Full Circle Love (A Four Part Anthology of Cat & Zach Stories)

by Lori Leger

Ellen rolled her eyes. “Lordy, if you aren’t every bit as stubborn as your father was.”

  Her husband’s brow furrowed before he cocked his head at his wife. “No possibility she could get that from you, huh?”

  Ellen turned to him. “I don’t think I’m stubborn at all.”

  Pops smiled smugly. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetie.”

  Cat grinned at her stepdad’s comment, thankful her mom had found someone to fill the emptiness from her dad’s death over four years ago. “I am a little angry at myself for making Zach take me to Home Depot before my appointment. I really thought it would be okay as long as he was rolling me around in that wheelchair.”

  Zach leaned in to give his wife a tender kiss. “There’s a good chance this would have happened even if we’d gone straight to the doctor’s office.” He wasn’t about to make her feel worse than she already did. A soft knock on the door had them turning as Kellie entered the room.

  “Hey, y’all got room for one more?” She entered and gave her mother and stepdad hugs. “I don’t even have to ask about Alaska. I’ve been keeping up with all the pictures and video you’ve been posting on social media sites. It looked beautiful.”

  “It really was, but I’m ecstatic to be back. I missed my grandbabies. I bet they’ve grown three inches since I’ve been gone.”

  Kellie smiled at her mom and then turned a somewhat sober gaze upon her sister. “You okay?”

  “It’s all good.”

  Her brief answer had Zach wondering again at the silent signals being passed between the two siblings. The strange vibes had been strongest when he’d returned to the room after leaving them alone yesterday.

  Kellie held up a yellow gift bag to her sister. “Here, I got you something. And can I say again how annoyed I am that you’ve refused to find out the sex of these babies?”

  “I want to be surprised, Kel. Is that so bad? You know, our ancestors had babies all the time without finding out the gender.”

  Zach watched his wife’s head fall back on her pillow, as though her speech had utterly drained her. Obviously, the visitation session was taking its toll on her body. A few more minutes and he’d suggest they let her get some rest.

  Kellie continued her rant, giving her sister a pout. “But it’s so much better if you know what colors to buy—pink dress for a little girl or a blue suit for a little boy.”

  “Buy a yellow or light green preemie onesie. Even those will swallow them for the first couple of weeks.” Ellen brushed the hair back from Cat’s forehead. “But they’ll fatten up in no time. I have a feeling they’ll be tall, like their daddy.” She rested her head against her daughter’s bed and addressed Zach. “As I recall, you were a pretty big boy as a toddler. Your mom always said if they’d had any more children, they’d have to take out a loan to keep you fed.”

  “I was a growing boy.”

  “You still were, all the many afternoons you spent at our house when you and Cat were ‘best friends’. I always cooked extra if I knew you were going to be coming by. Paul used to say “If Zach shows up for a meal, there’s a damn good chance someone else will leave the table hungry.”

  Kellie spoke under her breath to her stepdad. “And let me tell you, Pops. That was pretty much every day, since he had a serious case of wood for my sister all those years.”

  Ellen gasped as Zach and Doc stifled their laughter. “Kellie Joanne, watch your mouth!”

  “Oh come on, Mom. It was as true then as it is now. Everyone in town knew it except for Cat. All of that ‘best friend’ talk—what a load of crap.”

  Ellen shook her head in distaste. “Well, call it a crush or something, rather than, you know. Honestly, that is so crass.”

  Zach chuckled at his mother-in-law’s discomfort. “I can’t argue with any of that. Cat has always been the only girl for me. And I loved every minute I got to spend at your house, especially after my mom passed away.” He patted his belly and laughed. “All those good meals you fed me helped to make me the man I am today.”

  A look of sadness passed over Ellen’s face, as though remembering years gone by. “Elizabeth would have adored having grandchildren, and Paul, too.” She accepted the hand her new husband offered and gave it a comforting pat, before smiling up at Zach. “I’ve thought about your mom so many times since you came back into Cat’s life. I miss that sweet lady so much.”

  He nodded at the woman his mom had considered one of her dearest friends and remembered the hug she’d given him at the funeral, telling him if he ever needed to talk, she was there for him. He’d taken her up on it a couple of times, too. “I miss her too, Ms. Ellen. I’ve been thinking about her a lot, lately.”

