She gazed at her father’s caramel complexion and short, semi-curly salt-and-pepper hair. She was somewhat surprised by his words because he acted as though he had something important to say to her.
“I’m here, Dad.”
“Sweetheart, I am so sorry for the way I teased and made fun of you when you were a child. I didn’t realize I was doing anything wrong until I saw how much damage your mother and I had done. I know I’m apologizing a little late, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Tears fell from Melanie’s eyes. She’d waited most of her life to share at least one genuine, loving moment with either of her parents, and although her father was ill, it had finally happened.
“Of course, Dad. I accept your apology, and I forgive you.”
“Thank you for that. I also hope you can forgive your mother.”
Melanie didn’t look back at her mother because it was much too awkward, but she couldn’t imagine Gladys being happy with what Andrew was saying.
“Well, Andrew, honey,” her mother hurried to say, “we just wanted to see you before they take you to surgery. God’s going to handle this, and you’ll be fine.”
Melanie leaned over and kissed her father on the cheek. “See you in a while. It’ll be over before you know it.”
When Melanie stepped back, Gladys moved closer, stretched toward her husband, and kissed him on the lips. “I’ll be praying, and I know you’ll be back in great health in no time. I love you, Andrew Johnson.”
“I love you, too,” he said, and then looked at Melanie. “I love you, too, Mel, and I’m sorry I’ve never really told you that.”
“I love you, too, Dad, and it’s time for you to relax. We’ll be right outside in the waiting area.”
“And one more thing,” he said. “I’ve always been very proud of you, and don’t you ever let anyone make you feel bad about yourself again. No one, you hear me?”
“Yes, but sshhh. You need to keep quiet now, Dad.”
He smiled. “My daughter, the nurse practitioner.”
When they left the room, Melanie’s emotions were bittersweet and she felt a little weak in the knees. So much had caught her by surprise, and she was still trying to process everything. Her father was genuinely sorry. She could see it in his eyes, and she would do anything to have more time with him.
As she and her mother walked back to the main family room, Melanie saw Brad walking through the sliding doors. But the closer he strutted toward her, the fuzzier he appeared, and she felt strange and weaker than she had a few minutes ago. As soon as she’d gotten in the car heading to the hospital, she’d actually felt a bit more exhausted than normal, but now she could have sworn she was going to pass out. And that’s exactly what she did.
Chapter 20
Melanie glanced down at the IV needle buried in the crook of her arm and cringed. She knew she’d lost consciousness, but was filling her body with all these fluids really necessary? Either way, Melanie didn’t like it because all this meant was that she was gaining her weight back little by little. She’d taken an over-the-counter diuretic this morning, but now she would have to take another when she got home tonight. She’d have to take two tomorrow.
She heard a short knock on her exam room door and then saw Brad and Phillip walking in.
“Hey, baby,” Brad said. “So how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” she said. Actually, she still felt somewhat weak, but she didn’t see a reason to worry him. “The results from my blood work should be back in a minute, and hopefully I’ll be able to get out of here. Any word on my dad?”
“They’ve started his surgery, and so far so good.”
“How’s my mom?” she asked, not surprised that her mother hadn’t bothered to come check on her. There was no doubt that her mom was worried about Melanie’s dad, but since he’d already gone to surgery, Gladys certainly could have taken two or three minutes to stick her head inside Melanie’s room. Then again, most folks did only what they wanted to do, and Melanie’s mother was no different.
Brad rested his hand on the bed rail. “She seems pretty nervous, and rightfully so.”
“I just can’t believe this has happened,” she said.
“Right after you passed out, they let me go in and pray with him,” Phillip added.
Melanie smiled. “I’m really glad to hear that.”
“My father-in-law and Charlotte are on their way, too.”
“What about Alicia? I tried to call her earlier.”
“So did I,” Phillip said, “but you know when she’s writing or reading her edits she turns both her landline and her cell phone on silent.”
“I’m sure we’ll hear from her soon,” Melanie said, and looked at Brad, who was staring at her. “What?”
“You know why this happened, right?” he said.
“What? My dad’s blockages?”
“No, the reason you passed out.”
Melanie didn’t like the suspicious tone in his voice or the irritated look on his face.
“Baby, you’re not eating enough, and you know it. You also know how dangerous that can be. You’re a nurse practitioner.”
“Brad, please. I just started my diet this week.”
He shook his head, folded his arms, and leaned against the wall. “So you’re gonna pretend like you’ve been eating full meals?”
Melanie ignored him.
Phillip obviously felt the tension between them and said, “I prayed for you as well, and I know God is going to heal whatever caused you to faint the way you did.”
“I’m sure it was all because of how hard I’d worked out earlier, and then hearing the news about my dad just made things worse.”
Brad looked at her like she was crazy. “I don’t believe you sometimes.”
“This has nothing to do with the way I’ve been eating. I know you think it does, but it doesn’t.”
Brad no longer argued with her, but Melanie knew if she was truthful with herself, she’d have to admit that going three days without solid food might be the cause of her symptoms.
“So, was my dad in pretty good spirits when you prayed for him?” she asked Phillip.
