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These characters are not mine, and no money is made by me for
their use in this story. I really need feedback, so please send any to erfanbev@yahoo.com This story takes place three
months after the previous story in this series. As always, thank you Elizabeth for all
your help!
This story is number 8 in a series. Previous stories:
1. Streets of Philadelphia
2. Lost and Found
3. A New Day
4. Feels Like Home
5. Piecing Things Together
6. Eye of the Storm
7. Healing Hands
Previously in this series….
“Anna, where does it hurt?” Anna motioned to her stomach. Carter and Susan
looked at each other.
“You don’t think..?” started Carter. He stopped. He didn’t want to
consider the possibility of what could be happening. Susan lifted the blanket.
“She’s spotting.”
Carter’s stomach lurched. Susan put her stethescope around her neck. “How far
along is she?”
“Three weeks.”
“Too early to tell with an ultrasound. We’ll have to do an exam.” Anna
suddenly became alert, and looked very worried.
“Everything’s ok, right?” she asked.
Susan began to prep for a pelvic exam. “We’ll see.”
The three of them were silent during the exam. Carter stood behind Anna, rubbing her
shoulders. Susan was deep in concentration. She got a look on her face, as if she had just
found the answer. She looked up at Anna and Carter, and she appeared very serious.
“I’m sorry…”
*******
“It wasn’t until we were on the plane that I knew I had made a mistake. I
realized I was being pushed around by a man I didn’t really love. I was certain that
he stole the Percocet, I just didn’t have proof. So I wasn’t too surprised when
he got in trouble with drugs again. This time it was worse than ever. I tried to get him
to detox, but he wouldn’t do it. His problems grew so severe that he got angry. He
lost his licence to practice medicine. He was living with me by then, and his whole life
became this big downward spiral. One night, I told him he had to go to detox, or it was
over. He got really angry, and began to hit me. That was how it started. At first he only
hit me when I made him mad. Then he would do it all the time. I went to the hospital a few
times. I never went to the hospital where I worked, Max made sure of that.”
*********
Mark want to the lounge. “Where’s Susan, she’ll know what’s going
on.”
He opened the door and Susan was in there.
“Sus, you were on last night, what happened?”
“Anna was attacked. Right outside her apartment.”
“Who did it?”
“They think it may have been her ex boyfriend. All I know is that if it was a random
attack, I need to worry. I live across the hall from her. The attack was right outside my
door.”
“You’re not going back there. You and Susie are staying with us. Where is Susie,
anyway?”
“Upstairs in day care.”
“I get off at 7. Whatever you do between now and then, don’t go home.”
********
And now, here’s From This Day Forward!
Rachel sleepily wandered into the kitchen. Mark was already sitting at the table drinking
coffee.
“Good morning, Rach. You want me to make eggs in a window?”
“No, I think I’ll just have some good old App…hey, where are the Apple
Jacks?”
Mark slapped his hand against his forehead. “I completely forgot. Susie ate the last
of them last night. I’ll go to the store this afternoon.”
“Hey Dad?”
“Yes?”
“When are they moving out?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You said that Susan was moving in because her building wasn’t safe, and she
needed to find a new place.”
“That’s right.”
“Dad, that was three months ago.”
“Well, we decided it would be nice if they stayed here.”
“Why?”
“Listen Rach.” He took her hand and pulled her towards him gently. “I love
Susan very much. We want to live together. I wish you would accept her.”
“I don’t need a new mom.”
“I know. That’s not why she moved in. This is a big house, and there’s
plenty of room for all of us. Now come on, you and Susie need to go to the store and get
your dresses.”
“Are you coming with us?”
“No, Anna and Susan are coming by to pick you up as soon as they finish their
shopping. Now come on, you gotta go get dressed.”
“Okay.” Rachel went upstairs, only to pass Susie running down the stairs at
lightning speed. Rachel had to move over to the side. She watched Susie race into the
kitchen and jump into Mark’s lap. Rachel watched as he hugged her. “Why does he
need them,” whispered Rachel to herself, “Am I not enough for him?”
********
“Rach, you look beautiful,” said Susan as Rachel got out of the dressing room at
the store. She was wearing a long off-white dress. Susie was already in her flower girl
dress, and was running around the store. “I’d better go get her,” said
Susan to Anna.
“That’s fine, I’ll hang out with Rach for a little while,” said Anna.
Rachel smiled, and Susan went off to get Susie.
“I’m really glad you’re going to be my bridesmaid,” said Anna as she
brushed Rachel’s hair. Anna had undergone a couple operations and her scars were
almost invisible. Rachel kept turning to see what Susan and Susie were doing.
