He walked around the car and opened the door for his daughter. With their arms around each other, they walked into the house ready to face whatever life was going to hand them.
CHAPTER 38
Lily woke late the next morning full of nerves. Her appointment with Dr. Garmen was in a couple hours and Uncle Billy was taking her. She wasn’t sure what to expect, she wasn’t sure how she felt about all of this. She just wanted confirmation. She wanted to know she wasn’t reading the tests wrong. She wanted to know everything would be all right. She wanted to talk to Jake but knew she couldn’t until after the appointment, when she knew for sure there was something more to talk about. Then she would go from there.
After she showered and dressed, she made her way to the kitchen where Billy had made a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. He was moving through the small kitchen like he was on fire. He was just as nervous as she was.
“Good morning.”
Caught off guard, he almost dropped the plate of bacon. “Hey. How are you feeling? You ready for the appointment? I know it isn’t till noon but I figured if we get there a little early, maybe he’d see you sooner. I made breakfast. You should eat something. You look so pale.”
His energy was both reassuring and nerve wracking.
She sighed. “Sure. That sounds like a good idea.”
She sat at the table. He pushed a plate full of food in front of her and told her to eat up. She did as she was told, despite the protests from her stomach. Today was not the day she needed Billy to freak out, even though she appreciated the sentiment. No, what she needed was calm.
“Hey Billy. You’re making me more nervous than I already am. Why don’t you sit down and eat with me?”
Smiling gently, he grabbed another plate and filled it up before sitting across from her.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Fine, actually. Surprisingly well.”
She watched him carefully as she chewed. His hands were shaking and beads of sweat formed at his temples. His eyes darted around the room.
“You okay?”
“Huh? What? Me? Yeah. I’m good. Nervous as hell but I’m okay. Never had to deal with baby stuff before. Never had any of my own, you know.”
“I do know. It’s gonna be okay. No matter what happens today, no matter what the doctor says, it’s all gonna be okay.”
He finally settled his eyes on hers. “Jesus, look at me. I’m acting like a fool and here you are all grown up, so calm. I should take my cue from you, you know. I can’t believe what a wonderful woman you’ve turned into. God, I remember when you were just a baby.”
Lily placed her hand on his. “Billy. I promise. It will all work out. Here, let me clean up here. You go get ready. We’ll have to leave soon if we’re gonna be early.”
“I just hope Jake knows what he’s got.”
She didn’t say anything, just smiled before clearing the table.
She was finishing up the last of the dishes when Billy walked in.
“You ready?”
Frozen with fear, nausea threatening to overwhelm her, she swallowed it down and straightened her shoulders. “Yup. Let me get my purse.”
Her head buzzed with what-ifs and unanswered questions. She wasn’t following the advice she’d given Billy. Eyes closed, she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly before turning to face her uncle.
“Let’s go.”
The ride to the doctor’s office was quiet. Neither knew exactly what to say to the other. Billy didn’t want to make her any more nervous than she already was and she didn’t want to worry him.
They checked in twenty minutes early and sat in the waiting room until her name was called.
“I’ll be right here if you need me kiddo.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back in a jiff.”
She walked stiffly through the door with the nurse and Billy proceeded to wring his hands raw.
The nurse smiled softly and handed her a cup. “I’m going to need a sample. The bathroom is down the hall and to the left. You can just bring it into room number four when you’re finished. I’ll wait there for you.”
“Okay.” Lily took the cup and walked into the bathroom. She met the nurse in her room when she finished.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks. I’ll go take this to the lab while you get undressed. The gown is on the table. Dr. Garmen and I will be back in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem, sweetie. Don’t worry. Dr. Garmen is the best.”
Lily undressed and lay down on the table. After a few moments, a small knock on the door pulled her out of herself.
“Come in.”
“Hello, Lily. I am Dr. Garmen.”
“Hi.”
“So it says you’re here because you think you might be pregnant.”
“Right.”
“Have you taken any home pregnancy tests?”
“Yes. Three.”
“And they were all positive?”
“Yes.”
“Well, they are pretty spot-on nowadays. I don’t see why they wouldn’t be correct in your case, but we’ll check anyway. How have you been feeling? Any morning sickness? Tired?”
“Some sickness and I have been feeling pretty tired lately.”
“When was your last period?”
“About two months ago.”
“Two months? Are you usually regular?”
“Like clockwork.”
“While we’re waiting for the test to confirm it, let’ see what we have here. Lie back.” Dr. Garmen felt her stomach for a bit before asking, “Does this hurt?”
“No. Just feels weird. I have a bit of a stomach ache.”
“That’s normal.”
Tears began to stream down the side of Lily’s face.
“But before we get ahead of ourselves, I’d like to take an ultrasound. Do you know what that is?”
She nodded tightly.
“Okay. You hang tight. I’ll be right back with the machine and we’ll see what’s going on.”
“All right.”
He placed his hand on hers before walking out of the room. When he returned, the nurse that had helped her earlier was pushing in the ultrasound machine.
