Rose for Rose: Book Two in the Angels' Mirror Series (23 page)

Thirty Three

Portland, Oregon… August 18, 2013

Paloma glanced over at Eugenie and Rose for the fourth time since the service had begun. She knew most of the songs by heart, but watched her new young friend struggling to keep up with the prompter in front of their chairs.

Beside her, she sensed Edward watching her, and she turned back to him a moment; long enough to shrug her shoulders, as if to say, “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have to trust.”

Thankfully, he seemed to get the message.

A few moments later, the helper from the nursery came and tapped her on the shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt,” the girl said, “but Cherish won’t stop crying. And she seems to have a fever or something. I’m not sure….”

Within moments, Paloma followed the girl to the nursery and found five crying babies, one of them Cherish. The boys were playing with stuffed animals with Charlie, whose little dress had come untied in the back. It seemed that the workers had tried everything they could think of to calm the babies down, but had failed.

Perhaps it was that this was only the second time they’d left Cherish in the nursery, but perhaps she was ill, after all. Quickly maneuvering her way through the tide of children’s toys and bassinettes, Paloma tenderly picked her daughter up and felt her forehead.

The young girl was right: Cherish was warm. She quickly felt the baby’s tummy and it, too, was warm.

“Are any of these other babies warm, too?”

“All of them, Mrs. Stuart,” the adult worker answered back. “We’ve notified the parents we can locate, but apparently Jason and Me’chelle are nowhere to be found?”

A sigh escaped Paloma’s lips not for the first time that morning.

“That’s because we picked Charlotte up. Me’chelle wasn’t feeling too well. She worried she might have to rush out if she went into labor during church, so…. But I can call Jason to verify this for you, if you want. I know if it were me, I’d want verification.”

By the time she had called her brother and let the worker talk to him, Charlie and the twins had come over to where she sat with Cherish in one of the rockers on the east end of the room. Duncan put his head against her, and Chosen patted his sister’s foot while Charlie looked on in puzzlement and worry, her lower lip drooping sadly.

“It’s going to be alright,” she told them as more parents drifted in to check on their children.

Apparently everyone else had waited for the singing to finish before exiting the sanctuary. Maybe she should have waited, too, but this was her child they were saying might be ill. She didn’t want to make the mistake of thinking there was no problem and this was all just a routine for their household.

A few moments after the sermon ended, Edward stepped into the little nursery and Paloma did her best to fill him in on what was happening.

“So should we head for the hospital? If all those other children presented the same signs of illness, then…”

“That’s what I was thinking, but we’ve got Charlie, so….”

She pulled her cell phone out as Edward helped her round up the kids and get them ready to head to the car, quickly dialing “3” to call her brother again. Carefully balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder, she carried Cherish and made sure everyone stayed together as they got to the parking lot, then to their Dodge minivan.

The sun glinted off of its taupe exterior.

“All right,” she heard Edward say as her brother finally answered the phone, “hello.” “Let’s get everyone in and buckled up.” The twins and Charlie scrambled in quickly, and Paloma handed Cherish to her husband.

“Jason? Hey there, it’s ‘Loma again. Listen, are you at home, or the hospital?”

“We were headed to the hospital in a few minutes. I just pulled the car from the garage. What’s up?”

Paloma helped buckle the twins into their car seats as she listened.

Not wanting to worry the couple, she decided to wait until she could get her daughter checked out before mentioning what happened at church. “We’ll meet you there. We’re just leaving church. Should be there in… what,” she turned to Edward in question, “fifteen minutes, tops?” At his nod, she buckled herself into the passenger seat.

“Yes, Edward says it shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes. Eugenie and Rose already left to go back to Angelique’s; I guess Jeanette’s supposed to meet them there for something. Anyway, so we’ll be there first, so if you want, I can let staff know you’re on the way if you haven’t called Me’chelle in yet.”

She could hear her sister-in-law groaning and whimpering in the background, and pictured her struggling with the seatbelt while having a contraction.

She remembered all too well those moments.

“I called about five minutes ago,” Jason replied. “So, we’ll see you there, then. But actually, could you guys stop for food first. Arby’s or something? Things have been so hectic I haven’t eaten a thing and I’m sure the kids’ll be hungry soon.”

“Of course,” she said as Edward started the car and buckled up. “Is Taco Bell alright? We did Arby’s three days ago.”

“Yeah, that’s great. I’m not picky as long as they’ve got food, at this point,” her brother replied as Me’chelle’s whimpering got louder. “Gotta go. We’ll see you soon.”

