unaffected by this calamity as heâd been by theirs.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jeff was waiting just outside the emergency roomâs double-glass doors, his expression frantic with worry. When he saw Sheri, he raced to help her from the car, sparing only a fierce scowl for his father.
He cupped her face in his palms. âSheri...sweetheart, are you all right?â
She threw her arms around him and clung to him, crying. âIâm so scared, Jeff. And I...it hurts.â
âDonât worry, babe. Itâs going to be all right.â Jeffâs voice cracked, and he scooped Sheri into his arms and carried her inside.
Alice watched them, a lump in her throat. They really loved each other, she realized. It wasnât puppy love; it wasnât teen infatuation. They needed each other almost desperately; she saw that in the way they looked at and spoke to each other, in the way they clung to each other.
Did Hayes see it, too? she wondered, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Hayes had been stoical with her, had tried to reason, to calm her with logic. He hadnât clung or cried or grieved. He hadnât promised to try to make everything all right, hadnât whispered reassurances about their having other babies.
Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked against them. Because there would be no other babies for them; no doubt he had already written her off.
Dr. Bennett arrived moments behind them and whisked Sheri into an examining room, leaving Jeff, Hayes and Alice to wait it out.
Hayes remained stiff and silent, doing no more than sending his son a visual reprimand and a slow-to-respond nurse a thunderous glance. He ignored Alice altogether and stood unmoving in front of the waitingroom window, staring out at the rain.
Alice couldnât stand still. She paced; she wrung her hands; she prayed for Sheri and Jeff and their unborn child. Jeff, too, couldnât remain still, and would slump in one of the vinyl chairs for a few moments, then jump up and nervously circle the room.
If only Hayes had cared that much about their baby, Alice thought, the tears tickling her eyes again. If only his ambivalence didnât still hurt so bad.
She balled her hands into fists. What had she been thinking tonight? Making out with Hayes like a nineteen-year-old who didnât know any better. She knew better. Her heart had the scars to prove it.
Dr. Bennett returned to the waiting room, all smiles. Although sheâd determined there was no immediate danger, she prescribed quiet and bed rest for the next few days.
The trip home proved quieter than the trip to the emergency room. Jeff had asked his father, a bit belligerently, if he could accompany Sheri. To Hayesâs credit, despite the late hour and Jeffâs attitude, he had given his permission. Jeff had left his car at the hospital and the teenagers had sat in the back seat, cuddled together and whispering. She and Hayes had had nothing to say to each other.
Sheri and Jeff said goodnight outside, then Alice helped the exhausted girl to her room. Alice tucked her into bed, adjusting the covers and pillows, fussing, she knew, like a mother hen. She couldnât help herself; she was so relieved that Sheri and her baby were all right.
âThere you go,â Alice said, smiling softly. âI want you to get some rest.â
Sheri looked up at her, her eyes full of gratitude. âThanks for being there for me, Miss A. I donât know what I would have done without you.â
Alice brushed the hair gently away from Sheriâs face. âI was happy to help. Iâm just glad thereâs nothing wrong.â
âMe, too.â Sheri hesitated. âI was really scared, Miss A. I thought...you know, that what happened to you...â
âI know. But your baby is fine, so donât think about that anymore.â Alice kissed her forehead, then flipped off the bedside light. âGet some sleep, sweetie.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jeff was waiting just outside the emergency roomâs double-glass doors, his expression frantic with worry. When he saw Sheri, he raced to help her from the car, sparing only a fierce scowl for his father.
He cupped her face in his palms. âSheri...sweetheart, are you all right?â
She threw her arms around him and clung to him, crying. âIâm so scared, Jeff. And I...it hurts.â
âDonât worry, babe. Itâs going to be all right.â Jeffâs voice cracked, and he scooped Sheri into his arms and carried her inside.
Alice watched them, a lump in her throat. They really loved each other, she realized. It wasnât puppy love; it wasnât teen infatuation. They needed each other almost desperately; she saw that in the way they looked at and spoke to each other, in the way they clung to each other.
Did Hayes see it, too? she wondered, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Hayes had been stoical with her, had tried to reason, to calm her with logic. He hadnât clung or cried or grieved. He hadnât promised to try to make everything all right, hadnât whispered reassurances about their having other babies.
Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked against them. Because there would be no other babies for them; no doubt he had already written her off.
Dr. Bennett arrived moments behind them and whisked Sheri into an examining room, leaving Jeff, Hayes and Alice to wait it out.
Hayes remained stiff and silent, doing no more than sending his son a visual reprimand and a slow-to-respond nurse a thunderous glance. He ignored Alice altogether and stood unmoving in front of the waitingroom window, staring out at the rain.
Alice couldnât stand still. She paced; she wrung her hands; she prayed for Sheri and Jeff and their unborn child. Jeff, too, couldnât remain still, and would slump in one of the vinyl chairs for a few moments, then jump up and nervously circle the room.
If only Hayes had cared that much about their baby, Alice thought, the tears tickling her eyes again. If only his ambivalence didnât still hurt so bad.
She balled her hands into fists. What had she been thinking tonight? Making out with Hayes like a nineteen-year-old who didnât know any better. She knew better. Her heart had the scars to prove it.
Dr. Bennett returned to the waiting room, all smiles. Although sheâd determined there was no immediate danger, she prescribed quiet and bed rest for the next few days.
The trip home proved quieter than the trip to the emergency room. Jeff had asked his father, a bit belligerently, if he could accompany Sheri. To Hayesâs credit, despite the late hour and Jeffâs attitude, he had given his permission. Jeff had left his car at the hospital and the teenagers had sat in the back seat, cuddled together and whispering. She and Hayes had had nothing to say to each other.
Sheri and Jeff said goodnight outside, then Alice helped the exhausted girl to her room. Alice tucked her into bed, adjusting the covers and pillows, fussing, she knew, like a mother hen. She couldnât help herself; she was so relieved that Sheri and her baby were all right.
âThere you go,â Alice said, smiling softly. âI want you to get some rest.â
Sheri looked up at her, her eyes full of gratitude. âThanks for being there for me, Miss A. I donât know what I would have done without you.â
Alice brushed the hair gently away from Sheriâs face. âI was happy to help. Iâm just glad thereâs nothing wrong.â
âMe, too.â Sheri hesitated. âI was really scared, Miss A. I thought...you know, that what happened to you...â
âI know. But your baby is fine, so donât think about that anymore.â Alice kissed her forehead, then flipped off the bedside light. âGet some sleep, sweetie.
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