Authors: Bettye Griffin
“
I know that’s what he planned, but there’s just been a change in plans. He can see them another day. I’ll go to the school and pick him and Max up. We’ll come to see you and get a key, and then we’ll go get Marcus’s things. He’ll stay with us.”
“
Oh, Hilton, thank you. You’re a lifesaver.”
“
You don’t have to thank me, Ava. You should know that by now.”
“
I don’t agree. If you don’t let people you care about know you appreciate them they’ll think you’re taking them for granted. I always thought that line about love meaning never having to say you’re sorry was dumb.” She paused, knowing she had to say something difficult for her to express. “And I am sorry, Hilton. I should have told you about Cliff and me. It wasn’t fair for you to hear about it from him. Even though we socialize in the same circle, I just didn’t think his identity really mattered, even though I would have told you eventually. I guess Cliff must have thought I’ve got a few screws loose when he realized you didn’t know.”
“
You should have seen the look on his face. In hindsight, I think he was just as embarrassed as I was.”
“
Are you still upset with me, Hilton?”
“
No. But I do want to ask you a question.”
“
All right, go ahead.”
“
Since you said you don’t agree love means never having to say you’re sorry and then said you were sorry, does that mean you love me?”
Ava felt the blood rush to her face
, but the time had come to tell him how she felt. “Yes,” she said firmly. “I absolutely do love you, Hilton.”
Chapter
23
B
y the end of Ava’s first full day in the hospital it had been determined that the cause of her anemia was the large amount of blood loss she experienced each month. She received several transfusions of red blood cells, and her iron levels were monitored to make sure they continued to stay within normal range.
Her abdominal ultrasound revealed that more fibroid tumors existed, and she was counseled about having a hysterectomy, which she flatly refused.
“You’ve already had one fibroidectomy, and there’s no assurance they won’t grow back a third time in another ten years,” the physician said.
She was adamant
. “You’re not taking my uterus.”
“
We’ll schedule the fibroidectomy, but you might want to think about having the hysterectomy at a later time.”
“
If they grow back again I’ll do that.” Ten years from now she likely wouldn’t be as willing to put up with inconvenience as she was now. The situation had gotten so bad with her cycles that she was considering using disposable underwear for that week. And those shooting pains she occasionally got in her lower abdomen…if she had to go through that again she’d be glad to have the whole shop closed down. Not that it had ever been open for business in the first place, but for some crazy reason she felt better having all her parts, even the ones that didn’t work.
Her private room was mobbed with visitors that evening
. Hilton, Marcus and Max; Kendall and Spencer; Maria and Larry and their families; Linda, and Ava’s mother, who was obviously impressed with Hilton and seemed genuinely happy to see Marcus again. “I hear you’ve become my honorary grandson,” she said, putting an arm around him.
“
What do I call you?” he asked.
“
Why not Grandma Doris?”
Marcus
displayed his trademark grin. “Okay, Grandma Doris.”
*****
The next morning they brought Ava down for surgery at 7:00 a.m. Hilton left the boys asleep at home to be with her, and he insisted on being in her room when the orderlies came for her. He walked alongside her gurney as it was wheeled down the hall to the elevator, holding her hand. He was allowed in the preoperative holding area when the surgeon came in to review Ava’s understanding of the procedure about to be performed. The doctor disappeared and a nurse came in and announced it was time to prepare Ava for the surgery.
“
That’s my cue to make myself scarce,” Hilton said. He bent and kissed her briefly. “I’m going to drive the boys to school. I’ll see you in an hour or two.”
“
Thanks for not saying, ‘good luck,’” she replied nervously. “Heaven knows I hate the thought of going under anesthesia.”
“
Just think how much it would hurt if they didn’t use it.”
She was still laughing after the door had closed behind him, and once in the operating room the vision of his handsome face as he leaned in close to kiss her was her last
conscious thought before the anesthesia began to take effect.
She was groggy as
they wheeled her back to her room, but through the haze of lingering anesthesia she saw Hilton and her mother hovering nearby. They were sitting in her room by the time the anesthetic finally wore off and she opened her eyes with clear vision.