After hanging up, she looked up at her husband. He smiled as their vehicle nosed its way into traffic. “I take it we’re stopping for tacos,” he said flatly.

“Tot-tos,” Charlotte shouted in the back seat.

“Me likes tot-tos,” Duncan added in jubilation, even as Cherish began to cry again.

“Can you believe this line? We may as well go in, it’s so long,” Edward said in frustration when they arrived at Taco Bell. “It would take the same amount of time, either way, shuffling everyone in and out.”

Paloma stifled her nervous laughter as her husband pulled to a halt in the parking lot.

“Well, if you stay with the kids, I can run in,” she told him. “Might be a
little
quicker that way. We need to get Cherish to the hospital and checked out, but Me’chelle’s in labor, it sounds like, too, so this is going to be tricky.”

Edward patted her hand and nodded. “Alright. Just a second; let me dig my card out…. I noticed you forgot your purse this morning.” He pulled into a parking spot and quickly reached for, flipped open, and searched his wallet. “Ah, there it is,” he said, sliding it out of the pocket and handing it to her.

The plastic felt warm in her hand as she unbuckled, got out, and headed to the restaurant door. She hated that they were eating so much fast food lately; it was so unhealthy… but at least there were a few decent options here and there if you looked carefully enough.

When she entered, there was a line of three people.

Hopefully, it would be mere minutes before she could order, instead of stuck in the line of cars curling around the side of the building. As it was, they’d had to park in the lot next door to find a space as quickly as they had.

When it was her turn, she prayed the staff were quick. “Welcome to Taco Bell. What’ll it be,” the pimple-faced, blonde young man behind the counter asked her in greeting.

There was little evidence he smiled much on his face.

She placed her order and waited about five minutes before it was ready. “Come again,” the man called behind her as she headed for the door.

Thirty Four

Edward watched helplessly as Paloma and Cherish were taken back for his daughter’s checkup.

The boys and Charlotte were preoccupied with the Disney movie playing on the widescreen television in the lobby, so he sat down to join them. Chosen scooted closer, then crawled into his lap, putting his head against his chest and sighing as Aladdin and Jasmine began singing
A Whole New World
.

Duncan started singing along, a great big smile on his face, and pretty soon, all three children were muddling through the words as Aladdin continued singing. Chosen bounced around on his lap in excitement as he sang with enthusiasm.

And, of course, Duncan and Chosen’s version was more like, “No one to teww us no oww wewe to go, oww say we’we ownmy dwea-aming.”

Edward’s heart felt like smiling; the kids were so precious, it hurt.

An anxious-looking mother waiting with a young girl, who seemed about ten, glanced over at Edward and the kids, scowling.

He wasn’t about to tell the kids not to sing. Not at a time like this.

He knew the other parent might be upset at him not to, but there was no way he was going to disappoint three little kids who wouldn’t understand why the lady was so upset.

Not that he knew, either, unless perhaps she had a headache or something.

But why try to guess?

Hopefully, Jason and Me’chelle would arrive soon. He didn’t want the kids getting upset all over again if he had to remind them they were waiting for Jason in order to eat. Cherish and Paloma had eaten something, but that was because they were going in to see the doctor.

The baby had eaten very little, and since she usually had a good appetite, that worried him.

Behind him, Edward heard the sliding glass doors shimmer open and soon, he recognized Me’chelle’s voice as a groan escaped her lips. He turned around and waved to his brother and sister-in-law even as Charlie ran toward them.

“Mama,” she called, arms stretched out. “Mama, you’we hewe!”

Edward followed behind with Duncan and Chosen each holding a hand. Jason already had a nurse’s attention and a wheelchair was being ordered as he arrived at the window where they stood.

“We’ll have her wheeled around to the maternity ward right away, Mr. Rutherford. Just as soon as we check her vitals,” he heard the red-haired nurse saying. Or maybe the man was an orderly? Edward wasn’t sure, but he didn’t care at this point.

Suddenly it dawned on him he’d left their bag of burritos and tacos on the table in the waiting area behind him.

“I’ll be right back,” he said when Jason finally glanced at him. “Left the food on the table. Duncan, you stay here with Uncle Jason and Auntie Me’chelle. Papa will be right back.”

Duncan looked from his Papa to his uncle. “Awwite, Daddy,” he said calmly.

Within moments, Me’chelle’s wheelchair had arrived and as Edward and Chosen came back with their lunch, they watched her being wheeled through the door to the emergency room. “We’ll let you come back, but you can’t bring the food. So either eat it, or toss it,” the man said when they walked through the doors, too.

