CHAPTER SEVEN-JUST US

After Virginia left, Cooper turns to Charlotte, "what was that? I thought we decided not to do the transplant? Why the sudden change of heart?"

"You saw her Coop. How could we say no?"

"I know but we have to make sure this is the right decision for us too."

Charlotte plops down on the bed. "Do you really want to know why I changed my mind?"

"It'd be nice." He lies down on the bed resting his head on his arms under his head.

Charlotte puts her hand over his heart, "I know you want to help your sister. I know I'm the only one holding you back."

"That's not entirely true Char. When you started talking about us raising kids together and going to their soccer games, that's all I could think of."

"I 're talking about your health. It's a forever decision," she pats his chest with her hand.

"I'll be okay Charlotte. I'm a strong healthy guy." He shows her his muscle.

"I know you are," she laughs."For the doctor in me it's an easy choice."

"I hear a ...but... coming."

"Yes, because although the doctor in me says you should go ahead and do it, the wife in me is hesitant."

Cooper grabs her hand. "I'll be okay wifey. I promise."

"You better because I'm gonna hold you to that promise." Charlotte squeezes his hand tight.

Cooper sits up. "I guess I should get over to the hospital. I'll need a full physical exam done before they okay me for the procedure and pre-op blood work needs to be done."

Charlotte holds him down by the shoulders. "No you don't. Not today. That stuff can hold a day. Today is just about us."

"Okay?" Cooper questions. "What should we do?"

'"First we need to call Violet and the Practice. We have to tell them we'll be stayin' in Ohio longer than we thought."

That's not the answer Cooper was hoping for, but he agrees, "Violet's going to freak out when I tell her this."

"You're right." Charlotte asks, "are you going to tell your parents?"

Cooper answers quickly, "no!" They can't know about this."

"Cooper you're going to have major surgery. You need to tell your parents."

"No! I can't tell them."

"Why not?"

Cooper looks at Charlotte like she has two heads. "They don't even know I've been looking for my biological family. My mother would die if she knew I looked for them and found them."

"You feel like your betraying your parents by finding your bio mom?" Charlotte's concerned.

"Yeaahhh!" Cooper answers as if she should know better. "They raised me Char. The Freedman's were the ones who changed my diapers. They sat up with me when I was sick. They're my parents."

"Precisely why they should know you're having surgery."

"I can't Char. I can't tell them. It'll break their hearts," he answers somberly.

"Well, just think about it. We don't have to tell them today but it's something to consider."

"I promise you I will think about it." Cooper bites his lip as he talks.

"Fair enough. I'm going to run to the store. Why don't you call Violet while I'm gone. Be back in half hour."

"What are you getting at the store?"

"It's a surprise. Just call Violet," she calls back to him as she walks out the door.

Cooper finds his phone and touches the screen for Violets name.

"This is Violet Turner."

"Hey, how's the weather in LA?" Cooper greets her.

"Come home and you'll find out."

"That's why I'm calling Charlotte and I need to extend our stay at least another week," Cooper explains.

"Why didn't you find your mother yet?"

"We found her. She's great," Cooper says enthusiastcally.

"Did you grill her why she gave you up?" Violet asks in a quiet nosy tone.

"Didn't need to tell her. She was a fountain of information. She was very forthcoming."

"Spill Cooper! I want all the dirt."

"Okaaay, if you insist Violet but it's not all that interesting. She got pregnant in college and gave me up so she could continue her education."

"What is she? A doctor? No wait...a lawyer?"

"No Violet. She was a school teacher and so was my father. They married six years after I was born. I have two brothers and a sister Kim."

"Wow Cooper. I'm so happy for you. This is great. Do they look like you?"

"I've only seen pictures of my brothers. They don't live local but one of them could be my twin."

"Wow! What about your sister?" Violets nosy.

"Kim lives with my mother. She's very sick."

"What's wrong with her Coop?"

"She's in kidney failure and needs a transplant. That's why I'm calling."

Violet gasps, "Cooper is that why you need more time off work? Don't even tell me."

"Yup! I'm a match and I'm going to do it."

"Cooper, you just met them? Why can't one of the brothers do it?" Violet asks.

"They weren't compatible enough matches. But I am."

"Geez Coop! What are the odds of that?"

"My mother thinks my father sent me from heaven to save Kim?"

Violet hesitates, "your mother? you told her already. I thought you weren't going to tell your parents."

"I can't beleive I said that. I mean my bio mother and father. My bio father is dead and my bio mother thinks he sent me from heaven to save my sister."

"The Freedmans are your parents Coop," Violet reminds.

"I know that. I just slipped."

"Do they know about this?" Violet asks.

"No and I'm not going to tell them. You know them Violet. You know how they'll react."

"They won't be happy." Violet agrees. "How's Charlotte handling all this?"

"She didn't like the idea at first but the doctor in her won out."

"Yeah. You can function normally with one kidney." Violet knows this.

"Well, just inform everyone at the practice what's going on and we'll need another week in Ohio."

"Don't worry about it Coop. Just take care of yourself and call me before you do it."

"Later gator," Cooper tells her before he hangs up.

Charlotte walks in the door with a bag in her hand as Cooper ends his phone call.

"What's in the bag?" Cooper asks

"See for yourself."

Cooper looks in the bag and raises his eyebrows. He pulls out a can of whipped cream. "What do we do with this?" He winks.

"Look in the bag. There's more." Charlotte smiles her naughty smile.

"Mmmmm...chocolate body paints...I can think of a lot of things we can do with this."

Charlotte pushes him down on the bed. "You're going to be out of commission a while after the surgery so we better have some fun now." She lies on top of him and kisses him.

Cooper stops to take a breath. "I like the way you think." He pulls her top off and sticks his fingers in the chocolate paint, making swirls with it trailing down Charlotte's neck to her belly.

Charlotte pulls Cooper's shirt off and does the same with the whip cream. "Today is just about us." She tells him as she scoops some whip cream off his chest with her finger and tastes it.

"Just about us." Cooper kisses her lips and they spend the rest of the afternoon just the two of them.


The next chapter is the surgical procedure. What do you think will happen?

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