Settling onto his stool, the doctor looked at her. “The test is positive, Lily.
“I’m going to use the machine to take a look at the baby. Okay? It won’t hurt but the gel might be cold.”
He opened her gown to reveal her stomach. She inhaled sharply as the cold gel touched her skin. She heard a few beeps and clicks before she felt the wand roll across her belly. All she heard were weird swooshing sounds. She closed her eyes as she focused on them.
“Lily, your baby looks just fine. From what we can tell, probably no more than six weeks.”
The first time she and Jake slept together.
Eyes flying open, she jerked her head towards the monitor. The doctor laughed when she squinted at what she saw.
Tracing his finger across the monitor, he said, “Your baby is here. Right now it’s really tiny, maybe about an inch, inch and a half.”
“Is that sound the heartbeat?”
“No. It’s too early to hear the heartbeat. That’s just the sound the machine makes. Your heartbeat, your breath sounds.”
“So it’s definitely in there? I’m definitely pregnant?”
“Yup. Measuring at six weeks on the button.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, God.” More tears flowed as the nurse handed her a tissue.
Sitting back, Dr. Garmen contemplated her for a moment. “I take it this wasn’t a planned pregnancy.”
“No. It wasn’t planned.”
“Well, there are a few options to consider. You have some time to make those decisions.”
Before she thought about it, she answered, “No. I’m keeping it.”
“You’re sure? Like I said, you have time.”
“I’m sure. Thank you.” Suddenly, that much of this was clear
. She was going to keep the baby.
“All right then. I would recommend you come back in another six weeks to check on the baby’s progress. Here’s a prescription for some vitamins. Be sure to stay away from raw fish, alcohol, cigarettes...”
“I don’t smoke.”
“Well, then that’s something you don’t have to worry about.” He smiled as he handed her the script.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. Call me if you have any questions. Congratulations, Lily.”
Dr. Garmen walked out behind the nurse and left Lily to dress. When she walked out into the waiting room, Billy stood. He didn’t need to ask, the answer was etched on her face.
“Let’s go home.”
She said nothing, just nodded in agreement and allowed him to steer her out of the office.
They drove in silence. When they arrived at the house, Lily walked downstairs to her room and curled up under the blankets of her bed and cried herself to sleep.
Upstairs, Billy grabbed an early beer from the fridge and sat on the couch wondering how he could help her. It wasn’t necessarily his place but he’d help her in any way she needed. She was the closest thing to family he had. He’d just hoped he wouldn’t be the one to break the news to her parents.
Finishing the bottle in a few pulls, he rubbed his hands over his face and looked at his watch. He should head over to the bar soon but he’d hold off as long as he could before leaving, just in case Lily woke up and needed something. The bar had been there so long, it could pretty much run itself.
He’d seen her tears fall as they drove home, saw her shudder as she tried to keep her composure. Her shoulders slumped as she walked down to her room. At this point, he wasn’t sure what she was going to do about the baby. He figured Jake needed to know but, again, it wasn’t his place. She was a grown woman with a solid head on her shoulders and she would do what was right.
He busied himself with straightening up a bit and making Lily a sandwich for dinner. He covered it and placed it in the fridge before writing her a note, letting her know where he’d be. Satisfied he’d done all he could, he carefully opened the door to her room and walked down the stairs. Halfway down, he looked over at her bed and saw she was sleeping soundly. He smiled.
He placed the note on the kitchen table, picked up his keys, and headed to the bar. When Lily heard the sound of his car back out of the driveway, she opened her eyes. Momentarily unclear, the day flooded back to her in an instant. Her hand on her stomach, she felt a feeling of urgency.
Sitting up, she picked up her phone and dialed. She needed to hear Jake’s voice.
When he didn’t answer, she left a message. “Jake. It’s Lily. We need to talk. Call me when you get this. I was hoping I could see you when you finish work today.”
Ending the call, she forced herself to stand up and walk around. The situation wasn’t any different than what it was yesterday. The only difference was that a doctor had confirmed what she’d known all along.
Upstairs she found Billy’s note and the sandwich he’d left in the fridge. Her appetite was back in full force. She made another sandwich after she ate the first one and made her way back downstairs. There was another phone call she had to make.
Cell phone in hand, she closed her eyes for a moment. Breathing slowly, she dialed the number. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, sweetie. We miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Is Dad there, too? I have something I need to talk to you both about.”
“Sure, sweetie, hang on. Let me get him.”
Lily’s cuticles were bleeding by the time her father got on the line with her mother.
“Hey, Lil. How’s South Carolina treating you?”
“Good, good. Listen. I have to tell you both something. You may not like it but you have to know that I always make good decisions, right?”
Worry echoed from the other end of the line. “Lily what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“You could say that.”
CHAPTER 39
It was early afternoon before Jake dragged himself out of bed. After Maddie left, he drowned himself in the rest of the whiskey. At least he’d had the forethought to leave a message for John that he wouldn’t be at work.