“We’re going to eat real quickly, and then we’ll be there,” Jason replied. “Me’chelle,” he said, bending down to her level and kissing her on her sweat-shined forehead. “Me’chelle, we’ll meet you upstairs in a few minutes, alright?”

She nodded as another contraction hit her, and gritted her teeth as the man wheeled her into a curtained room.

“Well, nothing to do but eat and head upstairs, then” he heard Jason saying next to him. Duncan reached for his hand again, so he handed their meal to his brother-in-law and made sure Charlotte was holding someone’s hand as they headed back to the waiting room.

Over the next fifteen minutes, they were able to eat, then leave a message for Paloma to come upstairs with Cherish when they were finished. Then they headed upstairs, themselves, in an elevator full of people.

Maybe it’s a busy day for hospital visitors
, he thought as the elevator ground to a halt at their floor.

After three others exited the elevator, he and Jason gathered the children and swiftly made their way to the maternity ward. A nurse was already there, smiling at them.

The woman was familiar-looking. Had she assisted with one of the other children’s births? Edward couldn’t recall for sure…

“Hello there,” she called in greeting. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Stuart; Mr. Rutherford. And, my, these children have grown since I saw them last time they were here. Just seems like yesterday.”

The bottled-blonde woman, petite and Asian – Edward wasn’t sure where from, though guessed she wasn’t Japanese – escorted them back to see Me’chelle. Duncan, Chosen, and then Charlie hugged her before she took them back into Me’chelle’s room.

Probably so she didn’t feel left out,
Edward thought, smiling.

An IV had already been placed and Me’chelle looked uncomfortable but not challengingly so. There was relief in her tired eyes when she saw them. “Where’s Paloma? What about Cherish? I meant to…” Another contraction hit her, and she was unable to finish her sentence.

Once it was over, Edward answered. “Cherish and a few of the other babies in the nursery had some pretty major crying spells today, and since she seemed warm and we were heading here, anyway, Paloma wanted to make sure she was alright,” he heard himself reply, almost mechanically.

He had rehearsed in his head what he’d say, though that wasn’t quite how he’d planned it.

A look of alarm spread over the woman’s dark, beautiful face. “Do you think she’ll be alright?”

With a tight nod, Edward tried to relax. Instead of trying to make more conversation, he gave her a quick hug, careful not to get tangled in her IV or any other lines that might be attached to her that he wasn’t aware of. Duncan and Chosen wanted to hug her, too, and Charlie asked if she could sit with her Mama, but Jason said they’d have to wait until later when she was feeling better.

“Mama has owwie?”

The little girl’s caramel-brown eyes filled with tears, and Edward wondered if it was because her Mother and Cherish were both in the hospital, or because she was confused and upset with all the happenings in her world in one day.

“Mama’s alright. She’s here because the nice doctor…. Do you remember Dr. Schultz?” The little girl nodded, tears still streaming down her face. “Well, Dr. Shultz is here to help Mama have her baby. It’s time for Clayton to come and stay with us, but the doctor needs to help him come,” Jason said softly, gently stroking the child’s hair.

Dr. Ward Shultz had been both Me’chelle and Paloma’s OBGYN since before they’d married, and had been there for the twins’ labor and delivery, as well as Charlie’s. As for Cherish’s, he made it barely in time to deliver her, and another doctor had helped Paloma through the majority of her labor.

In his mid-fifties, with a balding pate and slightly protruding stomach, the man stood a good six feet tall. His sense of humor and gentle manner continued to draw their family into his service, along with his expertise and skill.

All of a sudden, Edward remembered Rose.

With a quick glance to the wall clock, he realized they weren’t likely to be able to say goodbye at the train station after all, and he cringed.

He helped the boys settle into chairs, and asked Jason to excuse him a moment. “Rose is leaving in less than three hours, and I should call Eugenie to let her know we won’t be able to be there. Good thing we said some semblance of goodbyes already.”

Charlie tugged at the pocket of his jacket as he was about to walk out the door. “Untle Ewwawd… see Wose?”

Heart wrenching in pain, he knelt down carefully to hug the girl before answering. “I don’t know, Charlie girl. I hope so, but maybe not for a long time.”

“No mowe Wosie,” he heard Chosen say in alarm even as the boy ran to him. “Why, Papa? Why no mowe Wosie?”

Duncan, he noticed, was turning to Jason, who pulled him into his lap for a hug.