“He was. He told me how he’d apologized to you and asked God to forgive him for all his sins. Past ones and any recent ones. Said he was ready for whatever plan God had for him.”
Melanie wondered if her dad had gone into details about their strained relationship or shared with Phillip some of the awful things he and her mother had done when they were younger. Melanie had seen a number of people confess everything when they thought they might die, and while her father certainly had that right, she wasn’t ready for Phillip or anyone else to know the truth about her childhood. She wished she could face the truth head-on and talk about her pain openly, but she was too ashamed and she didn’t want anyone looking at her differently.
A few minutes later, Melanie’s assigned ER physician, Dr. Romalati, knocked and entered the room. Melanie smiled because she’d had the opportunity to work with Dr. Romalati in the past, and he had a great sense of humor. He was one of the nicest doctors she knew.
“So, how are you feeling? Are you alive? I mean, you look alive, but I can’t tell for sure, so I figured I’d better ask.”
Melanie laughed. “I’m fine, Dr. Romalati. Just wanna get out of here is all.”
“Well, first things first. We got your lab work back, and both your potassium and sodium levels were far lower than I like to see them. Have you been doing anything out of the ordinary this week? Climbing Mount Everest maybe, or swimming across Lake Michigan?”
They all laughed.
“No, but seriously,” Dr. Romalati continued. “A person’s electrolytes usually aren’t thrown off so noticeably unless there’s a reason.”
“Well…I’ve been going to work as usual and working out, but that’s it. Nothing out of the ordinary at all,” she said, casting her eyes at Brad. He stared at her with no emotion, and she hoped he would ke
ep quiet. It was true that drinking three 160-calorie shakes wasn’t a lot, but there was no need to disclose any of this to the doctor. She also knew she hadn’t been drinking nearly enough water, especially with the way she’d revved up her workouts to twice a day, not to mention the diuretic she’d taken. She remembered, too, how her left foot had cramped up a couple of nights straight, and this morning she’d gotten a charley horse in her calf, all signs of low potassium.
Dr. Romalati seemed stumped. “Well, that really bothers me, because if you haven’t changed your eating habits or workout regimen, I can’t imagine why your potassium is so low. And I don’t have to tell you that low sodium means dehydration, so something’s not right.”
Brad obviously couldn’t take her lies anymore. “Baby, why aren’t you telling Dr. Romalati the truth? You know you’ve been drinking shakes for breakfast and dinner and only having a salad for lunch. You’ve been doing that four days straight. And working out twice a day instead of once.”
If Melanie hadn’t heard him with her own ears she wouldn’t have believed her own husband could betray her like this. Now Dr. Romalati and Phillip both knew she’d been lying the whole time, and she could barely look at him.
“That’s not it” was all she said.
Dr. Romalati sighed. “Well, it very well could be. Are you eating at least twelve hundred calories? Because that would be pretty hard to do with two shakes, unless your salad has a lot of meat and high-calorie salad dressing in it. Or you’re eating some snacks in between.”
“I’m getting more than enough to eat.”
“Why are you trying to lose weight?”
What a stupid question, Melanie thought, but she answered him anyway. “Because I’m overweight.”
“You’re far from being overweight, Melanie. You’re not even close to it.”
“I just need to lose another six pounds. That’s all.”
Dr. Romalati seemed dumbfounded, but thankfully, he changed the subject a bit. “Are you drinking more than eight glasses of water per day? Because with the additional workout you’re doing, you need a lot of fluid.”
“Yes,” she lied again.
“It’s a good thing we started this IV, because that’ll help tremendously, and your nurse will also be in to give you some potassium. Then, for the next few days, I want you to nix the diet and shakes altogether so you can eat normal meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll also be writing you a potassium prescription so you can take it for the next five days.”
Melanie didn’t like all these questions and instructions, especially since she’d already told Dr. Romalati she was fine. Of course, now that Brad had blabbed about her diet and workouts, Dr. Romalati knew the truth, and he wouldn’t likely believe anything else she said this evening. He would die if he knew about the diuretic she’d taken. Good thing that not even Brad was privy to that.
“So can I be discharged?” she asked.
“Not just yet. Your heart rate was a bit high, so I want you to have an EKG. I’m sure this is only because of your sodium and potassium levels, but I also want to make sure nothing else is going on.”
Melanie didn’t think this was necessary, but she knew Dr. Romalati’s decision was a done deal. He would never take no for answer, so she didn’t bother arguing.
“Do you have any questions?” he said.
“No, but I can leave as soon as you have my EKG results, right? Well, not leave, but get dressed so I can go check on my dad.”
“Yes, if all checks out, you’ll be ready to go. Also, I’m sorry to hear about your dad, but he’s definitely in good hands with Dr. Daniels.”
“Thank you.”
“You take care of yourself, Melanie, and it was good to see you,” he said, patting her on the shoulder and shaking Brad’s and Phillip’s hands on the way out.
Melanie ignored Brad. She wouldn’t so much as look at him, and Phillip seemed caught in the middle of a firestorm.
