You're All I Need (20 page)

Ignoring Chris, Mrs. Edwards continued. “What about children? I know you want them. Have you considered the cultural difference? Can you bring your children up the way you want? Will the Jensen family have certain expectations about how your children will be raised?”

“Momma, stop. You're upsetting yourself. This is a good thing. I've found somebody who loves me and I love him. Whatever Chris and I have to do, we'll do it. Everything is going to be fine. We'll work it out. Really, we will.”

“I'm sorry. I can't accept this.” The older woman paced the floor. Tia's father tried to stop his wife and hold her. She pushed past him without a backward look.

This time when Mrs. Edwards turned to Tia, there was a glint in her eyes that worried her daughter. Tia had expected a bit of resistance, but not this complete denial.

“What about your dreams? You've been talking about going to law school for the past few months. Are you going to just let that go because of him?”

“I want Tia to be happy with me. If law school is what she wants to do, law school it will be with my full approval and support. I'm here to help her in any way that I can, not be a hindrance.”

“Pfff.” Jackie Edwards waved a hand through the air. “I don't care what you say. What you're talking about doesn't mean a thing to me. I don't believe anything that comes out of your mouth.”

A tap on the door halted the next explosion of words. With a look of apprehension on his face, Andre stuck his head in the kitchen. “Excuse me.”

“Not now, Andre,” Mr. Edwards said. “We're in the middle of something.”

“I know. This can't wait.”

Tia's mother banged the silver pot lid onto the countertop and snapped, “What is it?”

“It's Nia. She says that she's at Grandma Ruth's house and something's wrong with her. Nia said that she called EMS, and they are taking Granny to the hospital. She said we need to meet her at Harper Hospital.”

“Oh my God!” Mrs. Edwards said, dropping the spoon in her hand and moving toward the door.

“Jackie.” Greg Edwards hurried after his wife and grabbed her by the shoulders. He turned her to face him. “Stop! I'll drive you.”

The couple left the room. Minutes later, Tia opened the garage door for her parents, and a minute later their car moved down the driveway.

Chris took her hand and pulled her along behind him. “Let's get to the hospital.”

Tia nodded and they headed for Chris's bike. The rest of the family hurried out of the house for their cars.

The Edwards family assembled at the hospital, waiting for some good news about Grandma Ruth's condition. The only difference from their previous visit was that the emergency room was now the backdrop instead of the surgical suite.

Tension filled the space as Tia's family gathered together. Some sat in hard red plastic chairs, and some paced the beige tile floor. The words coming from the television that was suspended from the ceiling were merely background noise. Everyone was too anxious about Grandma Ruth's condition. All they could do was wait to hear some word from a doctor.

From Tia's spot across the room, she watched her mother. She noticed signs of worry spread across her face and her body stiffening. Her wrinkled brow and tight posture revealed how upset and tense she was.

Tia wanted to go and be with her mother, but the harsh words Jackie had said earlier kept her from making the first move toward reconciliation. Mr. Edwards placed a supportive arm around his wife and drew her against his side.

Chris studied Tia as he drew her against his side. “You all right,
chérie?
”

“Yeah. Scared, worried. I want my granny to be all right.”

He kissed her forehead. “It'll be okay. I believe it. You have to as well.”

Tia bit down on her bottom lip to stop the quivering. “I know you're right, but things don't seem real good right now.”

He captured her face between his large hands. “Listen to me, sweetheart. Your grandmother is still alive. There's always hope as long as she's still with us. Mrs. Wilson is a tough bird. I don't believe she is ready to leave here or us.”

Tia nodded and leaned against Chris, soaking up his strength. After a few minutes, Chris excused himself and disappeared down a hallway.

This was her chance to try and mend things between her and her mother. Tia rose and walked across the floor to her mother. “Momma?”

Mrs. Edwards gazed up at her daughter. The pain and worry in her mother's eyes tugged at Tia's heart, and she rushed into her mother's arms. They sat huddled together for several minutes, wrapped in their own world.

“Granny is going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay.” Drawing away, Tia patted her mother's shoulder. “It'll be okay. If Grandma Ruth puts her mind to getting better, she will.”

“I don't know,” Mrs. Edwards admitted. Her voice quivered with each word. “My mother isn't young anymore.”

“Momma, Grandma Ruth is strong. She has a mind of her own.”

“True,” Tia's mother agreed.

