by Marie Force
“What’ve you been taking for it?”
She pointed to a bottle of over-the-counter cough medicine on the coffee table. There was also a bag of lemon-flavored cough drops. Neither was strong enough to put a dent in the cough.
“I’d like to get you in for a chest X-ray in the morning,” David said, hoping that would be soon enough. He was alarmed by her fragile condition.
“I can’t afford to pay for it.”
He’d pay for it himself if he had to, not that he shared that thought with her. “We’ll take care of it.”
New tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m scared for my kids.”
“Is there anyone you can call to come out to help you?”
She shook her head. “It’s just us.”
David tried to imagine what it would be like to be so alone in the world. He immediately thought of Daisy, who was estranged from her family. He’d been blessed to be born into a great family that had stood by him during his fight with lymphoma. They not only helped him to recover from his illness but also to put his life back together after the mess he’d made of it.
“How about I ask Seamus and Carolina if the boys can stay there tonight? That way, you can get a good night’s sleep and then come see me in the morning.”
She shook her head. “That’s too much to ask of them.”
“I saw Seamus on the way over here. He didn’t ask why I was coming, but he told me if there was anything at all they could do for you and the kids to let him know. He said they’re extremely fond of the kids.”
“He said that? Really? I’m always afraid they’re bothering them when they go over there. They’re newlyweds after all.”
David smiled and hoped his plan would be okay with Seamus and Carolina. “They don’t seem to mind. So what do you say? Should we pack a bag so they can stay there tonight, and we’ll see what’s what in the morning?”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Lisa used the last of her energy, or so it seemed to him, to pack an overnight bag for her sons.
“Is there anything I can get for you before I go?”
She shook her head.
He handed her his business card, the one that had his cell phone number on it. “If it gets worse overnight or if you have any trouble breathing, I want you to call me. Don’t hesitate to call.”
She took the card from him. “Thank you so much.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of this tomorrow.”
Nodding, she said, “Will you tell the boys to call me before they go to bed and will you please thank Seamus and Carolina for me?”
“Of course.” David put his medical bag in the trunk but left his car parked in Lisa’s driveway. He followed the well-worn path that led through a thicket of trees into Seamus and Carolina’s backyard. The scent of baked lasagna wafted through the screen door on the back porch, making David’s mouth water.
“Come on in,” Seamus called when he knocked.
David stepped into the cozy house, where the foursome was eating dinner at the kitchen table. “How’s the lasagna, guys?” Both boys sported freshly washed faces and hands.
“So good!” Kyle said as he shoveled in a huge mouthful.
Carolina smiled at his enthusiasm.
“Told ya,” Seamus said.
“So your mom said if it’s okay with Seamus and Carolina, you guys can have a sleepover tonight. What do you think of that?”
“Is she okay?” Kyle asked, his brows knitting adorably.
“She’s not feeling so great. A good night’s sleep is just what the doctor ordered.” He kept his tone light, but he could see the concern on the faces of Seamus and Carolina.
“Is it okay with you guys?” Jackson asked his hosts.
“Absolutely,” Seamus said. “We can make popcorn and watch a movie. It’ll be fun.”
“He talks funny,” Jackson said, giggling.
Seamus stuck his tongue out at the boy, setting off him and his brother into gales of laughter.
David sent Seamus a grateful smile. He’d made a lot of assumptions in putting together this plan. “Lisa is coming to see me in the morning, so if you could hang on to these guys until she gets back, that’d be a big help.”
“We’d be happy to.” Carolina got up from the table and returned with a plastic container that was soon full of lasagna. “Take this home to Daisy,” she said as she covered it and handed it to David.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“We’ll never eat it all. Happy to share.”
“That’s so nice of you. Thanks. For everything.”
“Our pleasure,” Seamus said.
David drove home feeling worse than he had before, if that was possible. He didn’t like the looks of what was going on with Lisa—at all. The chest X-ray would tell him more. He wished she hadn’t waited so long to get medical help. As a seasonal worker in several of the island’s restaurants, she didn’t work enough hours at any one job to qualify for insurance coverage.
The system was still imperfect, despite recent reforms, and providers were forced to do the best they could within the existing parameters. It was frustrating as all hell in cases like Lisa’s when someone needed urgent care but didn’t seek it out because they couldn’t afford to.
He arrived home feeling exhausted and out of sorts but excited to see Daisy after a long day apart. David was so damned thankful to have her to come home to every night. She made everything better just by being there. As he parked next to his landlord Jared’s Porsche, Jared and his wife, Lizzie, came out of their house, dressed up for a night out.
“Hi there,” he said to his friends as he emerged from his car, carrying the container Carolina had given him. “Where are you off to?”
“A fundraiser at the Chesterfield,” Jared said, referring to the estate they’d bought earlier in the year and turned into an event venue.
“What’s this one for?”
“Open space,” Lizzie said.
“How about you do one for single parents who can’t afford basic medical care?” David said with more of an edge to his voice than he’d intended.
