The kiss didn’t last long and he hoped, as the elevator doors opened, that he didn’t look nervous. As they stepped off, he held Randi’s hand with one of his hands and slipped off his shades with the other. He started to hang his shades off his shirt but Randi took them from him and put them in her purse.
The hospital was busy with people coming and going. Most of the people didn’t even glance their way as they walked down the hall to a private waiting room. Not wanting to be seen by any more people than necessary, they went straight inside. Martin was relieved as they stepped into an empty room.
He glanced around and noticed that there was hot coffee, cream and sugar, a fruit tray and a variety of pastries on the counter. Randi tugged his hand. “Do you want decaf today?”
“Does my nervousness show that much?”
“I don’t think it would to just anyone, but I can tell.”
Martin squeezed her hand and thought about the things Addison had said. He wanted this relationship to be as honest as possible so, as he looked at Randi, he asked, “Do you feel like I’m treating you like my maid when I ask you to do things? I don’t want you to feel that way.”
Randi smiled such a sweet smile and pushed her way into his arms. She rested one hand on his chest and touched her other fingers lightly to his chin. “That’s very sweet of you, but, ‘no’. I don’t think that. I would do just about anything for you. I don’t mind waiting on you or running errands.”
“Good. If I ever cross some kind of line that I don’t see, please, say something.”
“I will. Now, would you like me to fix you some coffee, Mr. Taylor?”
“Stop that and, ‘yes’, I would. But, you are right, please make it decaf.”
Randi was just handing Martin his cup of coffee when the door opened. They both turned to see Mike coming in with Celia’s parents. They were talking as they entered the room but grew quiet when they saw Martin with Randi.
Mike’s brow furrowed for an instant but then, the angry look was gone. “We passed one of the nurses in the hall,” Mike said. “The doctor will be in shortly to see the Carson’s.”
Martin nodded, walked closer to Edward and Vicky and held out his hand. Edward simply shook his hand but, as always, Vicky reached out and gave him a hug. She whispered into his ear, “It’s good to see you, Martin.”
He nodded as he leaned back and she gave him a slight half smile. “Have you been in to see Celia?” Vicky asked.
Martin wanted to cross his arms but knew that would look defensive. Instead, he turned to Randi, took the cup of coffee she was holding and looked back at the Carson’s. “I just arrived, so, no.”
Vicky stole a glance at Mike then looked at Randi. It was obvious she wanted to say something, but didn’t. Martin noticed that Randi was the one now looking nervous. She turned her back busying herself with the coffee pot.
It was too late but he could see, for Randi’s sake, that it would have been better not to bring her along. Then again, Randi was a part of his life now and the Carson’s were just going to have to deal with it.
There was no time like the present to start stating facts. “I know this is awkward. I wanted to be here for Celia since she didn’t have family here. Mike,” Martin gestured toward his friend, “has been a great help. He has been working with Celia and, from this point on, I think it would be best if he steps in and I step out.”
While Martin was speaking, the doctor came in and closed the door behind him. Martin thought about stopping but decided it would be best if he finished his thought. Once he was done, the doctor stepped forward and pointed his clipboard in his direction.
“That might be a little difficult. I did not mean to drop in on a conversation that was not intended for me, but it seems I did.”
Martin wasn’t sure what the doctor meant so he asked, “What might be difficult?”
“You leaving. I have some news about Celia. She has amnesia and has lost at least a few weeks of her life. She’s asking for you, Mr. Taylor.”
Martin didn’t know what to say. What he wanted to do was shout, ‘Bull! There’s no way she’s lost her memory’. This was some kind of ‘Celia’ ploy. He was sure everyone else in the room was thinking the same thing . . . but no one was willing to admit it.
It was Vicky who spoke first. She glanced from Martin to the doctor. “How do you know? What did she say?”
“Well, I’ve spoken with Mr. Taylor and know that over the last few weeks he and your daughter split up. She’s talking about an upcoming party at Mr. Taylor’s house.”
“Yes. That party was two weeks ago. Can we see her?”
“She’s sleeping but you can go in. I want to advise you that this condition is short-term. Most head injuries with memory lapse are temporary. But, don’t argue with her.”
Martin nodded. There was no way he was going to go along with this. Celia had no more lost her memory than he had. Edward, Vicky and the doctor slipped out of the room, with Mike not far behind.
“Are you coming?” Vicky paused, looking at Martin.
“I’ll let you go in first. I’m sure she is anxious to see you.” Martin doubted this to be the truth but it sounded good. Vicky smiled, turned and walked out the door.
Mike paused and waited until everyone was out of earshot and spoke to Martin, “I can see you don’t think she’s telling the truth.”
“No, I don’t. Do you?” Martin asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to wait and talk with her. From the way she has been talking about you over the past couple of weeks, I don’t see her doing something like this.”
“Then you don’t know her very well,” Martin scoffed. Martin could tell what Mike was about to say didn’t come easy. After a long moment, the man he had known for years looked him in the eye and said, “I don’t care if she is faking. If you don’t go along with her until she’s out of this hospital, you’ll regret it.
