Sweet Serendipity

by Pizzi, Jenna

  Rebecca, Ashlee and Richard all let out an air of frustration at her humor. Tasha gave each one a hug as she sat in the chair.

  “I love you all.” They told her the same.

  The next few hours dragged on. They all sat in the family lounge. Jack and the kids showed up. Rebecca couldn’t help but notice that Amber wasn’t with them, but she didn’t say anything. The kids ran into their mother’s arms. She hugged them tightly, grateful that they were home safe. Jack stood off to the side, not knowing his place. Rebecca let the kids go over and comfort Ashlee, and she walked up to her ex-husband. He threw his arms around her and embraced her in a way he hadn’t in years. No words were exchanged, he just held her as she cried. When she felt that she could gather herself up, she let him go and coyly smiled at him. He understood, so he sat over by Richard and began talking to him.

  Emily came through the door a little while later. James was with her. She ran over to Rebecca and grabbed hold of her.

  “How is she? Is there any word yet?”

  “No. I expect that we will any time now,” She responded.

  She noticed James sitting with the guys and said, “Where are the kids? How was the testing?

  “His parents took them home. They told us that we should be here. As for the testing, we won’t know until they evaluate the results, a couple of days I hope. All I know so far is that he tests abnormally high for intelligence, so how bad can it really be? It’s nothing compared to the uncertainty that Tasha is going through. At least I know my son is going to live a long, healthy life.”

  “I like the way you sound. You are like a little ball of sunshine. It’s what we need.”

  Emily flipped her blond bob back and smiled large.

  “Well, someone has got to be.” They giggled. It felt good to giggle. It took the stress off of the moment.

  The doctor entered the lounge and he had a forlorn look on his face. Rebecca and Richard stood at the same time.

  “Tasha?” was all that came out.

  “She’s in recovery. You should be able to see her in a few hours.” He had a strange look on his face.

  “Did something happen?” Richard asked.

  “The surgery was a success.” He walked farther into the room and closed the door. “The cancer has spread a lot farther than we anticipated.”

  Rebecca lost control of her knees and began to fall. Jack quickly grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a chair.

  “What does that mean exactly?” Richard asked.

  “It means that once she recuperates from the surgery she should think about putting her affairs in order. There is a tumor pressing against her kidneys. They are beginning to fail. The cancer has spread throughout her other organs now.”

  “So you’re saying that she’s going to die? How long does she have?” Richard asked.

  Ashlee began to wail. Riley clung to her best friend.

  “I’d say six months. It’s tough to say how fast it will metastasize. I’m sorry; I just had to tell you all since she is going to need you now. I have already contacted the hospital psychologist to come speak to her once she learns the news.”

  Everyone sat silent, staring off, dealing with their own grief. Time stopped. Rebecca flashed back to how they first met. It was math class freshman year. Rebecca was the new kid and no one talked to her until Tasha noticed a band logo on her notebook. They became instant friends and have been like sisters ever since. She remembered their senior prom, Jack and Richard were there. The theme was black and white. Rebecca wore white and Jack wore a black tux. Tasha wore black and Richard wore a white tux. She remembered graduation and the parties after. She thought back on Tasha standing by her at the Justice of the Peace when she married Jack. She was there when Riley was born, and she was there when Ashlee was born. They never missed a birthday, anniversary, first tooth, or first day of school.

  Rebecca felt selfish; she didn’t want to face the next chapter in her life without her best friend there. She couldn’t deal with it. Emily sat beside her and grabbed hold of her hand.

  “This is all so terrible.”

  “I know. How do you think she’s going to take it?” Rebecca asked.

  “Not good. I imagine it’s not going to be good,” Emily responded.

  After what felt like an eternity, a nurse came in to tell them that Tasha was awake and moved back into her room, so they all had permission to go visit with her.

  They wasted no time. They all paraded down the hallway and into Tasha’s room. She looked exhausted even though she had been asleep for hours. The nurse followed in and explained that she was going to be heavily sedated for the next twenty-four hours to help her heal.