Chris returned to the waiting room, loaded with snacks and coffee for the family. He distributed the cups of coffee and chips and doughnuts to everyone. A round of “thanks, man” from Tia's family followed as he handed over the brew. Chris cautiously approached Mr. and Mrs. Edwards. He handed one cup to Mr. Edwards. Tia's mother shook her head when he showed her the pastries and coffee.

“No, thank you,” she stated, holding Tia at her side.

Mr. Edwards leaned close to Chris and whispered something in his ear. Chris nodded and moved away, sitting across from mother and daughter.

As the minutes ticked by, Chris watched the pair. He never said a word, but he studied Tia and her mother with a critical gaze. Tia wondered what he was thinking.

An hour passed by, but it seemed more like an eternity. A doctor strolled from the triage area with a chart in his hands and stood in the center of the waiting room. “Jackie Edwards,” he called.

She stood and grabbed Tia's hand, dragging her along with her. “I'm Jackie Edwards.” Greg Edwards stood next to his wife.

Junior rose and drew close to the doctor and his parents. The twins and Nia joined him, waiting for some news about their beloved grandmother.

“Mrs. Ruth Wilson is your family member?”

Jackie Edwards nodded. “She's my mother.”

“Are you her next of kin?”

“Yes.”

“I'm going to take you back to my office so we can talk.”

“Wait a moment.” Mrs. Edwards turned to her husband. “Greg.”

“I'm here.” He moved closer to his wife. Mr. Edwards turned to his kids and said, “You guys wait here. As soon as we know something, we'll come out and give you the news.”

Tia made a move to return to Chris's side. Mrs. Edwards snatched her hand and pulled her along beside her. “I want you with me.”

Tia glanced at Chris. He nodded.

He smiled encouragingly and leaned back in his chair. He looked as if he were willing to wait all night for her to return.

After talking with the doctor, the trio returned to the waiting room. For the second time, Tia's siblings stood and surrounded their parents. Chris hung back and remained on the fringes of the small group.

“What's going on?” Junior asked.

Andrew stepped closer to his parents and questioned, “How's Grandma Ruth doing?”

Nia asked the next question. “Is she coming home tonight?”

Greg Edwards raised his hands and quieted the group. “Hold on. First of all, your grandmother had a stroke.”

“Stroke,” Nia muttered. Tears filled her eyes and slowly slid down her cheeks. Conflicting emotions drew a mask on her face. She wiped away her tears and said remorsefully, “This is all my fault.” Nia wrapped her arms around her waist. “I should have known what to do to help her more.”

“No. It's not.” Her father wrapped her into his arms and said, “How could you have known? Apparently, the old girl hasn't been taking her medicine. You did what you could. First of all, you got her to the hospital as quickly as possible. That probably saved her life.”

Silent until this moment, Andre asked, “So what happens now?”

“Mother will be staying at the hospital for a few days,” Mrs. Edwards explained. “It's going to take a few days of testing to determine the effects of her stroke.”

“Will there be permanent paralysis?” Chris asked.

Mrs. Edwards frowned. She looked at Chris as if she'd forgotten he was there. “The doctor doesn't know. They're going to wait until tomorrow to start running some tests. Mother is tired and needs to rest.”

“Do we need to stay here?” Junior asked.

Andre nodded. “Yeah. That makes sense. Grandma Ruth is here alone. One of us should be with her.”

“I'm sorry. I hadn't even thought that far.” Jackie Edwards rubbed her forehead as if it hurt. She glanced in Chris's direction. Her expression was thoughtful. “Tia, would you mind staying tonight?”

Surprised, Tia studied her mother. She would have expected her mother to want to stay at the hospital for the first few hours with her mother. It wasn't what she expected to do tonight, but she didn't have a problem with it. “Sure.”

“No,” Nia stated. “You go home. You have to go to work. I'll stay.”

Greg Edwards asked, “Are you sure?”

Nia nodded. “Yeah. I'd like to. Go home. Come back tomorrow and take over. I'll call if you're needed. My being here tonight will give everyone a chance to relax and sleep and come up with a game plan for the rest of her stay.”

 

Chris stretched out among the bedding, waiting for Tia to join him. He drew in a deep breath and let it out. Today had been beyond anything he'd ever encountered. Tia climbed into bed beside him and scooted close, tossing an arm around his waist and hugging him.

None of the evening had gone according to plan. From Mrs. Edwards's outburst at the birthday party to spending the evening in the hospital's emergency room waiting for news about Tia's grandmother, it had been an action-packed and emotional time for everyone.

“I'm sorry things got out of hand.” Tia kissed his cheek.