“Sorry, guys, but it looks like we won’t see Rosie again for a very long time, and maybe not again. We just… don’t know,” Jason replied for him.

Chosen and Charlie both started crying, and Edward could see Duncan’s lip protrude and begin to tremble.

He couldn’t do this.

He had to get out of here. He had to call Eugenie, and be calm about it.

He wished Jeanette had never come to take the girl away, and then, just as quickly, chided himself for such a selfish thought. Of course she came; she was Rose’s family. They weren’t. And with her family was where Rose belonged… wasn’t it?

She deserved to be able to see her brother again before he passed away, even if it was a difficult thing to face.

Had Edward travelled only so far into the future that someone he’d known and loved was still alive, he’d likely have at least visited, whether he stayed or not.

“Be back as soon as I can,” he said again, disentangling himself from the little hands wrapped around both of his legs. “I’ll be back soon,” he told them, bending down to their level once more. “I just need to call Miss Eugenie, okay? So why don’t you help take care of Auntie Me’chelle for me while I’m gone?”

Chosen nodded vigorously and marched over to his aunt’s side, and Charlie reluctantly followed before finally smiling.

Lord, how are we going to get through another day like this, filled with so much emotion and shifting change,
he prayed silently.
What is it about this moment… this weekend and this last, well, month and a half, really, that is so important that all of these conflicting moments are happening in our lives at once. Or it seems all at once. God, how can we get through another day without You? Never. It isn’t possible, but with You, all things are possible, even if its stuff we’d rather not face heading our way,
he continued.
At least keep Quentin out of all this, Lord, please.

The thought occurred to him that he should probably call Tawny and Tom, too, since he didn’t see them at church this morning. He knew Tom was still recovering from Quentin’s surprise attack, and perhaps hadn’t wanted too many people asking what happened.

Quickly dialing Eugenie’s number, he was surprised when Mark picked up. “Hello?”

“Mark? It’s Edward. Listen, is Eugenie there? Or Rose?” He headed to the waiting area so he wouldn’t disturb the nursing staff and doctors around him.

At least it was further from the desk.

“Yeah, I guess. Just a minute. I think they’re here,” came the reply. He sounded wooden, as though he was on autopilot.

“’Genie, the phone’s for you!”

Well, of course it’s for her,
Edward thought.
I called her number. I’d have called his if I was looking for him.

Three other people sat in the waiting room, and so when Eugenie said “hello,” he tried to be discreet with his explanation. “Eugenie?”

“Yes, Edward, hello,” she said a bit more cheerfully.

“I just wanted to call to let you know Me’chelle’s in labor, so we won’t be able to make it to say a final goodbye to Rose. We want to, but we can’t just…”

“I understand. Just a moment. I’ll let you tell her. I think she’ll get what you’re saying. She’s just in the living room with her niece now, so I’ll bring the phone to her. One moment,” she said.

Suddenly, Edward wasn’t so sure talking to Rose one last time was such a good idea. What if he broke down crying? Lord knew there was enough crying going on around him, he was beginning to feel it, too. And what’s more, since the girl wasn’t alone, and neither was he, he couldn’t say all he had wanted to.

“Edward?”

“Hi there, Rose. I don’t know how to say this, but…”

“What’s wrong? Is it Peter?

“Peter? No. no, honey, it’s Me’chelle; she’s in labor, and Paloma is having Cherish checked out because she was running a temperature at church today. I just called because, well…”

“You guys can’t come, then, is that it?”

A blunt and astute one, that girl. “No, Rose… I’m so sorry. We’re thankful we were able to say some goodbyes the other night, but… no, we can’t come to the
Amtrak
station to see you off. We wanted to; had more to say, but…. We’ll keep in touch, alright? Will you do that, too?”

He could hear Jeanette asking what was happening in the background, barely discernable over the conversation the other waiting room guests were having with one another.

“I guess so,” Rose finally replied after several moments.

“Jeanette has our e-mail address and phone number. Do you recall what an e-mail is?”

“Kind of. I still don’t understand how to do it, but I get the gist of it, Sir,” Rose said again, her voice nearly as hollow now as Mark’s had been moments before.

“I’m sure your niece can teach you some more, or even her daughter. I hope you and Arabella will become good friends, Rose. Since she’s the family closest to your age n…” He had almost said “now,” and looked around him.

The trio nearby were still absorbed in their conversation. Edward wasn’t even sure what language they spoke in. Russian? Romanian? Ukrainian?