Moments In Time: The Complete Novella Collection (28 page)

The last time Melisa had been in this
hospital, it was because of tragedy. As she walked down the
corridors, it was with hope that a new page was about to be
turned.

The first thing Carlene said when Melisa
walked in was, “I’m a mommy,” and then she burst into tears.

“Are you okay?” Melisa asked as she rushed
to her friend’s side. The baby was bundled in her arms. She kissed
Carlene on the cheek.

Carlene nodded vigorously. “More than
okay.”

Nick approached the bed and kissed both
Carlene and the baby. “I’m sure you two have a lot of catching up
to do. I’ll leave you alone for a few minutes, but not too long. I
want to see my baby.”

Carlene reached up and touched her husband’s
face. “Just a few minutes, promise. I love you, Nick.”

“Not as much as I love you,” he said and
walked out, closing the door behind him.

“Can I hold her?”

Carlene placed the baby in Melisa’s arms.
“Of course you can. You are her godmother.”

“I am?” Melisa’s heart swelled as she gazed
into the sleeping face of the ruby-cheeked baby girl. She walked
toward the window so Carlene wouldn’t see her tears. “I’m so
honored. She’s gorgeous, Carlene. I wish I could see her eyes.”

Carlene laughed. “You will.”

“I hope it went smoothly. The birth, I
mean.”

“To tell you the truth, I was frightened
when my water broke. But everything went really fast after that.
There was no time. Little Daria wanted to see her parents. Nick had
to deliver her.”

“Looks like he did a fantastic job.”

“He was amazing, Melisa. He attended a
prenatal course a few weeks back and he followed the instructions
to a T.”

“I’m so happy for you guys. Daria Johnson is
gorgeous.” Melisa kissed the baby’s milky white forehead and placed
her back in her mother’s arms.

The door opened and a huge bouquet of roses
walked in. It took a minute before Melisa and Carlene could see the
face hidden behind them.

It was Nick’s mom, wearing slacks and a
cardigan. Her hair was in a messy ponytail. She was far from the
woman who, ninety percent of the time, looked like she’d stepped
out of a glamour magazine. Now she looked like a grandmother who
couldn’t wait to meet her new grandchild. Too harried to find an
empty surface to put the flowers on, she placed them on the floor
and went to meet her granddaughter.

Melisa’s heart swelled as Eleanor kissed
Carlene and placed a loving hand on her cheek. Was this the same
woman who had despised Carlene at the start? Maybe time really did
heal most wounds.

“I’ll come and see you again later,
sweetheart,” Melisa said to Carlene. She wanted to give Eleanor her
moment with Daria, too.

Outside, Melisa waved at Nick, who was
headed back to Carlene’s room, an almost life-sized stuffed panda
in his arms. He was one proud daddy.

Melisa wrapped her scarf around her neck and
walked out the main doors of the hospital without paying attention
to where she was going. The chilly air was refreshing on her hot
cheeks. She fumbled in her pockets for her car keys and pulled them
out, but they slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground,
disturbing the light veil of fresh snow. She bent to pick them up,
but someone beat her to it.

“I’ll drive,” Heat said, placing his arms
around her waist. “I thought you might need me. This must remind
you of the baby you lost.”

Melisa stiffened in his arms, but then
remembered the baby he was talking about was Scott’s, not his. She
tightened her arms around Heat’s neck and closed her eyes. “It
would be nice to have a baby.”

Heat cocked his head to the side. “You mean
it? You want a baby? You’re ready?”

“I think so.” Melisa smiled nervously.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go and
make one of our own.”

When they got home, they showered together,
then slipped into bed and made love for a long time.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Dane, for calling so
early.” Dr. Beverlin said over the phone. “The test results have
revealed something you might want to be aware of.”

Melisa swallowed and shifted to the edge of
the bed. “Is something wrong with me?”

“I wouldn’t put it quite like that. However,
you might be finding it hard to conceive because one of your
fallopian tubes is completely blocked. This might be caused by the
severe infection you had after you miscarried the last pregnancy,
but fallopian tube blockages have different causes.”

Melisa shook her head and gripped the phone
tighter. “What does that mean? I can’t fall pregnant again?”

