If Only We Knew

by Ancelli

  The nurse called all of them except for Andrew because he had stepped out. “Your son was admitted here before and when I pulled up Mr. Johnston’s record, I saw he has a living will, which is legal in this state.” Karen smiled. The nurse continued. “He named Mr. Andrew Johnston to make all the decisions in case he can’t.”

  “That’s not possible.” Karen looked at the nurse dumbfounded. “I’m his fucking wife!”

  “Ma’am, it’s in our system. Excuse me.” The nurse stepped away.

  His mom walked up to Karen. “What does it matter? He named his brother.” Matt’s dad took his mom outside for some fresh air.

  Karen moved over to Shannon. “You bitch. I don’t know how you managed to see him, but I’m his wife.” Karen stood in front of Shannon.

  “For how much longer, Karen? You have the nerve to call me a bitch after what you’ve done to him? I advise you to leave me alone,” she said, getting up and leaving down the hall.

  ***

  Andrew came into the waiting room fuming and was about to head over to Karen when Shannon stopped him and told him what the nurse had said about him being the person to make any decisions concerning Matt’s health. He went over to the counter and told the nurse, “Tell the doctors to do everything possible to save my brother.” The nurse made some notes.

  He turned in anger, grabbing Karen arm, and pulled her off to the side. “Leave quietly or I’ll tell everyone that you’ve been cheating on my brother with Tom,” he whispered, staring her down.

  “Who the fuck is Tom?” she yelled at him.

  He took out Matt’s phone and pressed play. Karen’s face turned red. “Leave the hospital right now, go to my brother’s house, and pack all your shit. You better be out by morning. You should be receiving your divorce papers soon. You fooled us all.”

  “This is not over,” she said, grabbing her purse before she hurried out of the hospital.

  Andrew stood still, watching her leave, and walked over to Shannon. “What’s going on between my brother and you? Don’t say ‘nothing is going on’ or ‘I’m just his son’s mother’ because before the accident, he had texted you he loves you.” She was about to answer when Sherry came in with Matthew. Rushing over to them, she took her son. “Daddy loves you,” she said, kissing him.

  His mom ran up to Shannon, staring at Matthew. “Can I please hold him?”

  She hesitated at first but then handed him to her.

  Matthew smiled at his grandmother. “You’re a caramel version of Matt. I remember when Matt was a baby,” she said, smiling back at him. She sat down and played with him.

  Everyone looked over at her, surprised.

  “What? You’ve never seen a grandmother with her grandson before?” She looked at Matthew, then up at Shannon. “I’m sorry for all the things I said to you when he was born. I don’t know you and have no right to judge you. I would like to get to know him and you,” she said, kissing his cheek.

  “Everyone deserves a second chance.” Shannon sat next to her.

  ***

  “They know,” Karen said, sitting in her car, talking on her phone.

  “Who knows what?” Tom asked.

  “Matt found out we’re having an affair and got into an accident. He got in an accident because of me. He couldn’t stand it, and now he’s in the hospital, fighting for his life,” she said in tears. “We are going to lose everything, Tommy.”

  “This could be a good thing. If he dies, you get everything.”

  “What? I don’t want him to die! He doesn’t deserve this, Tom.”

  “Are you getting soft now after everything we’ve done? You don’t want the money?”

  “Of course I want the money, but I just don’t want him to die.”

  “Okay then. You’re still his wife. You can still make decisions for him. You need to go back into the hospital and ban anyone from seeing him, and then you need to go to the bank and clear all his accounts.”

  “He had a living will and named Andrew as the person to make decisions, but I can still ban that bitch from seeing him. I’m only on one account and he never gave me a power of attorney, but I’ll go to the bank first thing in the morning.”

  “Get what you can. I’ll purchase our plane tickets out of here. If he lives, he won’t be able to divorce you if he can’t find you, at least not for two years, but by then, half of everything will be ours.”

  “I hope you’re right, you promised me everything would work.”

  “It will just do as I say!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Two days post-surgery.

  “Shan…non,” Matt whispered. He slowly opened his eyes, but the pounding in his head kept him from moving. The nurse in the room asked him questions, and told him he’d been out for two days. He was still a little confused but managed to answer all of her questions correctly. “I want to see Shan…non,” he said, despite the pain.

  “Sir, your wife prohibited Ms. Jones from visiting you,” she said, taking his blood pressure. His heartbeat raced. “Sir, calm down. Now that you’re awake, you can see whomever you want. Ms. Jones has been in the waiting area since you’ve been here. I’ll go get her.”

  Before the nurse left the room, she gave him some painkillers, and he closed his eyes.

  Shannon entered and sat down, grabbing his hand and kissing it. “I’m here.”

  “Shannon.” Matt tilted his head to the side, smiling through the pain. “Kiss me.”

  She smiled in return, leaning forward to gently kiss him. “I prayed you would be okay. You scared us.”

  With his other hand, he felt his head, wrapped in bandages.

  “Do you need me to get the doctor?” She let go of his hand.

  “No, the nurse just gave me something.” He said, looking at the bump on her head. “Are you okay? I drove into your car.”

