Impossibly Love (12 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Moya

     
Deciding to drive back to school
early
Sunday
morning, the first thing I did when I woke up was call Vanessa to let her know.
She suspected something wasn’t right from my tone and said she’d drive back
with me.

     I had
completely lost my appetite after Momma’s confession the night before. I hadn’t
eaten dinner. There didn’t seem to be much point to eating breakfast, either,
no matter how many times Momma knocked on my bedroom door.

     I’d have to
I face her, soon, but right then all I wanted was to drive back to Harrington
and get away from Momma and anything having to do with my father.

     I gathered
some stuff I needed, along with the books I brought with me, and then headed to
the kitchen to get my keys. I nearly collapsed when I saw the man sitting
around the oval table waiting for me.

     Momma was
standing at the kitchen counter. She straightened as I entered, tightening her
jacket around her. “Moya, before you say anything, please, just listen.”

     I couldn’t
hear a word she was saying. I was unable to break my gaze from the familiar
almond shaped, dark brown eyes peering at me. I swallowed hard as he rose from
the chair—my favorite one at that. “Hey, baby girl.” He smiled, and my heart
rejoiced. How I had missed that smile. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t call you that
anymore. Look at you; you’ve grown into a fine young lady.”

     Shaking off
the vulnerable girl within and replacing her with the angrier me, I quailed
when he moved closer, as if he believed we were on good terms now that Momma
had told me the truth.

     “What is he
doing here?” I growled, looking over at Momma, clenching the towel anxiously in
her hand by the sink. “So you think this makes it better, bringing him here?”

     Plucking my
keys off the counter, I stormed out the kitchen and out the front door,
slamming it behind. I rushed to my car, stopping at the end of the walkway as
the front door flew open abruptly.

     Vanessa
turned on the corner toward my house then. “Girl, what’s up, why are we going
back so early?” She gaped as my father ran out. “Oh my God, is that—”

     “Yes, let’s get
out of here,” I shouted.

     He walked
over, holding his hands up in the air as if I held a gun on him. “Moya, please,
let’s talk for a while.”

     I had no
words for him. I’d been too bitter all those years believing he was some
deadbeat Dad. Now that I knew the truth, I felt a little ashamed, even though
it wasn’t my fault or his.

     Too nervous
to meet his eyes, I looked down the street as I said, “I can’t…I know she lied
about you and kept you from me, but I still feel like you should’ve tried harder.”

     Vanessa
looked from him to me, utterly confused by what was happening before her eyes.
“Um, maybe you should stay and talk for a bit?” she suggested.

     “No.” I
moved around the car to the driver’s side and told her to get in.

     “I swear,
y’all are like a soap opera around here,” she muttered, settling in the
passenger side.

     My father
hurried around and rested his hand on my door. “You’re right, and I should
have,” he admitted. “When I started my business and it did well, I wanted more
than ever to share that with you, baby girl. Your momma told me you hated me
and didn’t want to see me, and I didn’t think I could convince you otherwise.”
He dropped his head, falling silent for a moment until a ghost of a laugh
escaped his throat—the sound wry and bittersweet. “You always did choose your
momma’s side when she and I fought. I knew she’d get you to hate me.”

     “Stop,” I
shrieked. “Don’t you dare use that, there’s no excuse. The truth is you gave
up.”     

     He touched my
shoulder lightly. “Oh, don’t you see, baby girl? Even though she told you the
truth, you’re still clinging to what she told you then. You’re still taking her
side.”

     His words
sank in, and I hesitated putting my foot on the gas.

     Seeing I
wasn’t driving off, he continued, “Let’s start over, Moya. I know I’ve missed a
lot and I can’t make up for that time. I’m asking for a chance now. Please?”

     My heart
wanted to reach out and accept, tell him I’d missed him, too, that I needed
him. But the other part of me, the stubborn part, couldn’t let it go.