  “Halloo gannng,” Tasha slurred. She waved her wrist in the air and looked at it like it was funny. “Oooh, pretttty colorssss,” she giggled.

  Rebecca followed the nurse out into the hallway.

  “Excuse me,” she said.

  The nurse stopped and smiled sympathetically at her.

  “Yes?” She responded.

  “When is she going to be told? She’s not exactly in the right frame of mind.”

  “Oh no, we won’t say anything until we can take her off of the pain medications. It will be at least twenty-four hours. We always request that family be there, as well as the psychologist, so it may be best if you all go home and get some rest. She’ll be sleeping for pretty much the rest of the time.”

  “Oh,” Rebecca answered.

  The nurse hurried off when a buzzer sounded down the hall. Rebecca walked back in the room and notice that Tasha was indeed sound asleep. She told everyone what the nurse told her. Richard pulled her aside.

  “I’ll stay. Please take Ashlee home tonight. I want to stay with her. I won’t say anything to her; I just want to be here.”

  “OK, Richard. I’ll be back in the morning then.” She kissed him on the cheek and gathered up the kids.

  The ride back to her house was a hard one. Jack drove, and no one knew what to talk about. Adam finally broke the silence.

  “I don’t understand, Mom, is Aunt Tasha dying? Is that why everyone is so quiet?”

  Ashlee began crying again, and Rebecca wanted to join in.

  “We don’t know that for sure. We just have to wait and see. Maybe she’ll get another opinion from another doctor.”

  Adam looked over at Ashlee and lowered his head.

  “I’m sorry, Ash, I just didn’t know.”

  Ashlee reached out and petted his leg.

  “It’s OK, Adam, I know. It’s just really hard to hear.”

  “I promise I won’t say it out loud anymore. I don’t like to see you cry.”

  “Thanks, Adam, that would be nice.”

  Rebecca’s heart melted as she listened to the kids work through everything. Back at the house, the kids all ran to their rooms and shut their doors.

  Jack stood at the kitchen counter and tapped his finger on the granite.

  “I don’t know about you, but I could use a stiff drink. Do you mind?”

  “I could use one, too.” She replied.

  Jack poured two glasses of brandy and handed one to her. She took a sip and felt the burn go down her throat.

  “How about if I go and pick up some pizzas for dinner tonight? I know the kids must be hungry, and you look like you could use something to eat.”

  She looked over at her ex and shook her head.

  “You don’t have to do that, Jack. I can call up and have something delivered. I’m sure you probably want to get going.”

  “No, there is nowhere I need to be. I just don’t think that you should be alone right now.”

  “I’m not, I have the kids,” she retorted.

  “I’m trying to offer support here, Becky. She is my friend, too. It’s a hard pill to swallow. I just figured that…”

  “Jack…fine, pizza sounds great, thanks. I’m just going to go and shower; it’s been a really long day.”

  “OK, I’ll take orders and swing by Papa Gin
o’s and pick up some food.”

  He hurried out, and Rebecca went up to her room. She fell on her bed and pulled a pillow up to her chest. She could still smell Ethan’s cologne on it. She took a deep breath and wished he was with her. She forced herself to get up and walked into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and pulled off her clothes. They felt like heavy layers of sadness. She stood under the hot streams of water and tried to wash the day’s events away. She held her arms across her chest and cried.

  Ethan pulled his car into Rebecca’s driveway. He couldn’t help but notice all the lights on inside. He realized then that her kids had most likely returned from their trip. He hesitated getting out of the car, but she hadn’t been at the store today, and he felt bad for the way he had left yesterday.

  He got out of his car and stood there thinking about what he wanted to say. Headlights suddenly appeared in the driveway, blinding him. Ethan noticed the big GMC truck pull in. He instantly knew who it was.

  Jack hopped out of the car holding four pizza boxes in his hand. He took one look at Ethan and smirked.

  “Can I help you with something?” Jack called out.

