by Caisey Quinn
And this is the part where I make my desperate plea. Layla couldn’t have surgery a few weeks ago when she was scheduled to because she is pregnant. As I write this, she is somewhere around eight weeks along. As much as I’m ashamed to admit it, I didn’t take the news that we were expecting very well. The procedure you perform would have most likely saved her life, and if something happens to her now, then by getting her pregnant, essentially I am killing the one person I love more than life itself. The fact that she is willing to risk her own life to protect the life of our child is typical Layla. She’s kind, selfless, and beautiful inside and out. I wish that you could meet her so you could see for yourself what my words can’t do justice.
Layla is due in May, and it’s my hope that you can arrange to be on standby so that as soon as the baby is born she can have the procedure. I realize that this is a lot to ask, and I know that my chances of getting this request granted are slim. But what were the odds that an Army brat like myself, an undeserving jerk with a temper, would get even a small amount of time with an angel?
I’ve already taken up enough of your time, but I have one last plea for mercy. You see, I have nightmares. In them, I’m taking my child to visit his or her mother in the cemetery. Because all they know of her is a cold marble stone instead of the warm, compassionate woman that she is. I’m not just asking this enormous favor for me. I’m asking for the unborn child that deserves to know what a wonderful mother they have. I’m asking for my girl. I’m asking that you give her a chance to be the kind of mother everyone should be fortunate enough to have.
I’m asking for my family. The one that I may or may not ever get a chance to have. I don’t deserve it. But Layla does. I’m in this treatment facility so that I can be the very best father that I can. So that I can give our child what I never got. A happy home full of love and laughter. And patience. And acceptance. And hope.
You are my only hope right now. You’re literally all I’ve got. Please consider my request. I can’t offer you much except maybe World Cup tickets, but whatever I’ve got, it’s yours.
I’ve included both my and Layla’s contact information below.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Landen O’Brien
This free novella is a gift to those of you who purchased the Special Edition of Keep Me Still that was available from August 1st – November 11th. Thank you for your love and support! Thank you for the emails, messages, and Tweets about Layla and Landen’s story. I hope I did them justice.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is not something I made up. It’s a very real medical disorder, though I took creative liberties in Landen’s case as this is a fictional story. The Axis Residential Treatment Facility in California is also a real place. I owe a huge thank you to the staff members who were kind enough to respond to my phone calls, emails, and endless questions.
For more information about Anger Disorders such as IED, as well as the Axis Center, you can visit http://www.axisresidentialtreatment.com or http://www.axisresidentialtreatment.com/anger-management/intermittent-explosive-disorder/.
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Hold Us Close (Special Edition)
Copyright © November 2013 by Caisey Quinn
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This eBook is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used factiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Published in the United States of America
First electronic publication: November 2013 by Caisey Quinn
www.caiseyquinnwrites.com
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Table of Contents
Other Books by Caisey Quinn
Dedication
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Epilogue
Landon’s Letter
Acknowledgements
Author’s Note
About the Book Designer
Copyright
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Epilogue
Landon’s Letter
Acknowledgements
Author’s Note