Head throbbing, he staggered to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water and popped two ibuprofen. Standing at the kitchen sink, he dropped his head into his hands. A tumor? Every cell in his brain told him she was lying but then again, he saw the look in her eyes when she’d told him. There was a truth in them he’d never seen before.
He needed to know. He needed to go over there and see for himself. He turned up the hot water in the shower and stepped in, willing the steam to erase his hangover.
By the time he’d gotten dressed and headed to the Olsen’s, it was almost three. Banging on the door, he had to wait a minute before anyone answered.
When Mrs. Olsen answered the door, her eyes were red from crying and she looked broken.
“Mrs. Olsen. Is Maddie here?”
“Jake? I don’t think now is a good time.”
“I just need to know if it’s true.”
Fresh tears spilled from her and Jake’s heart hitched.
“Please, Mrs. Olsen. Let me see her.”
“She’s sleeping. The headaches. She gets bad headaches.”
“Let me see her. I won’t make any noise, I promise.”
“Abby, who is it?”
John appeared at the door with the same sad, red eyes as his wife.
“Jake?”
“I just want to see her.”
“She’s sleeping.”
“I know that. Just let me look at her.”
“I don’t know.”
“I just need to see for myself. I’ll know it’s true if I can just see her.”
“Fine. You have two minutes. Don’t make any noise. She needs her sleep.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“She’s in her room. Two minutes.”
Jake stepped to the back of the house and slowly opened Madison’s door. Her hair was still wet from a shower and her face was clear of any make-up. The gray tinge to her face was highlighted by the brittleness of her body. He didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed it before. She looked sick. He’d been too busy hating her to actually notice her.
He rested his head against her door and stared for longer than the two minutes he’d been given. He didn’t know what to feel. He was supposed to hate her, to despise her. And now, here he was, feeling sorry for her. Feeling something for her.
John walked down the hall and watched as Jake stood, stiff as a board, in the doorway. As he watched, Jake slumped against the door. He could feel the conflict warring inside him. He stepped over and put his hand on his shoulder. Jake turned around and held John’s gaze for a moment before walking out of the house.
Reaching into his pocket for his cell phone, Jake realized he’d left it at home. He knew Lily had off from work today, and he just hoped she was home.
Lily answered the door on the first knock.
“What’s wrong?”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure, come on in. I wanted to talk to you, too.”
“I was hoping we could go for a walk.”
“Sure. The swimming hole?”
He nodded as she stepped out onto the front porch. When he held her hand, she noticed his was damp and clammy.
Walking through the wooded path helped calm him down. She was bursting with the news she wanted to share with him, but that would have to wait. Clearly, whatever was plaguing his mind needed to be freed.
Once they walked into the clearing, Jake turned as Lily inhaled sharply.
“I’d almost forgotten how beautiful it was here.”
He squeezed her hand and led her to the bank where she slipped her now bare feet into the warm water.
“So, what’s on your mind?”
“I talked to Madison last night. She signed the papers. I just have to call my
lawyer and drop them off to him.”
“That’s great! Was it as difficult as you thought?”
“Yes and no. She came in playing her usual games. She tried to be evasive. I pretty much lost it.”
“Lost it?”
“Yeah. I got so mad, I threw a glass at the wall.”
Lily looked away from him as the dread in the pit of her stomach grew. “I just realized I’ve never seen you angry. Is that a normal reaction?”
“With her it is. I could never get that angry at you.”
She momentarily froze at his words before turning back to him. “How do you know? We’ve never had anything to be angry about. Nothing, so far, to fight about. Maybe in a month you won’t like the way I vacuum the carpet, and you’ll flip out and throw something.”
Hands up in protest, Jake took a few steps back. “No. No. I wouldn’t do that.”
“It seems to me, Jake, that we don’t know each other very well. And despite it, I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“I’m in love with you, too. I want you to stay here with me. I want to know where all this is going.”
“And if it doesn’t work? If it doesn’t go anywhere? What then?”
“Then, I don’t know. I don’t want to think like that. When I look at you, I see the future I’ve always wanted. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
When she didn’t say anything, Jake started skipping rocks into the water. He felt his world closing in on him. Emotions he didn’t know how to deal with surfaced.
“Madison is dying.”
Lily pulled her hand from his. “What?”
“She has a brain tumor. She doesn’t have much longer to live. She came back to make amends.”
“Okay. Is she telling the truth or is this one of the games she plays that everyone has told me about?”
“I thought she was lying, and I told her so right before I kicked her out of my house. Then I went over there today, right before I came to see you.”
“And she was there?”
“Yeah. She was sleeping. Her parents had been crying. I walked into her room to see for myself and I saw what I had been too angry to notice before. She’s pale, fragile looking. She looks sick. For the first time, she looked vulnerable.”
He wasn’t fighting back his tears as well as he’d hoped. The last thing he wanted to do is cry about Madison in front of Lily. He was beginning to think she was going to start looking at him like he was some sort of emotional wreck and run away.
Three Days of Rain Page 19