  “I guess it’s natural, at a time like this, to think of those we’ve lost.” Ellen wiped a tear from the corner of one eye. “But, we should be remembering how ecstatic both Beth and Paul would be if they were here. Not one, but two new grandchildren coming in to the world. Speaking of which, where’s your dad?”

  “He and Paw Paw spent the night in Houston. Pop had to bring him to his cardiologist for a test yesterday and stayed for today’s follow up appointment to get the results. I told him to get Paw Paw home and rested this evening. They’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

  He glanced over at his wife. Her eyes were closed. “I guess we need to let this one get some rest. It’s hard work carrying around two babies, even from a hospital bed.” When he leaned in to give her a kiss, her head fell limply to the side. “Cat?” He picked up her hand, and it fell, unresponsively, to the sheet.

  “Is she sleeping?”

  A slow building panic rose steadily in his chest at Kellie’s question. “Cathryn?” He touched her face—still no response. Not sleeping. Zach was reaching for the call button when the monitors seemed to go crazy with shrill beeps. “What the hell?”

  “What’s happening?” Ellen shrieked.

  Panic gripped at his chest as something caught his eye. A pinkish stain seeping through the previously crisp, white linens.

  Doc Barton pushed him aside to rip the top sheet back, revealing a horrifying pool of dark crimson. Everyone in the room drew in a single, collective gasp as he pushed the call button.

  “Oh God …” Zach was pushed to the side as nurses swarmed the room ordering everyone out.

  Chapter 22

  4:58 p.m. – Baby A

  “And here’s baby A, a little girl, attached to her own placenta. This is the one that was blocking the cervix.” Dr. Brown lifted the infant to her pediatric team and went in for the second one.

  “There’s so much blood …” Zach hadn’t realized he’d spoken the words aloud until he heard the reply.

  “She’s got a bleeder but I’m going to fix that.”

  Still, Zach stared at the scene, wondering how anyone could lose that much blood and survive.

  4:59 p.m. – Baby B

  “Baby B is a boy.”

  “Mother’s BP is dropping!”

  “Take him.” Dr. Brown passed off the infant to the second team and turned his attention to its mother. “She’s going into shock. Push those fluids. What’s her pressure?”

  Time froze for Zach, able to focus only on the hands of the team working over his wife. He watched the continual rush of removal and replacement involving her poor body. And through it all, his panic level continued to rise to dangerous levels, threatening to suffocate him. I can’t lose her.

  “Zachary!”

  The command jarred him. He lifted his gaze from Dr. Brown’s blood covered surgical gloves to the mask covering his face.

  “Talk to her, Zachary. Make her hear you.”

  “BP is 42 over 26! We’re losing her!”

  Chapter 23

  Day 1: D-Day

  Zach exited the double doors wearing his scrubs and what he was sure was an expression of equal parts awe and terror. Nothing—absolutely nothing—could have prepared him for what he’d experienced in that last twenty minutes of chaos.

  Ellen was the f
irst to see, as well as approach him. “How is she? Are the babies all right? Is my daughter all right?”

  “One girl. One boy. Five pounds, twelve ounces and five pounds, eight ounces—respectively. They’re fine. Lungs seem to be fully developed. Cathryn …” His voice faltered. “She’s lost a lot of blood. They’re asking for donations if any of you are matches.”

  “But is she okay, Zach?”

  He didn’t know how to answer that. “I-I think so, mom.”

  “I’m a universal type and it’s been long enough since my last donation.” Doc Barton headed toward the nurse’s station.

  Kellie stepped forward. “I’m B positive, the same blood type as Cat. Hey Pops, will they let me donate this soon after having a baby?” She headed off after her stepdad.

  That left Zach staring down at his mother-in-law, her tear-filled eyes wide with worry.

  “Tell me.”

  “It was bad, mom. Really bad.” He wiped at his face with one hand. “There was so much blood. But they took the girl first, then the boy. Those two teams whisked them off so fast I barely got to see them. And then … then they started working on Cat, pumping blood into her, fluids into her, trying to get her blood pressure back up. It was so low … I don’t know how anyone can survive having their blood pressure drop that low.”

