Chapter Six
Michael helped Lizzy from the car and walked into the Victorian home. The smell of paint filled the air. Men moved from the back room into the kitchen carrying buckets, brushes, and tape. The contractor informed them he got delayed in Seattle. Michael didn’t mind. The women visited Lizzy and by the time he returned to her condo last night, she held a sparkle in her eyes as she told him about their visit.
Today, she woke up excited to see what the crew accomplished and asked for Michael’s input on the back of the house and his office and exam rooms. He didn’t care if she painted the entire house purple and called it a day as long as she let him in.
“Kassie said the glass will arrive tomorrow. It’ll be more energy efficient, and she suggested we get a couple of portable heaters.” She grabbed his hand and led him to the former salon area. Two men removed the lighting fixtures while two more put together new ones from the boxes stacked against the wall.
“I left the choice of colors for your office and these rooms. It doesn’t seem fair I picked out all the rest,” she told him.
“You did a great job, and it feels like ours now. Help me decide what to use for the exam rooms and I’ll pick out the ones for my office. It’s hard to believe they finished this much already.” Michael scanned the busy areas.
“Some of Ivan’s men slacked off,” she whispered.
He leaned down to hear her and responded, “Knowing what I know about Ivan, doesn’t it make you wonder what they slacked off on?”
Lizzy’s eyes grew big, and she laughed, “They don’t do illegal stuff anymore; Kassie says they’re legitimate. Right?” she asked.
“Chase and her trust Ivan and Victoria. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.” Michael dramatically cringed, making Lizzy giggle. “Do you feel up to this?”
“The surgery doesn’t take place for a few more days. Everything’s decided and we can’t do anything else until then. We might as well accomplish something. I’m going up to the hospital this afternoon to meet my replacement,” her voice sounded sad.
“They assured me he’s only temporary until you’re up to returning to work,” he reminded her.
“But they took me off the schedule already with pay. I don’t mind working,” she sighed.
“They want you to concentrate on healing.” Michael kissed the side of her head as she pouted. For as long as he’d known her, she never stopped bustling. Something always brewed in her intelligent mind.
“Dr. Harris, Mrs. Harris, I’m Harry Johnson.” An older gentleman shook Michael’s hand as he introduced himself, then Lizzy’s. Michael winked at her when the contractor called her his wife. “Miss Kassie sent me a list and I’ve already ordered most of the items. My crew will start this afternoon. I’ll need a few minutes of your time to go over it to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
“We’re grateful you can begin with such a short notice,” Lizzy told the man.
“Construction slows in the winter months and since Kassie and her godfather, Joe, worked on the hospital, they’ve kept my crew busy. We don’t get much work in Serenity, and she always finds us something,” he bragged about her friend.
“Yes, I imagine she does. Lizzy, why don’t you take the lead since you discussed the changes, and I’ll ask questions while we go over everything?”
She directed the men into the living room. He watched as she took charge, explaining exactly what she wanted before moving to the next room. Pride filled him. With her talent for organization, he swore she carried a filing cabinet inside her head, cataloging things into its own file folder. He moved along with her and the contractor, nodding his head in agreement and encouragement when she glanced in his direction for approval.
Funny how none of it meant anything to him. All the little details of colors for the house, curtains, and furniture fell away. The only thing of consequence that mattered stood in front of him. As long as Lizzy stayed by his side, he’d live anywhere. He worried about the fact she refused to talk about the upcoming surgery. She made the decision on the mastectomy and scheduled the procedure without discussing it with him. They avoided the topic and it weighed heavily on his mind. He knew she carried her own concerns. It didn’t escape his notice she disappeared nightly to change into pajamas and perform her bedtime routine. They fell asleep every night holding each other. Yet she snuck out of bed in the mornings and dressed before he woke up.
“Michael?” Lizzy’s voice jerked him from his thoughts.
“Sorry. I lost my train of thought. What did you ask?” He gave her his full attention.
“Mr. Johnson suggested we add French doors to the back and he can order a screen that attaches to the ceiling. We can push a button and enjoy the warmer months without bugs,” she repeated.
Michael slid his hands in his pockets. “I love the idea. We can pick something comfortable to use out here while we take in the scenery, and the furniture will stay protected.”
“I like it too,” A voice behind him made him turn to find Kassie.
“I stopped in to invite Jake for dinner and saw your car,” she explained. “Are we on schedule?”