“You have one other perfectly healthy
fallopian tube. So, you could still conceive.”

“But it’s been seven months and
nothing.”

“Sometimes one just can’t rush these things.
I suggest you give it a few more months.”

“And if nothing happens?” Something had to
happen. Heat was so excited about being a father, and she couldn’t
take his second chance away. Even though she made him believe it
was his first.

“Then we could look into several treatement
options such as surgery but, as with any surgery, there could be
side effects. Right now, please relax and enjoy the process. Come
and see me if you want to discuss further.”

“Thank you,” Melisa said in a small voice.
The doctor did not sound worried about the blocked tube, but the
news drove a knife through Melisa’s heart. One blocked tube meant
she only had a fifty percent chance of getting pregnant again.

Melisa allowed the cell phone to slip from
her hand and land on the cream-and-gold embroidered comforter. She
stood and gazed out the window.

Heat was pulling weeds in their small
garden, so handsome in an old blue T-shirt and white washed jeans.
She gazed out the window. How was the news going to affect him?
Their marriage? What if it never worked out for them again? Would
she be forced to tell him about the baby she gave away? For a
while, these thoughts wandered through her mind, breeding fear.

“Mel, are you all right?” A voice asked from
the door and Melisa whirled around.

How long had she been standing there? She
hadn’t even seen Heat leave the garden.

She smiled at her husband. She wouldn’t
spoil their afternoon. He didn’t have to know, not yet. Not before
the ink on their marriage certificate had dried. She wrapped her
arms around his neck and inhaled the smell of his sweat and citrusy
cologne. “Of course I’m fine. I have you as my husband.”

Heat pulled her close and ran his fingertips
down her spine. “Where were you? You seemed so far away.”

He knew her so well. But she wasn’t about to
cave. She needed time to collect herself, digest the news before
she told him.

“I was thinking about how lucky I am to have
you.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Mrs. Dane,
I’m the one honored to spend forever with you.”

“Forever,” Melisa echoed. For some reason,
the simple word felt broken in her mouth. Would he still say it so
easily once he knew the truth? Would he stick around?

“Carlene, can I come over tomorrow? There’s
something I need to tell you.” Melisa found it hard to breathe
between each word.

“Sure. Are you all right?” Carlene asked
over the sound of a baby crying. “Why do you sound like that?”

“Like what?” Melisa tugged at the hem of her
skirt.

“As if someone died.”

“Someone sort of did. I’ll tell you
everything tomorrow.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk
now?”

Melisa considered blurting everything out,
but suddenly the room grew silent as the shower in the adjacent
bathroom was turned off. Heat would walk into the bedroom any
moment.

“Carlene, I have to go. I’ll see you
tomorrow after work.”

Melisa ended the call and sank back into the
pillows.

Before she and Heat curled against each
other and fell asleep, Heat made love to her and she responded as
best she could, despite her heart not being in it. She couldn’t get
Carlene’s words out of her mind. She had been right. Something had
died: Melisa’s hope for the future.

***

“Spit it out,” Carlene said as soon as she
opened the door. She carried baby Daria in the crook of one arm and
held the door open with her free hand.

Seeing her godchild unleashed Melisa’s joy
and pain. She loved the baby so much, but she was also a constant
reminder of what was missing in her life.

Melisa smiled in spite of herself and
planted a kiss on sleeping Daria’s warm forehead. “On the doorstep?
Can I come in first?”

Carlene laughed. Despite the exhaustion in
her eyes—she refused to hire anyone to help her with Daria—she
looked happy. “Sure.”

Melisa kissed Carlene on the cheek and
walked past her into the house, unwinding her scarf as she headed
for the kitchen, where she sat at the massive island, their
favorite place to talk.

Carlene closed the kitchen door and placed
Daria in a hand-woven wicker bassinet positioned close to the
island. “Okay,” she said, pulling out a chair. “Tell me what’s
bothering you. You look so upset.”

Melisa drummed her fingernails on the marble
surface of the island. How could she utter words she wished weren’t
true? Bringing them out into the open would only breathe life into
them. But keeping them tucked away didn’t make them less of a
reality. “I might never have children again.”

