For Nick (26 page)

The wait for the ambulance seemed interminable. Andie never regained consciousness, but it didn’t stop him from telling her he loved her over and over.

He stayed with her in the ambulance and when they entered the emergency room, she was taken from him, a team of doctors and nurses surrounding her. His legs promptly refused to hold him upright and one of the attendants caught him. He was quickly placed in a wheel chair, his condition simply chalked up to the events of the evening.

He held it together the best he could, not letting anyone know of his phobia of blood and hospitals and antiseptic. The whole idea of cutting people and sewing them up freaked him out and made his skin go cold. But his worry over Andie, again, took precedence over himself.

All the while, he begged for news of Andie. They told him the same thing every time: when they had some news, they’d let him know as soon as possible.

It seemed that endless hours passed until at last a young doctor came out to speak with him. “Mr. Zachary Drake?”

“Yes, that’s me. Is my wife okay?”

“She’ll be all right, Mr. Drake. A few minor bumps and bruises from the fall to the ground, nothing to be too terribly concerned about. She did, however, break her arm, not a bad break, it should heal nicely. I’m most concerned over the head injury. She’s got a few stitches on the back of her head, nothing to worry about. But she did sustain a fairly severe concussion, which has left her a little confused. It’s a common side effect with head injuries. Her symptoms should subside in a couple of days. We’ll be keeping a close watch on her.” The doctor hesitated and Zach knew there was more.

“What?”

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Drake. We were unable to save the baby.”

Zach felt the blood drain from his face. “Baby?”

“Yes. When she finally regained consciousness, it was the first thing she inquired about. She knows. We’ve already informed her. She took it rather hard, naturally. She was almost hysterical. Frankly, we had to sedate her to get her to calm down. Has she lost a baby in the past?”

Zach stared dumbfounded at the doctor as if he didn’t understand English. His breath came in short, shallow waves. “I…I don’t know. We’re newlyweds,” he stammered, as if that explained his lack of knowledge about her medical history. Perceiving his shock, the doctor led him to a chair. “Mr. Drake, there seems to be no permanent damage. You’ll be able to have other children. Please stay calm. She needs you to be strong for her. I’ll come and get you shortly when you can see her.”

Baby? Andie was carrying his child? He knew with certainty it was his child. She’d been telling him the truth this evening. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew it with every fiber of his being. She’d been so sincere, so fierce in her words. She was devastated by his actions…and she loved him, she actually loved him.

She’d been innocent of all wrongdoing. A moan escaped from Zach as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.

So many things made sense now. Andie had tried valiantly to speak with him. On several occasions she’d told him she had something very important to tell him. It never occurred to him that she was pregnant. Suddenly, he could see beyond his own feelings. At the time, he’d felt betrayed and he couldn’t see past his own hurt and anger. Now he could remember every devastated expression on her face.

His mind landed on the night she’d joined himself and Cami for dinner, the way she’d run to the bathroom. He should have suspected then.

She’s been looking tired, no, exhausted for several weeks. In his mind, he’d thought it was because of her chosen lifestyle, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. She was carrying his child and suffering with the effects of early pregnancy.

“She took it rather hard. We had to sedate her.”

She mourned his baby. For that alone he loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone in his life.

Zach ran his hand through his hair, feeling a weight on his shoulders he’d never felt before. He was known for being a humanitarian and yet he’d treated his pregnant wife no better than a stray dog he didn’t want anymore. He thought of the dangerous way he’d driven with her in the car just this evening. It was a time in her life when she should be pampered and cherished.

I let my pregnant wife sit at bus stops in the cold weather. Not only that, she’d endured a miserable night in jail while clearly battling morning sickness.
Zach moaned aloud at the thought.

“Mr. Drake?”

Zach’s reverie was interrupted. He looked up to see a tall, light-gray haired man standing next to him.

“How is she?” His voice cracked as he asked the question and tension filled his creased face. “I can tell by your expression that the worst has happened.” The man sat down on the chair across from him. He ran his hands over his face. “I don’t need to tell you how hard she’s going to take this.”

