by TJ Thomas
She couldn’t shake this dreary mood. She tried working but couldn’t concentrate. She thought about baking but she didn’t feel like doing that either. Rhonda wandered around the big house thinking about Jo and how empty the house now seemed without her here. Rhonda was amazed how many things had changed since Jo moved in. She hadn’t taken everything when she left, saying she’d pick up the rest in a few days. So, there were traces of Jo and Kona all over the house like pieces of the puzzle, like the things belonged there all along and had just waited to be put into place. But now the pieces were all up in the air. When the doorbell rang, she wondered who would come out in this weather. She opened the door to Barbara and saw the rain had stopped.
She welcomed Barbara in with an automatic hug. “Hey, this is a nice surprise.”
Barbara raised an eyebrow. “We made plans to go shopping today, which you’ve obviously forgotten. What’s going on?”
“Jo left.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Julie told me she wouldn’t come to the house and she wouldn’t let me see Jamie and Dylan as long as I was seeing Jo. So, Jo moved out. She said she couldn’t be the reason my family was ripped apart.”
“Why don’t we go have some tea and talk for a while?”
Rhonda was relieved to have something to concentrate on. “Sure.”
While Rhonda put on the tea kettle, Barbara settled at the bar across from her, watching her in silence for a few moments.
“So,” Barbara said with a sigh, “You’re just going to let her go?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Rhonda said gloomily. “What choice do I have?”
“Have the two of you talked about how you feel about each other?”
“She told me she loved me last week and that she wanted to make a commitment to me.”
“It’s about time,” Barbara said, “What did you say?”
“I told her I’d think about it. I should have told her I love her but I was scared. Now, she’s left and I don’t see her coming back. Julie’s ultimatum really freaked her out. She said it changed everything. In a few weeks she’s going back to California and I have to let her go.”
*
Jo tossed and turned on the couch in Amy and Randi’s basement. Definitely not as comfortable as either of the beds she’d slept in at Rhonda’s, but she had to give them credit, they’d welcomed her with open arms and minimal questions. Kona seemed to be holding a grudge though. Jo had never seen her look so sad, even when she and Aideen had broken up and they’d been together two years, not two months. Perhaps she was projecting her feelings onto the dog, but that didn’t explain why Kona had practically stopped eating. Not that she had much appetite herself, in fact it was pretty nonexistent. If she didn’t have to come home to let Kona out and make sure she was eating something, Jo knew she would have buried herself in work, just so she wouldn’t have so much time to think about how much she missed Rhonda. Jo knew from the looks Amy and Randi shot her way they were worried about her, but so far they were giving her space and she appreciated them for that. Jo’s phone chimed and she reached for it. Who would be texting her this late?
Christie. “Hey, sorry to bother you so late. Is my mom okay?”
“As far as I know, she’s fine. Why, what’s up?”
“I called her this morning and she never responded to my voice mail. Very unlike her.”
Jo stared at the screen for several moments, not sure what to say. She decided to go with the truth. “I haven’t seen her since Monday morning. After Julie’s ultimatum, I moved to Amy’s.”
“Oh, Jo. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to pop over and check on her.”
“Okay.”
Jo wanted to ask Christie to let her know how Rhonda was when she got there, but she didn’t feel like she had that right any more. An hour later, she breathed a sigh of relief when she got Christie’s next message.
“Mom’s okay. Misplaced her phone. We managed to find it.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re welcome. I know it’s not my place to say this but I’m going to anyway because I care about you both. She misses you terribly.”
Jo swallowed over the lump in her throat. “It’s mutual.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Rhonda tried to keep herself busy after Jo moved out. She worked hard during the day. She had Christie’s family over for dinner. She went out with friends. She tried to tire herself out, so she’d be able to sleep. But every night when she crawled into bed, she missed Jo so much she ached.
There was a big hole that hadn’t been there before Jo came back into her life. She missed cuddling with her and talking about their days. She missed Jo’s humor and insight. The way Jo would brush the hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear so she could see her more fully. She missed Jo’s strength and tenderness.
She tried to rationalize that this was for the best. After all, she still had doubts about maintaining a lasting relationship with Jo. But her heart wouldn’t listen to reason. It hurt so badly, she wasn’t sure how she’d make it without her.
*
Rhonda was only at the table for a minute or two when her ex-husband, Bill, walked into the restaurant. They had a standing monthly lunch date, which he’d missed the previous month since he was on vacation with Sharon, his current wife. He scanned the room and waved when he saw her before making his way over. Rhonda stood and embraced Bill in a warm hug. He kissed her cheek. “Rhonda, you look as lovely as ever.”
“You’re looking pretty good yourself.” She and Bill had been saying the same things to each other for nearly a decade. After placing their drink orders, Rhonda asked, “How is Sharon?”
“She’s doing well. She said to tell you hi.”
“Hello back. How was Hawaii?”
“We had an amazing time. It’s beautiful. We’re already talking about going back next year. Although Sharon is trying to convince me we should spend some time in Europe.”
“Wonderful, I’m glad you had fun. Europe has a lot to offer too, but I don’t have to tell you that.”
