“Let’s go in the living room,” she whispered.
Sitting on the couch, Lorraine tried to lighten my mood and shift my thoughts.
“So how have things been going with you and Dale? I remember you said he’d came over a couple of times.”
“Actually, they’re going pretty good. Nevaeh adores him and I think she’s beginning to wrap him around her little finger. He thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. The way he looks at her… it’s like he cares for her so much. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“And what about you two? Have you been hitting it off?”
“Oh my God! Do you know what he said to me? I can’t believe I forgot to tell you about this!”
Lorraine raised her eyebrows in anticipation to what I was going to say. She was definitely interested.
“I told him about Kevin and how big of a jerk he was being about me taking off work for Nevaeh, and he said that I should quit my job. Leave the place on my own terms, and then he offered to pay for all of Nevaeh’s medical bills! Can you believe him? We haven’t even known each other that long.”
“Wow. That’s… crazy. What did you tell him?”
“I told him that I can’t accept his money. I’ve worked for everything I have in my life. I’m no charity case—you know that. I mean, it was flattering and all, but I couldn’t believe he’d suggested all that.”
“It was a beautiful gesture.”
“I’ve got a confession to make. I think I’m falling for him.”
“Oh yeah?”
I nodded my head. “But you hardly know him,” Lorraine said.
“That’s the whole messed up part about it. There’s just this… chemistry between us. It’s no secret that he’s absolutely gorgeous, but when I’m around him, I feel so safe, secure and… loved. He puts off these vibes that just sink right into my heart.”
“Uh-huh,” Lorraine said. “Have you two slept together?”
“What?! No! We haven’t slept together. Why would you ask that? Besides, I still need to tell my family about him. I’m thinking of doing it this weekend.”
“Because usually when you sleep with a guy, you’re magically in love with him.” Lorraine chuckled.
“No, we haven’t slept together. In fact, Nevaeh’s been sleeping in my bed with me every night. I want her to be close to me in case she wakes up and needs something. The poor thing. She’s been so stiff and in so much pain with her back that it’s hard for her to walk. I’ve been carrying her all over the house.”
“What time do you need to go to the doctor’s office?” Lorraine asked as she looked at her watch.
“They said to come in around 4:30.”
“Well, you better get a move on. It’s a quarter till four now.”
I jumped off the couch, grabbed my purse off the coat rack and headed out the door. “Will you check on her in a bit and see if she wants to eat?”
Lorraine nodded her head and bid her goodbye. After my car was out of sight, Lorraine headed into the bedroom to check on Nevaeh.
Chapter Seven
I anxiously sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. I found myself twirling a loose string at the bottom of my shirt. Are they ever going to call me back there? While I waited, I thought of all the possible outcomes and how they might affect me and Nevaeh.
Lorraine and Tyrone are great friends. They both loved Nevaeh as if she was their own and would help with anything they might need. Oh, why did this happen to my baby? What did she—or I—ever do to deserve something like this. It’s never good when the doctor calls you to come in for lab results—is it? Indeed, if it were something minor, they would’ve just said so over the phone. My stomach began churning as I played out different scenarios in my head.
The doctor’s office appeared busy. There was no telling how long I would sit and wait. I glanced down at my watch; it was 10 minutes past the appointment time.
“Ms. Harris?” a voice called.
“Yes,” I stood up and followed the woman into a tiny room.
“You can take a seat in here and Dr. Herber will be with you shortly. He’s finishing up with a patient right now and then he’ll grab Nevaeh’s chart to discuss her testing with you.”
I looked around the brightly decorated room and noticed how incredibly yellow the walls were. White and orange ducks painted a scene on the banana yellow color. Baby ducklings were following their mother duckling as they walked along a trail. I pictured Nevaeh as one of the baby ducks following the mom. For the first time in a long time, I cracked a half-hearted smile as I thought about how much my little girl looked up to me.