  Ellen grabbed his arm, hanging on for dear life.

  He swallowed the sob that threatened at the awful memory stabbing at him. “I think—I mean—I know she—left us—for a while. They gave her a shot of adrenaline and did chest compressions. Dr. Brown told me to talk to her. So I did. I held her hand and kept yelling at her not to leave me.” He covered his mouth, shaking his head as he attempted to recover some semblance of control. “And she did, mom. She finally came back to me.”

  Ellen released a low sob and nodded vigorously. “Of course she did. She would do anything you asked her to do, Zachary. That’s how much she loves you.”

  “Oh God. I came so close … so damn close to losing her. All I could think of was how much I love her. How I didn’t think I could live without her. So that’s what I told her.”

  Ellen seemed to gain strength from his words, even as he revisited the terror. Shoulders back and head up, she squeezed his arm. “But you didn’t, and that’s what matters. She’ll be fine, my boy. She will, you’ll see.”

  He nodded. “I know she will. No way would she leave this earth without seeing her babies. Our babies.” His gaze locked with the grandmother of his children. “I’m a father.”

  Her laughter shot forth in a hysterical burst. “Yes. Yes, you are. A double whammy. And I have two more grandchildren. Four now, of who knows how many.”

  Her words had a sobering effect on him. “If I have any say in the matter, that’s it for us. I don’t ever want to see her in this kind of danger again.”

  “I can certainly see your point. But every pregnancy is different. The next time around could be perfectly normal. But, I suppose it could be why God gave you two at a time.” She reached out and gave Zach a comforting hug. “Everything for a reason, son-in-law.” She released him quickly, pointing behind him. “Here’s the doctor.”

  Dr. Brown approached, stripped of the blood covered scrubs Zach had last seen him in. He thanked the man silently, knowing it would have driven Cat’s mom and sister over the proverbial edge. God knows the sight of Cat’s blood over every surface had nearly done him in.

  The doctor pulled off his scrub cap and ran a hand through his hair. “She gave us a scare, but your wife’s situation is stabilized now. Her vitals are very good. Her blood pressure is still extremely low, but that’ll improve as the blood transfusions progress. We’re pushing that IV as fast as it’ll go for fluids.”

  Doc Barton approached and addressed his colleague. “How many units of blood have you ordered?”

  “Up to five, and we’ll reassess to see if she needs more. She’s wrapped in thermo sheeting and we’re keeping a close eye on her.” He turned to Zach and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know it was rough in there for you, but you did your job, Zachary. You kept her here—right where she belongs.”

  “She’ll fully recover from the blood loss, right?” Zach’s heart couldn’t take anything more than a solid yes.

  “Absolutely. She’s a strong young woman. She’ll be all perked up and good as new in about six hours.” He grinned at the new daddy. “You’re the father of twins now, Mr. Ferguson. You’ve got bigger troubles ahead of you.”

  Zach nodded, as sweet relief washed over him, lightening his burden. “How are they?”

  “The pediatricians will be out here to discuss their conditions with you shortly. As you can imagine, they’ve got their hands full at the moment.” He smiled at the new father. “But, you’ve got two beautiful, healthy babies. You heard them squawking right? Protesting when I took them out of that cozy environment in there? If those lungs aren’t already fully developed, I’ll eat my scrub cap.”

  Day 2 (6:00 AM): Baby A and Baby B

  (13 hours old)

  Zach sat in the semi-dark hospital room, staring down at his beautiful daughter. From his perspective, she had all the signs of being a looker like her mama. “I still can’t believe we’re parents.”

  “I know, right? It’s like, if you look up the meaning of surreal in Webster’s Dictionary, this would be it.” Cat adjusted her son’s head in an attempt to start him nursing again.

  “You need more pillows?”

  “No. I just need him to latch on. Come on sweetie, you can do this.” Another adjustment had her smiling. “There it is. That’s a good boy.”

  “Ah, he’s a breast man, just like his daddy.”

  Cat rolled her eyes as her husband chuckled. “We can’t call them Baby A and Baby B forever, you know. We need to give these munchkins their own names.”

