Starting Over Trilogy Boxset

by Kennedy, Brenda

  I tell Dad I will be right back. I need to go down and clean out my locker and to say my goodbyes to the staff in the E.R. Although I haven’t worked in a week, today is actually my last day of work.

  I clean out my locker and find a clean change of clothes hanging up. I say a silent thank you before jumping into the shower. After putting everything into my duffle bag, I head into the E.R. to say my goodbyes.

  Carla is on duty and the first person I see. I say my goodbyes and tell her I’ll shoot her an e-mail sometime next week. I ask her to find out if her friend Cathy is still interested in doing my medical billing. She walks me into the break room and the rest of the staff is in there. They have a going-away cake and some cards on the table for me.

  “Are you sure it’s not a celebration instead of a going-away party?” I say, laughing. “How did you know I would be in here today?”

  “Are you kidding me?” Carla says. “We know it’s your last day and you wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. Even if you haven’t been here in a week, we knew you wouldn’t miss saying your goodbyes to your favorite work team. We are going to miss you, you know that, right?”

  “I am going to miss all of you guys, too. Thank you, and it was my pleasure to work with each one of you. You each have taught me so much, and I really do hate to leave.”

  I look around the room at everyone.

  “I would rather have a bad day at work with each of you than a good day at work with anyone else. You all rock and I thank you for everything.”

  I quickly eat a piece of cake and hug everyone goodbye. I take the cards they got me and head back upstairs.

  Dad gets a text and tells me he’ll be right back.

  I am sitting there when Raúl and Maria come out from seeing Angel. Maria looks broken. I know it kills her to see Angel in this condition and I understand her pain.

  “You guys can go home,” I tell them. “There’s no sense in everyone staying here. Angel’s probably going to sleep most of the day anyway.”

  “I was going to take Maria home, but I’ll be back later. Is there anything you need, Mason?”

  “The doctor said Angel may get to go home on Monday if everything goes well. Maria, is there any way you could go to the store and stock the beach house with various kinds of food and drinks for Angel? You would know more than any of us what her favorite foods are.”

  “Of course, I would love to.”

  “Here’s some money; this should cover everything,” I say, handing her $300.

  “No, Mason, that isn’t necessary. After all you have done for her, please let Raúl and I get this.”

  “All right, thank you. Sara and Brea will be getting in touch with you. I asked them to get some of her personal items from the cottage and bring them to the beach house. I want her to feel at home while she is there and having some of her things there will help with that. Other than clothes, lotion, and things like that, I was thinking some pictures, pillows, books, her quilt, laptop, and whatever else you can think of she would like. There will be someone at the beach house all weekend to let you in; Vincent and his crew will be out there working through the day.”

  “Mason, Angel will love that,” Maria says, walking over to me. “Thank you for loving her and thank you for everything you have done for her. She is lucky to have you.”

  I swear her words almost choke me, because she has this totally wrong.

  “Maria,” I say as I bend down to look at her. “You have this all wrong, I’m the lucky one, but you are right — I do love her.”

  Dad walks into the waiting room carrying my laptop, a duffle bag, and another bag with food.

  I just look at him.

  “Your mother.”

  “Wow, she’s good.”

  “Yes, son, she is.”

  I walk everyone to the elevator and hug them goodbye before they descend. I go back into the recovery room and see that Angel is still sleeping. She is no longer in traction and looks more peaceful than she did last week. I check the monitors and take a seat beside her. Sitting there I decide to text Carla to remind her to check with Cathy about a job and tell her I will need a total of two office staff and two more nursing staff. I am planning on opening the office May 1st. That gives me a little over three weeks. Six employees should be enough to start with.

  Angel wakes up, and they move her to her regular hospital room. I follow behind, carrying the bags Dad brought up for me.

  After they get her situated, she licks her lips and blinks a few times.

  “Are you thirsty, Beauty?”

  “Yes,” she croaks.

  I hold the straw and let her take a sip of water. “Small sips,” I remind her.

  I apply some Chapstick to her dry lips and close the blinds before she drifts off to sleep again.

  When my phone peeps, alerting me that the battery is almost dead, I charge my phone before getting on my laptop so I can reply to e-mails that I have neglected for the past week. Next I make a list of supplies I still need at the office before we open. I e-mail Carla to see when she can meet with me to discuss a few things. After checking online for pizza places that deliver, I order a cheese pizza and two cans of Pepsi online after realizing how hungry I am.

  I shut my laptop, take a deep breath, and close my eyes.

  “Mason, go home.”

  “I am home,” I say with my eyes closed.

  “Mason?”

  “Angel?” I say, opening one eye and smiling at her.

  “It’s not funny, please go home.”

  “I will, but I’m hungry. Want to share a pizza?”

  “Yes, I’m starving. Can I have a Pepsi, too?”

  “Beauty, you can have whatever you want. It’s already on its way.”

  She is so easily distracted, I think to myself. I need to remember that.

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “I hope you like cheese. I had no idea what you like.”

  “That’s perfect. You know, we really don’t know much about each other at all.”

  “I realized that when I ordered the pizza, so let’s play a game.”