“Is something bothering you?” asked Anna.
“No.”
“Aw come on, spill it.”
Rachel couldn’t lie to Anna. “They’re bothering me.”
Anna looked over at Susie and Susan, and realized what Rachel was referring to.
“House getting crowded, huh?”
“Yeah. Why do they have to live with us?”
“I know where you’re coming from. My parents got divorced when I was your age.
My dad got remarried, and I didn’t like it at all. I wanted my parents to stay
together. They actually did get back together a year later”
“I don’t want my parents to get back together. Dad is enough for me. I guess
I’m not enough for him.”
“Of course you are. But Susan makes him very happy. Don’t you want your dad to
be happy?”
“I guess.”
Rachel wanted to change the subject. “So, only two weeks ‘till the wedding. You
excited?”
“Yep.”
“That’s really cool. Are you going to stay in Chicago?”
“Of course. We just got a new apartment a few weeks ago. So sorry Rach, there’s
no getting rid of me.” They both smiled.
“Are you gonna have kids?”
Anna flinched. Rachel obviously didn’t know what had happened. Even Anna preferred
not to think about it, but whenever someone mentioned the miscarriage she got very upset.
She tried not to let her emotions show.
“I think so. Now come on,” said Anna, “We’d better get moving if we
want to get to the shoe store on time.”
******
“And this is the kitchen,” said the real estate agent as she led Doug and Carol
through an empty house. “And that’s about it. I’ll let you two talk it
over.” The agent left the room.
“Wow,” said Carol, “This is great.”
“Yeah, but can we afford it?” asked Doug.
“Sure. We’re both making pretty good money now. Besides, we need a big place.
The twins will probably want their own rooms someday, and if we have more kids
they’ll need rooms too.”
“You really like it?”
“I really do.”
“Me too. Let’s go ask about that contract. We’d want to get settled soon,
after all we’re only six weeks away.”
Carol laughed as she looked at her huge stomach, “You don’t have to remind
me!”
*********
“Well this is just great,” said Carter as he slammed a pile of RSVP cards on the
table in their apartment.
“What’s the matter?” asked Anna.
“No one in my family is coming to the wedding. Not even Gamma or Chase. I had no idea
that my being a doctor could piss them off THAT much.”
Anna didn’t know what to say. There was no possible explanation for his family’s
behavior. She walked behind him, leaned over his shoulder, and kissed him on the cheek.
“You know,” said Carter, “Until now, I never really believed they were out
of my life. I mean, my parents were never there for me, that’s for sure. But Gamma
and I were so close, and Chase was one of my closest friends. And Barbara—well, she
was just as disconnected from our family as I was. I never expected something like this to
happen.”
“Have you heard from everyone?”
“Yep. All of them.”
“I can’t help but feel this is partially my fault.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I wonder if I were different, if I were some high society type, maybe they
would accept this marriage.”
“They don’t accept anything I do anymore. They are crazy people. Don’t ever
let them make you think that you’re not good enough. That’s what they want
everyone to feel.” He smiled. “At least your family is normal.”
“Ha! That’s what you think. You haven’t met my Aunt Tessa. Besides, when
you met my family they were on their best behavior.”
“I wish they would come.”
“Why don’t you try talking to Gamma Carter? I’m sure she would listen to
you.”
“I’ll try.”
*******
The next day, Carter and Anna went to Mark and Susan’s house to work on the wedding
preparations. They were seated around the coffee table in the living room. Rachel was
curled up in a chair in the corner, reading a book.
“We’ll need a staging area of some sort,” said Mark, “We could move
the furniture out of the dining room. The question is, where do we put it?”
“How about this,” said Susan as she sipped a glass of water, “We could move
the furniture into Susie’s room, and she could bunk with Rachel for a few days.”
That got Rachel’s attention. “But Dad—“
“No buts. It will only be a few days.”
Rachel shot a pleading look at Anna, but she just shrugged her shoulders. “You should
do what your dad says.”
Rachel rolled her eyes, and got up, leaving the room. This was too much. How could she
move in with a three-year old? This was getting worse by the day. Rachel trudged up the
stairs to her room, only to find Susie sitting on her bed. Her curly blonde hair tumbled
about her face, and she wore a wide-eyed expression.
“What are you looking at?” asked Rachel meanly.
Susie jumped off the bed and scampered across the hall to her own room. Rachel shut her
door and locked it.
“I remember when I didn’t have to lock my door whenever I wanted privacy,”
she muttered under her breath.
