Another Dawn (4 page)

Jana, Rob, and Hannah were already at the hospital when we arrived. It was still not quite light outside, and they stood waiting just inside the sliding glass doors of the main entrance.

Rob was in his usual dark suit for work at the bank, looking neatly pressed and completely at ease, even while holding Hannah under one arm and the diaper bag on the other shoulder. He smiled when he saw us, as Jana rushed over, a concerned look on her face. “So, Dad, are you all ready?”

My father nodded toward the small duffel in his hand. “Yeah, got my knee packed and ready to go.”

“What about your list of current medications? And the rest of the items I suggested you pack—the ones I wrote on that sticky note for you?”

“Yes, I got it all. It’s plain ridiculous, if you ask me. Don’t know why I have to bother to pack a bag. They’ll make me wear one of those ugly hospital gowns the entire time, and they always give you a little kit with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Nothing else I can’t do without for a few days.”

“Da-ad.” Jana’s southern drawl always made two syllables out of the word. This time, she said it with such exaggerated rebuke that it was almost three.

He held up his left hand in surrender. “Yes, I’ve got everything on that list you gave me.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Jana looked at me and shook her head. “Honestly, I’m glad you’re here. I’m tired of being the nagger.”

“I’m tired of that, too.” Rob kissed the top of Jana’s head as he said it. “One more reason Hannah and I are glad that her favorite auntie is here.”

“Well, too bad for you. Since Grace will be taking over Dad-nagging duty for a couple of weeks, I’ll have extra nagging saved up for you.” She stuck out her tongue in a playful way. I could only hope my being here was good for their marriage in some way.

“Great, just great.” Rob looked down at his daughter, who was resting in the crook of his arm. “Did you hear that, Hannah? Things are going to get pretty bad for us.” He lifted her up and blew raspberries against her stomach.

She squealed in delight. “Da-da.”

“That’s right, I’m your Da-da, yes I am.” He blew against her stomach again, resulting in an all-out chuckle.

“Hannah Rose, you’re funny.” Dylan made his own razzing sound.

I put a restraining hand on his shoulder. “Remember, honey, don’t get too close.”

“Oh, Mama, I feel much better now.” This statement confirmed to me that he must truly have been a bit warm. The Tylenol had kicked in, and he was more or less back to his old self.

“Are you not feeling well, darling?” Jana looked toward Dylan with concern.

I ruffled his hair. “Nothing terrible. He woke up with a little cough and runny nose this morning, maybe a tad warm. I told him to keep a safe distance from Hannah just in case.”

Dylan’s chin began to quiver. “I feel better, honest. I want to play with Hannah Rose.”

Rob leaned forward so he and Dylan were face-to-face. “You’ve been such a good cousin to Hannah ever since you got here. Jana was just telling me about how good you were with the kids in the nursery yesterday, and now you’re being so responsible about not making Hannah sick. I’m thinking we might have to hire you as a nanny once you get all better.”

“What’s a nanny?” Dylan asked.

“Someone that helps take care of kids, just like you’ve been doing since you’ve been here. If you stayed at our house all the time, Hannah would be well taken care of, and Jana and I might even be able to have a conversation from time to time, without being interrupted by this noisemaker.” He touched Hannah’s nose.

“I’ll do it. Can I, Mom?” He looked at me, his brown hair hanging a little too low over his eyes.

“Honey, I think we live a bit too far away for that. But you can be her special helper while we’re in Shoal Creek—at least after we’re sure you’re feeling better. How about that?”

“Aww, okay.”

Jana took hold of my father’s left arm. “It’s time to get Daddy back into pre-op. Rob, you’ll take the kids into the waiting room. Right?”

“Aye, aye,
mon capitaine
.” He saluted Jana, then looked toward Dylan. “All right, Sergeant Master Dylan, we have our marching orders. We are to assemble the troops—well, the troop—and remove her from behind these enemy lines.”

“Yes, sir. Let’s get this space ranger safely into her home galaxy and away from the forces of the evil emperor Zurg.” Dylan offered back his best Buzz Lightyear salute.

Rob looked a bit confused at the cosmic talk but didn’t let it stop him. “Right. You must be the advanced scouting ranger who leads us forward. See that sign right there? The one that says surgery waiting area and the arrow?”

Dylan nodded. “The blue one that starts with the letter
S
?” Dylan was proud of the fact that he knew his letters already. So was I.

“That’s right. You’ve got to look for signs exactly like that and follow the arrows until we arrive at the designated location.”

“Follow me.” Dylan marched down the hall in his most dignified, soldierly walk.

Rob followed behind him, then turned to call over his shoulder, “Don’t worry about us. I’ll keep them both under control.”

None of us had a clue just how out of control things were going to get.

“I wonder what Rob and the kids are up to?” Jana said a few hours later as we sat in the post-op waiting room. She looked toward the door for the hundredth time since we’d arrived.

“I’m sure he has them well under control.” I laughed. “Or not. Perhaps Dylan has tied him up somewhere, and even now he and Hannah are making a break for that new ice-cream parlor downtown.”

Jana laughed outright. “You say that as a joke, but it doesn’t sound that far off from you at that age.”

“Hey, I wasn’t that bad.” Even as I said it, I knew I kind of was.

“Flibberdijibbit. That’s what Mom used to call you. Remember?” Jana bobbed her head. “That pretty much sums it up.”