  She clutched his hand again. “I’m okay because of you,” she said, kissing his hand. "Mr. Kincaid told me. He is a witness to the accident. The driver was texting and driving.”

  “If he would’ve hit your car, he would’ve crushed you,” he said, squeezing his eyes in pain. “I couldn’t leave my son without a mother.”

  “But you would’ve left him without a father.”

  “I had a better chance than you. If I had to do it over I would, because I would give my life to save yours any day.”

  She had unshed tears in her eyes. “I love you….”

  He smiled, winking at her. “I love you too.”

  “You’re going to be in here for a while, but I’ll be by your side.”

  “How long?”

  “Maybe a month.”

  “What?” He raised his voice, and the pain in his head got worse, making him close his eyes.

  Shannon observed him with concern in her eyes. “That’s why. You suffered a concussion, broken ribs, and your leg….”

  He looked at his left leg. It was in a full cast. “Great…” He paused. “I’m thankful I’m alive.”

  “Matthew finally said daddy!”

  “That’s my boy.” He said trying to smile, and then got serious for a moment. “Marry me.”

  “Marry you?” she said in surprise. “Matt, you’re still married.”

  “Not for long. I’m not asking you to marry me today or tomorrow. I just want you to promise me you’ll marry me one day in the future.” He squeezed her hand.

  “I’ll marry you someday in the far future.” She laughed, playing with him.

  “Thank you,” he said, wincing in pain. “I want to see my son.”

  “I’ll get him,” she said, running out his room. Shannon returned with a smiling Matthew in her arms. He looked at his dad.

  “Dad-dy…Dad-dy.”

  Matt smiled. “I’ve missed seeing his big, beautiful smile.” Shannon sat down with Matthew on her lap. Matt played with Matthew’s fingers. “We are a family. What I’ve always wanted with the woman I love,” he said, gazing at Shannon.

  ***

  O
ne week later.

  Matt’s dad, mom, and brother entered his room.

  “How do you feel today?” Andrew bent down and hugged him.

  “I’m feeling better.”

  “Son, thank God you’re okay. If anything would’ve happened to you….” His dad kissed his forehead.

  “I’m still here, Dad.”

  His mom moved closer to his bedside. “Please forgive me, son.” She looked at both her sons. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I want to be a better mother. It’s never too late. I love you guys. I know I never showed you, but I never stopped. Will you give me a second chance?” She paused. “I finally met my grandson. He’s handsome, and before you ask, I apologized to Shannon.”

  Matt extended his hand, and his mom held on to it, as he squeezed.

  His parents walked out of his hospital room.

  “Andrew, where’s Karen?” Matt asked.

  “I tried to serve her with divorce papers, but she’s nowhere to be found. She packed up all her stuff from your house, she tried to empty all your bank accounts. She managed to get fifteen hundred, but I guess she was surprised when she couldn’t get to the rest.” He sat next to the bed. “But Tom stole money from our mother. She pressed charges, but he is nowhere to be found, either.”

  “That’s good they left…or is there something you’re not telling me?” He tried to sit up.

  Andrew got up to help him. “I have some bad news. Since we couldn’t serve her with the divorce papers, you can’t get divorced.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The law here states that you have to wait at least a year if the spouse isn’t found. After that you can have the divorce without her being here in person.”

  “So I have to fucking wait for her to come back or wait a year before I can get a divorce?” He closed his eyes in pain.

  “Sorry, but the answer is yes.”

  “Thank God I drew up a pre-nup.”

  “About that.”

  “What?”

  “When you drew up that pre-nup, you didn’t want me to handle it because I was your brother, but when you brought it to me to look it over, I saw a clause in it, so I changed it without you knowing.”

  “What clause? The document was straightforward.”

  “No, it wasn’t. It said, if you were to be married for more that two years, she would get half of everything.”

  “I didn’t know that. Fuck! That’s two months away, and if I don’t find her soon, she’ll get half of everything I own!”

  Andrew laughed.

  “What’s so fucking funny, Andrew?”

  “Didn’t you hear what I said? I changed it back. When she signed it, she signed the correct one.”

  “Finally, you butting into my life worked out for something.”

  “That’s what big brothers are for. When she comes back, she’s in for a big surprise.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Matt had been in the hospital three weeks. Shannon had been his constant support. Whenever he was down she found a way to lift his spirits. Every day his love for her grew more and more.

  He lay in his hospital bed watching TV. When his cell phone rang, he juggled the remote for the television and pressed the green button to answer. “Hey, Mami.”

  “Matt, thank God you’re okay.”

  “Karen.” He couldn’t believe she would call him after everything they’d done. “Are you calling to see if I’m dead?”

  “I’m sorry, Matt. I really didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you.”

  He could hear her crying.

  Matt took a deep breath and thought of his next action. I need her to come back to get a divorce, and after that, I can move on with my life. “How could you love me and do what you did?”

  “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you, but I did. When I tried to end it with Tom, it was too late. I love you, Matt.” She continued crying. “Please forgive me.”

