Faith Hope Love Repeat pt.23
"What do the two fo you need?" Brian asked.
"A lot of prayers. And a lot of support." Adam answered.
"You got it."
"Thanks."
Brian pulled away from Adam and then hugged Hannah.
"Wheeler died a little while ago. Ford is with Cleo and her mom and he'll take them home and stay with them for a few days. Just to take care of them." Brian sighed.
"How are they holding up?" Hannah wondered.
"Ok. It's hard, but at least this wasn't a surprise."
"Yeah." Adam agreed.
They waited for news on RIley. Brian walked up to Adam who had moved closer to the door and was pacing around. He handed Adam a cup of coffee and Adam took it.
"Remember 10 years ago when Guthrie fell off his horse and busted his head open?" Brian wondered.
"One of the scariest evenings of my life. The doctors couldn't give us a definitive answer on his condition." Adam sighed.
"I remember the boys sitting in the kids' area trying to play, but they were so worried about Guthrie and you were standing right here. You paced this area to the point that they had to fix the floor."
They chuckled and Adam leaned against the wall.
"But he was ok. We were lucky it was the middle of summer so he didn't have to worry about school." Adam said.
"Yeah. When he woke up, he was terrified. All he wanted was you to hold him and rock him back to sleep or take him home." Brian sighed.
"But he needed to stay in the hospital and get better. I stayed with him the whole time."
"Yeah. You drove the doctors up a wall and all the nurses felt bad for you."
"Only when I started growing a beard and looked like I hadn't slept in weeks."
Adam looked at the door and sighed.
"She'll be ok. The doc will be out soon and we'll be able to see her." Brian said.
"Yeah." Adam answered. "You know, she'll be here for about a week recovering. And if she's had no problems, she can go home. If she does, she'll have to stay longer. She'll be on antibiotics and we'll have to be very careful."
"Yeah, well, you and Hannah take care of the kids as though it's always cold and flu season. Or like they'll get pneumonia or meningitis the next time they go outside. She'll be ok."
"I know."
Adam sniffed the coffee and then handed it back to Brian.
"I can't have coffee. Upsets my system." Adam sighed.
"Yeah, aren't you suppose to be using your crutches?" Brian asked.
"Maybe. At least I didn't drive."
"You can't drive for another two months if not longer."
"I know."
A doctor came out and walked up to Adam and Brian. Hannah walked over and hugged Adam.
"She's out of surgery and she's in her room." The doctor said.
"How is she?" Adam wondered.
"The surgery was a success. If all goes well, she'll be home in a week, but there will be very specific rules to follow."
"I know. I had mine removed when I was a kid."
"Sadly, I can only let one of you see her."
"Hannah, you can go see her." Adam suggested.
"Adam, she needs someone who knows what she's going through. I don't know what's going on. You do. She needs you more than she needs me. I'll come back in the morning. Besides, someone has to convince Holly to go to bed. I'm sure she's still waiting at Evan and Sally's by the phone." Hannah answered.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I am. Now, go see our girl and give her a kiss from me."
"Ok."
Adam followed the doctor to Riley's room. He walked in and saw Riley in bed sleeping.
"You guys were lucky to bring her here when you did. It saved her a lot of suffering." The doctor said.
"I bet." Adam sighed.
Adam sat down in the uncomfortable chair and waited for RIley to wake up. The doctor left the room and continued her rounds.
Ford, Cleo, and her mom were home grieving. Ford sat on the couch next to Cleo who was still in shock over her father's death.
"I can't stop crying." Cleo sobbed.
"I cried for days after mom and dad died. Even when I thought I had no more tears to cry, I still cried." Ford answered. "Don't try to stop it. Let it happen."
Ford hugged Cleo as she continued to sob.
Hannah, Molly, Crane, and Brian arrived home and they walked into Evan and Sally's house and saw everyone waiting.
"She's out of surgery and if all goes well, she'll be home in a week." Hannah said as she picked Holly up.
"When can I see her?" Holly wondered.
"Maybe tomorrow, but we have to be very careful. Even when she's home, she could get very sick and she has to stay very still so she can get better."
"Ok."
Hannah kissed Holly's nose.
"Wheeler died a few hours ago. Ford's gonna stay with Cleo for a few days." Brian explained.
The next morning, Adam woke up to crying. He looked and saw that Riley was waking up.
"It's ok, honey. It's ok." Adam hushed. He sat up and moved closer to Riley and squeezed her hands. "You're gonna be ok." RIley nodded and Adam kissed her forehead. "That's from mommy. She'll be here soon. How do you feel?"
"It hurts and I'm scared." RIley answered.
"I know. I know you are."
"When can I go home?"
"Soon. