a more ungracious apology, but he had to respect the man’s honesty.

  “No, you’re not violent, except when it comes to my wife,” he said dryly. “I shouldn’t have goaded you. I always kind of knew how you feel about her. You’re not the only one who regrets their behavior.”

  Adam emerged from the elevators and looked at the two men separated by a distance of two chairs, each with an icepack, one on Donnie’s left eye and one on AJ.’s right. Adam shook his head in disgust. “You two are pathetic. How’s Angel doing?”

  Donnie moved the icepack from his left eye and touched the now-swollen skin. “She’s sleeping, they gave her a sedative. I haven’t been able to see her yet. How did you find out she was here?”

  Before Adam could answer, the elevator doors opened again and the twin Cochrans, Alan and Andre stepped out, wearing identical expressions of concern. “Renee told us Angel was in the hospital. How is she?” Adam said.

  A.J. took the sudden onslaught of Cochrans as a cue to leave. “Tell Angel I’ll be in touch. Call me if anything happens,” he said as he removed the icepack from his right eye and tossed it in the trash receptacle. Nodding to the men, he got on the elevator.

  Impatiently, Alan turned to Donnie. “How is she? What are the doctors saying?”

  Donnie repeated what he’d been told. “Andrew is talking to the doctor now. I don’t know when they’ll let me see her. I’m not going to lie; I’m scared, scared to death. If something happens to her, I have no idea what I’ll do. And if something happens to our baby, she just won’t be able to handle it. I know she won’t. She wants this baby more than anything,” he said, his agony evident in every word.

  “Not more than she wants you, Donnie,” Alan said quietly.

  Andre agreed. “We should have said something before, but time just gets away from you. We were pretty salty when you two got married, but even we can tell that you two are really in love.”

  “Yeah, even the two ‘romantically deficient’ Cochrans can see it’s the real thing,” Alan said wryly.

  “Who are you calling romantically deficient?” Andre said indignantly.

  “I’m just repeating what your wife told my wife. And my wife agreed and said I was the same way,” Alan said glumly. “Anyway, a fool can see that you two belong together. She’ll be fine, Donnie, she has to be.”

  Donnie thanked his brothers for their unexpected and much-appreciated support and stood up to begin walking around in circles again. Just then, Angelique’s physician came out of the restricted area with Andrew. His words were an immense relief to Donnie.

  “Your wife and the baby are doing just fine. She needs to be on bed rest for the next few weeks, right up until she delivers. It looks like she has toxemia, also known as preeclampsia. It’s a condition that’s marked by high blood pressure, sometimes edema in the legs and ankles, and can lead to seizures. She must be kept quiet and still and I mean no stress whatsoever. None, you understand?”

  Donnie nodded numbly.

  “Your wife is young and very healthy, and there’s no reason she won’t be able to carry this baby successfully but it’s going to take a lot of tender loving care to make that happen.”

  “It’s not a problem, doctor. Whatever she needs, I’ll see to it that she has it. Can I see her now?”

  “For a few minutes, then I’m going to put her into a room. She needs to stay here for a couple of days until she’s stabilized.”

  Donnie approached the bed with his heart in his throat He was probably the last person on earth she wanted to see, but he had to see her, he had to make sure she was really all right. The bed was propped so that she was in an upright position and her eyes were closed. He brushed a lock of hair away from her face and was gratified when her eyes opened. He was stunned when she held out her hand to him.

  “Adonis, I’m scared,” she whispered. “I can’t lose our baby, I can’t I’m so scared.”

  Donnie leaned over the side rail of the bed and stroked her face. “Don’t be afraid, Angel. God’s not going to let you lose our baby. I’m going to take care of you, Angel, don’t worry about anything. Nothing, you hear me? I’m here for you, baby.” He kissed her forehead and her cheeks, and wiped away her tears with his thumb. “It’s going to be fine, my Angel. Just fine.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Angelique was more than ready to go home. The two days she’d been in the hospital were absolute torture, even though everyone was as kind as could be. She’d had brief visits from Big Benny and Martha, Lisette and Warren and her sisters-in-law. Renee’s visit was especially comforting to her. Renee just hugged her and held her and let her talk. Afterward, she reassured Angelique that everything would be fine.