She was still tired, though, and being awake only made her more conscious of the unrelenting pain in her lower abdomen
. She pressed the release button of the intravenous pain medication three times in succession, prompting Hilton to say, “They only give you a specified amount per hour; otherwise you could kill yourself with an overdose right here in the hospital.”
“
But it hurts.”
“
I know, sweetheart.” He squeezed her hand.
Ava smiled at her mother, sitting quietly by the window
. “Hi, Mom. You all right?”
“
Yes, dear; fine. Hilton and I were just talking about the barbecue you two are giving Sunday.”
“
We’re
giving a barbecue?” She looked at Hilton for confirmation.
“
Actually, the boys and I will do it. You can just observe, or maybe shape some hamburger patties. I thought it would be nice to have your whole family over, Kendall, Linda and Marcus’s grandparents and cousins too.”
“
You must be a mind reader. I was thinking of doing the same thing so Marcus’s grandparents could meet my family.” Ava spoke the truth, but she hadn’t planned on having a barbecue and a birthday party the same weekend. As it was she didn’t know what she was going to do about Marcus’s party, now that she’d just had surgery. “But it’s going to take a lot of grilling to feed everyone,” she said tentatively.
“
No problem. I’ve got a huge grill.”
“
Oh.” She shifted the position of her hips, grimacing at the pain that shot through her abdomen.
“
Why don’t you sleep for a while?” Doris suggested. “We can always come back later. We know you’re not up to entertaining.”
“
I agree,” Hilton said. “The boys and I will stop in after dinner.” He leaned over until his lips connected with her forehead, pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you,” he said softly before meeting her lips in a simple feathery-light kiss that nonetheless made her entire body tingle.
*****
Linda came by in the afternoon. One look at Ava’s miserable expression and she quickly said, “I’m only going to stay a minute. I can see you’re not feeling too well.”
“
That’s an understatement. It hurts like hell. I don’t think I’ll be able to get out of this bed, much less—” she broke off.
“
I know what’s on your mind. You’re wondering how you’re going to manage all those kids at Marcus’s birthday party Saturday when you won’t be feeling very strong. Don’t worry about a thing. Neil and I will take care of it.”
“
Neil!”
“
Who else is there? Your sister’s going to be at Beginnings to give your assistant a day off, isn’t she? I know there’s always Hilton, but I think it’ll take more than one person to keep an eye on all those kids, and you’re clearly not up to it.”
“
But you and Neil have things to talk about. You won’t be able to talk about anything in that setting, with people all over the place.”
“
I was going to help you out anyway, remember? Neil and I can talk things out afterward. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the kids as much as I will. I know you’ll be there too, but you’re going to be too sore to be up chasing them around if they get unruly.”
Ava groaned
. “What good am I, just being a spectator?”
“
None at all, you and your iron poor blood.”
Ava giggled gingerly
—any abdominal movement was painful. “This doesn’t seem right, Linda. You’ve waited weeks to see your husband. I can always get my mother and Joy—that’s my sister-in-law—to help out. Joy’s kids will be there anyway.” That seemed the best solution. Saturday was Kendall’s busy day at her restaurants, and Ava didn’t want to ask Hilton for too much. As it was he’d taken care of Marcus all week and would be taking care of her, too, probably for another week, plus hosting a cookout for about twenty people on Sunday.
“
It’s a done deal, Ava.”
“
Oh, Linda. I don’t know what to say. That really takes a load off my mind.”
“
You don’t have to say anything. I know how important it is to you that Marcus have a nice birthday. I’ll even do the shopping for you, since you’re in no condition to go traipsing about the stores. Besides, if I do it Friday it’ll take my mind off Neil’s arrival. Now, you mentioned an easel?”
*****
Ava saw the roses when she opened her eyes. She eased into a sitting position, grimacing from the pain in her abdomen. She counted a dozen. They were a golden yellow with darker, almost butterscotch-colored edges, mixed with baby’s breath and sprigs in a lovely arrangement, so much so that she nearly didn’t see the smaller Pick-Me-Up bouquet. She reached for both cards.