     I turned to
look him straight in the eye. “It’s too late,” I said, my words came out soft.

     With a twist
of my keys, the car engine roared to life, drowning out any possible response
as I stared straight ahead. I could feel his dark eyes—so like mine—on me as I
drove off.

     I reached
the end of the street and waited at the stop sign, glancing in the rearview
mirror to see if he was still standing in the spot I’d left him. He was, as if
he was hoping I would change my mind and turn around.

     Vanessa
sighed, then asked, “You alright, girl?”

     I looked
away from the rearview mirror and continued driving. “I’m fine,” I whispered.
“Everything’s fine.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Branden

     
The next day I woke up in agony
. The meds weren’t kicking in. If
anything they made the pain worse. I’d hoped to see Moya that night before
class on Monday. It didn’t seem like that was going to happen now.

     Mom called
Doctor Henderson to let him know I was on my way to the hospital, and I feared
I’d have to do surgery sooner than anticipated.

     When I got
to St. Joseph’s Medical Center, I was admitted and Doctor Henderson did another
chest x-ray.

     I remained
in a room with my parents and Ashton afterwards, still consumed in pain. Then
Doctor Henderson walked in, looking calm. “We have to get you ready for surgery
tonight. There was another doctor I wanted present – which is why we scheduled
for Wednesday – but, I’m sorry, Branden. Your condition is progressing at a
much faster rate than we expected and it’s imperative we act tonight,” Doctor
Henderson said, his eyes meeting mine with candid sincerity that left his
unspoken words hanging in the air.”

     Mom gasped.
Ashton moved away from the bed and towards the window. I knew what Doctor
Henderson couldn’t say. That didn’t bother me so much as knowing I wouldn’t
have the chance to speak to Moya before doing surgery.

     Dad walked
over to Doctor Henderson and grabbed his arms. “Listen to me, Doc. You do
everything in your power, you hear me? You make sure my son makes it past
tonight, because if he doesn’t… if he doesn’t…”

     I couldn’t
believe my eyes. My father, a man who was always so unyielding, so
put-together, was breaking down.

     Ashton
hurried over to him and scurried him out of the room, while Mom remained at my
side.

     Doctor
Henderson cleared his throat as me came closer to me. His lab coat wrinkled
where Dad had grabbed him. Neither Mom nor Doctor Henderson seemed to notice.
“We’re preparing the OR for you now. It’ll be about another fifteen minutes and
we’ll be good to go.”

     He looked
down at my face, compassion in his eyes as he reached out to give my shoulder a
firm squeeze. With a nod for my mother, he turned and left without another
word.

     Mom clutched
my hand and looked at me with the bravest face she could conjure. I whispered
through the agony, “Mom, if I don’t make it, could you please tell Moya that I
love her?”

     She raised
her eyebrows. “Of course you’ll make it,
then
you can
tell her yourself. If you want, I could call her for you before Doctor
Henderson comes back.”

     I turned my
head and stared out the door. “She won’t answer. She hates me right now. Maybe
it’s
better that way,” I said under my breath.

     Mom had a
confounded look on her face. She made to inquire further, only Dad and Ashton
returned.

     Dad walked
over to the bed, struggling to compose himself. “Branden, you’ll be alright,
son. You will.”

     Ashton
jerked his shoulder and stepped closer to my side. “Jeez, can you both get a
grip. He’s finally going to have this aortic dissection crap out of his life
for good.”

     My parents
nodded at each other and at me. The room stayed silent until Doctor Henderson
came back, bringing with him a nurse and another doctor that bore a marked
resemblance to the actress—Julianna Margulies—who played Nurse Hathaway on
ER
.
The whole scene reminded me of the popular television series.

     “This is Doctor
Moore, she’ll be assisting me during surgery,” Doctor Henderson explained.
“Doctor Ramirez couldn’t be here on such short notice.”

     The Julianna
lookalike greeted my parents then observed me as the nurse set up an IV.

