by Krista Lakes
“What about you, Mom? I don't want you there all by yourself.”
“Your father is here,” her mom replied. “I'm not by myself.”
“Mom...” Elsie sighed. She closed her eyes, feeling tears push out and down her cheeks.
“I'm serious, Elsie. Just stay home.”
“Why did you call me if you didn't want me to come?” Elsie asked, anger starting to choke her with the tears.
“I'm actually not really sure. I think I just needed to tell someone.” Her mother let out a long, unhappy sigh. “It feels more like a nightmare than reality. I'm sorry, Elsie. I didn't mean to burden you with all of this, but I couldn't keep it inside.”
“It's okay, Mom. I understand,” Elsie said, slowly walking back to her living room. The anger was giving way to bleakness. “It's a lot to process.”
They were both silent for a moment. Elsie could hear the background noise of the hospital coming from her mother's end of the line. The familiar beeps of machines masked by the chatter of nurses and doctors. She wished she could be there, but didn't want to defy her mother or uncle's wishes.
“Can I come by the hospital tomorrow?” Elsie asked, plopping down onto her couch. “Please? I know that Uncle Frank didn't want me to know about all this, but I'm positive he'd like to see me. And I want to see him. He needs my support.”
“Yes, tomorrow would be fine,” Mom said. “That will give Frank a chance to get some rest. And you're right, I think he'd like to see you. I'd like it, too. Just not tonight.”
“Everything is going to be okay,” Elsie said automatically, though in her gut she didn't know if she even believed that herself. “Uncle Frank is one of the strongest people I know. If anybody can beat this, it's him.”
“See, I knew there was a reason I called you,” her mom said, a small smile coming into her voice. “I'm going to go downstairs to the cafeteria and get your father and I some food now. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. I love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, sweetie.”
Elsie hung up and dropped the phone beside her on the couch cushion. All at once, every ounce of emotion that she'd been holding back while talking to her mom poured out of her. Tears streamed down her face. She sobbed harder than she'd remembered ever sobbing in her life. It was an ugly cry. A gut-wrenching, unable to breathe, whole-body bawling type of cry.
She wasn't sure how long it went on, but after a while, no more tears came out. She felt wrung out like a sponge. Her eyes were puffy and her stomach ached. She felt like curling up into a ball on the floor and going to sleep, but her Uncle's smile continued to pop up in her mind.
This just doesn't make sense. This isn't fair, she thought. Frank has always been so strong. Larger than life strong. Superman.
The idea that her Uncle Frank was sick with something that was potentially terminal just didn't add up in Elsie's mind. It was like saying that the sky was made out of blueberries or that grass grew on hiccups. It didn't make any sense.
The microwave beeped in the kitchen, reminding Elsie that her meal was ready. She had no idea how long the damn thing had been beeping at her to come and take her food out. She got up and went to the kitchen. The food inside the microwave was now lukewarm and shriveled. What had once sounded like an appetizing choice, now looked beyond disgusting.
“I'm not eating this crap,” she said, angrily throwing the pot pie into the trash. She didn't even care that it was her dinner that she'd just tossed out.
However, her hatred toward the pot pie didn't stop her stomach from rumbling. She had to eat, but what she needed was real food. Something that would not only ease her hunger, but also ease the pain in her heart. What she needed was comfort food.
Pizza, she thought. I'm getting pizza.
Elsie went back to the living room to pick up her phone when an idea hit her out of nowhere. She knew that hanging out by herself all night would have been depressing beyond belief. She would have spent the entire evening just thinking about her Uncle and worrying herself sick. She needed more than just comfort food to get her through the night. She also needed companionship. And there was one person who she enjoyed talking to more than anyone else.
Ollie likes pizza, she thought, as the corner of her lip managed to force itself into a small smile. Maybe I should get that Thai chili pizza and surprise him with it.
Before she could even complete the thought, she had stepped into her shoes and slipped her jacket back on.
Yes, that's what's happening, she thought. Some good pizza with a good friend. That will help ease my worries. Or at least distract me from them for a little while.
The bell on the front door of the pizza shop rang out as Elsie stepped inside. In just the short walk between her car and the door, she'd managed to gather a layer of snow on her jacket and hair, so when she stepped into the warmth of the building, it was a very welcoming invitation.
“An extra large Thai chili pizza, please,” she said to the teenage boy working behind the counter. She knew exactly what she wanted before coming in, so she didn't have to even glance at the menu.
With a nod, the pizza kid went to work. Meanwhile, Elsie took a seat near the back of the store to wait. It then occurred to her that she hadn't even checked with Ollie as to whether or not he was hungry, or if he even wanted her to come over at all.
Darn it. I should have asked him, she criticized herself. What if he doesn't want pizza, or what if he has already eaten?
She felt like a total idiot, but couldn't be too hard on herself. Given her emotional state after hearing the news about her Uncle's diagnosis, it was amazing she'd managed to remember how to drive her car.