  Ethan hesitated, “I just came by to see Becca.”

  Jack instantly grew annoyed that this guy was calling her Becca.

  “She’s in the shower. Now’s not really a good time if you know what I mean. Her family is here. Perhaps you should try to talk to her some other time.”

  Ethan could feel his temper flare. He got back in his car before he did something he knew he’d regret. He backed out of the driveway and drove away. Jack smiled to himself as he opened the door and called, “dinner’s here! Come and get it!”

  He placed the pizza on the counter as Rebecca set the table. He couldn’t help but notice that the highlights in her hair made her face glow. It softened her, made her appear youthful. He stood admiring her, and she caught him.

  “What’s wrong? Do I have something on me?”

  He burst out laughing and she smiled in return. He realized he really did miss all of it. He wondered how they had gotten so off course that he had screwed up so badly. He knew Amber was just a thing, she couldn’t hold a torch to Rebecca. Rebecca had always been his rock, his safe place. She gave him a home and a family. She was everything he’d always wanted. How could he have taken her for granted?

  “Jack?” She called out questioningly. “The kids are hungry.”

  He snapped out of his daydream and clapped his hands together.

  “OK, gang, we have pepperoni with bacon. We have sausage and onion, we have plain cheese, and lastly, we have meatball and broccoli for Miss Ashlee.”

  Rebecca looked at him with surprise.

  “You remembered her favorite?”

  “Um yeah, I remember everyone’s favorites. Think about how many times we’ve ordered pizza over the years. I think it’s drilled in my head.”

  They all started laughing. Rebecca wished she could bottle the sound. They sat and ate their dinner. Rebecca looked over at Jack.

  “Did I hear you talking to someone outside?”

  “I was um, making a phone call. Sorry, I must have been talking loud.”

  “Oh, were you calling Amber? She must be worried about you by now.”

  Adam chimed right in, “Yeah right, Amber is history. She hates us.”

  Rebecca looked at Jack questioningly. Jack just shrugged his shoulders.

  “She wasn’t cut out to be near kids. She left us days ago. It’s not a big deal. We still had fun anyway, right kids?”

  The kids nodded their heads in between bites.

  “All she wanted to do was lay out by the pool all day with her boobs hanging out. She was boring,” Adam interjected.

  Rebecca nearly choked on her food at her son’s statement.

  “OK, well let’s just eat our dinner and get you guys settled in for the night,.” Rebecca said.

  She turned back to her pizza and took another bite. She suddenly realized why Jack was in no rush to go anywhere.

  She finished cleaning up the kitchen. She closed the dishwasher and took a look around. She could hear Adam laughing and yelling out in bursts of emotions. She walked up the stairs to his room and poked her head in. Jack was sitting on the floor with him playing Sorry! Both of them looked up at her and smiled.

  “He’s kicking my ass, Mom.” Adam blurted out.

  “Adam!” Rebecca called out.

  “What Mom? It’s an animal and a body part. It’s not a real bad word.”

  They all laughed at his innocent slip of the tongue. She quietly slipped out of the room and checked on the girls. They were lying on the bed playing with their iPhones, so she slipped back downstairs and took a moment to call Emily.

  “Hey sweetie,” she said when Emily answered.

  “Hey! It’s been one hell of a day, huh?” Emily said.

  “I still can’t wrap my mind around it. I don’t know what to think. There has got to be something she can do. She was so healthy. She jogged and went to the gym. I don’t get how it happened.”

  “I know! It’s crazy. You never think it will happen to someone you know. So listen, I am going to work at the shop tomorrow. I can’t afford to keep closing, especially during the summer season. I’ll head up to the hospital when I close. I don’t want you to worry about coming in; my mother-in-law has agreed to come in and help out so you can just concentrate on Tasha.”

  “Are you sure? You have deliveries coming in, you’ll need help.”

  Jack walked in asking if she wanted another brandy. Emily quietly spoke into the phone, “Is Jack over?”