“Talk to me,” Jared said sincerely. He’d made his fortune on Wall Street and was now “retired” from the financial rat race.
“Sorry.” David rolled his shoulders to shake off the stress. “Just a long day.”
“Do you know someone who needs help?”
“Yeah, I actually do. I’ve got a young mom with two young boys who might be seriously ill. The boys are five and six.”
“What can we do?” Lizzie asked.
“Can I get back to you about that tomorrow when I know more about what we’re dealing with?”
“Absolutely,” Jared said. “Anything she needs, you let me know.”
“I was having a horrendously shitty day until about five minutes ago. Thanks, you guys.”
Lizzie walked over to David and hugged him. The gesture didn’t surprise him. He’d come to know her quite well since she married Jared, and she was easily affectionate with him and all their friends. David could see why Jared adored her. “Whenever you encounter something like this, you come to us, okay? We have everything we could ever want or need, and it’s my pleasure to spend Jared’s money on worthwhile causes and people in need.”
Jared snorted with laughter. “She’s quite good at it, too.”
“I don’t believe in doing anything if I can’t do it well,” Lizzie said, returning to her husband’s side.
He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “And that’s why I love you so much.”
“You two have a great evening,” David said, amused by them, as always.
“We’ll expect to hear from you tomorrow,” Lizzie said.
“You got it. Thanks again.” He waved them off as they left in the Porsche and then took the stairs to the garage apartment he shared with Daisy.
She was curled up in a ball on the sofa, sound asleep.
Dav
id smiled at the sight of her. She worked so hard at the hotel this time of year that she was worn out at the end of every long day. But she loved the job managing the housekeeping staff at McCarthy’s Gansett Island Hotel, and since she was the best thing to ever happen to him, he loved that she was happy.
Because he couldn’t be in the same room with her and not want to touch her, he put the container of lasagna in the kitchen, pulled off his tie, released the top three buttons on his shirt and went to join her on the sofa.
“Mmm,” she said, her voice sleepy and sweet. “There you are. Long day.”
“That just got three thousand percent better.”
“Only three thousand?”
“Make that three billion.”
She smiled without opening her eyes. “That’s a good number.”
David put his arms around her, and she snuggled up to him. “Now my awful day is perfect.”
“I heard about Maddie and Mac. Are you okay?”
Since Maddie was one of her closest friends, he was touched that she thought to ask if he was okay. “It was horrible. Devastating.”
“I’m so sad for them.”
“Did you get to talk to Maddie?”
She shook her head. “I tried to call her, but it went right to voice mail. I left a message for her and one for Linda offering to help with the kids if need be.”
“I’m sure Maddie knows we’re all thinking about her and Mac tonight.”
“I hope so.” She took a deep breath and perked right up. “What do I smell?”
“Carolina Cantrell’s lasagna. Or I guess I should say Carolina O’Grady’s lasagna.”
“My mouth is watering. Does this mean we don’t have to cook or go anywhere?”
“That’s exactly what it means.”
“What do you think of dinner in bed?”
“Other than deciding to love me, that’s the very best idea you’ve ever had.”
As she laughed, he kissed her and felt the troubles of his day melt away when she kissed him back with all the love and enthusiasm he’d come to expect from her.
Chapter 19
Mac tucked Maddie into bed in the guest room at his uncle’s house and sat with her in the dark until she’d cried herself to sleep. She hadn’t said a single word since they left the island, and Mac had respected her need for quiet even as he was dying inside.
Under no circumstances had he imagined this day ending here, at his uncle’s house in the city. The house had been stuffy and hot from being closed up all summer but had been made available to them within minutes of his Uncle Frank hearing the news from Mac’s father.
His parents had come running and had done their best to hide their own heartbreak as they helped Mac gather what they needed for a few days away while they stayed with Thomas and Hailey. Now that he was certain Maddie was asleep, for the moment anyway, he went downstairs to call home to check on them.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. You got there all right?”
“Yeah. Maddie’s sleeping. How are the kids?”
“They’re both fine, but Thomas has a lot of questions.”
“Is he still awake?”
“Dad’s up with him. Let me check.” She was quiet as she went up the stairs, which told Mac that Hailey was already asleep. He pictured her in her crib, her bum in the air as she slept, thumb in her mouth. His eyes filled as he thought about her and Thomas. He’d once thought he’d never get around to having kids of his own, and now they and their mother were his whole world.
He wiped away tears that rolled unchecked down his face.
“Dada! Where you go?”
Thomas still called him the name he’d given him when Mac first came into his life. Someday he’d probably drop that second a, but Mac hoped it didn’t happen too soon. “Mama and I had something we had to do in Providence. But we’ll be home soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Are you being a good boy for Grandma and Papa?”
“Papa is reading books, but he keeps falling asleep!” In the background, Mac heard his father making snoring noises and Thomas’s accompanying belly laugh.
“He’s silly,” Mac said even as he continued to wipe away tears.
