Chapter 7
“Where is she, why isn’t she here?” It was our usual day and time for the weekly meeting. I’d been on tenterhooks all day waiting for her, but instead my brother showed up alone, looking worried.
“That’s what I came to tell you. She had a last minute emergency.” I didn’t like the look of misery on his face.
“What kind of emergency, is she sick?”
“Not her, her child is.” I felt a knife slice down the center of my heart.
“Child, she has a child? Is she married?” I felt like I was suffocating, like the walls were caving in on me. This can’t be happening, she’s mine. I know she is.
“She’s a widow, geez Evan where’ve you been? Everybody knows this.”
“I don’t listen to office gossip.” She’d been married. She’d loved someone else enough to want to spend the rest of her life with him; she’d borne him a child. It hurt like fuck.
The feeling of betrayal made no sense, how had I not known this? Because I’d refused to look into her past I’d left myself open to this hurt.
At least she was no longer married, but still I felt jealousy like a live thing in my chest. I’d fallen in love with a woman who had a child and a past with another man. How the fuck did this happen?
I got ahold of myself enough not to show anything in front of my brother. “How’s the child, what’s wrong with it?”
“It, is a girl and she has severe asthma, I think she had an attack.” So that’s why she leaves early every day, she has a sick child at home.
“Okay, leave this let’s go to the hospital and see what’s going on.”
“Huh? You’re coming with me?” I didn’t bother to answer him as I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door.
We drove separate cars and I followed him to the children’s hospital. I had to put my selfish feelings aside for now and concentrate on her.
If her child was in danger it’s obvious that she’d be upset. I’ll overcome my anger enough to take care of her, but later I’ll deal with her for deceiving me.
I didn’t stop to think that none of this was her fault; that she had no idea that I was in love with her. My mind hasn’t been right since I met her.
I let Gavin ask at the desk which room the child was in and followed him onto the elevator. “Is her family here with her?”
“She’s an orphan her only family is her daughter. If you remember she moved here for the job with us so she doesn’t really know anyone here.”
“An orphan?”
“Yes, both her parents died when she was young.” My poor baby, all alone in the world and I had no idea. Breaks my fucking heart.
“And the husband?” The word tasted bitter on my tongue.
“She doesn’t talk about him much, but he died before the baby was born.
“How old is the baby?”
“She’s four.”
“That old? Gia can’t be more than twenty-two-twenty-three.”
“She’s twenty-five she just looks young.”
Twenty-five and even with a sick child and no husband or family to speak of she’d finished her education and was able to reach the top of her profession. She truly is the woman for me.
We found the room and I stood outside looking through the glass while Gavin ran down to the gift shop to buy a toy for the child.
She looked so little and alone as she sat next to the bed holding her child’s hand in hers. They were both asleep, the child hooked up to tubes and a machine that was helping her breathe.
I couldn’t wait any longer. The slump of her shoulders that made her look like she was carrying the world on her back was a bit too much for me to take.
I looked down at her sad face for a few minutes before touching her shoulder. She came awake with a start and looked up at me.
“Evan, what are you doing here?” It’s the first time she’d called my name and I got lost for a second until reality kicked back in.
“Gavin told me what happened, he went to the gift shop he should be here soon.”
“Oh you didn’t have to bother, I told him it was fine. This happens a lot.”
“What exactly is wrong with her?”
She took a deep breath and released it. “Her lungs weren’t fully developed at birth so she has these attacks often.”
I looked at the child on the bed and saw a little bit of her mother, but it was obvious she’d taken after her father whoever he was.
She was light where her mother was dark and though she looked like an angel I couldn’t forget that she was the evidence of my woman’s love for another man.
Geez Evan, have you completely lost your mind? I’ve never given any thought to a situation like this. I’ve never dated a mother before and never thought I would.
I have also never felt this level of jealousy before in my life. I had nothing with which to compare it to. I knew though that none of this was the child’s fault.
“Have you had anything to eat?”
“I can’t eat, I’m not hungry.”
“If you’re not well you can’t take care of your child. As soon as Gavin gets here I’ll go get you something to eat.”
She didn’t argue with me so I knew she was really worried. Looking at the pitiful state of the little body on the bed I could well imagine how she felt. I’m a grown man and if I get sick my mother still makes a fuss.
Gavin showed up minutes later and I left the room to go see about getting her something to eat. She looked like hell and there was no way I was going to let her make herself sick by not taking care of herself.
After I found what I considered a decent restaurant and ordered her some soup and a salad, which I knew was her favorite lunch staple I headed back.
The doctor was in the room talking to her and my brother when I entered. The child was still asleep and her color was no better than when I’d left.
“Are you the specialist here?” He turned at my question.
“Not a specialist exactly. What she needs is a pulmonologist but the insurance…”
He stopped and looked back at Gia who looked like she was ready to scalp him. “What about the insurance?” I ignored her and stood between the two of them, blocking his view of her.
“Well, since she’s only just started working her insurance doesn’t quite cover.”
“Are you telling me that this child can’t get the proper care because of fucking insurance?”
“Evan…”
“Leave it Gavin.” I don’t think I’d ever heard anything more fucking disgusting in my life. “Fine, who’s the best specialist in the country?”
“That would be Dr. Mark Spencer, but he’s in LA.”
“I’ll be right back.” I left the room and made a call to the one person I knew could get shit done.
“Ma I need a favor. Gia’s baby is in the hospital…” I gave her the particulars and she promised to get back to me as soon as possible.
I went back inside to find her and my brother keeping watch over the child.
“Evan what have you got?”
“Mom is on it.” He relaxed but the room’s other occupant wasn’t looking too pleased.
“What does that mean what have you done?”
“Mom is going to get in touch with the specialist in LA and find out if we have to go to him or if he’ll come here.”
“What? I don’t have that kind of money.”
“I do and before you open your mouth to argue with me take a look at your child and don’t be stupid.”
I don’t know why I was pissed this time, but the thought of her being alone and scared with a sick child was beyond frustrating.
And the fact that no one was willing to care for the child because of the lack of money was worse than inhumane.
“Why didn’t you say something about the insurance?”
“What could I say? It’s normal when working for a new company for the insurance not to cover certain things until an acceptable amount of time has passed.”
“Her treatment cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, this is the best I can do for now and I’m doing it.”
“Don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming you, the whole thing is just too cruel for words.” And all the more so because it was happening to my woman.
“Here drink your soup before it gets any colder.” I picked up her food from the table where I’d dropped it before.
“I better get back to the office, we can’t both be gone today of all days.” She looked like she wanted to beg Gavin to stay when he made his way to the door but I cut her off.
“That’s fine, I’ll stay here.” I dared her with a glare to say anything about me staying and she had the good sense to keep her damn mouth shut.