Becoming Forever (Waking Forever Series) (15 page)

Ash wasn’t sure where to take this conversation. In the four years she and Cris had worked together, she had dated a few women, but he had never taken an interest in her relationships.

His wife Diane, on the other hand, wasn’t subtle, and there had been many a night she and Ash had polished off a six pack of beer and talked about why Ash hadn’t settled down. Ash always assumed her partner and his wife talked, but this was a rare occasion when Cris asked Ash directly.

“She is all those things, but we’re too different.” Ash decided to take the safe route and not open up about her feelings for Emma
, or the inherent conflict she felt about dating Lara.

Cris looked at Ash, his brows furrowed. “You have the one thing in common.”

Ash braced herself for the punch line. “What’s that?”

A slow
smile spread over Cris’ mouth. “You’re both weird.”

***

Sunday morning had been hectic for Ash. She had finished her shift the afternoon before and just barely had enough time to make it over to Lucy’s Cake Shop to pick up the yellow sheet cake with buttercream icing before the small, family owned bakery closed for the day.

“Where’s the cross?” Michael had asked, standing in his kitchen as he opened the white box lid to examine the cake.

Ash popped the bottle cap off the Shiner Bock beer her sister-in-law
Amy had handed her. “Ah, what cross?”

Michael shook his
head. “How can you have a christening cake without a cross?”

Ash turned her head to bring the upside down cake into focus. “There’s an angel
figurine.” She smiled at Amy who was pouring a bag of potato chips into a large plastic bowl.

“I think it’s beautiful
, Ash.” Amy smiled.

“See Michael? And you wouldn’t want to disagree with your wife
, would you?” Ash smirked as she took a drink of her beer.

“I just figured there would be a cross.” Michael frowned
, his tone verging on pouty.

Ash put her beer down on the granite counter top, and walked around the small island to stand next to her younger brother. “Kinda twisted if you ask me. Eating the cross. That can’t be right
, Mike.”

In spite of his best efforts to be irritated with his sister, Michael let out a full throat
ed laugh. “Well, when you put it like that.”

The rest of the evening had been busy with last minute planning. Now, Ash stood in front of the full length wood framed mirror in her bedroom trying t
o decide if the gun metal gray Kate Spade suede heels, or the light gray Chanel patent leather heels went better with the knee length rose colored pencil skirt she had on. She rarely wore skirts, but most of her slacks were gray or black, and didn’t seem appropriate for the festive event.

Deciding on the Kate S
pade heels, Ash pulled a light gray, clingy, long sleeve, crew neck blouse over her head. As she reached for the gold tone and raspberry bubble necklace, her cell phone rang.

Assuming it was one of her family members with their one hundredth requests for the day, Ash didn’t bother to look at the caller ID. “I won’t be on time if I can’t get dressed in peace
, Michael.”

There was a long pause, and then a woman’s voice hesitantly spoke. “
Ash?”

Ash slammed her eyes shut, recognizing Emma’s voice immediately. “Oh,
Emma, I thought - well you see I’m trying to get ready for my - remember when I mentioned my niece’s baptism - and this-”

Ash literally bit the tip of her tongue in hopes of squ
elching the nonsensical ramblings coming out of her mouth. “Good morning, Emma.”

There was a faint laugh on the other end of the phone. “Good morning
, Ash. It sounds like you are in the middle of things, so I’ll call you back later.”

Ash was in a hurry, but she hadn’t spoken with Emma since her hurried exit from her and Cris’ office earlier in the week, and to Ash’s surprise, she had missed her. “No, I can multitask if you don’t mind being put on speaker.”

“That’s no problem.” Emma assured.

Ash hit the speaker icon on the touch screen of her phone, and laid the device on her dresser while she continued to pull her outfit together. “What’s up?”

“I know this is last minute, and I would understand if your family gathering today wouldn’t permit you to, but I have tickets to a beer pairing dinner at Sustenio tonight, and I -”

Ash listened as the doctor went on, and she had the distinct impression her friend was nervous. “
And beer made you think of me?”

Emma cleared her throat. “
Well, yes, but not with an intervention implication.”

Ash laughed. The longer she knew Emma the more she grew to appreciate her humor, which like Ash’s was rooted in a deep appreciation of sarcasm. “What time does it start?”

“The dinner runs from six to eight.” Emma answered.

Ash did a quick calculation in her head as to when she would be done with her family commitments
for the day. “Perfect. I can meet you there.”

Emma sounded relieved. “Wonderful. See you there.”

Ash smiled. “Sounds good, bye.” She pressed the end button and returned to the mirror. Looking at her ensemble one last time, she decided she was presentable to be Chelsea’s godmother. She felt a surge of excitement rush through her, in part because she was fortunate enough to be participating in a very important day for her only niece. In addition to that, Ash verged on giddy over the unexpected time she would have with Emma tonight.

You should take five minutes and
figure out why that is.
Ash thought as she walked toward her Jeep.
Oh, I don’t have to think about that now, I can think about that tomorrow.

Smiling as she started the car, she remembered a line from her mother’s favorite movie.
If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

Thinking of her mother caused the previous euphoria to be replaced with twinges of sadness. Chelsea had been born a little less than a year ago
. Elizabeth never met the adorable child who everyone agreed had her grandmother’s round, chocolate colored eyes, and dimples in either cheek. Ash felt tears begin to sting her eyes as she thought about everything Chelsea would miss because of her grandmother’s untimely death.

