A Mother for His Twins

by Jill Weatherholt

  Minutes later, the sounds of children’s chatter echoed down the trail.

  “Joy!”

  Nick spotted her on the ground holding her ankle. He sprinted toward her at top speed. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  He dropped to his knees. “Is it broken?”

  “I don’t think so... I mean, I hope not. It really hurts, though.” Joy watched Bella, dreading the thought of breaking the news to her about her mother.

  “Can you put any weight on it?”

  She shook her head. “I tried to stand up, but the pain is bad.”

  “Let’s get that shoe off. We need to get you to the hospital for X-rays.” He reached to pick her up.

  “Wait!”

  Nick jumped and pulled his hands away. “What is it? Did I hurt you?”

  Joy looked at Bella and extended her hand. The child’s face shrouded with fear. “Sweetie, I need to talk with you before we go.”

  Her niece took tiny steps toward her. “Are you going to be okay, Aunt Joy?”

  She pulled Bella close and hugged her tight. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I need to talk with you before we go to the hospital.”

  Bella’s forehead crinkled.

  “The siren you heard earlier—they came for your mommy, but she’s going to be fine.”

  When her niece tried to break free, Joy held on a little tighter.

  She sniffled. “But why did they take her?”

  “They need to make sure the babies are safe.”

  “I want to see my mommy,” Bella cried out.

  Joy stroked her soft curls. “You will. We’re going to the hospital now.” She looked up. Nick. In the past he’d always been there for her, except for that night...but now he was here. He held her gaze.

  “Can you give us a ride?”

  Without answering, Nick scooped her up into his arms. Strong—just as she remembered. She shook away her thoughts. He was here to help her, nothing more. She needed to remember why he’d come back to Whispering Slopes. It wasn’t for her. He was here for her job.

  “Of course. I’ll take you and Bella.” He turned toward the twins. “Let’s get going, boys. We need to hurry. Miss Kelliher needs to be examined by a doctor.”

  Disappointment and concern cloaked their faces. There wouldn’t be any ice-skating or more pony rides. Not today.

  As Nick worked his way up the path, she stole glimpses of the side of his clean-shaven face, and a sense of calm took hold. He still had those boyish good looks that she’d never forgotten. He smelled like a babbling creek on a warm spring day. She needed to make more of an effort to stop wondering where they would be today if his mother hadn’t taken ill and his family hadn’t left town.

  Fifteen minutes later, Nick zipped his SUV in front of the emergency room.

  Joy fidgeted in the passenger seat. Her ankle throbbed and was getting bigger by the minute.

  Nick sprang from the vehicle and rounded to the other side. When he opened the door, he glanced at her bare foot. “I’m glad I had you take off your shoe. The ankle is swelling like an eggplant.”

  She put her arms around his neck as he lifted her from the seat. His leather jacket felt cool to the touch, and for a moment, she felt protected.

  He raced through the door while the children ran along beside him.

  “Is it okay to leave your car there?” Joy peered over her shoulder at his abandoned vehicle.

  “It’s fine for now. I need to get you into a wheelchair before I move it.”

  “What about my mommy? When can I see her?” Bella exclaimed.

  Joy’s heart sank. Of all the times for her to be a klutz when all she wanted to do was hold her niece until she could see her mommy again. “You will... I promise.”

  “There’s a chair over there.” Nick headed toward the empty wheelchair parked next to the nurses’ desk. He placed her into the seat as though she were made of china.

  She gazed up at him. “Thank you for bringing me. You should go and move your car. The last thing I want is for you to get towed.” She smiled. “I’ll watch the children.”

  Nick bent down and hugged his boys. “I’ll be right back.”

  Joy watched as he headed through the doors. She turned at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

  “Can I help you?” A petite, redheaded nurse approached with her hands resting on her rounded hips.

  “I need to get an X-ray of my foot.”

  The woman glanced at Joy’s ankle, which was growing bigger by the minute and resembling an inflated balloon you might see in a parade. “Oh, my, whatever did you do to yourself?”

  “Where’s my mommy?” Bella yanked on the nurse’s scrubs.

  “Excuse me?”

  Joy looked up at the nurse. “Her mother, Faith Carlson, was transported here by ambulance earlier.”

  “Oh, yes. The woman pregnant with twins, right?”

  Bella gave the scrubs another tug. “I’m their big sister and I need to see my mommy.”

  The nurse flashed a sweet smile at the child. “She’s with the doctor, but as soon as they get her settled into her room for the evening, you can go back.”

  Fear ignited in her niece’s eyes. “She’s not coming home?”

  Memories of the fire and the days that followed raced through Joy’s mind. Although Bella had been too young to remember when her daddy died, Joy knew she’d heard adults talk about it. Chris had been brought to this hospital, but never returned home. She pulled Bella up onto her lap. “Your mommy will be home before you know it. The doctor probably wants to keep her overnight to make sure the babies are okay.”

  Joy prayed her words were true. What if Faith lost the twins? She’d already lived through one major loss and that one had nearly broken her.