“You made her look like an idiot. You didn’t consider her feelings and if you are any kind of a man, you’ll make up for that. If she’s faking, she needs help. If she’s not, in a few days it will all be over then you can go on with your life and be done with Celia once and for all.”
Chapter 8
A Mother’s Love
When the door opened and her parents walked in, Celia was disappointed. She had hoped it would be Martin first and then her parents. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see them, because she did. When her mother came over to the bed and took her hand, she wanted to cry.
“How are you dear? Is there anything we can get you?”
“No, I’m just glad you’re here,” Celia said, closing her eyes. She hadn’t realized how hard it would be to lie to her parents. She had just thought about Martin and how easy it would be to make him squirm.
Now, facing her parents, this wasn’t going to be easy. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and felt like a little girl when her mother reached up and wiped it away. “Don’t cry dear. It’s going to be fine. You need to rest and do exactly what the doctors say.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m really glad you’re here.” Celia knew she should be laying the groundwork for her story. She should be asking about the party that was yet to happen and where Martin was, but she couldn’t do it.
Instead of saying anything, she listened to them talk about the family, how they were doing and that they all sent their love. After a few moments, her dad stepped out of the room promising to check on her later. When he was gone, her mother moved over and held her hand again.
“I’m sure you don’t feel up to a lot of chit chat so I won’t stay long. I just wanted a few moments alone with my little girl.”
“I’m not so little anymore, Mom.”
“You’ll always be my little girl. One day when you have children of your own, you’ll understand.”
“I don’t know, Mom. Maybe children aren’t in my future. Martin doesn’t seem to think I’m mother material and I’m not sure I even want kids.”
�
��It’s not a big deal if you don’t. You have to live your life for yourself - be your own person. When you find the right man, you might wants kids and still, if not, it’s your life.”
Celia spoke weakly, “Maybe you’re right. At this moment, I’m not even sure what I want out of life.”
“I understand. I know you’ve been through a lot. I just want to say, if you want Martin in your life, then fight for him. Don’t let anyone take him away from you.”
Celia looked at her mother and though she wanted to go on with the charade, she just could not lie to the woman who meant so much to her. “Mom, did the doctors tell you, that—?”
Her mother shook her head, leaned down and placed a kiss on Celia’s forehead before speaking, “I don’t want you to say anything. Just know that I love you and want you to be happy. Keep one thing in mind, all is fair in love and war. If you need time to make up your mind or to test the waters, do what you feel is best.”
Celia was amazed at what her mother was saying. She tried to sit up in bed but couldn’t and paid for the small movement with a sharp pain down her back. She closed her eyes and more tears streamed down her face from the pain, inside and out.
“Don’t move around, Celia,” her mother said. “You need time to heal. Don’t force yourself to do anything you’re not ready to do. Take your time, the healing will come.”
When the door opened, Mike walked in instead of her dad. Celia’s brow furrowed and she closed her eyes. Was God trying to punish her for lying by sending everyone else in to see her before Martin?
Mike hadn’t done anything to hurt her. He had been there for her when she needed someone. He listened to her go on and on about Martin, a man who was his best friend, and never once had he said one word.
The pain in her back had not subsided and, once again, her mother stepped in taking control of the situation. She felt her mother’s hand on her arm and nodded when she asked, “Honey, do you need something for pain?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay, dear, I’ll get someone but that’s enough of you worrying about any party. I don’t want you talking about anything. Martin can visit with his parents and I’ll call everyone in our family and tell them the party has been canceled.”
Celia wanted to protest, wanted to ask her mother to forgive her for lying but she just nodded when her mother once again kissed her on the forehead. “Rest dear and we’ll be back later in the day.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Celia said closing her eyes. She overheard her mother speaking with Mike as she walked toward the door. She did her best to act like she wasn’t listening because, at this moment, she just wanted to be alone so she could go back to sleep and forget this pain she was in.
“Mike,” her mother began in a very low tone, “no questions to my daughter that might upset her. Also, I don’t think anyone should stay long. She’ll be back to her old self in no time but, for now, we need to give her time to focus on getting well.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll just stay a few minutes.”
“Good, dear. She might be ready for a sip of ice water. I’ll go see if I can find Martin.” Vicky smiled and turned back to the bed. “Again, dear, don’t worry. We’ll cancel the party and reschedule at a later date.”
Celia only nodded and her mother whispered something else to Mike and then stepped out of the room. Mike took one step closer to the bed and then another.
Before the break-up she and Mike hadn’t spoken that much. There would have been no real reason for him to come in for a visit other than to relay a message from Martin. Celia didn’t want to lie to Mike but the pain in her body was making it hard to concentrate.
“Is there anything I can do or get for you?” Mike offered.
“Yes, please,” Celia began, “I need to drink something. Could you find that button and raise the bed for me? I don’t want to be reaching around trying to find it.”
“Sure,” he said. In a matter of seconds, Mike had poured a glass of water and located the button used to raise or lower the bed. He had to adjust the bed slowly and Celia asked him to stop twice as she let a wave of pain flow over her body.
