An Unplanned Life (Unplanned Series) (27 page)

Chapter 6
2

Nicole

Dailan and I arrived home. My mom was watching Ella and Ryan was out with my dad. I was surprised to find my sister sitting on the couch with my mother when we walked through the door. I could tell she had been crying as she quickly tried to wipe away the tears.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

My sister began to burst into tears. Dailan took Ella from my mother and started to exit, clearly not wanting to know what my sister’s problem was.

“No
, wait, Dailan. Don’t go. You’re going to find out soon enough,” my sister said.

He stopped dead in his tracks and hesitantly turned around.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’m pregnant
.” She began to sob.

I didn’t know what to say
. I didn’t think “congratulations” was appropriate, seeing how she was still married! I bit my lip and waited to see if Dailan would say something first, but he didn’t. He seemed just as shocked as I was.

“Oh, well
, does Tommy know?” I finally broke the silence.

“No, I haven’t said anything to him yet. I’m not sure what I want to do.”

Dailan’s eyes widened. “You know what? I’m just going to leave this conversation now; I really don’t want to know any more. Tommy is my best friend and I just wish you hadn’t told me this.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do.” She began to cry again.

“Dailan, Ella had an early breakfast. Let’s go into the kitchen and get her lunch,” my mother said in an effort to give me and my sister some alone time, which was the last thing that I wanted. I hadn’t a clue as to what to say to her. Dailan couldn’t make his exit quick enough, as my mother followed behind.

I sat down on the couch next to her. “Well, this is just another thing that Mark is going to hold against me with the whole custody thing.”

“Don’t be silly; no judge in the world would grant him custody just because you’re pregnant. This kind of stuff happens all time.” I said, waving my hand in the air.

“I’m sorry
, Nicole.”

“For what?”

“For the way I treated you when you were pregnant with Ryan. I know how scared and alone I feel right now and I’m thirty-three years old and already have two kids. I can’t imagine how you felt at seventeen.”

“It was scary, but I listened to my heart and that’s what you need to do. Don’t worry about what anyone else will say or do. Do what you feel is right.”

She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. My sister and I never showed any affection toward each other at all, so I was feeling very awkward. I was happy when my dad and Ryan walked through the door, breaking up our “sisterly moment.” My sister excused herself to go into the bathroom and wash her face.

Ryan wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. I didn’t tell him what I was having done today, but he knew I was going to the doctor and he was so genuinely concerned that it made my heart melt. “I didn’t think you’d be home already
. Are you okay?” he asked, pressing his forehead up to mine.

“Yup, I’m home and I’m fine, Ryan.” I said, trying my best to put his fears to rest.

“Oh, I gotta tell Uncle D something!” Ryan said, jumping up and running into the kitchen when he heard Dailan’s voice.

“How are you feeling?” my dad asked.

“I’m okay. Still numbed up, but really, it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Well, you should be taking it easy.”

“I am. Dailan is home for the rest of the day, so I’ll be fine.”

“When are you going to have the results?”

“In a few days.” I could see my dad beginning to tear up. “Dad, I’m okay. Everyone has me on death’s door. I know it’s going to be fine. I’m not even worried about it.”

“You always were the
strong one, Nicole.”

“
What?”

“Out of all three of you
, I knew you were my strongest, the one who would be able to handle any situation that life threw at you. Did your sister tell you?”

“Yeah, she did. The only advice that I could give her was the same advice that I gave myself ten years ago – go with your heart.”

He looked at me sadly. “And I’m so glad that you did and didn’t listen to me.”

I smiled and he smiled back. He took my hand as I got off the couch and we walked into the kitchen.

“Tell her!” Dailan said to Ryan. Ryan began to turn red and giggled.

“Tell me what?” I asked.

“Katy Carmichael asked me to be her boyfriend.” He put his head down and turned bright red again.

“She did? Well, what did you say?” I couldn’t contain my smile.

“I told her that I would have to think about it.”

“
I taught you well,” Dailan said, giving Ryan a high five.

“What? Why did you do that? You like her
, right?” I asked.

“Well, yeah
, but Uncle D said that I had to play it cool; that’s how he got you wrapped around his finger.”

“Oh
, really?” I raised my eyebrows and shook my head at Dailan. My parents began to laugh and I couldn’t hold mine back any longer.

“Ryan
, from now on, please consult me before taking any girl advice from your Uncle Dailan,” I said, lightly smacking Dailan on the back of the head.

My sister entered the kitchen and the lighthearted mood from just seconds
ago again suddenly turned to tense.

“I’m going to get going,” she said.

“Are you going back to our house?” my mother asked.

“No, actually
, I’m going to see Tommy. I have something I need to tell him,” she said as she locked eyes with Dailan. “I’m following my heart.” She turned her attention to me.

I smiled. “You won’t regret it for one second,” I said as I gave Ryan a tight squeeze and a kiss on the head. I rested my cheek on Ryan’s head as I watched my sister walk out the door.

Chapter 63

Nicole

Forty-eight hours later, and I still hadn’t heard back from my doctor about the test results. I kept telling myself that no news was good news. I had one official week left of summer and then I had to start getting back into school mode by getting my classroom back together. I was heading to Ryan’s football practice but had to stop off at the pediatrician’s office to grab his medical forms that the doctor needed to sign off on for football. I gave the receptionist my name as she fumbled through her paperwork to find the form. “Hold on, one sec; I think they may have put it back in his chart.” I held on to Ella, tightly. I didn’t want her getting down and putting everything in the germy waiting room in her mouth.

“Nicole?” I turned around to find Jason walking towards me, handing off a chart to one of the girls behind the reception desk.