Elizabeth Haines had taught second grade for nearly ten years before leaving a profession she dearly loved to raise a family
she absolutely adored. The wife and mother had never lost her passion for teaching, and her love of children. Ash wished Chelsea could have the opportunity to sit across the dining room table from her grandmother, and learn her multiplication tables. Or curl up in her grandmother’s lap in the large overstuffed recliner in the den and learn how all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not put Humpy Dumpty back together again.

Parking in
front of Saint Mark’s Catholic Church, Ash took several steadying breaths before getting out of her car. The parking lot was about a quarter full, and Ash recognized several of the cars as belonging to her immediate family. Locking her door, Ash walked toward the front entrance of the church wiping at her damp eyes. She realized life wasn’t about endings. It was about transition, because where her mother had disappeared, a beautiful baby girl had appeared.

***

Ash walked quickly toward her apartment, her heels clicking on the concrete of the parking garage. She looked at her watch and swore under her breath. The barbecue that followed Chelsea’s christening ran much later than anticipated. Now she had less than an hour before she was scheduled to meet Emma. She still needed to take a shower and change before making the twenty minute drive to the restaurant. She didn’t want to see the doctor smelling like smoke and cooked beef.

Pushing the front door open with her foot, Ash tossed
her keys on the end table next to her sofa and walked back to the kitchen. Her sister-in-law had sent her home with at least a pound of brisket, and two pieces of the cross-less cake. Ash put the food-laden plastic bags on the counter. Her hand was on the handle of the stainless steel refrigerator when she felt a chill shoot up her spine as if someone had just ran finger nails down a chalkboard.

An odd odor wafted over Ash. It smelled like rotted meat and wet leaves. Ash turned and put her back to the refrigerator. Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she tried to determine where the foul stench was coming from.

There was a sudden movement to her right, but before she could turn her head a sharp pain shot along her right jaw. Her teeth felt like they were going to vibrate out of her head as she grabbed her cheek.

Sinking to her knees, the floor felt like it was suddenly shifting under her feet
. Ash managed to put her left arm out to brace herself as she fell to the tile floor. The odor from earlier was all around her, and she felt bile rise in her throat as an oppressive weight bore down on her back and shoulders.

A low growl
slithered into Ash’s ears followed by the hissing of a man’s voice. “Remember, I was this close.”

Air rushed back into Ash’s lungs as both the weight of the man and the odor were suddenly gone. Ash rolled to her back
, and immediately thought better of it as sharp stabbing pain consumed the right side of her head. Trying desperately to stay conscious, Ash reached for the refrigerator handle, hoping to pull herself up to a seated position. Her head lifted a fraction of an inch off the tile floor, and a wave of nausea swept through her. She turned her head to the side, fearful she would choke on her own vomit.

Several heaves later
and there was even more pain ripping through Ash’s head. A heavy blackness was pushing into her eyes. It started in her peripheral vision, and within seconds had shrunk her vision on a pinhead size spot on the pine cabinets that lined her kitchen.

Realizing she was going to pass out, Ash focused all her attention on shifting
to her side. She knew if she passed out, and vomited again, she could aspirate and die. Turning onto her left side, Ash felt her stomach lurch again, and then the room went black.

***

It was incredibly hot. Ash felt waves of prickling heat shoot up her legs, into her stomach and along her neck. Then there was a cool, soothing hand on her cheek.

“Ash. It’s Emma. I’ve called an ambulance. Just lay still.” Ash heard Emma’s voice, but in her delirium couldn’t understand why the doctor was in her kitchen, and not waiting for her at Sustenio. Ash wanted to ask the obvious question, but her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth. The cool hand gently st
roked her forehead, and the heat from earlier began to lessen.

“Em - how?” Ash felt like she was talking under water.

“Shhhh. Be still.” Emma’s voice seemed strained, and Ash hoped she hadn’t upset her by being late for their dinner.

“Sorry I’m late.” Ash managed.

“You’re not late. Don’t worry.” Emma’s voice was low and next to Ash’s ear.

Ash tried to open her eyes so she could see the doctor, and
know if her tardiness was the cause of her friend’s strained voice. “I’m so tired.” Ash muttered as she reached for Emma.

Ash heard voices and felt herself being rocked back and forth. There were a series of bright lights, and then a very loud man’s voice. “Detective Haines! Ashley! Open your eyes!” The man’s voice moved through Ash like waves, and she felt another
bout of nausea wash over her. She turned her head to the left and dry heaved into a small pink bowl.

A cool cloth was placed over her forehead, and Ash laid back. She realized she wasn’t on her kitchen floor anymore and Emma wasn’t holding her. “Where am I?” Her voice was horse and she needed a drink of water.

“You’re at University Hospital. There was an intruder in your home, and you were knocked unconscious.” The man’s voice continued to fill Ash’s aching head.

“Where’s Emma?” Ash swallowed hard, her throat felt like scorched earth. Blinking several times, she couldn’t bring the room into focus.

“Who’s she talking about?” The man asked a faceless person to Ash’s right.

“D
r. Emma Atman. She called the ambulance.” A woman answered.

“I imagine your friend is in the waiting room
, Ashley.” The man responded. “I’m Dr. Stephens.” Before Ash could tell the man to stop calling her by her full name, she felt several sharp stabs of pain in her right jaw, and the room disappeared.

Chapter 8

“She’s waking up.” James’ voice cut through the deep water Ash felt like she was moving through.

“Dad?” Ash’s throat was even dryer than before, and she winced as she spoke.

“Hey sweetie, you’re okay.” Her father’s warm hand was in hers.

Ash struggled and after several attempts managed to open her eyes, bringing the room into focus. James, Jason and Michael were standing alongside her bed. Katy and Amy stood at the foot of the bed. Each of them had worried expressions on their faces.