“He’s so silly. Are you sad, Dada?”
Knowing his son could hear the anguish in his voice made Mac ache. “Maybe a little, but I’ll be all right. You need to get to sleep now, okay?”
“Can Papa read me one more story?”
“One more.” Right then he’d give his son anything he asked for. “And then it’s time for night-night.”
“Okay, Dada. Can I talk to Mama?”
“She’s asleep, buddy. She’ll call you tomorrow. I love you and so does Mama.”
“Love you, too.”
After some rustling in the background, the phone was returned to his mother. “How’s Maddie?” Linda asked.
“Quiet.”
“She will be for a while.”
Mac sat on the sofa, elbows on knees, head bent.
“But she’ll bounce back. In time.”
“You’re sure of that?” Maddie’s unusual silence had given him an uneasy feeling over the last few hours.
“I’m positive.” After a pause, Linda said, “I’ve been where she is.”
“What? You have?”
“About a year before you… I was twelve weeks along.”
“I… I had no idea.”
“That’s because we didn’t talk about it. Still hurts, all these years later. The initial shock passes, but you never forget.”
“I don’t want to forget,” Mac said, his voice breaking.
“You won’t, honey.”
“I don’t know what to do for her. She’s…”
“She’s traumatized and heartbroken, but she’ll be all right. She just needs a little time to get her head around it. As do you.”
“She feels like she caused it because she said so many times she didn’t want to be pregnant again yet.” His throat closed, and tears streamed down his face. “We didn’t plan this one. We said it was an accident.”
“Sweetheart, everyone says that when they end up pregnant with a baby they didn’t set out to have right then and there. Neither of you said anything that anyone else wouldn’t say in the same situation.”
“Still,” he said. “We feel guilty about having said that stuff.”
“You were joking and coping with the idea of three kids under the age of five, Mac. Was there any doubt that you would love this new baby as much as you do Thomas and Hailey? Not in my mind. And you’re both still young and healthy. There’s no reason at all you can’t have another baby when you feel ready to try again.”
“I can’t fathom that after going through this.”
“Good thing for you that I was able to move past it when it happened to me, huh?”
Mac chuckled despite the grim conversation. “True.”
“This isn’t the time for big decisions or sweeping statements you might come to regret later.”
“What do I do for her, Mom? I feel so helpless.”
“Just be there. That’s all you can do.”
“She doesn’t seem to want my comfort.”
“That might be the case tonight and maybe tomorrow night, but she’ll turn to you when she’s ready to. You’ll be the first one she wants.”
Mac drew in a shuddering deep breath. He hoped his mother was right. He couldn’t bear the thought of distance between him and Maddie.
“Take an extra night or two to yourselves. Francine and I will take care of the kids. You come back when you feel ready to.”
“Thanks, Mom, for coming when I called you, and for everything else.”
“I’m always here for you, honey. We love you both. Let us know how you are tomorrow. When you can.”
“I will. Talk to you then. Love you, too.” After he put down his phone, he sat for a long time in his uncle’s living room, trying to get his own emotions under control so he could be there
for Maddie if she needed him during the night.
As he scanned the array of family pictures Frank kept on a table, Mac thought about the many blessings he and Maddie had experienced in their lives so far as well as the challenges they’d endured. They’d gotten through it all—the good and the bad—by turning to each other, and Mac planned to be ready when she turned to him this time.
Using the hem of his shirt, he wiped his face and then went around checking the locks before he went upstairs to take a shower. A short time later, he got into bed with Maddie, moving carefully so he wouldn’t disturb her. Without waking, she snuggled up to him the way she often did at home, and he brought her into his embrace, comforted by the fact that she’d reached for him in her sleep.
Hopefully, she’d keep doing that in the days ahead.
* * *
With sleep proving elusive, Seamus O’Grady found himself staring at the darkness at two o’clock in the morning as he thought of the two little boys sleeping soundly in the spare bedroom. He’d encountered them often in the last few weeks, always together, always dirty and usually hungry. After providing them with snacks and drinks, he’d had a few less-than-charitable thoughts about a mother who let her little kids run wild when there were all sorts of hazards they could get into.
Now that he knew their mother might be quite ill, he was riddled with guilt. Instead of judging, he should’ve looked into their situation, and he should’ve done it a lot sooner. Rather, he’d become absorbed in his busy season at work and his new wife at home while those two kids suffered.
Back home in Ireland, such a thing would be unheard of in their village, where everyone paid far too much attention to their neighbors. Minding other people’s business was a way of life he’d abandoned after almost twenty years in the States.
He was ashamed of himself. It was that simple.
Carolina turned over and wrapped an arm around his waist.
As he tugged her close to him, her silky hair brushed against his face.
“Why’re you awake?” she asked in a low murmur.
“Just thinking.”
“What about?”
“Those boys and their mother.” He sighed. “I thought she was negligent, but she’s sick. I never bothered to check why they were running wild. I just made assumptions.”