The man was visibly disturbed and he clearly knew Andie about a hundred times better than he did.

“I’m terribly sorry. We haven’t met. I’m Charles Parker, Andie’s father-in–law, Jack’s father. Andie’s practically the only family I have left. I love that girl. She’s one in a million. But then, I don’t need to tell you that.” His fingers massaged his temples. “I guess I’m listed as an emergency contact in her wallet. The hospital called me. I came as quick as I could.”

Charles wiped at his eyes, overcome with emotion. He was tall and lean with well muscled calves and sinewy arms. His gray hair was so light that it was almost blond. He could easily be mistaken for a young man from a distance.

It was the man he’d seen Andie with on that fateful day. He was sure of it.

Now, up close, he could see how elderly he really was. His age could be seen in every line of his face and his hands shook slightly as he ran them through his thinning hair. His face and hands were covered with age spots and his skin looked slightly leathery.

Zach took a moment to explain the extent of Andie’s injuries. It took Charles several minutes to recover from the news. He arose and took several sips of water from the drinking fountain before returning to sit next to Zach.

“The two of you will get over this. You’ll have more children. It’ll take some time, but she’ll heal. I’ve never met a woman as strong as her. But then, I don’t need to tell you that,” he repeated once again.

Charles was soft spoken and polite to a fault. Zach liked him immediately.

“I hope you don’t mind, Andie told me about the night she told you about the baby. What a clever way to do it too. I’ve never heard of such a thing. She told me how happy you were once you opened the present, how your eyes filled with tears, how you hugged her tightly. It must’ve been a special moment, indeed. Thanks for making her so happy. And the help you’ve given us, what a blessing that has been. As you can imagine, the bills are endless.”

What was he talking about? Zach was completely at a loss. First of all, Andie was making up stories for her father-in-law. Stories that were obviously the way she wished things had gone the night of the candlelight dinner. Secondly, Andie had not told her father-in-law about the true nature of their marriage. He assumed it was all real. Understandably, he wouldn’t have approved of their actions.
Heck, I don’t even approve of my actions
. It was by far the craziest thing he’d ever done. But the results had been incredible. For a time anyway. Everything Charles uttered caused a sensation in his chest as if someone was holding his heart in a vice grip, and every word made that grip even tighter.

The present. What was in it
? He’d never bothered opening it. It would be the first thing he did when he went home. Charles obviously assumed Zach knew all about Andie’s life, when he knew nothing.
Pitiful.

Andie was right. He knew nothing about her.

He couldn’t ask Charles. It would give Andie away. He’d held out for so long, holding onto his heart, not wanting to give it away again. Then when he did, he took it back at the first sign of trouble without questioning her or letting her explain.

Andie was right again, he hadn’t trusted her. A marriage doesn’t survive without trust. Now that he was ready to give of himself, body, heart, and soul, she probably wouldn’t want him.

“She’s been a little sick to her stomach, as you know, and fighting fatigue. I try to get her to rest, but there’s nothing for it. She won’t even take a day off.”

The insight into Andie he was providing told him so much about her. Nevertheless, there were still so many things he didn’t know. That was about to change. He would win Andie back. He wasn’t about to give up.

“I understand the two of you deciding to keep parts of your lives separate, not that I agree with it exactly. Under the circumstances, I do understand though. Thanks for being there for her, Mr. Drake.”

“Please, call me Zach.”

“Zach,” he corrected and then continued. “Heaven knows my son wasn’t. Said he couldn’t handle it and he left Andie alone to face life. She’s forgiven him, but I haven’t. I can’t seem to find it in my heart. Andie says he lost his life and she’s still alive. It’s enough. She has no reason to be bitter.” He shook his head. “She’s an angel.”

Zach thought he’d married a fraud. Instead, he was quickly realizing he’d married a saint.

The young doctor approached and told them they could see Andie now.

Charles wandered in ahead of him and Zach held back for a moment.

“Mr. Drake, are you all right?” the doctor asked.