“True.”
“Have you talked to any of the kids lately?”
“Not since before I left for Hawaii. Why? What’s up?”
Rhonda took another sip of her drink before answering. “Well, I have some news. Do you remember Jo Adams? She was a friend of the girls in high school.”
“Sure. How could I not remember her? She practically lived with us for three years.”
“Right, well, she’s back in town.”
“Great. I haven’t heard anything about her in years. How’s she doing?”
“She’s doing well. She was actually staying with me for a while. I have so much room, it just made sense.”
Rhonda started to chew her bottom lip.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
She blew out a breath and looked directly at him. “Jo and I were dating for a little while.”
Bill studied her for several moments. “Okay, that kind of came out of nowhere. I only missed one lunch.”
Rhonda let out a deep breath as she looked at him. “I know.” Rhonda gave Bill the highlights of the last couple of months. Bill listened intently, occasionally asking a question for clarification.
When Rhonda finished her story, Bill put his hand over hers. “I’m sorry to hear about Jo moving out. It sounds like things were getting pretty serious between you two before Julie interfered.”
“They were. It’s kind of crazy to think about how quickly things were getting serious. Maybe it’s not a totally bad thing this happened when it did. But I have to say I miss her a lot.”
“So what are you concerned about?”
Rhonda didn’t question how Bill knew she was worried about something. He was always able to see more than most where she was concerned. Only Jo and Barbara could see as much or more.
Rhonda sighed heavily. “I was already havi
ng a hard time believing Jo would want to spend her life with me. But now, she’s moved out at the first hint of trouble.”
“Be fair. She stuck around until Julie declared an ultimatum that you wouldn’t get to see her kids any more. She’s protecting you. Clearly, she cares. If she didn’t, she could have easily finished her contract, continuing to enjoy time with you, and gone back to California. She could have figured, once she left things would go back to normal. Maybe she left so you didn’t have to make that decision. She made it easy for you. My guess is, just after hearing you talk about the last couple months, leaving hasn’t been easy on her. What else are you worried about?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s something else. Tell me.”
Rhonda met Bill’s intense gaze. “Even if I can convince her to come back, I’m afraid I’ll lose her like I lost you. I’m afraid her passion for me will just be gone one day. I don’t think I could stand it.”
“I see,” Bill said, unfazed by her reference to him. “So, you have no doubt your passion for her will remain?”
“No, none at all.”
Bill rubbed his chin and said almost to himself, “Interesting.”
“What’s interesting?”
“Rhonda, you can’t let what happened between us stand in the way of what you have with Jo.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, I think you are. Listen. What happened to us was mutual. The passion went out of our marriage for both of us. Nobody was to blame. We were never supposed to be together forever. We tried to make our deep friendship and affection for one another into something more than it was supposed to be. We did a pretty good job of it for a long time. But we owed it to ourselves to be honest with each other.”
“I know.”
“Obviously, you feel passionately about Jo. I can see it when you talk about her. Why don’t you think it can be the same for her?” Bill continued before Rhonda could answer. “I think you feel because of the friendship and affection Jo felt for you all those years ago, this passion she feels for you now has to be temporary because you’re clouding the issue with what happened between us.”
Rhonda remained silent wondering if what Bill said was true.
“Have you told Jo how you feel?”
“Not completely.”
“What are you afraid of?”
Rhonda shook her head as the answer hit her. “I don’t want her to feel trapped.”
Bill nodded. “You mean like we did in our marriage?”
Rhonda nodded. She and Bill shared a look of understanding. The two of them had dealt with what was between them years ago and there were no hard feelings, no regrets.
“I just wish I was more confident in how she truly feels about all this. I mean, we have talked about it, but you remember Jo has a hard time letting anyone see her deepest feelings. She keeps it all bottled up. So I know what she thinks about it, but I don’t truly know how she feels about everything.”
“Have you asked her?”
Rhonda shook her head.
“Why? You owe it to yourself to find out how Jo feels. Honestly, knowing Jo’s history, I imagine she wouldn’t stay any place very long if it’s not exactly where she wants to be. She wouldn’t consent to staying in a place she isn’t happy. I think she’s perfectly capable of telling you exactly how she feels. Are you capable of hearing her?”
Rhonda frowned. “I don’t want to pressure her.”
“Given everything I remember about Jo and all you’ve told me about your time with her over the last two months, it sounds like she can handle herself pretty well under pressure.”
“That’s true.”
“Let me ask you one more thing?”
“Okay.”
“Let’s assume Jo left to protect you. What have you done to protect her? How have you stood up for her? How have you fought for your relationship?”
Rhonda couldn’t answer, because she’d done none of those things and she needed to figure out why. Bill had certainly given her a lot to think about. There was a reason he was still one of her best friends.
As each of them reached for money to pay the tab, Rhonda’s phone rang. “Sorry, Bill, I should get this. Hi, Amy, I’m at lunch, can I call you later?…What’s wrong?…Is she…?…Where is she?…I’m leaving right now.”
Bill stood with her. “Rhonda?”