“Oh, hey,” I said as I pushed my hair behind my ear, feeling a little uncomfortable. He had been texting me like crazy and I had hardly responded. I had been putting off calling him to tell him what I needed to, face to face. I couldn’t put it off any longer.

“How did everything go?”

“I think it went well. I’m still waiting to hear.”

“You got a minute?” he asked.

“Um, yeah.” We walked back into his office and I took a seat. Ella was squirming around, doing her best to get down.

“Okay, why are you avoiding me?” he asked as he leaned up against the edge of his desk.

I smiled. “Wow, was I really that obvious?” He nodded. “Look, Jason, I value our friendship, but my husband was getting a little funny over the whole thing and, well-”

He put his hand up to stop me. “Say no more. I completely understand.”

“Why do you have to be such an awesome guy?” I asked.

“I ask myself that same question every time I look in the mirror,” he joked. “Does this mean that I don’t get to go out with you and Donna on your girls
’ nights out?”

“Oh
, heck, no! You are definitely invited to those.”

“I’ll take it,” he said. We both stood up. Ella had just about enough. He walked me out the door. “Hey, will you at least shoot me a quick text to let me know the outcome of the results?”

“Will do!” I smiled as I walked out the door.

***

I arrived at the football field and spread out a blanket in a nice shady spot under a tree, where Ella and I sat and watched Ryan during his practice. I hadn’t heard from Dailan all day. He was in court, awaiting the results of his case today. Ryan finally finished up and came running over to us. He gulped down the bottle of water that I handed him and burped loudly. I shook my head at him. “Man, I wish Uncle D coulda heard that one!” he said.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“Yup!” He picked up Ella while I folded up the blanket. We got into the car and I checked my phone one last time to see if there was anything from Dailan or my doctor. I did a double take when I looked at the date.
How could I have forgotten? I never forget!
“I just need to make a couple of stops before we head home.”

“Okay,” Ryan said.

I stopped off at the florist’s and quickly grabbed a dozen pink carnations, her favorite flower.

W
e pulled into the cemetery and, instead of going my normal route to Justin’s grave, I went in the other direction. “I think you went the wrong way,” Ryan said from the back seat. I pulled my car off to the side and removed Ella from her car seat. I took Ryan’s hand. We walked up the hill and finally came to a stop. “Who’s Tisha Jones?”

“She’s a very special lady, Ryan. She knew you when you were inside my belly. In fact, she’s the one who found your mommy and daddy to take care of you for me.”

A smile stretched across his face. “Wow, really?”

“Yup, she
was a very special lady.”

He ran his fingers over the letters on her
headstone. “Today was her birthday.” He looked up at me, squinting into the sunlight.

“Yeah, I know. I come here every year on her birthday and bring her favorite flowers to her.” I bent down and placed
the carnations down on the ground by her headstone.

“When did she die?
” Ryan asked.

“
Three years ago.”

“How?”

“She had cancer. She was very sick.” I heard my voice cracking with emotion, remembering the day I said my final goodbye to her:

Her son had called me and told me that it was almost
time. I rushed to his house as fast as I could. He led me up the stairs and into the bedroom in which she was staying. He closed the door behind me and walked out. I tried my best to keep my tears at bay and be strong for her, the way she always was for me, but I couldn’t. Seeing the woman who had been my rock lying in that bed, looking so frail, was too much for me to take.

She opened up her eyes and smiled at me
, motioning for me to come closer. I sat down on the bed as she took my hand in hers. “Nicole, you came.”

“Well, of course I came.” The tears rolled down my face.

“Oh, baby girl, don’t cry. It’s going to be okay. I don’t want to suffer anymore. Please be happy for me.”

“I can’t be happy when I know I’ll never be able to talk to you again. You are my touchstone, Tisha. I don’t know what I would have done –”

I began to break down in tears. She pulled me to her and hugged me tightly. “Nicole, I will always be around. But, instead of picking up the phone or driving over to visit me, all you have to do is talk and I will be there, listening. Just promise me one thing.”

I wiped the tears from my eyes and nodded. “Promise me that you will let yourself be happy
, Nicole. Don’t be afraid to fall in love. You’re a beautiful girl, inside and out. Please promise me that you will share all that love that you have inside of your heart with someone. Don’t keep punishing yourself for something that you shouldn’t be punishing yourself for. You gave that baby boy a beautiful life seven years ago. Now, please give yourself one. Free yourself from the guilt.” She took my hand and squeezed it as tightly as her frail little body would allow.

“I love you
, Tisha, and I will never forget you.”

“I love you too, baby girl.”

She died the very next morning.

I wiped away my tears as I thought back to that day. I rearranged the flowers at Tisha’s grave one last time. Ryan took a squirming Ella from my arms and headed back to the car. “Happy
birthday, Tisha, I finally freed myself from that guilt. I hope I made you proud - I love you.” I kissed my hand and touched her headstone.

I pulled myself together before turning around and heading to the car. My phone began to ring from my purse.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Nicole, this is Dr. Rueben.”

My heart leaped from my chest. “Oh, hello.” My voice quivered.

“I was calling to let you know that that everything came back normal.”

I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. “Thank you, Dr. Rueben.”

I hung up the phone and couldn’t contain my smile. My smile became even wider when I read the text that had just come through from Dailan:
Think of how you’re going to congratulate me tonight.

“Somehow
, I think you played a little part in both of those things. Thank you. Thank you so much, Tisha,” I said as I looked up at the sky and smiled. It was good to free old ghosts, but some were better off sticking around; those were the ones that I called angels.