Hearing the announcement for the fiftieth time, Lois DeMarco glances at the screen of her iPhone and then shoves it in her pocket. She’s always been the type of person to follow the rules, even when the rules tend to screw her over. When she delivered Christina Marie in this same hospital over sixteen years ago, Lois declined an epidural and opted for a natural delivery. Richie, her husband at the time, claimed that drugs used during childbirth would eventually make the kid a substance abuser, even though he himself was a raging alcoholic with no authority on the matter.
So for the health of her baby girl, and to refrain from fighting with Richie, Lois endured twenty hours of excruciating labor pains. And as she sits in the dimly lit waiting area to the ICU, a jabbing pain terrorizes her uterus.
Removing another piece of gum from her handbag, Lois chomps to the rhythm of the ticking clock above the water fountain. She glances at the elderly man dozing in the corner, and then at the middle-aged man reading a paperback with tiny reading glasses, wondering if they could ever share the same pain as a mother losing her only child.
Lois closes her eyes and smiles – watching as fading memories dance across her eyelids. She sees Christina, dressed in a white gown and white gloves. Christina’s toothless grin beams while she poses with a Bible and an antique rosary. It’s Christina’s First Communion – a day of spiritual celebration followed by a family dinner in Whitestone. Even Richie, handsome in a blue suit, dances soberly through the memories with Christina twirling from his arm.
The Communion party shifts to a summer vacation in Fort Lauderdale. They’re having the best time at the beach, building a sandcastle in the shape of Midtown and swimming in the warm salt water. As night falls, Lois surprises Christina with a tiny pair of diamond studs. Christina flails her arms and hugs her mother, realizing that at eleven years old, she can finally get her ears pierced.
An older Christina, with aqua-blue hair and a nose ring to match her diamond studs, lumbers across the fading memories. She takes Lois in her scrawny arms as they watch Richie walk out the door to never return. Christina cuddles next to Lois in the king-size bed, stroking her hair and listening to her mother cry.
“Ms. DeMarco?” a quiet voice announces.
Opening her eyes, Lois leaps from her seat and searches for the voice. “I’m here,” she replies frantically.
A doctor wearing green scrubs and a white lab coat approaches Lois. “Let’s talk over here,” he suggests calmly.
Biting the tip of her tongue and clenching her jaw, Lois prepares for the worst as she follows the doctor to the opposite corner.
Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, the doctor says, “I’m Dr. Fletcher. Christina suffered from an overdose because her body’s metabolism couldn’t detoxify the chemicals fast enough. We flushed her stomach and gave her an intravenous of fluids. Honestly, she was very lucky – most kids don’t make it with that many drugs in their system.”
Wiping away her tears, Lois asks, “So she’s okay?”
“Christina will recover, but I need to be straight with you, Ms. DeMarco. If there’s a next time, her heart won’t be able to handle the stress.”
“I can’t lose her, doctor. She’s my entire life.”
Squeezing her shoulder, Dr. Fletcher adds, “I understand. You will need to seek treatment for Christina – would you like to meet with a social worker to discuss options?”
Shaking her head and wiping away dry tears, Lois states, “I found a place in Florida near my parent’s house that offers a payment plan. When will she be released?”
“It’s too early to say, but as long as everything remains clear the next few days, she could go home as early as Monday.”
Exhaling in relief and dropping her shoulders in exhaustion, Lois says, “Thank you, Dr. Fletcher.”
“There’s no need for you to be here until she’s moved to a room. Why don’t you go home and get some rest, Ms. DeMarco.”
“I don’t want to leave her, but I do need to make a few phone calls and arrangements. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“I’ll keep you informed,” the doctor adds with a comforting smile before heading back through the ICU doors.
Lois drops into the nearest chair – weak and completely weightless. She closes her eyes once again and smiles . . .
Only this time, it’s the future dancing across her eyelids.
“Do you normally close on Saturdays?” Shelby asks while running a box cutter over the FedEx tape of a box.
“We’re not really closed, but I don’t post the hours outside the shop. Our schedule is so screwy around here that we decided to just let things flow.”
“Ah, so what happens if someone comes in while we’re unpacking all this shit? And why is the bubble wrap yellow?”
“Why so many questions, baby brother?”
“I’m cranky, I guess. What do you have to eat back there?” Shelby motions to the kitchen as Thessaly’s phone rings.
Grabbing it from the island and recognizing Lois’ number, she quickly mumbles, “Lots of healthy stuff. I need to take this call.”
Shelby closes the blade and nods to Thessaly. He stretches his arms and twists his torso in opposing directions before announcing, “I’ll grab some breakfast.”
“Iced latte,” Thessaly shouts at Shelby as he leaves the store. Swiping her phone to answer the call, Thessaly says, “Lois?”
“Tess, I have great news! Christina will be discharged in a few days.”
Sighing and praying to the heavens, Thessaly expresses, “Thank God, Lois. What can I do to help?”
“Tess, I’m afraid I have bad news as well.”
“Okay.” Thessaly bites her lip as she sits at the island.
“Christina will start a rehab program in two weeks.”
Glancing at the vase of flowers from Levi, Thessaly replies, “That’s a good thing, Lois.”
“The rehabilitation facility is in Florida,” Lois whispers.
“Oh.” Slouching over the counter, Thessaly props head on her arm.
“And I’m moving in with my parents so I can be close to Christina and eliminate my living expenses. The rehab is going to cost me nearly fifty-thousand dollars.”
“Holy crap, Lois. Maybe we can host a fundraiser or something?” Thessaly suggests.
“That would embarrass Christina, and she has to trust me.”
Thessaly’s phone vibrates with an incoming text, but she ignores it to finish her conversation with Lois. “Last night, Seth and Meg agreed to give you their remaining vacation days to help out with some of the medical bills. It’s not a lot, but it would give you another week’s salary on top of your early holiday bonus I can offer. I wish I could do more, Lois.”
Lois sobs, “You three are like family to me.”
“I feel the same way,” Thessaly replies.
“Tess, thank you for stealing me away from King’s last year and offering me an exciting adventure. I wish you all the success and happiness.”
“Don’t make me cry, Lois! Promise me, when Christina’s feeling better, you’ll pop in and let us give you two a proper New York sendoff?”
“Deal. I have to meet with my landlord now – I’ll call you in a few days.”
“Take care, Lois.”
“Bye, Tess.”
Ending the call, Thessaly walks to the kitchen while reading a text.
Mason: Let’s finish our conversation.
Thessaly: Give me the weekend to think about it.
Tucking her phone in the pocket of her shorts, Thessaly opens the small wall safe behind the mixing bowls. She removes the company’s book of checks and places it on the work station. Grabbing a pen from the canister near the refrigerator, Thessaly makes out a check to Lois DeMarco for two-thousand dollars. She then accounts for the check in the register and returns the book to the safe.
“Tess?” Shelby shouts outside the kitchen door.