“We decided to add a special screen to the back. Did Whiskey say he’s fine with us changing everything before signing the paperwork?” She moved in front of Michael and leaned against his chest.
“Whiskey’s busy with his own projects and the closing will happen in a couple of weeks,” Kassie assured her as she eyed the room. “Since I started living on the mountain, it gets a bit chilly in the spring. What if you added one of those corner fireplaces over there? With the addition of the doors, it will give it a cozy feel.”
“Oh, what a great idea! Michael?” Lizzy turned around to face him. “I’m afraid the budget might be over what we discussed.”
He pushed the hair away from her eyes. “I paid off the Seattle home and with the way the housing market is, it won’t take us long to sell it. I’ve saved a good amount. Let’s make the changes now so we can move in and not deal with construction crews and a mess.” He shot a glance toward the contractor, “No offense.”
“None taken. We may not get the doors right away; I’ll make some calls when we finish.” Mr. Johnson took out his measuring tape and started writing down notes.
“I’ll check in later. I’ve got an appointment in Seattle this morning and want to return before the girls get out of school. I’m on carpool duty today.” Kassie hugged Lizzy and gave him a smile as she turned to leave.
“She holds more energy than the battery bunny,” Michael said under his breath.
“Kassie stays busy to keep from dwelling on things. I’ve seen Chase watching her. He’s concerned.” She informed him quietly while they walked away from the contractor and headed toward his office.
“Our schedules clashed over the last few weeks, but I wondered if something happened,” he stated.
Lizzy shook her head. “She’s stressed about the IVF. It’s a tough situation. When they came to my house the other day, Kassie seemed happy to talk about Catherine’s pregnancy. But Catherine feels guilty because she isn’t. I feel for both of them.
“What about adoption? She didn’t think twice about adopting Nugget when she thought Saint died in the helo crash. Surely, she isn’t against it.” Michael pulled a stool from the workman’s table for her to sit on while she grabbed the paint samples.
Lizzy smiled sadly. “Kassie longs to give her husband the child they lost. She doesn’t want to replace it. She wants a second chance, and she may not get it.”
“What about you? We didn’t discuss this. What if you need radiation? Do you want to harvest your eggs?” His hand rubbed her back gently while she gathered her thoughts.
“Let’s play it by ear. There’s a ton of unknown factors and I’m taking it one step at a time.” She kept her gaze on the book in front of her.
Michael regarded the woman he loved closely. She always planned everything and thought about every contingency with arrows and a line to direct her to the best possible outcome. Now she prepared to take on the biggest battle of her life and she decided to take it one step at a time? Something didn’t add up. He made a mental note to call Claire. Maybe she could shed some light on Lizzy’s emotions and suggest the ways for him to help her cope through this ordeal.
“What do you think about the exam rooms? What about light purple and sky blue? We can paint clouds and animals to make it fun.”
She hastily changed the subject. Michael held in his sigh of frustration. At least the women talked her into moving. He expected her to put up more of a fight, and she sat planning their home. Help her get through this. It’s about her. Keep your feelings to yourself. If she believes you’re scared, she’ll feel it. You can’t show any weakness. He reminded himself.
“I agree. I think I’ll use the tan for my office,” he told her distractedly.
“Kassie said to text Joe with our choices, and he’ll get it all delivered. It feels weird asking people to do this,” Lizzy explained.
“Chase mentioned the crews struggle through the winter months and appreciate the work. Kassie has small projects left until this summer, and she’s determined to keep the local crew working. Why don’t we go back to Seattle and grab lunch? We still need to review our furniture and decide what to bring here. Chase asked the team and everyone to come over tomorrow to help us pack up anything fragile or personal.”
Lizzy took a deep breath. “I get dizzy thinking about how fast we’re moving.”
“We can slow it down. I can make a phone call. Everyone will understand,” he told her.
“No. It’s better than sitting and waiting.” She slid off the stool and grabbed her purse. “Can we go to Pike Place? I want some clam chowder and popcorn. Then we can drive to the house and choose the items you want to take. We’ll grab take-out from the deli around the block and bring it to my place. Then we can decide on my stuff.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” Michael followed Lizzy out the front door. She laid out the entire plan for the day but refused to discuss anything to do with the upcoming surgery or go over any questions. Why did alarm bells go off in his head? Did his own insecurities cause him to overthink her actions?