  “He brought us home and then got us pizza. He’s pretty shaken up, too.”

  Jack backed out of the room and made a gesture that he’d pour her a drink.

  “What’s going on, Becca? You can’t possibly be thinking about letting him back home.”

  “Why would you come to that conclusion?”

  “I just know that you’ve been delivered a huge blow today. I can understand why you want something familiar around you at a time like this, but don’t forget that he left you for another woman.”

  “The other woman left him in Florida,” Rebecca told her.

  Emily burst out laughing. Rebecca had to hold the phone away from her ear. “Now there is karma for you, baby. He deserves it. Don’t let the slime ball slither back in, honey. What about Ethan? Have you heard from him?”

  “No, actually. I haven’t heard from him since yesterday morning. I guess whatever we had is over.”

  “You are such a fool, Becca. Ethan wouldn’t give up like that. He’s crazy about you, and I know you are about him. I see the way you guys look at each other and that’s ‘nothing.’ Have you tried to call him? Does he even know what happened? Because I can guarantee that he’d want to be with you.”

  “The kids are home. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Are you twelve? I’m not saying that you need to have full night sleepovers, but he can be around your kids. They are not babies anymore. They handled their father with the blonde; they can handle their mom with a great guy.”

  “I’m just not there, Em. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”

  “Don’t wait too long. Even fate doesn’t wait forever if you turn your back from it. I gotta go; James is signaling me to watch a movie with him. We have a bottle of wine candle light, and he’s letting me watch The Notebook. That’s when you know he’s a keeper, when he is willing to give up the TV to snuggle with you and cry right alongside you.”

  “You are a lucky girl. James is a great guy.”

  “So is Ethan…just saying. OK, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you!”

  “I love you, too.”

  She hung up the phone and sat on the sofa staring at her bookcase. She was thinking things through when a glass appeared in front of her face. She held out her hands and grabbed it.

  “Thanks,” she said to Jack.

  “Well, it’s been a hell of a day. I have to go back to wo
rk tomorrow, but I told Richard I’d talk to him later.”

  She was surprised to hear him say it.

  “Really? What made you do that? I mean you haven’t exactly been very close to him lately.”

  “Becky, I’ve known him forever. The mother of his child just found out she has terminal cancer. He’s a mess. The least I can do is check in on him.”

  “I think that’s very nice of you, Jack.”

  “What? You don’t think I can show my feelings?” He leaned in and poked her side, tickling her. She laughed and told him to stop. It only made him lean in closer to her, until his lips brushed against hers. He reached behind her head and drew her in closer, kissing her with a deep sense of need.

  Rebecca pulled away from him.

  “Jack? What are you doing?”

  Jack backed away and threw his hands over his face. “I’m sorry, Becky. I just, I need you.”

  “Oh, Jack, you don’t need me. You haven’t needed me in a very long time.”

  “That’s not true. I just didn’t realize how much I needed you until I didn’t have you anymore. I was a fool, Rebecca. I miss you.”

  Rebecca stood up.

  “You don’t get to do this to me, not now. This is not fair. You broke my heart, Jack. You slept with another woman.”

  He quickly jumped up. “You slept with someone else, too!”

  That threw her off.

  “Is that what this is? Is this because you heard I was seeing someone? Jack, you moved on and now I get to.”

  “I don’t want someone else.” He strode over to her and gently placed his hands on either side of her face. “I want you, Becky. It’s always been you.”

  She wanted to cry or hurl something. These are the things that she had longed for him to say to her, but he never did. He leaned in for another kiss, and this time she didn’t fight him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

  She was the one who pulled away.

  “I think you should leave, Jack.”

  He backed up and looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

  “Why? I don’t understand.”

  She held his hands in hers and looked into his smoky gray eyes.

  “We’ve had some shocking news today, and I get that more than anyone. I can understand why you think you feel the way you do, but trust me, you don’t. You were unhappy with me, and I was with you. That doesn’t just go away. That doesn’t just fix itself.”