Chapter 5 Blaze
On the day Daisy was discharged from the hospital, I was on a ride, clearing my head with the boys.
We didn’t go far. I could have made it back in plenty of time if she called me.
But she didn’t. I found the flowers and boxes of jewelry in the kitchen when I came home to get ready for my shift at the firehouse.
It hurt a little that she didn’t call to let me know she was coming home.
I wanted to bring her home and try again to apologize and make up. Another opportunity missed.
I quickly searched the house for her with no luck. I guessed she was catching up with a girlfriend or something. She was probably almost fully recovered by now with how long she’d spent in the hospital. I quickly dressed and headed to work. It was all I could do.
She still wasn’t back by the time I finished my shift. I had called to see if she wanted me to pick up some take-out for tonight. But her phone went straight to voicemail. I picked something up anyway and came straight home like I promised, even though she hadn’t heard me.
The flowers were still there, the same as the jewelry boxes, but next to them was her phone with my messages unread on the screen.
I went searching for her again. And again she wasn’t anywhere.
I was getting irritated. Where was she? And the roses were starting to droop.
Fucks sake, after all the trouble I went through to get them.
I searched the cupboard for a vase, filled it up with water, and plonked the flowers in there.
I grabbed the jewelry boxes and packets and was about to toss them in the trash when I heard the little rattle.
Instead, I opened them. She hadn’t taken a single item out.
I’d spent ages searching for stuff that everyone told me she’d like, and she barely touched them.
She could at least have put them away instead of being ungrateful.
I sighed and pulled myself together. She’s still grieving. They might remind her of Junior, you just need to talk to her. Maybe she’d listen this time. Maybe she’s with Bull’s ol’lady. They seemed to be getting close at the hospital.
I pulled my phone out and called Bull.
“Is Janie there?” I asked as soon as I heard the phone pick up.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Blaze! Do you know what time it is, and what the fuck do you want to talk to my wife about?” he muttered.
“Sorry, it’s just…I can’t find Daisy. I know she’s come home from the hospital, but she’s not in the house.”
Bull grunted. “Yeah, I know…she’s having a break.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s gone upstate for a vacation. Give her some space while she recovers.”
“Recovers?” I echoed.
“Yeah, from having to give birth to her dead child. On that note, we’ve got a funeral to arrange.
I offered and she agreed. The club is handling all the arrangements for Baby James’s funeral.
I’ll let you know what we organize,” he snapped, before hanging up the phone.
I kept the phone to my ear, trying to work out what just happened.
My brain slowly caught up. Daisy had gone away for a break. Away from me. She must be pretty mad. She didn’t give me the chance to talk, to explain before she left. I sighed. This was a new tactic. She usually just yells. I can work with yelling. But this silence and her disappearance were ominous.
Hopefully the time away would help her get her head back in the game, and back to me.
I sighed, sorting it out in my head. Daisy needed the break.
She’d take time out to finish grieving, and then when she’s over it, she’d come back happy, ready to be mine again.
We’d have another kid, and I’d keep it in my pants this time.