Elsie glanced over, watching as the kid finished putting the toppings on the pizza before throwing it in the oven. It was too late to cancel the order now. One way or another, she was going to walk out of there with an extra large pizza and there was no way that she could eat that all by herself.
Well, I guess I could. But I really shouldn't, she thought. No need to add a heart attack and a stomach ache onto my already horrible evening.
She pulled out her phone to text Ollie. She suddenly felt a little nervous, almost giddy, about texting him. In all of their interactions over the previous few weeks, this would be the first meet up that had nothing to do with his physical treatment. Elsie was about to step over that line between patient and friend. There was a moment of hesitation. In the back of her mind, she knew that there would be no going back once that line was crossed.
Elsie wrote out a short text to Ollie three times before finally hitting send. The message simply read: “Want some pizza?” She bit her lip as she pressed send.
Hopefully he's hungry, she thought. I really don't want to have to bring this monstrosity of a pizza home with me. I won't have room in my fridge. I really hope he says yes. And not just because I need help eating the pizza. I also want to see him. I need someone to talk to.
The pizza shop kid pulled the massive pizza out of the oven and boxed it up, before calling Elsie's name. She walked up and paid, then balanced the box with both hands, using her backside to push the exit door open.
“This thing is heavy,” she whispered, tromping through the snow to her car.
But God, it smells amazing, she thought.
Steam rose out of the pizza box as she got into the driver's seat and started up the engine. She hadn't even had a chance to put the car in reverse before her phone chimed. It was a text response from Ollie that said, “Pizza sounds great”.
Elsie read the message and relief flooded through her. Not only did she have someone to help her finish the pizza now, but she also didn't have to spend the evening by herself.
“Be there in fifteen minutes.” Elsie replied in text.
Without even realizing it, the start of a smile began to show on her face. She pulled out of the parking lot and pointed her car into the direction of Ollie's farmhouse. For a fleeting moment, her worries fizzled out of her mind and her he
art ached just a little less. She wasn't even with him yet, but Oliver was making her feel better already.
Chapter 10
Ollie
With a newfound energy, Oliver pushed the comforter off of him and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His knee was throbbing, but his excitement of seeing Elsie helped the pain to fade. The text that he had just received from his physical trainer was completely unexpected, but very welcomed. Not only was he hungry and unable to sleep, but he was also admittedly lonely. A visit with her was the thing he needed most and it was as though she had read his mind with her offer.
I probably shouldn't be eating pizza, but really, who cares? He thought. I can cheat one meal, especially if it means I get to see Elsie.
No longer having to use his crutches, Oliver hobbled out to the living room and unlocked the front door. Then he took a seat on the couch to wait for Elsie. Elevating his leg on the coffee table seemed to help the pain, but only slightly. He didn't care, though. He knew that Elsie would make him feel better. Maybe he could talk her into giving him one of those amazing knee massages to help ease the pain.
While Ollie waited, he couldn't get the conversation he had had with Nikki the other night out of his mind. He was still riled up over it. He couldn't believe that she wanted to fire Elsie and for no other reason than that she happened to be female. The idea that Nikki was letting her jealousy infiltrate his business was where he had to draw the line.
Nikki needs to be worried about the business, and only the business, he thought. Otherwise, I'm going to have to figure out a way to let her go. I can't risk everything I've worked for, just because of an old fling. And if she thinks I'm ever going to get back together with her, she's wrong. That will never happen. Never.
His thoughts were interrupted when his doorbell rang. Slowly, he pushed himself back to a standing position and hobbled to the door. He could have just called Elsie in, but wanted to show her how much better he was getting physically. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a blast of icy air and a warm smile from the most beautiful woman he knew.
“Pizza delivery!” Elsie said, balancing the giant box in her hands.
It smelled amazing and Ollie's mouth watered just thinking about how good it was going to taste.
“Come in, come in,” he said. “It's freezing out there.”
The cold air fought him as he closed the door behind her. The storm was getting worse and the snow was quickly piling up on the deck.
“Here, let me get that,” Ollie said, taking the pizza out of Elsie's hands.
“Just hold it for a second while I take my jacket off,” she said.
He watched her remove her coat and his eyes drifted downward. She was wearing a soft white sweater with dark jeans and looked incredible. It was different than seeing her in scrubs. It was real, not medical.
Whoa, he thought. She looks great. I could definitely get used to seeing her like this.
“You look really good,” he said, flashing a smile. “I was starting to wonder if you only had scrubs in your closet.”
She laughed, taking the pizza back. “Yeah, it's not often I get to wear something normal. So I take the opportunity whenever it presents itself.”
“How do you feel about eating here in the living room?” he asked. “I'd like to be able to elevate my foot on the coffee table. It makes my knee feel a little better.”
“Yeah, of course,” she replied, as she set the pizza on the end table next to the couch. “We can definitely eat out here. We aren't trying to be fancy. We're eating pizza, after all.”
“Okay, great,” he said, taking a few limping steps toward the kitchen. “Let me just grab some plates. I'll be right back.”