“None of it was your fault. Besides, you tried to warn me that your mother wouldn't take our engagement very well.” He held Tia against his shoulders. “I expected some resistance to the idea, but not as much as we received.”

She blew out a puff of air. “Told you.”

“Has your mother always been so possessive of you?” he asked cautiously. Chris didn't want to alarm her. Today had been difficult enough, but he needed to know what he was up against.

“Yes. I'm not sure why.”

“It's sort of unusual.” Chris caressed her arm, stroking the sensitive skin up and down. “I guess I would understand it more if you were an only child or even the only girl. But you have an identical twin.”

“My mom and Nia have never been close. Their relationship has always been strained and difficult. I think my mother was disappointed that Nia refused to be the girly-girl she envisioned her to be.”

He smiled and kissed her softly. “Yet, you are.”

Tia shrugged. “Sort of. I think part of it comes down to convenience. Normally, I don't work on the weekends. I had time to shop with Momma, do different stuff with her. I made time to be with her.”

“Mmm.”

“What does that mean?” She lifted her head from Chris's shoulder.

“It's going to very lonely and unpleasant for your mother when we move to France. I'd hate to see that.”

“Me too. But we've made our plans.”

“How can we make this easier for your mother?” Chris asked. “I hate the fact that she's upset.”

“I don't know. She really scared me tonight. I've never seen her act this way. She had this wild expression in her eyes that I've never seen before. I knew telling her about us was going to be bad, but”—Tia eased closer to Chris—“things turned out a lot worse than I thought.”

“Your grandmother getting sick didn't help.”

“Nope, it didn't.”

They rested quietly for a few minutes. Chris lay in the bed thinking about how Jackie Edwards had tried to sabotage their engagement when she came up with so many scenarios of why Tia shouldn't be with him. Obviously, the older woman had spent a lot of time thinking about their relationship…and ways to put a halt to it.

“Is there anything I can do for your grandmother?” Chris asked. “Is there some way that I can help you?”

“I don't think so. Junior, Nia, and Andre are going to be with Granny for the next few days and then I'll take my turn.”

“I'll be with you,” Chris stated, pulling her closer to his side. “You won't be alone.”

Tia balanced herself on her elbow, leaned over Chris, and softly kissed his lips. “Thank you. You are so sweet. I appreciate everything you've done.”

“It's only because I love you so much.” He brushed her hair away from her face and stroked her cheek. “What concerns you concerns me.”

“Can we hold off for a few days on our plans while I try and work things out with my mother?”

Chris had half expected this request, but it still felt as if she might be wavering on the subject of marriage. He swallowed the protest on his lips and uttered the correct words. “Sure. That will be fine. This will give your mother a little time to get used to the idea.”

“Thank you for understanding. I know we have a lot going on right now.”

“I'll talk to Reynolds on Monday, and then we'll know what we have to do.”

Three days later, Tia's nose twitched from the ever-present odor of alcohol and disinfectant as she searched the halls of the hospital for the ICU. She stepped into a room with a single bed and beeping, clicking, and hissing machines. She found her sister flipping through a magazine next to the empty bed.

Nia stood. Her slick, shiny bob and large hoop earrings jingled when she moved. Dressed in a pair of tight pink denims, a strapless lemon top splashed with a rainbow of colors, and cream stiletto heels, Nia looked as if she were on her way to go clubbing. “Oh. Hi, Tia. I thought you were transportation bringing Granny back.”

“Nope. Just me. I'm here to take over.”

“Good.”

Tia moved to the whiteboard on the wall and studied the instructions scribbled in green erasable Magic Marker. “Where did they take Grandma Ruth?”

“MRI.”

Nodding, Tia took the chair next to the bed and picked up a
People
magazine. “You know you can call me. You don't have to do things alone. I can put in a little more time with our grandmother and give you a break.”

With a wave of her hand, Nia dismissed her twin's suggestion. A teasing light entered her brown eyes. “Nah, I'm fine. My schedule is more flexible than yours. Besides, I heard that you got yourself engaged. That's where your focus should be. Keep that man happy,” she said with a little twist of her shoulders. “Let me see the ring.”

Grinning sheepishly, Tia extended her left hand, showing off her engagement ring. “Yes. I sort of did.”

Whistling, Nia got up and took her hand. “That is some rock that Frenchman put on your finger. You better be careful when you're out and about. I don't want anybody to snatch it.”

A little embarrassed, Tia tugged her hand away and placed it in her lap. “Hush. Stop talking trash.”

“Nothing silly or trashy about what I'm saying,” Nia denied. “That ring is beautiful. You be careful.”