  “I’m going to pray for Mommy and the babies.” Bella squeezed her eyes shut and Joy watched her tiny lips move as she prayed in silence.

  Moments later, Nick sprinted back into the hospital and looked around with a crinkled brow. “Why haven’t you been brought back to X-ray? That foot needs immediate attention!”

  His concern warmed her heart, but his slight tantrum made her giggle. “Relax—we were trying to get an update on Faith. As for my foot, I don’t think it’s that bad.”

  The nurse handed a clipboard to Joy. “Please fill out the top portion and sign at the bottom. Then we’ll take you on back.” She looked at Nick. “So your husband can stop worrying.”

  As Bella and Tyler giggled, Joy noticed Jordan squeezing his eyes shut.

  She and Nick exchanged a glance before she spoke up. “He’s not my husband. He’s just a—”

  “I’m a friend. A concerned one, so can we hurry this up?”

  Joy passed the completed form back to the nurse.

  “Okay, let’s go.” The woman snatched the paperwork and maneuvered the chair down the hall.

  “I’ll be right back, Bella. Then we’ll see your mommy,” Joy yelled over her shoulder as she was pushed through the swinging doors.

  “That young man who brought you in sure is handsome.” The nurse threw a wink at Joy.

  Yes, he was. He’d always been the best-looking man she’d ever laid eyes on. She stared at her foot, praying the pain would cease. But more important, she prayed these feelings for Nick would stop bubbling up inside of her. For years, this had been her prayer, for her love for him to cease, but it seemed she was fighting a losing battle. He had a place burrowed deep within her heart that he refused to leave, but she couldn’t—no, she wouldn’t—allow that to steer her off course from becoming the next principal of Whispering Slopes K-12. Only she wasn’t quite sure how to stay on track.

  * * *

  Nick fidgeted in the uncomfortable, dark brown commercial chair lining the brightly painted yellow walls of the hospital’s waiting room. The cheery color and the
smell of lemony cleaning agents did little to ease his aversion to hospitals. The boys and Bella were entertaining themselves in the play area, alternating between coloring and working a wooden puzzle. Forty-five minutes had passed since Joy went back to X-ray, but still no word. Lord, please let it be a simple sprain.

  When he opened his eyes, little Bella was standing in front of him with her hands clasped together. “Were you praying, Mr. Nick?”

  “Yes, I was. I prayed for your aunt.” He smiled.

  Tyler walked from the table, leaving Jordan to tackle the puzzle on his own. He climbed into the chair next to his father.

  Bella took a seat on the other side. “I’ve been praying for my mommy, too, but I don’t think it’s working.”

  “Why not?” He blinked, confused.

  “She hasn’t come through the doors. That’s what I’ve been asking God for...to see her.” Bella’s lower lip trembled.

  Tyler leaned over. His brow crinkled. “God always answers our prayers... Maybe He’s just real busy.”

  Nick smiled at his son’s response. He put his arm around the frightened little girl.

  “You’ll see her soon, I promise.” Nick spoke with confidence.

  Thirty minutes later, after the children had returned to the play area, Nick’s heartbeat raced when he spotted Joy coming through the doors into the waiting room. Although on crutches, she approached with swift movements. “Have you heard anything about Faith?”

  Bella ran toward her aunt. “When can I see Mommy, Aunt Joy? I need to know she’s okay.”

  Joy placed her crutches onto the tile floor and knelt in front of her niece. “We have to be patient, sweetie. The doctor is doing everything he can to make sure your mommy and the twins are okay.” She hugged her tight. “Now, don’t you worry one more second. Go play with Tyler and Jordan. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

  She picked up the crutches and turned to Nick. “So any update at all?”

  “The nurse said the doctor will be out to speak with you shortly. Like you told Bella, we need to be patient and trust she is in good hands.” He stood and guided her to a seat. “You need to sit down and rest. What did the doctor say about your injury?”

  “No broken bones.” She leaned the crutches against an empty chair and took a seat. “It’s only a sprain.”

  “That’s great news. Wearing a cast is the worst...especially when it starts to itch underneath.” Nick frowned. “So how long will you have to use those things?” He pointed to the crutches.

  “The doctor said about a week, less if the pain subsides sooner.” She brushed her hair from her face. “Hopefully I won’t be hobbling into my interview.”

  “Maybe you can use them to your advantage—get the sympathy vote.”

  Joy’s brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Oh, boy, that came out all wrong. He was only joking, but obviously this was a sensitive subject for her. “I’m sorry. I was only playing around.”

  Her shoulders stiffened. “Do you think that I’m not qualified?”

  “That’s not what I meant. I just...”

  “What? Because I don’t have my master’s, like you, I’m not ready for the position?” She released a heavy breath. “I’ve been at that school for ten years. I know it better than anyone.”

  When would he learn to keep his mouth shut and stop trying to be the clown? Just like when they were in junior high school and Joy had to get braces on her teeth. Some of the other boys who’d teased him about liking her were calling her Brace Face. At the time, he already had a major crush on her, but he didn’t want his friends to know, so he’d joined in on the chanting. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the look on her face when her eyes locked with his before she slammed her locker shut and took off running down the hall. She didn’t talk to him for a week. It was the longest seven days of his teenage years.