  “Um, you do realize you have me at a disadvantage,” Angel says, looking down her body; her arm is in a cast and her leg is bandaged.

  “It’s not that kind of game. Silk or lace?” I raise a brow and grin at her.

  “I thought we were playing a game? Silk or lace what?” She also raises a brow at me and grins.

  “To play this game, I ask you a question and you answer with an answer, not with a question, and then it’s your turn to ask. Let’s try this again. Silk or lace?”

  “Fine, lace panties,” she says with a full-out smile.

  “Really?”

  “Yup.”

  “Ok, let’s try this again. You answer with one word. One word, don’t add an additional word — one word only. Got it?”

  “Got it — one word, no additional words. Is it my turn?”

  “Yup.”

  “Boxers or briefs?”

  Laughing at her playfulness, I answer, “Briefs,” then ask, “Bikinis or thongs?”

  “Bikinis. I don’t like things up my butt.”

  We both laugh, and she holds her side and grimaces.

  “This isn’t going the way I want it to,” I say smiling.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. No clothing questions this time.”

  “What fun is that?”

  “It’s not. Pepperoni or sausage, Angel?”

  “Pepperoni. Cookies or pie, Mason?”

  “Pie. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?”

  “Milk chocolate, hands down. Bottle or draft, Handsome?”

  “Bottle. Verona’s Pizza or Domino’s Pizza?”

  “Those two don’t even compare,” she says smiling. “Verona’s has the best pizza on this side of the coast.”

  My phone dings. I check it and the pizza is downstairs. “Pizza’s here. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll be r
ight here.”

  I look back at her, “Don’t you think it’s too soon for jokes?”

  “Ok, maybe a little too soon.”

  Angel

  Mason leaves to get the pizza from the lobby, and I keep my eyes on the door. I act like everything is fine, but I am scared to death that Jim is going to walk through the door at any moment. I need a plan of what I’m going to do and how I can protect myself if that happens again. I’ll speak with Sara and Brea; they may be able to come up with something.

  I smell the pizza before I see Mason, and it is making my mouth water. He walks in with a pizza and a smile. Although he has been roughing it lately, he is still breathtakingly handsome despite a three-day-old beard, tee shirt, and old holey jeans. He lays the pizza down and opens my Pepsi for me, before handing it to me. I take a drink and it burns my throat.

  “Burn?”

  “A little.”

  “Would you rather have juice or water?”

  “Nope, Pepsi’s supposed to burn — that’s how you know it’s good.”

  I smile at him because I love playing with him. He is always so prim and proper. Well, not always, but mostly.

  “Really, Angel, you don’t think maybe it’s from the tubes that have been in your throat the past week, and maybe that’s why it burns?”

  “Nope, it’s from the fizz.” I smile again.

  “Fizz, not carbonation?”

  “Yup. Fizz.”

  “The pizza may irritate your throat, also, so I got cheese pizza instead of sausage or pepperoni. I thought it would be less of an irritant on your throat.”

  “Mason, you are so thoughtful. Thank you.”

  He winks at me before he hands me my pizza.

  “Beach or mountains?” Mason asks, getting comfortable beside me in a chair and taking a bite of his pizza.

  “Beach, of course. Flip flops or tennis shoes?”

  “Flip flops, of course. Red or purple, Angel?”

  “Wow, that’s a tough one. Red, but I love purple, too. Sail boat or motor boat, Mason?

  “Sail boats.”

  “I didn’t know that. You sail?”

  “Some, we sailed all the time when I was a child. It’s been awhile since I have gone, but I do prefer it. Anything you do on the water or on sand is fun. Water or sand, you can’t go wrong.”

  “We are very blessed to live in such a beautiful area. We have the best beaches where the sand feels like baby powder and the sunsets are gorgeous.”

  “Yes, we are very blessed.”

  We both eat in deep thought. It is still a comfortable silence although we both have a lot on our minds. Mason stands and takes the empty pizza box and lays it near the bathroom door.

  The nurse comes in with pain medication. I ask if I can wash up first. Mason kisses me before leaving and tells me he’ll be right down the hall. He leaves with the empty pizza box and his cell phone in hand. After I get washed up and while he is out of the room, I call Brea from the hospital room phone since I have no idea where my cell phone is at. I ask her if she and Sara could come over alone sometime, that I need to speak with them in private. She tells me they were going to anyway. They also have something to talk to me about.

  Mason enters the room as the nurse leaves and I am applying some Chapstick to my lips.

  “Feel better?”

  “I do; the nurse gave me something for pain and it makes me so sleepy.”

  “Go to sleep, Beauty. I’ll be right here when you wake up,” he says, leaning over the bed to kiss me.

  “I love you, Handsome.”

  “I love you more, Beauty.”

  Mason

  I transported Angel to the beach house in Vincent’s truck on Monday afternoon, along with all her flowers, balloons, and cards she received from family and friends during her hospital stay. The hospital medicated Angel prior to transporting her to ease her anxiety. Her leg is bandaged, and her right arm is still in the cast. The hospital sent Angel home with a wheelchair while stressing that Angel can’t put any pressure on her right leg. She has been using the wheelchair over the weekend at the hospital and is doing very well with it.