******
“Do you ever worry about the kids?” asked Mark as he and Susan were getting
ready for bed. The wedding was in three days, and they had been getting ready for much of
the day. Susie had moved some of her things into Rachel’s room that afternoon, and it
was obvious that they still resented sharing a room.
Susan let out a sigh of frustration. “Yeah. I wish they would get along. I’m
sorry about putting Susie in Rachel’s room.”
“That’s okay. Maybe it’s for the best. They need to get used to being
together.”
“I just hope they don’t drive each other crazy.”
“I’m sure everything will be great.”
*******
“I said turn the light OFF!” said Rachel to Susie.
“I need to sleep with it on cause I’m scared of the dark,” said Susie. Her
bed was pushed up against the wall where the light switch was, so Susie could reach the
switch. Rachel got out of bed and went over to the switch.
“Lights OFF,” yelled Rachel as she pushed down the switch.
“ON!”
“OFF!” they began to fight over the switch. Rachel broke up the argument.
‘It’s my room,” she said, “so you have to do what I say.”
“Fine,” said Susie, and they turned off the light.
An hour or so later, Rachel awoke to hear Susie quietly crying. Rachel rolled her eyes.
“What now?” she wondered. She walked over to Susie’s bed and gently shook
her.
“Susie, what’s wrong?”
“I’m scared,” said Susie between sniffles.
What happened next was something that Rachel could not understand. Rachel was sure Susie
knew Rachel didn’t like her. They fought all the time, and Rachel could not think of
one situation where Susie and she had gotten along. And yet now, Susie had wrapped her
arms around Rachel’s neck and was hugging her.
“Alright,” said Rachel, “you can sleep in my bed. I promise no monsters
will go there.”
Susie looked up at her. “Can Mr. B come too?”
“Sure.”
Susie hopped in the bed next to Rachel and curled up on one side. Rachel looked down at
her for a moment before turning off the light and going to sleep herself.
*******
The day of the wedding had finally come. Susan, Elizabeth, Jeanie, and Carol were in their
bridesmaids dresses and were helping Anna get ready. Anna looked at herself in the mirror.
She was wearing her mother’s dress, and it was a little snug. She was currently
debating how to wear her hair.
“If you ask me Anna,” said Elizabeth as she ran a brush through Anna’s
hair, “you should wear it mostly up, with little bits down at the sides.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Elizabeth soon finished, and she stood back to admire her work.
“Well you look smashing, if I may say so myself.”
“You really do look beautiful Anna,” said Jeanie.
“The rest of you look great too,” said Anna.
“Yeah,” said Carol, “I just hope I don’t knock anyone over when
I’m going down the aisle.”
“How much longer is it?” asked Elizabeth.
“Six weeks. Seems like forever.”
“So Anna,” said Elizabeth, “are you nervous?”
“No, not at all,” said Anna. She just was worried about John, who was obviously
still very upset. He had called his grandmother and left a message on her answering
machine, but his call was never returned. She hoped he was okay.
*******
Carter was somewhat angry as he was getting ready. “It is so like my family to turn
their backs on me on what should be the happiest day of my life.” He muttered to
himself. He fumbled with his tie. He couldn’t focus at all, and with every attempt he
got his tie all knotted up in the wrong places. Mark stuck his head in the door.
“Hey Carter,” he said, “there’s someone here to see you. She says
it’s important. She’s down in the living room.”
Carter walked quickly down the stairs, then slowed down as he saw who it was.
“Gamma? What are you doing here?”
She smiled as she got up. “I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else. You should
know that.”
“Why didn’t you return my message?”
She frowned. “Well, your parents informed me that they weren’t coming. They
didn’t want me to come either, and for some reason I listened to them at first. Chase
wanted to come, but he’s having another operation.”
“How is he?”
“He’s making progress. He’ll never be his old self again, though.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m so glad you’re here!”
She hugged him. “John, no matter what anyone else in this family says, I hope you
know that I am very proud of you.”
*******
The guests had finally settled down in the backyard, and Carter, his best man Mark,
Anna’s uncle, who was performing the ceremony, were standing at the front. Anna and
the other women approached the back of the aisle from behind a hedge in the yard. The
music started. Anna’s dad turned to her. “This is it,” he said. Anna smiled
and began to walk with him down the aisle. When she was about halfway down, she saw Gamma
Carter sitting in one of the rows of chairs. Anna immediately looked at Carter, who
mouthed, “I’ll explain later.”
They finally made their way to the front, and Anna’s uncle began.
“Do you, Anna Catherine Del Amico, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, for
better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, from this day
forward?”
“I do,” said Anna. She smiled and repeated the words to herself again.
“From this day forward.” She was starting over, and everything was going to be
okay.