  “The girls remember you in their prayers every night and they ca
n’t wait for their Auntie Angel to go home and get better. They're really looking forward to a new cousin. Honey, you have the collective prayers of this entire family and your family, too. And don’t forget that my family in Cleveland is praying for you, too. You’re going to be fine. And so is your marriage,” she predicted. “This is a bump in a very long road, sweetie. You two have what it takes for the long haul, trust me.”

  Donnie certainly acted the role of devoted husband to the hilt. He was with her in the hospital every possible moment and insisted on spending the nights with her even though the reclining chair in the room was horrifically uncomfortable for him. She was glad he did, though. As much as she didn’t want to admit it under the circumstances, she needed him. She needed his strength and comfort. When she woke up and he was by her side, it made her feel cherished. She deliberately put the ring and all it implied out of her mind because this was too important. The baby was all that mattered, not she or Donnie or the stupid ring. Even the lies he’d told her meant nothing. The nurse came in and tsked at Angelique.

  “Now, Mrs. Cochran, you know you’ve got to eat more than that if you want to go home.”

  Angelique nodded but made no promises. The hospital food made her gag despite her vow to always eat anything she was given. There might be famine in the world, but right now she couldn’t see how the diminished appetite of one pregnant lady could make that much difference. She glanced at the wall clock. Donnie had gone home to shower and change and darned if she wasn’t counting the minutes before he got back. She tried to be grumpy about her vigil, but found she lacked the energy. She finally drifted off to sleep. Later, a delightful aroma and the sound of her husband’s voice awakened her.

  “Hello, baby. Do you think you could handle some stuffed grape leaves and a salmon pie?” There stood Donnie, with a bag from her favorite Middle Eastern restaurant and a carton of Edy’s apple cinnamon sorbet. Her heart just melted.

  When she was in the throes of morning sickness, there were very few things that would stay down. Donnie discovered that sorbet was one of those things. One morning he’d brought her a carton of Edy’s boysenberry sorbet and held out a spoonful to her. She’d swallowed the icy, slightly tart sorbet and felt better almost at once. It soothed her throat and made her thrashing stomach calm down. In short order she had polished off the entire carton and had no remorse over it. From then on he’d kept the freezer full of Edy’s in wonderful flavors: mango, lemon, strawberry, blueberry. A particular favorite was the apple cinnamon, and to see him standing there with it brought back all the love and caring he’d shown her throughout her pregnancy.

  He pulled her bedside tray over to her, adjusted it for her comfort and pulled out her feast. The salmon pie was like a turnover made of flaky pastry and filled with a fresh and very tasty flaked salmon filling. It was one of her favorite things on the menu and he’d remembered it. He’d also brought her a fistful of the little blue mints from the restaurant because he knew she loved them, too. She got a little teary-eyed as he arranged her lunch.

  “What’s wrong, my Angel? Do you want something else? I’ll get you anything you want,” he said anxiously.

  She sniffed. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. “Because I love you and our baby more than anyone in the world,” he whispered. “Come on, sweetie, eat this before your sorbet melts.”

  The best news of the day came later when her doctor released her to go home. Yes, she had to be on bed rest and she had to be very careful to stay calm and quiet, but she was going home. Donnie went to take care of the paperwork related to her release. He said he’d be back shortly; he wanted to make sure everything was attended to properly regarding her transport home. While he was gone, she had another visitor. A.J. came in bearing flowers and a very soft stuffed cat that bore a strong resemblance to Nefertiti. Happy to see him, she threw out her arms for a hug.

  “A.J., it’s so good to see you! I never got to thank you for the other night when you came to get me. I’m sorry I had to drag you into it. And your eye looks suspiciously like someone else’s I know. I’m not going to ask how that happened,” she said with dry humor.

  A.J. shrugged and said, “A difference of socio-political ideologies, nothing more. How are you feeling, Angel?”

  “A little nervous, a little scared, very ready to go home. I’m going to do everything in my power to have a healthy baby, A.J. If that means I have to spend the next month in bed, then that’s what I’m going to do,” she said fervently.

  “I have absolute faith in you, Angel. You told me that under no circumstances was I to consider dying and here I am, healthy as a horse. Now I’m claiming good health for you and little Dequindre or Livernois.” He grinned. “You’re going to be fine, baby. If you need me, I’m only a phone call away, okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed and smiled as he took both her hands and kissed her soundly on the forehead.