  Zach smiled as his infant daughter curled her tiny fingers around his pinky. “I’ve been thinking about that. We could use names that start with the same letter.”

  “Like Thing 1 and Thing 2?”

  “Or Frick and Frack,” he offered.

  “Tit and Tat,” she snorted.

  He laughed softly, so as not to jar the baby he held. “How about … Mabelle and Moses?”

  Cat sent him a look that would fry eggs. “Be serious, would you? Let’s find something that won’t make them want to kill us in our sleep once they hit puberty.”

  Zach sent his wife an indulgent smile. “Okay, let’s start with the letter A. Alfred and Alice.”

  “Alfred? Like Batman’s butler? I don’t think so. Abigail and Alex.”

  “Abigail sounds like a cat name to me. Bruno and Betty.”

  “Mars and Rubble? I think not. Caleb and Cassandra.”

  “Hm, that has a nice ring to it. But let’s not lock ourselves in just yet. Daniel and Debbie, no, not Debbie, because if she ever moved to Dallas … n-n-no. Denise. Daniel and Denise.”

  She wrinkled her nose adorably. “I’d always think of Daniel Tiger from that kid show. Ethan and Elise.”

  He squinted in concentration. “Spell the girl name.”

  “E-L-I-S-E.”

  He shook his head. “Everyone would call her Elsie, like the cow, and you damn well know it.”

  “Erin, then?”

  “Erin go Bragh? Hell no! Our Scottish ancestors would disown us.”

  “Francis and F-f-f-f-f … nope, I got nothing,” she admitted.

  “Garret and …Gloria?”

  She shook her head this time. “I like the C’s. Caleb and Cassandra.”

  “Is your heart set on it?”

  Cathryn nodded. “It kind of is, and we could give them our parents’ names too. Caleb Paul and Cassandra Elizabeth.”

  Zach frowned. “The boy name is fine, but that girl name—can you imagine the pressure she’d feel having to learn to spell that? We could shorten it to Beth.”

  “But your mom’s name was Elizabeth.”

  He shrugged. “My pop never called her anythin
g but Beth or Bethie for as long as I can remember. I can live with Cassandra Beth.” Zach loved watching his wife’s eyes soften visibly when he said or did something that touched her soul. “I know that look. Did I do it for you, babe?” He stared at her luscious lips, captivated by the subtle lifting of the corners.

  “You certainly did.” She looked at her son. “What do you think, huh Baby B? Would you prefer to be Caleb Paul Ferguson, after my dad? He was your Paw Paw Paul.” The infant stopped nursing, turned his head slightly toward the sound of her voice, before latching on again. She turned her tearful gaze upon her husband. “He likes it.”

  “Of course he does. Caleb Paul Ferguson and Cassandra Beth Ferguson—two fine names. What’s not to like?”

  “I love you, Zach-attack.”

  “I adore you, Cat-astrophe.”

  Chapter 24

  Day 2: Cassandra and Caleb: 15 hours old

  Full Circle

  Cathryn looked up at the soft knock on the door. “Come in.” She beamed at the sight of an older version of Zach peeking inside. She’d always adored Zach’s dad. The man stood, holding his best summer cowboy hat, and wearing the trademark Ferguson grin. “Hey there, Mr. Johnny. Or should I say Paw Paw Johnny? Wash your hands first and then come on over here and introduce yourself to one of your grandchildren.” She watched, as he did as told. Her son was already a handsome little man. But she prayed he’d grow into the same good looks as his father and grandfather, right down to the coal black hair and piercing blue eyes.

  Finished with his task, he approached the bed and gave her a gentle hug. “How’s my favorite daughter-in-law doing?”

  “Does it still count if I’m your only daughter-in-law?” She kissed him on the cheek.

  “It absolutely counts. I could have twenty of ‘em and you’d always be my favorite. Which one do we have here? Scratch that, he’s swaddled in blue so this must be my new grandson.” He took the infant carefully and sat in the chair nearest her bed. “Hello , young man. I’m your grandfather. But you can call me Paw Paw John.”

  “Excuse me, but that tagline’s been taken already, boy.”