Chapter 9
Sue and Lucy sat on the couch chatting about her life in Vermont, the house, farm, what it was like to be a mom and Chris.
"Do you like him?" Lucy asked.
"Yes. I like him. He's a great guy." Sue said.
"But do you like him the way it seems he likes you?" Lucy asked.
"I'm trying." Sue said.
"You know, if you're trying too hard, maybe it's not meant to be." Lucy reminded her friend.
"I know." Sue agreed.
"I hate to admit it but when he kisses me, I just don't feel anything." She paused. "Maybe I'm just not over Jack." Lucy smiled.
"'Bout time you admitted that." She teased. Sue gave her a 'don't start' look and got up to take a shower, handing Lily to her.
"Here, keep Aunty Lucy out of trouble." Sue said.
"Are you going to talk to Jack today?"
"Yes, I said I would." Sue paused. "I haven't decided if I want to go over there or have him come here, if that's OK with you." Sue said.
"Don't you want some privacy?" Sue simply shrugged.
"Honestly, I'm not sure." Lucy giggled.
"Tell ya what. Give Jackson a call, see what time he wants company. Then you can go over and I can hang out with Lily in the hall until you take her." Lucy suggested.
"I guess that would work. You wouldn't mind keeping an eye on her for a bit?" Sue asked.
"Of course not. She's too sweet."
Sue called Jack, and they agreed to meet in an hour.
Sue packed up Lily, and the three headed to Jack's. Sue went up first and tapped on the door. Jack opened the door wearing older jeans, faded with a tight black t-shirt and bare feet. His hair was mussed and damp from just getting out of the shower. Sue silently sighed.
"Hi." He said.
"Am I early?" Sue asked.
"No, please come in. I was just really enjoying the hot shower." He answered.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Ehh. I've been better, but, I've been worse too." The pair walked into the living room and sat.
"Have you eaten?" Sue asked.
"Yeah, Toast, but yes." He chuckled, but winced in pain and grabbed his ribs.
"Why don't you keep the jokes to a minimum Chuckles." Sue teased. "Do you want me to make some eggs or something?"
"Pizza?" He suggested.
"Umm, I would rather talk if that's ok." Sue asked, seemingly nervous.
"Sure, but I already ordered it… it'll be here in a few minutes." He laughed, once again holding his side.
"Oh." Sue said with a nervous giggle. "Well, then, I guess we should talk fast then."
"Look, I owe you an apology. I was a coward. I was afraid that you'd be angry, and not want anything to do with me. I see now that line of thinking back fired on me." He said all in one breath.
"Yeah I'll say."
"I honestly, I never got a letter. I'll admit to being too afraid to answer the phone calls and the emails, but I swear, I never got a letter from you." Jack said.
"I know that Jack." Sue said. "If you'd gotten that letter, you would have found a way to contact me."
"Oh, it was that good of a letter, huh?" He teased.
"Yeah, something like that." Sue said with a half laugh. There was a knock at the door.
"Pizza's here. Can you get it while I get the money?" Jack asked as he went off to his bedroom.
Sue grabbed her wallet and paid for the pizza. Lucy put the baby inside the house and quickly left. Sue put the pizza on the coffee table and put the baby in the kitchen, out of Jack's line of sight.
"Hey, sorry it took so long…" He said. "Where's the pizza guy?"
"I paid him, pizza's on the table." Sue explained.
"You didn't have to, but thanks!" Jack said. He hobbled over to the couch and began to dig into the box. Sue took the opportunity to 'get plates' from the kitchen. When she walked back in, she had Lily in her arms. Jack took a big bite of his pizza and looked up to call to Sue for a beer. When he saw Sue standing there with a baby, he nearly choked. Sue laughed. He shot up from where he sat, knocking his knee into the coffee table, and subsequently tripping over it, landing on his back side.
"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?" Sue asked.
"Yeah… umm… Sue? You're holding a baby…" Jack said.
"Yeah, I know." She said smiling.
"Who's baby… where did the baby come from?" Jack asked. "The baby wasn't here before was it?"
"Jack, please sit." Jack sat, wiped his mouth and stared at Sue, then the baby, then Sue.
"Sue…"
"Jack, this is Lily. She is my daughter." Sue said looking at the baby in her arms.
"Your… your… your daughter?" Jack asked, swallowing hard. Right on cue, Lily woke up. She yawned and stretched. She let her little eyes fall shut once more, then popped them open once more. "Well hello beautiful. You have impeccable timing." Sue smiled as she brushed the baby's hair up, and swiped her finger up her cheek causing her to smile.
"You… you had a baby…" Jack said, dumb founded.
"Yes." Sue said smiling. "I did."