“I’m fine,” Zach muttered through clenched teeth. Perspiration beaded his forehead and his hands shook of their own accord.

The young doctor pulled him aside and pushed a cold glass of water at him. “Drink this. It will help.”

“How’d you know?” Zach asked.

“I can spot your type a mile away. Take deep breaths and try to remain calm. She needs you right now.”

Zach nodded, gulped down the ice cold water, and entered Andie’s room.

The sight of her left him shaken. She looked so frail laying on the hospital bed, as pale as the stark white of the sheets, her arm in a cast, a bandage circling her head. She was deeply asleep, filled with the blissful unawareness that chemicals can induce. Zach fell into the chair beside her bed, unsure that his legs could keep him upright.

“She’s a lot stronger than she looks, Zach. You’ll see, she’ll pull out of this just fine.”

Charles stroked her arm and kissed her forehead several times. Andie was right, he was physically affectionate with her. But it was done in a fatherly manner. It was apparent that he held her in the highest regard.

“Why don’t you go home and get cleaned up. I think you need a breather. I’ll stay with her,” Charles suggested after studying him with a knowing eye.

He was a mess, his shirt stained with Andie’s blood from holding her close as he’d waited for the ambulance. He felt as though he could smell the dried blood on his shirt and it was making him sick.

“I don’t want to leave her.”

“The sight of her blood all over your shirt will not be comforting to her. Go, Zach. She’ll be asleep for awhile anyway.”

He nodded, seeing the wisdom in Charles’ words. “I’ll be back in an hour. Call me if there’s any change or if she wakes up.” He kissed her tenderly on the lips.

“Zach, she’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”

“Thanks, Charles.”

Zach took a taxi home, his thoughts filled with Andie. Tiredly, he made his way upstairs and peeled off his ruined tux. He threw away his blood splattered dress shirt without looking at it, but a shudder still ran through him. Then he took a long hot shower and dressed, feeling more human by the moment. Mrs. Barnes brought him a hot mug of herb tea and, with tears in her eyes, asked after Andie. Evidently, Andie had won her over. Everyone had been able to see what he couldn’t. Andie was a gem and all who met her knew it. He did too. He’d just been blinded by jealous anger for awhile—uncalled for jealousy—and he felt ashamed of his rash assumptions.

Then he remembered the presents from Andie sitting on his closet shelf.

It was time to open them.

He knew they were not going to contain a tie, socks, or hankies, or something else equally impersonal. They would be something that tugged at his heartstrings. He knew it, because that was Andie.

The first one—the one that should have been opened that fateful evening during their candlelight dinner—was heavy and he couldn’t fathom what it held. It had been important enough to Andie for her to persist in asking him if he’d opened it, so it must be something of significance. He ripped the wrapping paper off and felt his heart sink in his chest at the sight.

It was a brass paperweight made in the shape of a baby rattle. It held two engravings on it. The one at the top read:

Congratulations, Dad!

The one at the bottom read:

I love you,

Andie

He stared at the gift, knowing so much heartache could have been avoided if he’d opened it from the beginning. No wonder she’d asked if he’d opened it so many times. This one simple gift said it all. It was her way of telling him what was in her heart, her way of telling him how she felt about being pregnant. He closed his eyes and hung his head. This was, bar none, one of the best gifts he’d ever received in his life. His eyes rested on the second gift. He knew it was going to be equally as touching. He unwrapped it quickly. He wasn’t disappointed. The item he held in his hands also told him much more than words could have ever expressed. In the silver frame was a picture of himself and Andie on their honeymoon in Tahoe, taken on the day they’d dressed as hippies. They both looked blissfully happy with huge smiles on their faces, their arms wrapped around each other. The frame was engraved with the words:

Honeymoon Happiness

The fact that it was an alliteration was not lost on him. If he could just do it all over, he wouldn’t make the same mistakes. He’d immediately realize what he had and cherish every moment.

Andie thought he’d opened the gift and thrown it away. The message that had sent must’ve felt like a slap in the face. He didn’t know how she’d stayed after that.