"Absolutely nothing."
"Caleb knows how much I've come to rely on Hank since Lowell died," Susan offered as an explanation. "He was just being considerate offering to let me go in and see Hank first."
Sheila and Donna eased gradually closer and closer to Susan and she noticed her two friends exchange a questioning glance. Great. Just great. No doubt Sheila had just realized Donna knew that Hank had fathered Susan's baby. She decided that it was unfair to continue keeping the truth from Tallie. After all, Hank's baby sister had been her friend as long as Sheila had.
When Tallie grabbed Susan's arm and pulled her off into a corner, Donna and Sheila followed.
"What's going on between you and Hank?" Tallie asked. "And don't try to tell me nothing. Remember I was around when we were teenagers. I know what a crush you had on Hank. You didn't hide your feelings for him quite as well as Sheila hid her feelings for Caleb."
Quietly and calmly, Susan explained the whys and wherefores of her baby's conception to Tallie. No one said a word until Susan finished speaking, and then Tallie groaned loudly.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Tallie spoke quietly but firmly. "What was Hank thinking? You're pregnant with my brother's baby. And we all know that the big lug is scared senseless of becoming a father. Hank remembers what things were like with our irresponsible father and although he is the most honorable, responsible man on earth, he's always been afraid that poor parenting is hereditary."
"As far as the world knows, this baby is Lowell's," Susan said. "Hank will be my child's godfather and that's all."
"Oh, yeah, sure." Tallie rolled her eyes heavenward. "Tell that to somebody who doesn't know Hank the way I do."
"Will you lighten up?" Donna slipped her arm around Susan's shoulders. "Don't you think Susan's been through enough without you trying to make her feel guilty?"
"I'm not trying to make her feel guilty," Tallie said. "I'm just trying to—"
"Then you should sound a little more supportive and a little less critical," Sheila suggested.
"I'm not being—" Tallie began, then was interrupted by her brother.
"Tallie, you and Susan can go in and see Hank now," Caleb said.
"What?" Tallie rushed toward the door, then stopped abruptly and glanced back over her shoulder at Susan. "Well, come on. Let's go."
Five minutes later when Susan stood at an unconscious Hank's bedside, her eyes swimming in tears as she held his limp hand, Tallie grabbed her other hand and squeezed it.
"You're still crazy about him, aren't you?" Tallie whispered.
"Yes," Susan said softly.
That night around eight, when Hank was moved into a private room, the whole family circled his bed as he came to groggily.
"I told this bunch of weeping females that you were too mean and ornery to die," Caleb said.
"How about some water?" Hank asked.
Everyone in the room made a move toward the water pitcher on the bedside table, but one by one, they halted and watched as Susan lifted the plastic jug, poured the water into a matching aqua-green glass and inserted a straw. She held the glass with one hand and put the straw to his lips with the other. He sipped the liquid slowly, all the while watching Susan closely.
"Thanks," he said after he'd drunk all he wanted.
Susan made no move to leave his side and no one tried to usurp her position. "I—we were very worried about you."
"I'm fine, honey." He glanced around the room at the others, each with their eyes diverted from Susan and him, and he realized that sometime between yesterday and today someone had told Tallie and Peyton and Donna Fields the truth about Susan's baby. It was there in all their faces, in the way they couldn't bring themselves to look directly at him. Obviously, everyone was aware of the bond between him and Susan—the bond that went beyond the fact that she was carrying his child. These were their friends and family, the people who knew them best, and they'd all made a unanimous judgment
"Caleb knows how much I've come to rely on Hank since Lowell died," Susan offered as an explanation. "He was just being considerate offering to let me go in and see Hank first."
Sheila and Donna eased gradually closer and closer to Susan and she noticed her two friends exchange a questioning glance. Great. Just great. No doubt Sheila had just realized Donna knew that Hank had fathered Susan's baby. She decided that it was unfair to continue keeping the truth from Tallie. After all, Hank's baby sister had been her friend as long as Sheila had.
When Tallie grabbed Susan's arm and pulled her off into a corner, Donna and Sheila followed.
"What's going on between you and Hank?" Tallie asked. "And don't try to tell me nothing. Remember I was around when we were teenagers. I know what a crush you had on Hank. You didn't hide your feelings for him quite as well as Sheila hid her feelings for Caleb."
Quietly and calmly, Susan explained the whys and wherefores of her baby's conception to Tallie. No one said a word until Susan finished speaking, and then Tallie groaned loudly.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Tallie spoke quietly but firmly. "What was Hank thinking? You're pregnant with my brother's baby. And we all know that the big lug is scared senseless of becoming a father. Hank remembers what things were like with our irresponsible father and although he is the most honorable, responsible man on earth, he's always been afraid that poor parenting is hereditary."
"As far as the world knows, this baby is Lowell's," Susan said. "Hank will be my child's godfather and that's all."
"Oh, yeah, sure." Tallie rolled her eyes heavenward. "Tell that to somebody who doesn't know Hank the way I do."
"Will you lighten up?" Donna slipped her arm around Susan's shoulders. "Don't you think Susan's been through enough without you trying to make her feel guilty?"
"I'm not trying to make her feel guilty," Tallie said. "I'm just trying to—"
"Then you should sound a little more supportive and a little less critical," Sheila suggested.
"I'm not being—" Tallie began, then was interrupted by her brother.
"Tallie, you and Susan can go in and see Hank now," Caleb said.
"What?" Tallie rushed toward the door, then stopped abruptly and glanced back over her shoulder at Susan. "Well, come on. Let's go."
Five minutes later when Susan stood at an unconscious Hank's bedside, her eyes swimming in tears as she held his limp hand, Tallie grabbed her other hand and squeezed it.
"You're still crazy about him, aren't you?" Tallie whispered.
"Yes," Susan said softly.
That night around eight, when Hank was moved into a private room, the whole family circled his bed as he came to groggily.
"I told this bunch of weeping females that you were too mean and ornery to die," Caleb said.
"How about some water?" Hank asked.
Everyone in the room made a move toward the water pitcher on the bedside table, but one by one, they halted and watched as Susan lifted the plastic jug, poured the water into a matching aqua-green glass and inserted a straw. She held the glass with one hand and put the straw to his lips with the other. He sipped the liquid slowly, all the while watching Susan closely.
"Thanks," he said after he'd drunk all he wanted.
Susan made no move to leave his side and no one tried to usurp her position. "I—we were very worried about you."
"I'm fine, honey." He glanced around the room at the others, each with their eyes diverted from Susan and him, and he realized that sometime between yesterday and today someone had told Tallie and Peyton and Donna Fields the truth about Susan's baby. It was there in all their faces, in the way they couldn't bring themselves to look directly at him. Obviously, everyone was aware of the bond between him and Susan—the bond that went beyond the fact that she was carrying his child. These were their friends and family, the people who knew them best, and they'd all made a unanimous judgment
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