Extending her hand, Tia admired her ring. “Yeah. Chris did a great job of picking this out.”

Nia returned to her seat and crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair. “How did Mother take the news?”

Tia ran her fingers through her hair. Her steady heartbeat kicked into overdrive. She dropped her head and answered, “Not very well.”

“That's what I heard.”

“From who?” Tia demanded.

Nia stared at her sister, giving her a “don't be ridiculous” expression. “Oh, come on. Everybody heard.”

Hanging her head in shame, Tia admitted, “Yeah. They did. It was terrible. The things Momma said and the way she cut Chris to pieces. I've never seen her act that way.”

“Yes, you have,” Nia contradicted.

Frowning, Tia stared at her sister. “You're wrong. No, I haven't.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Nia fell back in her chair. “How quickly we forget.”

“Say what you've got to say.”

“When you bought your town house, I thought Mother was going to die. You may choose to forget, but I remember how she acted for days after you moved—the hysterics and the tears. The only thing she didn't do was take to her sickbed. I think Daddy made her get herself together and start moving ahead.”

Tia opened her mouth to respond, but her twin continued to talk.

“Let's face it, you are her favorite child. She wants you with her and nothing else will do.”

Nia placed her purse on their grandmother's bed and recrossed her legs, swinging her top leg back and forth. “Whenever our mother goes into mother-hen mode, she acts just like that. You are her baby. The four of us understand that. The big difference with this situation is that she's trying to force you to choose between her and someone you love. Mother doesn't want you to leave, and she'll use every trick or weapon she has to get her way.”

Snorting, Tia folded her arms across her chest. “Well, she sure did on Sunday. Daddy couldn't get her to calm down. Normally he can use that tone and she backs down, but not Sunday. Momma fought him as hard as she fought Chris. I didn't recognize our own mother.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

Frowning, Tia gazed at her sister. “What do you mean?”

“You told Daddy and he told me that you planned to leave real soon. Chris got this huge promotion and you need to get to France. When are you leaving?”

Tia looked away. Her life felt so unsettled right now.

“I don't know. With Momma's reaction and now Grandma Ruth, I can't leave Momma when so much is up in the air.”

“Sure you can. Pack your bags and go.” Nia waved her hands away.

“Nia! How can you be so heartless?”

“Don't ‘Nia' me.” She tossed her head defiantly. “This is a no-brainer. You've found a wonderful, sexy, well-educated man who wants to spend the rest of his life with you.”

“That's enough.”

“No, it isn't. Get real.”

“I am getting real.”

“If you don't want him, give him to me.”

“NO!”

Nia smirked. “Not willing to give up Chris, are you?”

“I can't leave with Momma so upset. Plus, we're sharing the responsibility right now. What will happen if I leave?”

Nia laughed. It was a harsh, unpleasant sound that grated on Tia's nerves. “Things will go on as they always do. Junior, the twins, and I will divide up the responsibility and take care of whatever we need to do. If you're not here, we'll make up the difference.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Her twin's voice softened. “I don't mean to hurt your feelings. What I'm trying to say, and not very well, is that we'll get by. That's what family does. When one can't make it, the others step up and do the rest.”

“What about Momma?”

“What about her?” Nia snorted and then added, “It's time for you to leave Mother. I've said it to you before and I'll say it again. Mother has a man. Why shouldn't you have one of your own?”

“You don't understand. Momma and you have never been close.”

“No, we haven't.” A flash of pain crossed Nia's face. For a moment, Tia questioned whether she had seen the expression. “And that's not really your concern. I do know this: It's time for Momma to cut the cord and let you get on with your life.”

“She's concerned that I'll be in another country and if something goes wrong, she won't be able to get to me quick enough.”

“So.” Nia shrugged. “You're grown and you know how to handle your business. I'm pretty sure that you know how to leave a bad situation if Chris turns out to be a piece of crap, although I doubt that will happen.” A self-satisfied smile curled her lips. “I mean, you kicked Darnell to the curb pretty quick. You know what to do.”

“I don't know about this.”

“You better figure it out. I don't think that hunk of love you've got yourself is going to wait very long. He shouldn't have to. Chris has told you what he needs and has been honest about what's going on with him. Maybe it's time for you to return the favor and give him a little respect along with a lot of love.”

Tia shut her eyes, seeing her mother's upset and lost face.

“Momma is so distraught. There's so much on her right now.”

Nia speared her sister with a stern look. “Do you love Chris?”

“Completely.”

“What would you do if he told you that he's tired of waiting and packed up and left? How would you handle that?”

