began to fall.
“You can do it. Can you see him here?”
Love couldn’t move her head, but she could hear the baby just beyond her. “Can you see him?”
Henry nodded, but didn’t move. In a matter of seconds, a circle of women had formed around them. Jessica was suddenly before her in the arms of a familiar stranger, then Baby Will with another. Voices of concern mingled in a soft hush, and Love knew she should answer, tell them what she needed. But the pain was too intense. Her head became light, full of air, and her vision began to blur.
Then it all went black.
SIXTEEN
THE RESCUE
“L OVEY, CAN YOU HEAR me?”
When she came to several minutes later, the flurry of confusion had given way to a somber, alarming concern. Still laid out flat on the moist grass, Love listened for her children’s cries, but heard only muffled chatter and a soft familiar voice close to her ear.
“Lovey?”
It was Gayle, kneeling down next to her. Dressed in one of her expensive pants suits, her hair perfectly styled into place and smelling of fine cosmetics, Love’s friend had swooped in and taken charge. She’d been stuck at the back end of the car line when Love fell, but like a row of dominoes, the women had left their vehicles for a firsthand viewing of the event, and Gayle had done the same. Walking up the hill from the road to the school parking lot, she’d seen Henry standing alone, then heard the distinctive cry of the baby. She’d quickened her pace and reached the circle of women standing around. In a tone that was at the same time polite and commanding, Gayle had broken through the ranks and issued the orders.
“Anne, take Henry to Love’s car. Joanna’bring Jessica, then come back for the baby. One of you stay with them.”
Gayle knew these women. She knew their names and faces, the names and faces of their children, where they lived. She was a fixture in the community, present at every fundraiser from the YMCA to the library to the school book fair. And despite her gentle disposition, she had a strength within her that showed its face at times like this one’when someone other than herself was in need of help.
The women had listened. One after another, the tasks were carried out until there was nothing left to do but wait for the paramedics to arrive.
“The kids … ?” Love asked, but Gayle put her hand to Love’s lips.
“They’re in the car. Everyone’s OK. Not a scrape. You need to lie still now.”
Feeling her friend’s soft hand clasped around her own, Love returned her head to the ground and tried to relax. The pain had become indescribable. Running from the base of her skull, down her right side all the way to the back of her knee, the piercing ache was more than she could bear.
“I hear them!” one of the women said. Then the siren grew louder.
Gayle squeezed Love’s hand before letting go. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
Standing over her now, waiting for the paramedics, Gayle was completely unfazed. Nothing mattered to her’not the curious stares of her peers, or the muddy stains on the knees of her silk pants that would never come clean. The concern for her friend was selfless, needing no praise or recognition, and this was precisely what held most people an arm’s length away. Despite the way she lived, Gayle’s heart was as pure as they came. No one wanted to look in that mirror.
From the ground where she lay, Love watched two young men in blue uniforms rush to her side with a gurney. Her head was placed in a brace, and a board slid under her. Within a matter of minutes, she was hoisted on the gurney and rolled to the ambulance, her friend at her side every step of the way.
“I’ll sort out all the kids and meet you at Bill’s,” Gayle said as they approached the white van.
Love squeezed her hand harder.
No,
she thought,
not to Bill.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Gayle waited for the men to load the gurney, then pulled them aside.
“Take
“You can do it. Can you see him here?”
Love couldn’t move her head, but she could hear the baby just beyond her. “Can you see him?”
Henry nodded, but didn’t move. In a matter of seconds, a circle of women had formed around them. Jessica was suddenly before her in the arms of a familiar stranger, then Baby Will with another. Voices of concern mingled in a soft hush, and Love knew she should answer, tell them what she needed. But the pain was too intense. Her head became light, full of air, and her vision began to blur.
Then it all went black.
SIXTEEN
THE RESCUE
“L OVEY, CAN YOU HEAR me?”
When she came to several minutes later, the flurry of confusion had given way to a somber, alarming concern. Still laid out flat on the moist grass, Love listened for her children’s cries, but heard only muffled chatter and a soft familiar voice close to her ear.
“Lovey?”
It was Gayle, kneeling down next to her. Dressed in one of her expensive pants suits, her hair perfectly styled into place and smelling of fine cosmetics, Love’s friend had swooped in and taken charge. She’d been stuck at the back end of the car line when Love fell, but like a row of dominoes, the women had left their vehicles for a firsthand viewing of the event, and Gayle had done the same. Walking up the hill from the road to the school parking lot, she’d seen Henry standing alone, then heard the distinctive cry of the baby. She’d quickened her pace and reached the circle of women standing around. In a tone that was at the same time polite and commanding, Gayle had broken through the ranks and issued the orders.
“Anne, take Henry to Love’s car. Joanna’bring Jessica, then come back for the baby. One of you stay with them.”
Gayle knew these women. She knew their names and faces, the names and faces of their children, where they lived. She was a fixture in the community, present at every fundraiser from the YMCA to the library to the school book fair. And despite her gentle disposition, she had a strength within her that showed its face at times like this one’when someone other than herself was in need of help.
The women had listened. One after another, the tasks were carried out until there was nothing left to do but wait for the paramedics to arrive.
“The kids … ?” Love asked, but Gayle put her hand to Love’s lips.
“They’re in the car. Everyone’s OK. Not a scrape. You need to lie still now.”
Feeling her friend’s soft hand clasped around her own, Love returned her head to the ground and tried to relax. The pain had become indescribable. Running from the base of her skull, down her right side all the way to the back of her knee, the piercing ache was more than she could bear.
“I hear them!” one of the women said. Then the siren grew louder.
Gayle squeezed Love’s hand before letting go. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
Standing over her now, waiting for the paramedics, Gayle was completely unfazed. Nothing mattered to her’not the curious stares of her peers, or the muddy stains on the knees of her silk pants that would never come clean. The concern for her friend was selfless, needing no praise or recognition, and this was precisely what held most people an arm’s length away. Despite the way she lived, Gayle’s heart was as pure as they came. No one wanted to look in that mirror.
From the ground where she lay, Love watched two young men in blue uniforms rush to her side with a gurney. Her head was placed in a brace, and a board slid under her. Within a matter of minutes, she was hoisted on the gurney and rolled to the ambulance, her friend at her side every step of the way.
“I’ll sort out all the kids and meet you at Bill’s,” Gayle said as they approached the white van.
Love squeezed her hand harder.
No,
she thought,
not to Bill.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Gayle waited for the men to load the gurney, then pulled them aside.
“Take
Similar Books