“I believe Dad’s term was more like delinquent.” My mother was the only person who ever believed in me—really believed in me. To Dad I was just someone who was never quite enough of anything—not driven enough, not serious enough, not hardworking enough.

“I think a few of your teenage stunts added several grays to his hair, that’s for sure.”

“Not my fault. Teenage rebellion was the only subject where I could reach my true potential. I never could measure up to my big sister in any other area, so I figured I might as well have some fun. No one should be forced to walk in the shadow of such glowing perfection.”

“Bah.” Jana made a dismissive gesture with her left hand. “You have never not measured up to anyone, let alone me.”

“Spoken like a painfully modest valedictorian.”

“Mrs. Graham?” A man in blue surgical scrubs entered the waiting room.

“Yes.” Jana and I both answered at once, not bothering to correct our names.

He came and sat across from us. “Your father is out of surgery. Everything went according to plan. I’m very pleased at the outcome. Given how bad his knee had gotten, I think he will begin to see significantly improved mobility and comfort almost immediately.”

“That’s great.” Jana nodded. “Can we go see him now?”

“He’ll be in recovery for another hour or so.” He stood. “They’ll let you know as soon as they are ready to move him to a room.”

“Thank you, Dr. James.” Jana watched him walk out the door, then turned toward me, arms folded.

“Okay, maybe I had you in grade-point average, but that was the only way. You were always the one everybody wanted to be around. The popular girl. I’ll bet if Dylan tried to pull half the stuff you did, you’d have an all-out meltdown.”

“It’s a different world out in California, Jana. It’s not Shoal Creek. He could get swallowed up out there. I just want to raise him as best I can. Teach him the value of being healthy and safe.”

“Of getting a good education so he can be a productive citizen,” Jana said in a mock gruff voice as she leaned forward to slam her fist on the magazine table.

I burst out laughing. She was doing a pretty amazing impersonation of my father—using the exact same words and motions that had been shouted at me time and time again. Then it occurred to me—she was also doing an imitation of me. I was becoming like the one person I never wanted to be like.

No. It couldn’t be true.

Could it?

I stood up and stretched as though I hadn’t a care about anything. “Let’s go see if we can find Rob and the kids. He probably needs a break about now.”

I awoke to a dark room and the song “Paperback Writer” blaring through the darkness. I had no idea where I was or what was happening, but the faint glow of my cell phone as it vibrated on the bedside table pulled me into action. I reached for it out of instinct. “Hello?”

“Check your email.” The voice on the other end of the phone sounded excited.

“Huh? Who is this?”

“Well, who do you think it is? Grace, are you okay?”

Reality was slowly returning, and with it came recognition. “Jasmine?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s the matter? What time is it?” Even as the questions slid off my tongue, I realized I knew what was the matter. She’d found out.

I’d spent the last couple of days trying to decide how I would handle this moment. Finally, I’d come to the conclusion that I should say as little as possible, and in the little bit that I did say, try to say nothing that would give away the fact that I knew this was coming.

“Nothing’s the matter and it’s nine thirty.”

I reached for the lamp on the bedside table and flipped it on. “Jasmine, you do realize that nine thirty in California is eleven thirty here in Tennessee, right? I spent the day at the hospital with my father.”

There was a bit of a pause. “Oops.”

“What were you saying about my email?”

“My real estate agent has been talking to an agent near Houston. He sent me a dozen pictures of some of the prettiest houses you’ve ever seen. You were right about the housing prices. These places are perfect.”

I rubbed my forehead, the truth of the situation here in full force now. “Don’t you think it’s better not to get your hopes up? What if your house doesn’t sell for a while?”

“My agent says houses like mine are in the only price range moving. He expects it to sell. Especially now that I’m having the guest bathroom redone.”

“You’re what?”

“Well, not completely redone, but you remember how out-of-date it is, right?”

“Jasmine, can you afford this right now?” I knew the answer was no.

“He told me that a $10,000 investment now could mean a $20,000 increase in sales price. Seems like a good deal to me.”

And it seemed like a disaster to me. “Jasmine, have you talked . . .” I couldn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t want to be the one to tell her that her dream was ruined. Not now, as groggy as I still felt. “I’m just saying you should use caution, you know, until things move a little more forward with the Blue Pacific deal.”

“This is my one chance, Grace. And you’re sounding like
I
usually sound, so lighten up.”

“Well, you usually sound pretty smart.”

“What has gotten into you? I think I’ll let you get back to sleep and we’ll talk again in the next day or two, when you’re back to yourself.” She hung up before I could reply.

I immediately dialed Steve’s number. We hadn’t talked since the breakup, and I wasn’t quite sure even how to begin this conversation. It rang once, twice, three times, and I realized it was about to go to voice mail. Was he avoiding me? Or was he out somewhere on a work night? Having dinner with someone—Daria, perhaps? I shook my head to knock the same questions out of it that were always there and waited for the beep after his message.

“Hey, it’s me. Listen, I ran into Martin a few days ago and he told me that the Blue Pacific deal is off. I’m in Tennessee right now, but I just talked to Jasmine. She has no idea. She has hired someone to remodel her bathroom to make her house sell for a better price. Could someone please let her know? Soon?” There was so much more I could have said. “I miss you. I’m sorry.” But what was I sorry for? For doubting his intentions? Well, considering the fact that he wasn’t answering his phone at nine thirty on a Monday night, those doubts seemed entirely justified. No, there was nothing more to be said between us, because nothing had changed.