Carlene shook her head, her sleek new bob
swaying. “I don’t understand.”

“I had some tests done, and one of my
fallopian tubes is blocked.” With those words, time stood still,
while outside, life went on. The wind whispered through the leaves
of the tree outside the kitchen window and a car honked in the
distance. “Say something,” Melisa whispered. She longed for someone
to tell her everything would be okay, that it was all a mistake and
her body wasn’t letting her down.

Carlene wheeled Daria’s bassinet closer.
“But you’ve conceived before with no problems. Why can’t that
happen again?”

“The blockage must have happened after my
last…pregnancy. The doctor said I could still get pregnant, but it
could take a while.” Melisa formed fists with both her hands and
blinked against the burning sensation behind her eyes. “It hurts so
much to know my chances have dwindled to fifty percent. I feel as
if a hole was punched through my heart.”

“Miracles happen every day. A blocked
fallopian tube doesn’t mean it’s over. It just means you get to
have a bit more fun with Heat before you conceive.” She smiled
wickedly.

Melisa leaned her head against Carlene’s
shoulder. “What if miracles are reserved for good people? This
could be punishment for what I did.”

Heat extracted the scrunchie from Melisa’s
hand. He raked warm fingers through her hair, then pulled the
stubborn curls into a low ponytail, Melisa’s everyday style.

In the bathroom mirror, she watched him
smooth down the flyaways. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked
them discreetly away. She had so longed to give him everything. It
was a week since she’d talked to Carlene, and she still hadn’t been
able to tell him. She didn’t want to see the disappointment in his
eyes when he found out he might never be a father.

“We should go,” Melisa said, dabbing perfume
on her wrists. “Let’s not keep your mother waiting.”

Heat studied her face for a moment, then
reached for her hand. They walked out of the bathroom hand in hand.
Instead of leading her to the door, he sat her down on the bed.
“Sweetheart, are you all right? I know something is on your mind. I
wish you would tell me.”

Melisa shrugged. “Sure, I had a busy day,
that’s all. A couple walked in today asking me to bake their
wedding cake, but the bride had unrealistic demands and she was
quite rude. I just...”

“Stop.” Heat cupped her chin and made her
look him in the eyes. “What’s making you so nervous?”

“I’m not... I’m not nervous.” She lowered
her lashes so he wouldn’t see the truth in her eyes.

“Don’t even try to deny it. You haven’t been
yourself lately. Are you having doubts about us?”

“Never,” she said with passion. “I’ll never
regret marrying you.”

“And yet lately you’ve been doing everything
possible to avoid me, spending endless hours at Mel’s Delights.
We’re supposed to still be in the honeymoon phase. I miss you.” He
kissed her neck.

Melisa chewed the corner of her lip. “Heat,
it’s not you,” she said. He had to know. She never wanted him to
doubt her love for him. “I went for a checkup and the results were
disappointing.”

Heat’s shoulders slumped and his face
clouded. “Are you sick?”

Melisa stood and walked to the window, arms
wrapped around herself. She couldn’t face him. “I guess you can
call it that.”

“Melisa, you’re killing me here. Talk to
me.”

Melisa exhaled. She hadn’t even known she’d
been holding her breath. “One of my fallopian tubes is blocked.
That’s probably why I haven’t been able to fall pregnant.” An
uninvited teardrop trickled down her cheek.

Melisa could have sworn Heat stopped
breathing. As she listened to her heart pounding, she waited for
him to stand up and start pacing the room as he usually did when
surprised, angry, or deep in thought. He didn’t. What he did was
walk over and wipe the tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I don’t
understand why you didn’t tell me immediately.” He reached for
her.

“There’s nothing you could have done.”
Melisa wept into his shoulder, releasing all the hurt she’d bottled
up inside.

Heat buried his nose into her hair and
Melisa was soothed by his warm breath on her scalp. Then he
released her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Baby, if you
had told me sooner, I would have told you it doesn’t matter. I
married you because I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone
before. You’re my best friend, a part of me. Whether we can have
children or not doesn’t change that. Not one bit. We have each
other.”