Once she was in a more elevated position, Mike held the glass and positioned the straw so she could take a few sips. The water felt so good but again she took a deep pain. This one hurt so much she cried out.
Mike reached out his hand and lightly touched her shoulder as he spoke to her in a soft voice. The pain was so bad that she wasn’t sure what he’d said but the tone of his voice seemed to soothe her.
After a few moments had passed she let out a sigh and nodded. “It’s gone. It sure does hurt.”
“You need to rest and quit talking. I’m sure everything is a strain.”
“It is. I just want to sleep.”
“Okay. After Martin comes in it will be time for you to take a break.”
“I think you’re right. Thanks for dropping by. Did you give Martin a ride?”
Though her question was innocent enough, she saw a flicker of something in Mike’s eyes. Everyone must have been told that she’d lost her memory. She didn’t want to deceive Mike but if anyone would convince Martin that she’d lost her memory, it would be this man.
Chapter 9
The Truth
“No. I didn’t give him a ride,” Mike said. At the moment, it didn’t matter if Celia had lost her memory. She looked so sad and tiny lying in that bed with her pretty face all bruised and wires going everywhere.
“I don’t care how he got here. I just want to see him.” Celia paused and sighed. “The nurse told me some about the accident. What was I doing?”
“You were on your way to visit your friend, Sue. She was having man problems.” Mike noticed that his hand was still on Celia’s shoulder so he moved it and stepped back.
“That’s not a shock. I’ll call her when I can. Ask Martin to come in . . . please . . .” She closed her eyes and a few seconds later she was sleeping. Mike stood looking at her. He felt guilty. He had all but told Martin to dump her. He’d not even thought about her feelings – whether or not she was in love. What if he’d told Martin to work it out? Would he have tried?
Mike had to wonder if Celia was faking. Had she really lost her memory? Or was fate playing a cruel joke on her and she was going to end up losing Martin twice? Mike turned walking toward the door. He glanced back once more and then stepped out.
From this moment on he would think long and hard before giving anyone advice. Why did friends do that anyway? He had no girlfriend. He’d never had a serious relationship that worked out. What did he have to offer in the way of advice?
Mike walked slowly down the hall and raised his eyes just in time to see Martin walking in his direction. He stopped and was about to speak when a nurse came pushing an empty gurney down the hall. The two men stepped back, and when the nurse was gone, Martin glanced around and looked at Mike.
“Well, what do you think?”
Mike shrugged. “I can’t tell if she’s lost her memory or just her mind.”
Martin let out a small laugh. “I know what you’re saying. The more I know about women, the less I understand. I can’t believe that Randi’s okay with this. She’s either sure that we’re meant to be or she’s really understanding.”
“I doubt she’s fine but she does seem to like you.”
“That she does. And, lost memory or not, I’m not going to allow Celia to come between us. I’ll play along with this charade a few days, but that’s it.”
“You may change your tune when you see how weak she is. Just don’t argue with her. No matter what you think, she’s in a lot of pain. Right now what she needs is rest and to know that we care about her.”
Martin looked down the hall and back at Mike. “I don’t want anything to happen to Celia. I would be a monster to have spent time with her and not care, but I don’t love her. I don’t think I was ever in love with her.”
“Well, now is not the time for her to hear that. She’s really weak and she’
s not faking that.”
“If she’s faking, she’s convinced her mother,” Martin said. “She told me that Celia was asking about the party - that she was worried everyone would be making plans to come. I don’t know what to believe. Maybe I’ll figure it out when I talk to her.”
Mike started to let Martin walk past, but at the last second, he spoke. “Either way, take it easy. Don’t confront her, not yet. She needs to get stronger before she loses you for a second time.”
These last few words seemed to hit Martin. Mike could see it on his face, and with this, he turned and went to the waiting room. He wasn’t sure why he was even going to hang around, but he wanted to see what Martin said when he came out.
The door to the waiting room was standing open and as Mike peeped in he could see Randi pacing. It was just as he thought, she wasn’t that sure of anything. She was worried; her body language told him that. She stopped, looked out the window and crossed her arms. It wasn’t right to spy on her like this.
He paused and stepped into the room. She heard, sensed he was there and he could see her disappointment. Maybe she was hoping Martin had changed his mind or he was back already.
“How was she?”
Her voice sounded a little fragile, like she was about to cry. “She’s weak and in a lot of pain,” Mike said.
This flash of emotion was different. Randi picked up a plate, placed some fruit on it and moved to sit down. She glanced up about to speak but instead took a bite of an apple. The food looked good so Mike decided to join her. He picked up a plate, filled it with fruit and sat down. Randi mustered up the nerve to ask, “Do you think she’s lost her memory?”
“As I told Martin, she’s either lost her memory or her mind. I didn’t push the issue and before I left, she was sleeping.”
Randi nodded, took a few more bites and then ask another question. “Do you think she wants Martin? I mean down deep was she in love with him, or do you have a clue?”
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