Thankfully Phillip’s phone rang, and he hurried to answer it. “Hey, baby…Yes, I’m here with Melanie and Brad now…Yes, he’s already in surgery and Melanie is fine. I’ll let you speak to her,” he said, passing over the phone.
“Hey, Alicia.”
“Hey, Mel. Girl, I am so sorry I missed your call. I didn’t check my phone until just a few minutes ago when I finished working.”
“No problem, I understand. Are you done now?”
“Yes, finally, thank God. But enough about me. What’s going on with your dad? And why did you pass out?”
“I’m fine. My electrolytes were low, but it’s nothing serious. My dad, on the other hand, isn’t doing too well. They’re giving him a quadruple bypass.”
“Gosh, Mel, I am so sorry.”
“I’m really worried about him, so please keep him in your prayers.”
“I will, but I’m also heading over. I should be there in about an hour and a half.”
“I hate for you to have to drive that far when you’ve been working all day.”
“Don’t say another word. I’m on my way.”
“Thank you, and drive safely, okay?”
“I will. See you soon.”
Chapter 21
Alicia got onto I-90 West, heading to Mitchell. She hated that she’d missed Melanie’s call and was just now on her way to the hospital. If that hadn’t been bad enough, Phillip had also left her a message, and she’d lied to both of them, claiming she’d been working. She couldn’t have felt worse, knowing that what she’d actually been doing was lying in bed with Levi all day. She’d only planned to stay a couple of hours, but then after they’d talked and made love again, they’d dropped off to sleep. When they’d awakened, Levi had ordered carryout from a nearby restaurant, and they’d watched a movie. After that, they’d made love a third time. Finally, when she’d realized that it was definitely time for her to go, she’d checked her phone and listened to both Alicia’s and Phillip’s messages. She’d purposely not checked her phone at Levi’s because she hadn’t wanted to feel guilty, which was exactly what would have happened had she noticed a missed call from Phillip.
Of course, her seeing Levi for as many hours as she had today still hadn’t been enough for him, because five minutes ago he’d called her and they were on the phone now.
“This is what I get for being with you when I know I shouldn’t,” she said.
“Sweetheart, why are you beating yourself up over this? The important thing is that your friend is fine, and you’re on your way to be there for her.”
“Yeah, hours after she tried to contact me.”
“It wasn’t like you knew her dad was going to have a heart attack.”
“That’s beside the point. Her dad is in surgery, and something also happened to Mel. She passed out, and if anyone should be there for her, it’s me.”
“You apologized and told her you were working, so I’m sure she understands.”
“What you mean is that I lied to her. I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and we both know why.”
“But it’s not like you have to. Just tell everyone the truth, and we won’t have to sneak around like this.”
Alicia turned on her left signal and changed lanes. “No one can ever know about us.”
“After spending nearly a whole day with me, I guess you’re still in denial.”
“No, I’m not. I already admitted to you that I’m in love with you, and that I wish I could be with you. But I’m still marrying Phillip. I’m doing what’s right.”
“You’re putting someone else’s happiness before your own.”
“Maybe, but I still know it’s the right thing.”
“I won’t accept that.”
“It’s not like you have a choice.”
“You know, I have to say again that I never once expected you to act this way. All those years I was locked up, the one thing that kept me going was the fact that you still hadn’t gotten remarried. I always knew that you still loved me, and that when we saw each other we would
connect like we’d never been apart. And we did. But now you’re telling me you’re going to walk away from true love just so you can be miserable?”
“It’s called sacrifice and being unselfish.”
“It’s called crazy and insane. You must be out of your mind if you think you’ll be able to pull this off. You’ll marry that man, try to be happy for maybe a couple of months at most, and then you’ll come looking for me. Of course, I’ll be sitting here ready and waiting. After that, we’ll get together, make love like there’s no tomorrow, and sooner or later, you’ll get caught again. Your new husband will find out about us, and more damage will be done to him than the last time.”
Alicia wanted him to stop this. He was draining her word by word, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could listen to. She loved him, hated him, and wondered how she was going to live without him.
“I need to call Melanie to see how things are going.”
“Are you driving back tonight?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it.”
“When will I see you again?”
“Can’t say.”
“What about tomorrow on your way back home?”
“No, I don’t think so. Thanks to you, I’ve missed all this time reading my manuscript, so I really have to buckle down all day tomorrow. Plus, Phillip will be at my condo for the entire weekend.”
“Will you at least call me?”
“I’ll see.”
“I’ll say a prayer for your friend’s father.”
“I appreciate that. Talk to you later.”
“You’re just gonna hang up?”
“What else?”
“You could tell me you love me.”
“Good-bye, Levi.”
Alicia ended the call. She was too distraught to talk to anyone, so instead of calling Melanie the way she’d planned, she drove the rest of the way in silence. She thought about everything imaginable, but what she kept coming back to was Levi’s prediction of what was going to happen if she went ahead with her marriage. Would she honestly be that unhappy with Phillip? To the point where she would go right back to seeing Levi? She didn’t want to believe that, but the whole idea of it terrified her. No matter what decision she made, she wouldn’t win.
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