Lucky Number Four (45 page)

The morning after the accident, my mom showed
up at Jeff’s door. I was sound asleep and didn’t wake up until late
afternoon, feeling like I had been hit by a truck.

I check the bedside table. My cell is
missing. I slowly get out of bed, in deference to my sensitive
stomach and crazy equilibrium. That’s when I hear voices and I open
my door to see my mom at the kitchen table with Jeff. She gets up
and meets me halfway with open arms.

“Mom? What? How?”

“Henry told me. I know he’s supposed to keep
quiet about family matters and problems, but I knew something
wasn’t right and he gave in after I told him I would start ignoring
him all together. I kept getting your voice mail, so I drove down
this morning. He told me along the way. No, I didn’t get stopped by
the police, and no, your dad didn’t know I was coming. Why didn’t
you call me? I’m your mother.” She’s hugging me tightly. I feel
like I did when I was a little girl and she would hug away my
fears. “Jeff has filled me in. Drew’s going to pull through. From
what I’ve found out, he’s in love with my daughter and she’s in
love with him too. So with my connections to the other side, I’m
pulling out all the stops. My grandbaby will not be fatherless.”
She kisses the top of my head as I realize what she just said.

“How do you know? Henry?”

She nods her head. “Of course, I would have
known anyway. I’m your mother, after all.” She pulls back and wipes
the tears flowing down my cheeks and then gently rubs my abdomen.
“Now, pull yourself together. No more crying. Jeff says you haven’t
eaten since yesterday morning, so we have to feed you. It’s an old
wives’ tale that you’re eating for two. You’re just eating for
yourself. That baby will take whatever it needs.”

“You’re not mad?” I ask in disbelief.

“Of course not. You love Drew and he loves
you, and you will both love this baby. That’s all that
matters.”

From that point on, my life changed. I felt
more positive—okay, except for today, the two-week anniversary
after the accident.

I make my way into the ICU and see Drew’s
doctor having a discussion with his dad and Emily. They look up
when they see me through the doors. I walk through, not sure what
is waiting for me.

“Ah, Ms. Phillips. I’ve just been telling the
Johnsons that we feel it’s time to bring Drew out of the coma. The
swelling in his brain has resolved. He should wake up soon. There’s
no timetable though. It just depends on how his body shrugs off the
remnants of the drugs. We’ll see when he wakes up what, if any,
damage was done,” the doctor explains and then leaves us to talk
amongst ourselves.

“Dora, you go first. Dad and I will go down
to the cafeteria. We haven’t eaten breakfast yet.” Emily kisses my
cheek and Drew’s dad pats my back awkwardly. We have come to know
each other these last weeks, and we’ve had long talks on why I left
the photo shoot that day. I haven’t told them that I’m pregnant
yet, or that I love Drew, but they have said he’s loved me from the
first minute he saw me. I’ve cried many tears over the time I’ve
wasted being so stubborn through all of this. But these two have
made me feel like I’m family. Drew’s mother never showed up though.
Apparently, she calls Emily once a day for progress reports, but
has no plans on coming. Emily and her dad were relieved at the
news, and I get the feeling if I met her, I would feel the same
way.

How could a mother abandon her children? I
touch my stomach.
I will never leave you
, I say silently to
our precious bump.

I walk into Drew’s room and the first thing I
notice is there are fewer lines leading into his body. The bruises
have turned yellow, and over the last few days, the swelling has
drastically diminished. He looks like Sleeping Beauty, except a
male version, of course. I wish a kiss would wake him up. A nurse
walks in behind me and moves around me to the bed.

“As you can see, the doctor has removed the
breathing tube and before you know it he’ll be waking up soon,” she
says, turning to look at me. She didn’t say “if,” and I’m so
grateful for that. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She quietly makes
her exit.

“Hi, Drew. It’s me again. Hope you’re not
getting sick of me, and if you are, too bad. The doctor has cut off
your sleeping meds, so you’ll be awake soon. I can’t wait to see
your beautiful eyes. I’ve so missed them so much. When you wake up
your throat will be a little sore. The doctor says you’re healing
wonderfully and that if you keep this up, you could go home soon. I
know you’ll want to go as soon as you can once you taste the food.
It’s horrible. As soon as you can, we’ll go to Papa’s. They send
their love, as does my family. Even my grandma now believes you’re
not gay because I told her I love you, and that I have firsthand
knowledge of that. It went completely over her head, of course. I
have a secret to tell you, but I won’t tell you until I can see
your eyes and you can speak. Or maybe I should wait until you’ve
completely recovered because you might not like my secret. I’m
hoping that you do though.” I look at my watch. I’ve been in here
more than an hour, and I smile at the kindness of the nursing
staff.

Jeff’s waiting for me when I come out of the
room and we sit in the waiting area, watching the morning talk
shows. Life goes on.

“Dora. Dora, wake up.” I look up and see
Emily standing over me. She’s smiling and laughing. I’m lying on a
couch and I sit up when she grabs my hands. “He’s awake and I asked
him questions and he blinked once for ‘yes’ and twice for ‘no,’ or
was it the other way around? The nurse says a doctor is on his way
up to check him out.”

She’s jumping up and down. I stand up and she
hugs me like she will never let me go. Yes, I’m happy, but anxious
too. After weeks of talking to him, I’m scared I won’t know what to
say.

“She’ll come and get you after it’s done. Now
remember, you promised you wouldn’t tell him I told you he’s
quitting the modeling gig, or that he’s opening a children’s center
and the shelter for battered women. I want him to be the one to
tell you, okay?”

“I won’t forget.”

When Emily first told me about Drew’s plans,
I couldn’t believe he would give up his career. She told me that he
started thinking about this in September, and she felt it was
because he met me. As we wait for the nurse, I try hard not to rub
my stomach to calm my nerves. I want to tell Emily, but I think
Drew should hear it first. Okay, so he’s not the first, but I don’t
think he’d like the fact that I told Emily the day he woke up from
a coma before I told him. I hope he’s happy about it.

“The doctor’s finished with his exam,” says
the nurse as she enters. “Now, he’ll be hoarse and his throat will
be sore, so he won’t feel like talking much. Who’s first?”

Emily pushes me forward and I follow the
nurse, dread sitting like a rock in my stomach. I reach the door
and then step over the threshold and look to the left. Drew is
sitting up … well, as high as he can due to his leg, but he
watching me as walk in. I smile, wobbly, but a smile nonetheless. I
can’t believe the relief I feel seeing his eyes open.

“Hi, Drew.” That’s it, you idiot? The love of
your life is sitting there and that’s all you can say?

“Hi.” He swallows as if that one word has
caused him great pain. I rush over to his side and put my fingers
to his lips.

“Don’t talk. It’s going to hurt for a
while.”

He’s still staring at me like—I don’t know
what it’s like. What the hell is he thinking? His hand reaches up
to my fingers and he pulls my hand down and just holds it. Okay, so
I get teary-eyed and so does he. He smiles and so do I, sans the
wobble.

“I love you, Drew.”

“I love you too, Dora,” he whispers.

I do something I know is taboo, but I crawl
up beside him, watching out for all the wires and tubes, and
snuggle next to him. His arm cradles me, and I feel his lips caress
the top of my head. As I listen to the gentle thump of his heart, I
close my weary eyes for some much needed rest.