"She's beautiful. Uhh… congratulations." Jack said staring at the infant in the woman he loved arms.
"Want to hold her?" Sue asked. Jack looked surprised at her question. "Uhh… sure."
"Just support her head, she can't quite hold it up by herself yet." Sue said as she lay the baby in his arms. Jack held her like she weighed a hundred pounds and was made of glass. He watched as she cooed and smiled. "That's her new thing. She's found her voice a little bit. At least I assume she's making sounds, everyone says she does when her mouth goes like that." Sue said.
"She's beautiful, perfect." Jack said smiling at her. "Like her mama." He smiled at Sue who blushed at the compliment.
"Thanks."
"Can she hear? Do you know yet?" Jack asked.
"She passed her hearing test. The doctor is pretty sure she'll be a hearing child." Sue said. Jack smiled. "I've already started teaching her sign language. Not that she can mimic it yet, but if it's something she sees from the beginning, it'll be the norm for her when she can."
"Amazing." Jack said.
"Yes, she is." Sue said. She slowly sat next to Jack. "I've noticed you haven't asked about her father."
"Well… I figure that's your personal life, and after the past year, I really don't have any right to ask." Jack sighed, resigning himself to not being a part of her life anymore. "Is he good to you? To Lily?"
"Yes." Sue said, trying to hide her smile, her secret for a few more agonizing moments.
Jack took her little hand in his looking at how small she was. Lily wrapped her tiny hand around his finger.
"It didn't take her long to get wrapped around your finger." Sue joked. Jack smiled a sad smile. "Jack? Lily is your daughter." She said nervously.
Jack's head whipped around to look at her. "What? Did you just say, Lily's my… my daughter?" he asked shocked.
"Yes." Sue admitted. "If you'd read the letter, that was what I wrote in it. I mailed it the day I found out she was a girl."
"I-I ha-have a daughter?" He asked. He repeated it again as a statement. Tears filled his eyes.
"Hi baby." Jack said leaning down to kiss her on the top of the head. "I'm daddy. It's nice to meet you." He said, his voice cracking, his chin and lip quivering and a tear rolling down his cheek. "My daughter?"
Sue began to cry as well. "I was so scared how you would take the news." She said.
"I'm a dad?" He asked still trying to soak in the news. "Incredible."
Jack looked at Sue and softly dried her cheek from tears. Their eyes locked and they were drawn to each other. Jack made no attempt to hide his intentions as his lips landed on hers. Sue smiled into their kiss. The encounter was powerful, romantic and passionate.
"I've missed you so much." Jack said.
"I've missed you too." Sue agreed.
"So, now what?" Jack asked. "You can't live here… Do you think your little town could support a lawyer? Is there a need for one?" He asked.
"Jack?"
"Sue, I love you. I've loved you for a long time. I told you that the night we made this miracle. I meant it. Now that she's in the picture, I want to be a part of at least her life. If you don't want to be involved with me, I can accept that. I'm sure with your boyfriend back home." He said suggestively gauging her reaction.
"Chris and I have been seeing each other, but he's not you." Sue said. "Jack, I love you too. I would like to give us a fair chance. But, if we can't make a go of it, Lily still needs her father." Sue said.
"I'll talk to D next week." Jack said.
"Actually, Jack, I've done really well since I've been in Vermont. I've managed to chase away and bury the demons. This is the first time since everything happed almost two years ago that I've felt comfortable in the city. I haven't been afraid at all since I got back into town." Sue said. "I would actually like to try living here again. I'm sure Lucy would let me stay with her again. I don't think I can work yet, but maybe something on the side. I could always work at the grocery or department stores."
"Sue, are you sure?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. I told myself that if you were willing to give Lily a chance, I would give you one to be in her life." Sue explained.
"What about you?" He asked.
"I didn't expect you to want anything to do with me." Sue explained.
"Well, I do." He said. Sue smiled.
"I'll have to get Levi." Sue said.
"When I'm back on my feet, I can drive up with you to get him." Jack paused. "What will you do with the house? Your stuff?"
"The stuff will come with me, well some of it anyway. The house… I have a thought on that." Sue said.
Sue fed Lily while she and Jack ate the pizza. Jack had a million questions about Lily. Sue laughed at his excitement and curiosity.
After the pizza was gone and cleaned up, Sue texted Lucy and let her know what was going on and asked if she could stay with her for a while again. Of course, Lucy jumped at that offer. Sue also called Hillary to check in on Levi. They chatted for a while about what Sue wanted to do. Hillary thought it was a wonderful idea.