She felt as if Nia had punched her in the chest. Grimacing, Tia could barely stand the idea of Chris leaving her. No. She didn't want to experience that. “He can't leave me. I love him.”

“That's what I wanted to hear. You've always been Mother's pet. I think it's time for the pet to find her own way in the world.” She glanced out of the glass wall that faced the nurses' station. “Here's my last word on the subject. Love that man and let him love you. That's the only way to go.”

Nia stood as two men in blue uniforms wheeled a gurney into the room. A nurse followed, carrying a chart. Startled, she stared at the two women and then said to Nia, “I didn't know you had a twin.”

“That I do.” Chuckling, Nia answered, “How's my grandmother?”

“Dr. Ernst had a series of tests done to determine the extent of the damage caused by the stroke.” She glanced at the chart. “I think this is the last of the tests. Once the doctor reviews the results, I'm sure he'll have a consultation with you and your family to recommend a treatment plan.”

“Thank you,” Tia answered for the both of them. She looked down at her grandmother. The senior member of the Edwards family appeared worn and tired. One side of her face looked slightly distorted.

She touched her grandmother's arm reassuringly. That simple touch got her attention. Grandma Ruth focused on Tia. She tried to smile, but the muscles in her face didn't respond.

“That's okay,” Tia whispered.

Tia wanted to cry. Poor dear. She had suffered so much lately.
I can't leave like this,
Tia thought.
My conscience won't let me. When Grandma Ruth is better, Chris and I will head to France.

 

Chris glanced at the clock on Tia's screen and straightened his tie. “It's time.” He watched Tia's eyes widen in alarm as her hand fluttered nervously over the keyboard. She had every reason to be nervous. Hell, he felt nervous. Above all else, Reynolds was a businessman who ran a multi-billion-dollar company. He didn't know how the president of Gautier International Motors would react.

After discussing Mrs. Wilson's stroke, they had decided to talk with Reynolds about delaying their departure to France. Although Chris hadn't said anything to Tia, he really didn't expect Reynolds to agree to their request. Delays cost money, and Reynolds ran his company in the black. For his purposes, Chris hoped Reynolds would show some compassion and give them a break.

“Good luck,” Tia said.

Smiling reassuringly, he reached for her hand and squeezed. “Thanks. I hope I won't need it.”

“Me too,” she muttered as he strolled away. He quickly disappeared between a maze of cubicles as he headed down the hall toward the executive row.

Chris took a deep breath and turned the knob before stepping through two carved wooden doors. He headed directly for Reynolds's executive assistant.

“How are you, Chris?” she asked.

“Good. I'm here to see Reynolds.”

“Oh, yes. Mr. Gautier is expecting you.” She waved a hand at a frosted-glass entrance. “Go right in.”

“Thanks.” He stepped around the desk. He tapped lightly on the door and waited for a reply.

A gruff accented voice replied, “Come in.”

Reynolds sat behind a huge desk. He dropped the report in his hands, rose, and stretched out a hand to the young attorney.

Chris shook the older man's hand, instantly switching to rapid French. “Thanks for seeing me. I know how busy you are.”

The older man followed suit. “Sit. Sit.” He waved a hand at an empty seat across from his wide expanse of a desk.

Complying, Chris sat, taking a minute to organize his thoughts.

“What can I do for you?” Reynolds asked, linking his fingers and placing them on the desk. His calm demeanor immediately put Chris at ease.

Chris cleared his throat and pulled on the end of his tie. “We've got a problem. Tia and I planned to fly to France at the end of the month. Everything was in order, but Tia's grandmother has suffered a stroke.”

Frowning, Reynolds said, “I'm sorry to hear that. But how does that affect our plans for you to take over the France office?”

“I don't think I can leave town when we planned. I need additional time. We want to stay until Mrs. Wilson is on safer ground.”

Pursing his lips, Reynolds leaned back in his chair and tapped the tips of his fingers together. “This is an unexpected development.”

Unexpected? What does that mean?
Reynolds presented the perfect poker face. Chris wasn't sure what to think, but he decided to forge ahead. “Yes, it is. We were hoping for a little more time before we have to leave.”

“Mmm,” he said. “How long?”

“A few weeks would be useful.”

“Fine. I'll give you two additional weeks. That should give you enough time to determine Tia's grandmother's condition.”

Two weeks! That's not enough!
Chris silently yelled. He swallowed that thought and said, “Great. We appreciate it.”

Reynolds stood to indicate that the appointment had ended. He offered his hand, which Chris shook before he returned to his office.