  “Joy, that’s not what I meant. It was a poor attempt at trying to be funny. Please, forgive me?” He turned to her, but she continued to stare at the wall opposite their chairs. With their interviews approaching, they were both under pressure. He was sure Joy’s level of stress was compounded now that Faith was in the hospital. “Pretty please?”

  She attempted to stifle a giggle, but it escaped through her lips. “You’re a dork—just like you were in elementary school.”

  He couldn’t argue with that statement. He’d be the first to admit he’d been a little on the nerdy side back then. “Just because someone wears huge Coke-bottle glasses doesn’t make them a dork,” he laughed.

  “What about those silly suspenders?” She chuckled. “Didn’t they have little banjos on them?”

  When she laughed out loud, the tension in the air seemed to dissolve. This was a good thing.

  “I can’t believe you remember those.” He’d been mortified when his mother made him wear them to school. When he’d arrived that day, he tried taking them off, but his pants kept falling down.

  She crinkled up her nose. “Who could forget those hideous things? You should have put them into the time capsule the class buried.”

  His face warmed. The capsule... He’d forgotten all about that. Their sixth-grade teacher had asked all of the students to bring in an item or to write a letter and seal it. After everyone placed their contribution into the metal box, it had been buried next to the flagpole. “I couldn’t give those away.”

  “Don’t tell me you still have them.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Of course I do. My grandmother gave them to me when I turned eight years old.” He sat up a little straighter.

  She laughed. “Whatever you do, don’t make the twins wear them. They’re still adjusting to a new town and classroom.”

  “I’m curious—what made you think of the time capsule? I’d forgotten all about it.” His mind wandered back to when he’d sat down late on a Sunday night to write his letter to Joy. Since the chances of her ever reading it—or anyone, for that matter—were slim, the twelve-year-old had confessed his love for her. He’d told her he would marry her one day. The feelings in his heart from that night so long ago still fresh, he’d spilled his guts in the letter, believing it would stay in the ground. Life had sure turned out differently from his words written on the paper.

  “It’s hard to forget when you pass it every day. I remember when Mrs. Willis made a promise that we’d all get together and dig it up in twenty years and share with whomever still lived in town.” Her face turned sullen. “She died before we could do it.” She picked at her jeans. “Maybe we should do it?”

  He turned to her. “Do what?”

  “Dig up the box.” Her eyes sparkled.

  She obviously hadn’t buried anything embarrassing. There was no way he’d want her to see what he’d contributed. What would be the point now? Everything between them had been lost. Digging up an old container sure wasn’t going to bring anything back. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “So are you ashamed of what you put into it?” Joy gave him a questioning eye.

  “No, of course not.”

  “Then tell me what it was.” She squirmed in her chair.

  The fluorescent lighting overhead buzzed and flickered before going dark.

  “What fun would that be? Wouldn’t you want to be surprised?”

  A devious look took hold of her face. “Does that mean you want to do it? It would have to be after school. Maybe we should wait until dark. What do you think?”

  She looked way too cute, like an anxious child on Christmas morning. But opening the box could spark a lot of old feelings. How would she feel when she read that he knew he wanted to marry her when he was only in the sixth grade? Was this something he was ready to share with her? “I think we should probably hold off on your little caper for a bit.” They both needed more time to get reacquainted. But would that lead him down
a path to more pain and suffering for both of them? He didn’t have the answers. One thing he did know was that the more time he spent with her the greater the space she took up inside of his heart. This couldn’t have been a good thing, not with their pending interviews.

  Chapter Eight

  Joy’s stomach tightened when she hobbled into Faith’s hospital room. Her twin’s eyes were closed. Good. Her body needed rest. She had one speed: nonstop. Thankfully the doctor had given her something. The more she could sleep during her stay, the better. This was the last place Faith wanted to be. Years ago, she’d spent five endless nights in this hospital before her firefighter husband went to be with the Lord.

  Bella was anxious to see her mommy, but the doctor thought it was best to wait. Of course, telling that to a seven-year-old was easier said than done. Joshua was out in the play area with her now, so Joy could have a few moments alone with her sister. Leaning on her crutches, she stood over the bed and watched Faith sleep.

  “Why are you hovering?”

  Joy practically jumped out of her skin. “You scared me!”

  Faith’s laugh echoed out the door and down the hall. “That’s what you get for watching me like that... Kind of creepy, sis.”

  “Well, maybe if you didn’t do things to freak me out, like pass out in your office, I wouldn’t have to hover.” Joy couldn’t imagine a world without her twin. Growing up, they’d done everything together. They were never apart until they went off to different colleges.

  “I’m sorry.” She gave her sister a once-over. “Wait—what happened? Why are you on crutches?”

  Joy waved her hand. “It’s no big deal. I just took a little fall. It’s only a sprain.”