Sue and Jack spent nearly every minute of the next two weeks together. Jack's ribs and shoulder healed. Jack asked Sue if she still wanted to move home. Sue said yes. The couple got the baby set in the car, and they headed off to Sue's house in Vermont.
When they arrived in town, Sue spotted Chris' car at Hillary's store. She decided to avoid him right now, and went right to the house. Levi greeted them with wagging tail. His first concern was Lily though.
"Levi! Hey Buddy!" Jack called out to him. Levi made his way to Jack, slobbering all over him.
"What are you doing here? Where's Hillary?" Sue asked Levi. The canine ran playfully to the back door. Sitting out on the back deck was her friend, sipping a cup of coffee.
"Hi." Sue said.
"Hi there! I figured it was probably you." Hillary said giving Sue a hug.
"How was Levi?" Sue asked.
"Awesome as usual. The boys have been hounding their dad about getting a mut from the shelter. He finally gave in. We're going today." Hillary said.
"That's great." Sue said.
"Chris has been asking about you, a lot." Hillary said.
"Thanks. When we pulled into town, I saw him at your store." Sue said.
"Doesn't surprise me. He stops in every day about this time… why do you think I'm here rather than there? Tired of telling him the same thing." She smiled. Sue took a deep breath, raising her eyebrows and sighing, knowing that it wasn't going to be pleasant the next time she saw him.
Sue turned toward Jack. "Hillary, I want you to meet Jack Hudson. Jack this is my good friend Hillary." Sue said. The two said hello then Hillary went right for Lily.
"And you, little lady, how did you like your first trip to the big city?" Hillary asked Lily who just cooed and giggled.
"I think she slept through it. She did visit with her Aunty Lucy though." Sue said.
"That's good." Hillary said. "Well, I'm off to find me a mut. I'll give you a call later, maybe the boys and I will stop by."
"Great. Oh! Hillary, did you have time to talk to Tommy's folks about what we discussed?" Sue asked.
"Yes. We can talk later." And with that, Hillary left.
"Coffee?" Jack nodded and Sue pointed. "I'm going to get Lily changed."
Jack smiled. "I can do that you know." He called as he pulled out the pot. "Sue?" Then he remembered she couldn't hear him. A few minutes passed and she reappeared with the baby.
"I forgot you're deaf." He said as he scrunched his eye brows together.
"You what?" Sue looked him in in disbelief.
"Yeah… Anyway. I was saying that I can changed her if you want. Then I tried to ask where the mugs were." Sue laughed and pointed. "Yeah, I found them."
Sue sat at the table and began to feed the baby with a bottle.
"I thought you were breast feeding?" He asked.
"I am, but supplementing with formula. I also want her used to using a bottle." Sue explained. Jack looked at his daughter and smiled.
"She's so beautiful. I- I still can't believe we had a baby. I can't believe she's mine." He said. He was thankful that Sue was deaf so she couldn't hear his voice cracking.
"Well, believe it." Sue watched Jack, who never took his eyes off the infant in her arms. "Want to feed her?"
"Yeah, sure." He said excitedly.
A few hours passed, Sue had given Jack the tour of the house and the yard. Levi was out with them smelling every inch of the yard and orchard. Around three, a car pulled up outside. It was Chris.
"Jack, would you mind? I need to talk to Chris, alone." Sue said. Sue walked outside to meet him there.
"Sue! You're back!" Chris greeted her. She smiled at him.
"I am. We got back a few hours ago." Sue admitted.
"I'm so glad. I've missed you." He said kissing her on the cheek. Sue stiffened up.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I need to talk to you." She said.
"Is everything alright?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Sue sat on the glider and patted it for him to join her. He chose to sit in the chair across from her.
"What is it?" He asked nervously. She didn't answer at first. "You don't have to say it. I already know." He said. Sue blushed, feeling guilty. "I knew, the whole time. I knew that you were in love with him. I knew you weren't over him. And I knew that if you saw him again, and he met his daughter, it was over for me." He said softly, sadly.
"You're a really great guy Chris, you really are. But I can't help how my heart feels" Sue said.
"I understand. You share a bond, a love, and a child. It's hard to compete with." He said. "And if I was honest with myself, I knew I had lost any part I had of you when you went to save him."
"I'm sorry that I hurt you." She said. Chris stood and walked toward her. He put his hand out to help her up. When she stood, he gave her a quick hug.
"I won't deny I wish things had turned out differently for us, but I wish you well." he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. and walked out of Sue's life. Sue stayed out on the porch for a few long minutes. When she finally went back inside, she saw Jack playing with Lily and patting Levi at the same time.
"Everything OK?" He asked. Sue smiled.
"Yes." She said knowing she had made the right decision. For her it had always been Jack Hudson.