“No, no, no,” Elsie replied, leading Ollie to the couch. “You sit down. I can get the plates if you tell me where they are.”
He plopped down on the couch, relived to have the weight off of his knee. “The plates are in the upper cabinet to the right of the sink.”
She nodded and then disappeared into the kitchen. When she returned, she had two cans of ginger ale and two plates with her. She set everything down onto the coffee table and took a seat next to Oliver.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet up,” she said, pausing to bite her lower lip. “I realize that it was kind of short notice.”
“I appreciate the company.” Oliver turned to face her as he spoke. “I'll admit, though, that I was surprised to hear from you. This will be the first time we've ever gotten together and not done something that involved my injury. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is the only time we've ever spent in the living room. All of your other visits consist of us being in the gym while you torture me for hours.”
“I figured a break from the torture would be a nice change,” she said, pushing her dark hair over her ear. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” he said.
Elsie put a slice of the pizza on each plate and handed one to Oliver. The smell was incredible and reminded him of his favorite Thai restaurant in California.
“This looks amazing.” He was practically drooling and his stomach rumbled louder than ever. “I didn't have the energy to make dinner tonight, so this couldn't be more perfect.”
“I didn't feel like making dinner either,” she said. “It was kind of a weird night for me.”
She paused, the pizza hovering uneaten in front of her.
“Are you okay?” Oliver asked, halting the pizza just in front of his mouth.
Elsie fidgeted for a second. “I wasn't sure you'd want me to come over and I wasn't even sure I wanted to ask. I was afraid that I'd be intruding.”
“Intruding?” Oliver asked, shaking his head. “Are you kidding me? I love your company. If you hadn't come over, I'd still be tossing and turning in bed.”
He took a bite of the pizza and moaned approvingly. It was seriously the best pizza he had ever tasted.
“This is so good,” he said. “You weren't kidding about this.”
“Told you,” she replied, finally taking a bite of her own slice.
Oliver gobbled up his piece and then had seconds. Elsie did the same thing. They ate in silence, both of them too hungry to think about anything else but the food. Once they were done, they set the plates to the side and relaxed on the couch.
“You said that you had a weird night,” Oliver said, bringing his leg on top of the coffee table. “Is everything okay?”
Elsie sighed and looked down at the ground. “A lot going on. I thought I'd feel like talking about it, but I think I'd rather just hang out.”
“That's pretty vague,” he told her, giving her a pointed look. “That makes me assume the worst possible scenario.”
“I can tell you what happened, but I don't think I want to spend the whole night on the subject. It'll only make me sad,” she said, with a depressed sigh.
“You don't need to share anything with me that you don't want to.” Oliver could see the pain in her eyes and it made him stomach clench.
Elsie took a deep breath in. She tucked her hands up inside the sleeves of her sweater, balling the cuffs into into her palms. Her eyes focused on the floor. It took everything he had not to wrap his arms around her.
“My mom called me after I got home from our session earlier. She called with some pretty bad news,” she replied. Her breath in faltered. “They found a tumor in my uncle's brain.”
“Oh, my God, Elsie. I'm so sorry.” Oliver sat up straighter, twisting his body to face her. “I know how close you are with him. You talk about him a lot.”
She nodded. “Yeah, it's devastating for sure. But the doctors still have tests to run, so we don't know what the prognosis is yet. My fingers are crossed that it all works out okay.”
It broke Oliver's heart to see the sadness in her face. She'd talked often about her uncle, making it clear just how important he was in Elsie's life. And a tumor meant cancer was a possibility. He knew all too much about cancer and the pain that it brought, not only to the patient but to th
eir family.
“I'm so sorry,” he repeated, bringing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her toward him.
She didn't resist at all, and instead, pressed her body against his. He could smell her hair and her rose shampoo as he held her close. It felt good to have her next to him and even better that she'd chosen him to confide in. He tried not to feel guilty at enjoying having a reason to hold her.
“He's the strongest person I know,” she said, clearly trying to keep herself from crying. “I want to believe that he can get through this, but I just can't be sure. He's not young any more, you know?”
“If he's anything like how you've presented him in your stories, then I'm confident he'll fight it with everything he's got,” Oliver assured her. “Plus, your uncle has one very important factor on his side that most people don't. It practically guarantees that he'll be okay.”
Elsie pulled away and looked Oliver in the eyes. There were wet streaks down her cheeks. “What factor is that?”
“He's got you,” Ollie said. “You're a damn miracle worker. I never thought I'd walk again and now I can, or at least almost can. And that's further along than I ever thought I'd be. Your uncle is blessed to have you as a niece.”
She smiled, warming his heart. “That might be the sweetest thing anybody has ever said to me,” she said, wiping a tear away from her cheek.
Oliver suddenly felt more drawn to her than ever before. She had dropped her walls, allowing the two of them to move past the whole patient/provider definitions, at least for a moment. He was seeing a side of her now that was raw and vulnerable. It made her even more beautiful in his eyes because she was real.
I would love to kiss her right now, he thought, as his gazed moved down her face.