  I haven’t been here at the beach house since Vincent and his crew installed the security gate and the privacy fence. Actually, I haven’t been here since Angel left.

  Walking into the beach house, I am excited to see the furniture was delivered and everything is in its proper place. Angel is sleeping and is still pretty groggy from her medication.

  I walk through the house, checking each room and the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms. I am shocked to see that all the cabinets and the refrigerator are stocked full. The cabinets are also stocked with dishes and glassware. It looks like Mom and Madison got some things out from storage over the weekend. When I remodeled the beach house, we had put most of my grandparents’ things in storage. Even the bathrooms have towels and washcloths in them.

  Mom and Madison stop over once we get settled to see if we have everything. They brought some clothes for me from the penthouse. I didn’t think about needing any clothing, so I’m very thankful they thought of that.

  Sara and Brea stop by to make sure we are fine. While they are here, Brea places the flowers, balloons, and cards around the house, so Angel can see them. I had placed the flowers, balloons, and cards on the dining room table, thinking I would get around to moving them later.

  Vincent and Donovan even stop by to see how it’s going. Vincent walks around the perimeter of the fence and around the house. The fence just goes around the front and along the sides of the beach house. The back of the house overlooks a private beach, and I just couldn’t enclose the backyard with such a large privacy fence because I did not want to obstruct the view. My grandparents had a top-notch security system installed in the house a few years ago.

  Carl and Josephine came to visit with a hot casserole and salad for dinner. We all eat, and Angel drifts back to sleep shortly after dinner.

  Dad calls instead of visiting — he figured we had enough company for one day.

  I lock up the house and turn on the security system before showering while Angel sleeps on the couch. After shaving and pulling on a pair of pajama bottoms and a tee, I peer out into the living room. Angel is awake and turning her head to look outside. I walk over to her and put her in the wheelchair then move her closer to the glass doors for her to get a better view.

  “Thank you. I could look at this view forever. Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Without taking my eyes off her, I say, “It is beautiful, and I could look at it every day, too.”

  She looks up at me and smiles, “Mason, you’re not even looking outside.”

  “I know, but I still have a beautiful view.”

  She smiles and blushes at the same time.

  I shut off the security system, turn on some soft music on the stereo, and open the glass lanai doors. The breeze is warm and feels good blowing through the house. I get her a glass of cranberry juice and pour myself a drink after finding a bottle of my favorite Scotch with a note taped to it from Dad.

  Mason,

  Thought you would enjoy this.

  Love, Dad

  I think to myself, I have an awesome Dad.

  I wheel Angel outside and we sit under the awning.

  “Do you want something for pain?”

  “No, the pills make me sleepy and I’m tired of sleeping.”

  We laugh at her comment.

  “See, I don’t make sense anymore.”

  “You get an antibiotic at bedtime, and if you need something for pain I have Tylenol or Motrin. We’ll see how you feel at bedtime because you may want something stronger by then.”

  “What time is it and have you seen my cellphone? I haven’t seen it since the…”

  “It’s ok, Angel. The police brought it to the hospital when they brought you in. I sent your purse home with your aunt and uncle. We probably need to get that for you.” The time now is 8:07 p.m.

  The sun is starting to
set, and the dolphins have returned. We sit and just watch them. They are such friendly mammals. Angel smiles just from watching them. After everything she has been through, she is still so easy to please.

  I move her wheelchair back into the center of the room. After locking up and setting the security system, I get her meds ready for her. I talk her into the narcotic pain medicine, Lortab, instead of the over-the-counter Tylenol or Motrin. She will get a better rest with her prescription Lortab.

  I wheel Angel into the guest room and start to pull her covers back for her.

  “Um, Mason?”

  “Um, Beauty?” I say smiling.

  “May I sleep in your bed with you tonight? I don’t want to…”

  “I was hoping you would ask.”

  “You were? Really?”

  “Beauty, I have been with you every minute of every day for over a week. I have no desire to be away from you now. Come on, Beauty, let’s go to bed.”

  I wheel Angel into the master bath; we brush our teeth and floss. I bought Angel floss sticks to use since she only has one good hand. After we are done, she looks over at the toilet and bites her cheek.

  “You need to pee?”

  “Yes.”

  “I need to help you, but I swear I won’t look.”

  “How can you help me and not look?”

  “Easy. Here, hold on.”

  I lift Angel up and help her get her balance. She pulls her panties down and I lower her to the toilet. I close the bathroom door and tell her to yell when she is done. I turn down our covers on the bed, before she yells for me. I get her a washcloth to wash her hands and help her change into one of my tees to sleep in.

  After only a few minutes, I look over at Angel and she is already asleep. I kiss her goodnight and tell her I love her.

  Angel

  I wake up to a curly head against my arm. I try not to but I reach my hands out for him. I just want to touch him, to feel him. I twist a curly lock of his hair around my finger and lie there with my eyes closed. Sara and Brea will be here today, and I need to get Mason out of the house for a while, while they are here.

  ‘Good morning, Beauty.”

  “Good morning to you. Sleep well?”

  “I slept great, and you?”

  “Best sleep I have had in weeks.”