“I have to go. Jo’s hurt. I have to get to Baystate.”
Bill stepped to Rhonda and took her elbow. “Give me your keys. I’ll take you. You can’t drive while you’re upset.”
Rhonda wasn’t even aware of complying. The next thing she knew, she was in the passenger seat of her car on the interstate. She heard the last part of a phone conversation Bill was having. “Thanks, Sharon. I’ll see you there.”
Rhonda couldn’t think. She could barely breathe. Jo was hurt and she had to get to her.
Bill glanced at Rhonda. He reached out and touched her arm trying to comfort. “Hang on. We’ll be there soon.”
Rhonda was vaguely aware of the contact but couldn’t make sense of what Bill said. She simply stared out the window picturing Jo’s face. Beautiful, strong, Jo. You have to be strong, my love. I can’t lose you.
Traffic slowed as cars crept past flashing lights. A tow truck driver loaded a small SUV onto the flatbed. Comprehension dawned with a rushing wave of nausea. “Oh my God, that’s Jo’s truck.”
The front end was crumpled and the visible side, the passenger side, was so smashed that Rhonda was terrified at how hurt Jo must be having been inside that mangled wreckage.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Bill stopped at the emergency room doors. “Rhonda, you go in and see what you can find out. I’ll come find you as soon as I park the car.”
Rhonda climbed from the car and ran into the hospital. She made a beeline for the first desk she saw, she asked, “Can you tell me where Jo Adams is? She was just brought in by ambulance. She was in a car accident.” Her voice sounded foreign to her own ears.
The young man at the admissions desk looked at Rhonda with an uninterested, glassy stare. “Are you family?”
“No, yes, well, sort of, I’m her girlfriend.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. We can’t give out any patient information without the consent of the patient, unless you’re family.”
“She’s unconscious. She can’t give her consent. Please, I need to see her. Can’t you do something?”
“Do you have medical power of attorney?”
Rhonda was flabbergasted this guy was talking about legalities so clinically when all she wanted to do was get to Jo. “No, but—”
“Ma’am, if you’ll take a seat, I’ll see if I can find someone to help you.”
With no other option, Rhonda collapsed into the nearest chair. Her head spun, her heart raced, and she couldn’t focus. She took slow, deep breaths and tried to calm down. Jo was getting the help she needed. But she couldn’t believe this guy wouldn’t let her back to see her. She was her girlfriend. Even if that was no longer true, Rhonda still felt it. Who cared what a piece of paper said? Jo needed her. She needed Jo. She began to think about the legalities of it all and wondered if she had any rights at all. Did she?
The anxiety gripped her chest like a vise and threatened to pull her under. She needed to see Jo and make sure she was okay. She was hurt, but Rhonda didn’t know how badly. Someone had to tell her something soon or she would go crazy. She marched back up to the admitting desk and addressed the young man. “Did you find someone to help me?” she said more sternly than she intended.
He stared at her blankly. Obviously, that had been a diversion to get her out of his space.
“Look, you need to find somebody right now who can tell me what is going on with Jo Adams or I am going to go back there and find out for myself.”
At that moment, Amy stepped up beside Rhonda. “How is she?”
Rhonda looked at Amy. “Nobody will tell me anything.”
Amy put her
arm around Rhonda’s waist in support and looked at the young man behind the desk. “I have medical power of attorney for Jo Adams. Can you please give us an update on her condition?”
Alan, according to his nametag, genuinely looked like he wanted to help at this point, but he still had a job to do. “Can I see your documentation?”
“It will be here shortly. I came straight here, but my wife is bringing it. In the meantime, can you please give us any information, anything at all?”
Alan looked at his computer screen and tapped a few keys on the keyboard in front of him. “All I can tell you at this point is the doctors are running tests.”
“Thank you. I’ll be back when I have the papers you need to see.” Amy steered Rhonda away from the desk and over to some empty chairs. “Rhonda, let’s sit down.”
Rhonda sat. She grabbed Amy’s hand as a lifeline and held on. She was so lost. She had no idea what to do.
Bill rushed in. He sat beside Rhonda and held her other hand. “How is she?”
Rhonda only shook her head.
Amy answered. “Nobody will tell us much yet. The doctors are running tests.”
“Okay.” Rhonda saw Bill look up as one of the doors by the desk opened. “Sharon, thank God, what’s happening?”
Rhonda looked up when she heard Bill’s words. “Sharon?”
Sharon crouched in front of Rhonda and put her hand on Rhonda’s knee. Sharon said, “Here’s what I know so far. The x-rays of Jo’s neck and back are clear. The doctor expects she will have quite a bit of bruising from the seat belt. She does not appear to have any other substantial injuries other than the head laceration and a big bruise on her left shoulder. She is still unconscious so she is in CT right now so the doctor can look at her head injury.”
Rhonda nodded that she understood. “Thank you, Sharon. When can I see her?”
“I’m working on that. I’ll let you know.” Sharon then turned to Amy. “Hi, we haven’t met. I’m Sharon, Bill’s wife and one of the hospital administrators.”