Threads of Steel (Bayou Cove) (30 page)

Within the hour she was sitting in Anna Marie’s front seat heading for the airport with a couple suitcases filled with heaven-knows-what. She’d gotten ready so quickly she had no idea what she’d packed.

Anna Marie looked over at her. “He’s going to be okay, Nancy. You have to stop crying.”

“I know. These tears aren’t doing any good, but I can’t seem to stop them. I never cry, but that’s all I’ve done for the last week. I think I’m losing it.”

“And you have every right to lose it if you want to. You’ll be with him quicker than it’s taking us to get to the airport. You’ll see. Everything will be okay.”

“I’m so sorry I had to interfere with your plans.”

Anna Marie snapped her head around and frowned. “Don’t you ever say something like
that.
I would’ve been mad if you hadn’t called. I still have time to see
Doti
before I leave. It’s not a problem.”

Nancy took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you. I needed to be with you more than I needed a ride. I could’ve taken a cab, but I needed your support.”

“That’s what friends are for, Nancy, or have you forgotten?”

“I’d never forget that.” She took another big breath. “Can you believe that company is sending a plane for me?
Harry’s
just a temporary worker. I can’t believe they’re doing that.”

“Now, Nancy, they must think a lot of Harry. He’s a good worker. You should be proud of him.”

“I am. Oh, I’m so proud of him. I love him. I do love him.” The tears started all over again. “Oh, God, I hope he knows that.”

“He knows that, Nancy. He knows you love him.” Anna Marie reached across the seat and patted her arm.

“But when he left, we were yelling at each other. We’ve never done that before.
Never.
What if he doesn’t make it?”

“Nancy Bernard, don’t you even think thoughts like that.”

Nancy bit her lip. “We were ugly to each other,” she managed to say through her tears.

“But I love Harry. I’m so sorry I nagged him like I did. What if he dies?”

“Nancy, your husband is still young and strong. He’ll be okay. Look. We’re already at the airport.”

Once inside the terminal, Anna Marie pointed out a man holding a sign with Nancy’s name on it.

“That’s got to be someone from the company. See. Things are working out just as they’re supposed to.”

Nancy introduced herself to the man, hugged Anna Marie,
then
followed the man through the terminal. She didn’t know what would happen in the next few hours, but she was ready to face anything if it meant that she’d have Harry home with her and the children. She’d never complain again.

Please, God, let my Harry be okay.

CHAPTER
19

Anna Marie found
Doti
at her parent’s house. She’d been discharged from the hospital the morning before, but was still too sick from the chemo for
Doti
to go to her own home. Anna Marie parked in front of the Smiths’ fenced yard and wondered what else could possibly happen to her or her friends. How had life gotten so complicated in the last few months?

She hated having to watch Nancy leave alone to go to Harry, but at the moment there was nothing she could do. She could only pray that Harry would be okay.

The Smiths’ house looked so peaceful and homey, but she didn’t want to go inside. Knowing what she’d come to tell
Doti
, she knew her news would ruin any peace that
Doti
found here with her parents.

But not knowing what else to do, she slid out of the car and marched up to the front door. As soon as she knocked, Caitlyn opened it almost immediately.

“Hi, Aunt Anna.
You came to see my mama, didn’t you? Mama!” she yelled. “Guess who’s here to see you.”

“
Shh
. She might be sleeping,” Anna Marie said through her giggles.

“She’s not. She’s in the kitchen with Grandma.”

Caitlyn held the door open and stepped back.

Anna Marie knew where the Smiths’ kitchen was, except now it was a room where she hated to step into. No way was
Doti
going to be happy about the news she had.

Caitlyn jabbered as they walked down the hall. “. .
.and
Jennifer tore her dress today. She wasn’t supposed to be on the playground equipment, but she tried to hurry down the slide before Mrs. Murphy came out and that’s when her skirt hooked up on the top of the slide. When she came down, the skirt ripped and you could see her panties.”

She covered her mouth with both of her hands and laughed out loud. Her laugh was the sweetest laugh Anna Marie had heard in years. This little girl was a joy to be around. What fun it would be to have her in her home all the time.

She almost groaned out loud knowing that she shouldn’t be thinking those thoughts.

Mrs. Smith met her at the kitchen door drying her hands on a dish cloth. “Why Anna Marie, we didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Come in. Come in.”

As Anna Marie passed, Mrs. Smith gave her a quick hug. “
Doti’s
glad you’re here too,” she whispered.

“I’m glad I was able to get here, and I’m also glad to see you’re up and moving around today.”

“I’m having a really good day today. I just wish
Doti
was.”

Doti
was sitting at the kitchen table. Anna Marie had to keep from gasping out loud when she saw her. It hadn’t been long since she and Nancy had talked with her in her hospital room, but
Doti
looked years older. Her bald head was bare. Her skin was much greyer than the other times she’d seen her, and her eyes were lifeless. An oxygen tube was in her hose and wrapped around her neck, just like her father’s was the last time she’d seen him.

Anna Marie walked up to the table. “Chemo was bad this time, huh?”

Doti
swallowed and inhaled a big breath. “You could say that. They seem to get worse each time. I just don’t know if I can go through another round of this stuff.”

“Now,
Doti
,” Mrs. Smith spoke up, “you know what the doctor said. Each time you take
this stuff gives you a little more time with us and with your daughter.”