  After A.J. left, the nurse’s aide came in to get her dressed. She was almost ready when Donnie came back to the room. In a few minutes he had all her belongings tucked into a tote bag and the nurses had helped her into a wheelchair. She was holding the flowers from A.J. and the little cat. The ride downstairs took only moments and soon she was outside, enjoying the brisk cold wind. It was her first fresh air since the disastrous night when she’d been admitted and she closed her eyes and took deep, cleansing breaths. She opened her eyes to find a huge limousine parked in front of her instead of the Jag she was expecting.

  “What’s this?”

  “This is your ride home, darling. I want you to be comfortable,” Donnie told her as he lifted her into the spacious back seat. He got in after her and made sure she wouldn’t feel a single bump on the way home.

  After a short and very smooth ride, they were home. Donnie opened the door and came back to the limo for her, sweeping her into his arms once again. To her surprise the exterior of the house was completely decorated, right down to the wreath on the door, and all the lights were on, even though it was daylight. It was a very sweet gesture on Donnie’s part, so sweet that Angelique buried her face in his shoulder to hide her happy tears.

  “Are you crying? Stop that, Angel, it’s supposed to make you happy,” he said.

  “I am happy, can’t you tell the difference?”

  As soon as they were in the house, she looked around for her boys. “Jordan, Pippen! Come here, guys, where are you?” she called.

  “Umm, they’re at Adam’s loft,” Donnie said sheepishly. “I thought they’d get on your nerves or something. You need quiet, Angel.”

  “Then you’d better get them as soon as possible,” she said as he gently deposited her on the bed. “This is their home and they belong here.”

  Donnie helped her into a comfortable gown and showed her the things he’d done to make the room nicer for her. There was a small flat-screen, plasma television with a DVD player and cable and a bedside table like the one in the hospital. All her flowers, even the ones from A.J. were arranged around the room. A mini stereo system was within her reach along with a pretty cloisonne bell. She smiled when she saw it.

  “And what is this for?”

  “Anything you need, anytime you need it,” he assured her.

  “You’re going to spoil me,” she whispered.

  “That’s the idea, baby, now why don’t you go to sleep for a while?”

  And sitting up against the barrage of pillows he’d arranged, she did just that.

  Despite being comforted and cosseted at every turn, Angelique had moments of sadness. This was supposed to be her Christmas of joy and nothing was turning out the way she planned. It certainly wasn’t for lack of trying on Donnie’s part. He did everything he could to make her happy. The evening she came home from the hospital, she awoke to find her boys standing quietly by the bed, their tails wagging and their eyes alight with joy.

  “Oh, there you are! How are my fellas doing? Did you miss me? I missed you,” she coo
ed.

  They were perfectly behaved, lying down near the dresser so she could see them. She was allowed to walk to the bathroom only, and one of them would accompany her down the hall and wait for her.

  Donnie went into the office only three days a week, and told her he would be off from Thanksgiving through the New Year. When she protested that he was spending too much time away from work, he scoffed.

  “Baby, we’re in the computer age. I can access anything I need right here. And since you turned that bonus room downstairs into a nice office, I have the perfect place to work. Besides, I have several assistants to whom I pay very large salaries. If they can’t keep the place running, we need to rethink their contracts.”

  Lillian would not be denied, of course, and she came up to spend a couple of weeks with her daughter. It might have been easier on Donnie if he’d withheld certain information, but he’d learned his lesson about that. He picked Lillian up from the airport, and on the long ride from Romulus, where the airport was located, told Lillian the sad story of the ring and how Angelique had found out that he’d proposed to another woman before they married. Lillian, to her credit, listened to every word carefully.

  “You really made a mess of things, didn’t you, son?” Lillian looked at him thoughtfully. “If I’d heard this story from someone else, or if I’d heard it before my last visit, I have to tell you, I wouldn’t be sitting in this car. I’d be at home with my child and I’d probably be interviewing hit men. You can find lots of things on the Internet these days,” she said dryly.

  “I’m not going to make you feel worse than you do,” she said gently. “I’m sure that you’ve had lots of people more than happy to do that for you. I know that you’re aware that you did a rather stupid thing, something that truly hurt the person you love the most. I also know you won’t do anything like that again. That’s no small thing, you know, to make a horrible mistake and learn from it. The thing is, Donnie, Angelique is a very sensitive person. ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t nearly enough to make this up to her. She needs to feel completely secure in your love for her. I believe that you love her and I believe you are devoted to her happiness. But you’ve got to make her believe that again and it’s not going to be easy. How are you going to regain her trust and make her believe in your love again?”