     I started to
feel tired from the pain. The nurse asked everyone to leave the room so she
could get me ready for surgery.

     Dad treaded
away and Ashton followed behind. Before stepping out, though, Mom eased down
and kissed my cheek. She whispered, “I love you, Branden.”

     I smiled and
replied, “Remember what I said.” Then instantly after, I was overpowered by
fear as the momentous hour drew close, comforted only by Moya’s fiery brown
eyes and the loving way she once stared at me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Moya

     When we got
back to school
, I
told Vanessa everything that happened, why my dad was at my house after all
this time. I told her the entire story and by the end she was flabbergasted,
and just as upset with my momma as I was.  

     Vanessa
shook her head in disbelief. “Dang, I can’t believe Ms. Marie blocked your dad
outta your life. That was straight up wrong.”

     She dropped
down on the bed beside me and rubbed my back. “I’m sorry girl. That must have
been really tough to find out. Then your dad was suddenly in front of you…wow.”

     I rested my
head on her shoulder and we sat quietly until my cell phone vibrated.

     “You wanna
get that?” she asked.

     I sucked my
teeth and fell back on the bed. “It’s probably Branden calling me again. I
don’t want to talk to him.”

     Vanessa rose
in dismay. “What? What happened with him? You guys are having a lover’s quarrel
already?”

     I shook my
head. “Trust me, it’s bigger than that. Branden and I are through, and I don’t
ever want to speak to him again.”

     “Uh-Oh, you
want to tell me what happened with him?” she asked. “It’s probably another
misunderstanding, girl—”

     I cut her
off, sitting up again, “How is ‘I can’t love you’ a misunderstanding?”

     Vanessa’s
jaw dropped. “He said that? You know what, let me talk to him. I’m answering
the phone.”

     She hurried
to my desk and I sprang from the bed and tugged on her arm. “Vanessa, leave it
alone. I told you it’s over. Don’t answer his call.”

     “Well, then,
why is he still calling? I want to find out for myself what’s up.” She broke
away from my grasp and snatched up the phone from my desk before I could reach
it.

     Vanessa
checked the screen before answering. “Oh, so it really is him.” She prepared
herself to cuss him, resting her weight on one leg and pursing her lips.
“Branden, you better have a good reason for saying that…” Her voice trailed and
her forehead creased. “Who’s
this
?”

     I moved
closer and mouthed, “What is it?”

     Vanessa held
up her index finger to signal for me to give her a sec. While I waited, I
noticed her expression changed between appalled, raised brows, to a creased
forehead.

     The longer
she was on the phone, the more nervous it made me.

     Then
suddenly, Vanessa’s hand slowly moved from her face, her eyes gazed down at the
carpet. She was utterly stunned.

     “What’s
wrong?” I asked, touching her arm lightly.

     Vanessa
looked up at me, frightened. “Some woman said she’s Branden’s Mom.” She sounded
unlike my best friend. Not like the bubbly girl I was used to.

     “Why is
Branden’s Mom calling me?” I asked in a curious voice, taking the phone from
her hand. Mrs. McCarthy had already hung up.

     Vanessa
grabbed my car keys from the desk. “We have to go, girl, now!”

     She pulled
me towards the door.

     I slowed her
down and asked, “What happened? What did she say?”

     Vanessa
opened the door and guided me outside into the hallway. “Branden’s at St.
Joseph’s Medical Center. She said he’s going to have surgery tonight. You have
to hurry, Moya.”

     I couldn’t
make a sound. I couldn’t breathe. I let Vanessa take my hand as I ran behind
her to my car. It was a good thing she was driving because I was downright
beside myself with worry.                                                                                                                 

     Why did
Branden need to have surgery?

     The news
shook me. As much as I was angry at him for hurting me, I wanted Branden to be
alright.

     I found
myself crying in the car, hoping it wasn’t anything serious. Hoping I’d get to
see him again.