Tears wells in
Doti’s
eyes as Caitlyn walked around and wrapped her arms around her mother. “Please, Mama. Take some more. I don’t want you to go away.”

It was all Anna Marie could do to listen to the little girl and not let out the sob that threaten to explode. This was not the scene she was expecting.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m just feeling bad today.”
Doti
pulled Caitlyn into her arms and buried her face in her daughter’s hair. “You know I’m going to do everything and anything to be with you as long as I can.”

“Okay, you promised. I’m not going to let you forget that.”

“I promise. Now, why don’t you scoot on outside and play with Gail so I can talk with Aunt Anna.”

Caitlyn kissed her mother on her cheek. “Okay.” Then she spun around and skipped out the door.

When she was gone,
Doti
put her head in her hands and cried. “I just don’t know if I can do this again.”

Anna Marie and Mrs. Smith didn’t interrupt her. When
Doti
raised her head, her mother gave her a tissue. She blew her nose,
then
simply stared at the table.

“Since Anna Marie is here, I’m going into the bedroom and watch the news. Make
yourself
at home,” she told Anna Marie as she walked to the door. “Call me if you think
Doti
needs me.”

“Yes ma’am.”

When they were alone,
Doti
dried the rest of the tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t need to do that in front of you, but I don’t seem to have control over my emotions any more. I cry all the time, that is when I’m not vomiting, but then I cry afterwards. I’m a horrible mess. I just need to quit all this foolishness and die so my daughter can start having a life again.”

Anna Marie pulled up a chair. “She has a life. She has you.”

“Me being sick.
Me being in the hospital.
Me being picked up off the floor by someone.
That’s no life, Anna. I’m tired.”

Without thinking, Anna Marie reached across the table and took her hand and held it tightly. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but I’m sure I can guess. I wish there was something hopeful I could say.”

“You can tell me you’ll take my daughter, and that you’ll make sure she’ll have a good life so I can just die.”

Anna Marie swallowed. “That’s what I came to talk with you about.”

“Don’t tell me you won’t take her. Please. She’s a good little girl.”
Doti’s
tears gagged her. Her whole body shook.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t take her. If nothing else works out, yes, I’ll take her to live with me. I promise, but there are other routes we have to talk about before that happens.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t you want my daughter? She’s the most precious gift anyone could give you.”

“I know that,
Doti
. I’ve never had a gift so wonderful be offered to me. I know she and I would manage well, but I want to talk with you first about some other things.”

She went on to tell her about leaving the child here with the Smiths at least for a short time to get adjusted to being without
Doti
. “I don’t think she should be whisked away into a new environment right away.”

Doti
nodded. “Okay, I can live with that.
Wrong choice of words.
Maybe I ought to say, I
can die with that.”

“Oh,
Doti
, how can you make jokes about this?”

“If I didn’t, I’d just crumple up in a wad and never get up.”

Anna Marie nodded.

“So you’re saying after a little bit of time, you’d take her?”

“I’m saying that after a little time, there might be another route to look at before I take her.”

Doti
sat up straight and got serious. “Like what?”

Anna Marie squirmed.
God, how she wanted to be anywhere but here.
“I just drove back from Birmingham.”

“Birmingham? If you’re about to tell me I should let Ronnie have my child, you’re crazy.”

“No, I’m not crazy. I’m trying to think this thing through and do what’s right. Remember you told me in the hospital that you’d at least talk with him.”

“No, I don’t remember saying that.”
Doti’s
face burned red. “If Ronnie took Caitlyn, it would not be right. Nothing about that would be right.”

“Except for the fact that he’s her father.”

Doti
crossed her arms in front of her body. “He gave up his rights to her.”

“He said he gave up his rights because that’s the only way you’d let him see her.”

Doti
scowled at her. Her breathing got rapid. “I was protecting her.”

“I know you were. I would’ve done the same thing had I been in your shoes. I understand you’re trying to protect her now, but please, hear me out.” Anna Marie stood up and paced the room. “Ronnie’s changed. I felt it when he was here for Miss Ellie’s funeral, but I wanted to be sure so I went up there.
Doti
, you wouldn’t recognize him. Well, maybe you would. He’s like the young teenager we used to know, minus the swag.”

She explained about his job and about June. “The lady seemed very nice, very respectable, and someone who would make a loving mother. You need to meet her before you say no to this idea. I swear, if I didn’t think Ronnie was changing, I would never have mentioned this to you.”

“I don’t know. This is a lot to swallow. Knowing Ronnie, he’s doing it for Caitlyn’s share of Miss Ellie’s house.”

“No, he’s not. I didn’t tell him about the house. Unless someone from Bayou Cove told him, but I really don’t think he knows. I wanted to see his genuine feelings about his daughter. Even after I felt sure he had her best interest at heart, I still didn’t say anything about the money.”

Doti
stared at Anna Marie for a long time before commenting. “I’ve thought so much about what to do about her. In my mind I saw her being raised in a classy setting with you, having all the things that I couldn’t give her, but you could.”

Again she reached out and took
Doti’s
hand. “I’m so
very
honored that you want me to take Caitlyn, and I promise you I will if this doesn’t work out with Ronnie, but you have to agree to see him, listen to him, and see for yourself that he’s changed. She’s his daughter. He should raise her. Even if he takes her initially and it doesn’t work out, I’ll be here for her, I promise.”