The Seeds Of A Daisy: The Lily Lockwood Series: Book One (Women's Fiction) by Alison Caiola Page A
Authors: Alison Caiola
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rice in a bag and some fresh peas in the fridge. I put on a pot of water to boil for the rice, dial Franny’s number. Amy answers.
“Amy, it’s Lily. Can you put Franny through?”
“Oh, Lily, gosh, we’ve been so worried about you. How are you? I mean, how is your Mom?”
I don’t have the patience or strength to go through it with her and then again with Franny.
“My mother’s unconscious, Amy. I’m a little tired. How about I tell Franny everything and she’ll tell you?”
“Oh—I’ll get her. I’m
sure
she’ll share with me, if she gets the chance… or feels the need,” she says sarcastically, and puts me on hold.
Almost immediately, Franny gets on the phone. “Honey, thank God. I’ve been so worried. What’s going on?”
“Franny, the long and the short of it is that my mother is in a coma. There is blood in an area where there is supposed to be spinal fluid. They have to give her an angiogram to see where they need to operate. That’s it.”
“Shit, that’s enough. Who’s with you?” she asks.
“No one.”
“No one?” She sounds stunned.
“Why is everyone so surprised that I’m by myself ?”
“Oh, no reason.” She quickly changes the subject. “Anyway, how can I help you?”
“Please call the show and tell them I’ll be in touch soon. I really don’t know how long I’m going to be away. I’ll call when I know more.”
“Done. What else?” Franny was much better with a task list than with anything emotional. Warm and fuzzy isn’t in her DNA.
“Oh shit—I almost forgot,” I say. “There’s a Mr. Martinez, some Public Affairs guy in the hospital, who wants to speak to the press, officially. It seems that they’re all over the place there.”
“Also done. I’ll give Bette a call and she’ll give him a ring. Can you think of anything else?”
“Yes,” I say quietly.
“Shoot.”
“Pray for my mother.”
“Already am, honey. She’s strong. She’ll come through this nightmare. Let me go take care of the press thing. I’ll call you later. Love you.” She hangs up.
My next call is to my Mom’s editor and friend, Tommy, and his partner, Fernando. I dial the phone hoping they won’t be home and that the call will go to voicemail. I love them both dearly, but sometimes they can be a bit overly dramatic—especially Fernando.
“Hello?” Tommy answers.
“Hi, it’s Lily.”
“Oh my God, we’ve been dying here, absolutely dying, waiting to hear what’s going on. We called the hospital three times and they refused to give out any information!” I hear Fernando in the background asking who it is.
“It’s Lily. Sweetie, do you mind if I put you on speaker so Ferny can hear what you’re saying? We’re both distraught.”
“Of course.”
“Hi, Lily, my love.” It’s Fernando.
“Hi, Fernando.” I get them up to speed. As I’m talking, I hear them both start to cry.
“So we’ll know more after the test,” I conclude.
“Who’s there with you?” Tommy asks.
There we go with that question again.
“No one,” I reply.
I swear I hear them both gasp. “No one?” they ask in unison.
“No, why?”
“Well, let’s just say that you don’t like being alone when times are good,” Tommy explains.
I think about that for a moment and realize he’s right. I really don’t like being alone… ever. Not in bad times—not even in good times. I don’t do alone very well.
“Lily, we’re coming to the hospital tonight to be with you. What time are you going to be back there?” Tommy asks.
“Let me call you later. They probably won’t let you in to see her; they’re only letting in immediate family.”
“Well, I’ll say I’m her brother,” Fernando said.
“Me too. We’ll both say we’re her brothers. I’m the younger one,” Tommy chimes in. We all laugh because Tommy is—and looks—ten years older than Fernando. It makes me feel good to talk to them, because they really do love my mother as if she were a
“Amy, it’s Lily. Can you put Franny through?”
“Oh, Lily, gosh, we’ve been so worried about you. How are you? I mean, how is your Mom?”
I don’t have the patience or strength to go through it with her and then again with Franny.
“My mother’s unconscious, Amy. I’m a little tired. How about I tell Franny everything and she’ll tell you?”
“Oh—I’ll get her. I’m
sure
she’ll share with me, if she gets the chance… or feels the need,” she says sarcastically, and puts me on hold.
Almost immediately, Franny gets on the phone. “Honey, thank God. I’ve been so worried. What’s going on?”
“Franny, the long and the short of it is that my mother is in a coma. There is blood in an area where there is supposed to be spinal fluid. They have to give her an angiogram to see where they need to operate. That’s it.”
“Shit, that’s enough. Who’s with you?” she asks.
“No one.”
“No one?” She sounds stunned.
“Why is everyone so surprised that I’m by myself ?”
“Oh, no reason.” She quickly changes the subject. “Anyway, how can I help you?”
“Please call the show and tell them I’ll be in touch soon. I really don’t know how long I’m going to be away. I’ll call when I know more.”
“Done. What else?” Franny was much better with a task list than with anything emotional. Warm and fuzzy isn’t in her DNA.
“Oh shit—I almost forgot,” I say. “There’s a Mr. Martinez, some Public Affairs guy in the hospital, who wants to speak to the press, officially. It seems that they’re all over the place there.”
“Also done. I’ll give Bette a call and she’ll give him a ring. Can you think of anything else?”
“Yes,” I say quietly.
“Shoot.”
“Pray for my mother.”
“Already am, honey. She’s strong. She’ll come through this nightmare. Let me go take care of the press thing. I’ll call you later. Love you.” She hangs up.
My next call is to my Mom’s editor and friend, Tommy, and his partner, Fernando. I dial the phone hoping they won’t be home and that the call will go to voicemail. I love them both dearly, but sometimes they can be a bit overly dramatic—especially Fernando.
“Hello?” Tommy answers.
“Hi, it’s Lily.”
“Oh my God, we’ve been dying here, absolutely dying, waiting to hear what’s going on. We called the hospital three times and they refused to give out any information!” I hear Fernando in the background asking who it is.
“It’s Lily. Sweetie, do you mind if I put you on speaker so Ferny can hear what you’re saying? We’re both distraught.”
“Of course.”
“Hi, Lily, my love.” It’s Fernando.
“Hi, Fernando.” I get them up to speed. As I’m talking, I hear them both start to cry.
“So we’ll know more after the test,” I conclude.
“Who’s there with you?” Tommy asks.
There we go with that question again.
“No one,” I reply.
I swear I hear them both gasp. “No one?” they ask in unison.
“No, why?”
“Well, let’s just say that you don’t like being alone when times are good,” Tommy explains.
I think about that for a moment and realize he’s right. I really don’t like being alone… ever. Not in bad times—not even in good times. I don’t do alone very well.
“Lily, we’re coming to the hospital tonight to be with you. What time are you going to be back there?” Tommy asks.
“Let me call you later. They probably won’t let you in to see her; they’re only letting in immediate family.”
“Well, I’ll say I’m her brother,” Fernando said.
“Me too. We’ll both say we’re her brothers. I’m the younger one,” Tommy chimes in. We all laugh because Tommy is—and looks—ten years older than Fernando. It makes me feel good to talk to them, because they really do love my mother as if she were a
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