  “If you love me, come back home, Karen. I need you here with me. I miss you.”

  “Matt, you don’t know how much those words mean to me. I knew you loved me. I have to go,” she said, with laughter in her voice.

  She hung up before he could find out if she was coming back or not.

  Shannon was about to enter Matt’s hospital room, to tell him about a job offer she’d received in Atlanta, a position she’d been working for all her adult life. Her excitement about the offer turned to near panic as she heard Matt’s words to his wife. His wife. Hot, humiliating tears coursed down her cheeks. Without a word to anyone, she turned around and left the hospital.

  Shannon went back to work and wrote her resignation letter, giving two-weeks’ notice and then called the company in Atlanta, telling them she accepted their offer and would be there in three weeks.

  She wiped the tears from her eyes. This is for the best.

  Her cell phone rang. The caller ID told her it was Matt, but she ignored it and kept working. The cell phone stopped ringing, then gave a beep. He’d left a message. Despite her better judgment, she picked it up and listened.

  “Mamita, I thought you were coming to spend your lunch hour with me. I guess you’re busy. I love you.”

  She was about to delete the message and thought about it. Finger hovering over the button, she changed her mind.

  ***

  Matt was getting worried. He called and texted Shannon, but she didn’t answer or call back. He picked up his phone and dialed again.

  “What’s up?” Andrew answered.

  “Andrew, I need your help. If I could get out of this bed, I would do it myself.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I need you to find out if something is wrong with Shannon or Matthew. I haven’t seen them in three days, and she’s not answering my phone calls or texts. I’m worried,” he said with a sigh.

  “Matt, I just saw Shannon yesterday. She seems fine to me. She came over and told us her news.”

  “What news?”

  “You need to talk to her. I thought you knew.”

  “Knew what? Tell me!”

  “Shannon is moving to Atlanta in two weeks. She came over with Matthew so I could spend some time with him.”

  “Why? How could she make a decision like that without telling me? She’s taking my family away! I can’t go through that.”

  “I’m on my way to the hospital. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “I won’t.” He hung up the phone.

  Why would she do this? She promised never to take him away from me. What the fuck happened? He thought.

  Sherry came in, holding Matthew. “Dad-dy,” Matthew said, trying to get to Matt.

  Matt tried to smile. “I’ve missed you. Come here.” He took the boy from Sherry’s arms, kissing him as Matthew tried kissing him on his chin. He looked up at Sherry. “Why did you bring him instead of Shannon?”

  “Shannon’s taking care of loose ends. She sent me over with the baby so you can spend time with him. She said you hadn’t seen him in a few days.” She sat in the chair next to his bed.

  “Sherry, what did I do?”

  “Matt, you know I love you like a brother, and I will not judge you. Your life is your own.” She gave him an envelope. “She sent you this.”

  He placed Matthew next to him, making sure he was secured within the bars. He opened the envelope and read the letter.

  Dear Matt,

  I apologize for not coming in person and doing this, but I don’t think I can bear seeing you right now. First, let me tell you I will never keep your son from you. You’ve been such a wonderful father. Who would’ve thought we would make such good parents together? I’ve decided to accept a job in Atlanta. I was on my way to tell you about the job offer when I overheard you tell Karen you forgave her and wanted her back. I’m not mad at you… she forgave you, why shouldn’t you? Matt, I don’t think you know how much I love you and, because of that, I need to leave.

  Love,

  Shannon.

>   His eyes teared up, and he looked toward her sister. “She has it all wrong! She misunderstood the conversation,” he said, trying to get up. “Sherry, hold him please.”

  When Sherry took Matthew from him, he cried, reaching for his daddy. “Matt, what are you doing?”

  “I’m leaving this fucking hospital to explain to Shannon what she overheard. Why didn’t she ask me?” He pulled his leg over the side.

  “She heard you say you still love Karen and you wanted her back,” Sherry said, trying to stop him from getting off the bed.

  “What she overheard wasn’t how I really felt. I was trying to get Karen back so I can get a fucking divorce and marry your sister!” he yelled, pulling the IV out of his arm.

  The baby kept crying. “What’s going on?” Andrew asked as he came in.

  “Your brother is trying to leave the hospital, and he can’t even walk well yet,” Sherry said, trying to calm Matthew.

  Andrew walked over to Matt and held his arm. “Get back in.”

  “No, I need to see her, Andrew. She misunderstood the call with Karen.” He leaned on the side of the railings. Blood was running down his arm.

  “She heard you? Why didn’t she cuss you out like normal?” Andrew helped him.

  “You knew about the call?” Sherry asked with irritation in her voice.

  “Yes, I told him if she ever called, he needed to try and get her back home so we could serve her the divorce papers.”

  “Help me get dressed,” Matt said to Andrew.

  “Okay.” Andrew picked up his clothes.

  “Andrew, he’s hurt. He needs to stay in the hospital,” she said, raising her voice.

  “If you think he’s hurt now, you won’t want to see him if he loses Shannon. Don’t worry. I’ll take him.”

  Matt turned around. “Where is she?”