The roses were from Hilton, the Pick-Me-Up from Marcus and Max
. “Hurry home,” Hilton’s card read in a small right-leaning scrawl, while the boys had opted for the standard, “Get well soon,” followed by, “We miss you,” written in Marcus’s neat block letters, even though Max had printed his own name on the bottom.
She smiled as she replaced the cards in their envelopes
. There was nothing like fresh flowers to lift a person’s spirits. Hilton was the most thoughtful man she had ever known. Still, his expenditure concerned her. She was glad his business had started to pick up, but the last thing she wanted him to do was spend the better part of a hundred dollars on her behalf if he really couldn’t afford to.
It was an effort to find the phone; the flowers took up most of the surface of her small bedside table
. She felt reasonably certain he was home, probably tinkering around in his workshop.
He answered on the first ring
. “Hilton White.”
“
Hi, it’s me. The flowers you and the boys sent were delivered. They’re beautiful. Thank you so much.”
“
Hey, I’m glad you like them.”
“
Hilton, you’re spoiling me.”
“
You
should
be spoiled. You were meant for it.”
“
I hope the flowers don’t mean I won’t get to see you today.”
“
Not a chance. It’s just that I decided to come a little later today so you could get some sleep.”
“
Sleep, my foot. Every time I get comfortable a nurse comes in to stick a thermometer in my ear and put a blood pressure cuff on my arm.”
“
They’ve got to monitor your vital signs, Ava.”
“
Listen, if they want to make sure I’m still alive they can hold a mirror to my mouth and not panic unless no mist forms.”
He laughed
. “You’re awfully cranky, you know that? I gather you’re ready to go home.”
“
Yes. The doctor came by to see me this morning. He said my blood count is stable and that I can probably go home tomorrow.”
“
How’re you feeling?”
“
Like a bus ran over my middle,” she said truthfully. “But I’ve been through it before. I know it’ll go away eventually. I just want to get out of here. My couch is looking real good right now.”
“
Your couch? You mean your bed, don’t you?”
“
Not until my follow-up visit. They don’t want me to climb stairs until then, and I don’t think I could until I’m better healed anyway.”
“
We can take care of that. You’ll come here. You can sleep in the bed downstairs.”
She hedged.
“I don’t know—”
“
It’s settled, Ava. You’ll stay here. The boys and I will take care of you.”
She saw no point in objecting; she knew she
’d be much more comfortable in a bed than on her couch. She also knew it would be challenging at best to take care of herself and Marcus without being able to do simple activities of daily living, like drive to the store for grocery items.
Hilton
’s offer took care of the last of her concerns, now that Linda had taken over Marcus’s birthday party. All she had to do now was let her body heal.
*****
Ava was discharged Friday morning. Hilton lifted her into his Pathfinder and brought her to his house, where he got her settled in a small bedroom off the kitchen furnished with a full bed, which had been made up with crisp linens. He had bought her a supply of magazines and moved a television into the room, and both her bouquets sat on a table opposite the bed where she could see them.
After fixing her a light lunch
, Hilton left to do some work for a client. When he returned shortly after three he had the boys with him. Both of them made a beeline for Ava to welcome her with hugs and kisses.
Hilton
’s voice rang out sharp and clear. “Hey! What’d I tell you, fellas? Take it easy. Ava’s just as sore today as she was yesterday when she was still in the hospital.”
“
Oh, it’s all right,” Ava said as she leaned forward to embrace the two youngsters. “You don’t know how much better it feels to be home. Or in somebody’s home, anyway,” she amended.
“
All right, guys, we’re going to let Ava get some rest,” Hilton said.
“
No, I’m all right,” she protested. “I’m going to get up. I need to move around; it’s good for me. Remember, I’m not on bed rest. I just have to take it easy.” She rubbed Marcus’s head affectionately. “You doing all right, Sport?” She found herself using Hilton’s nickname for him.
“
Yes…I like staying here with Mr. Hilton. But Aunt Ava, now that you’re home, is it all right if I go see my grandparents?”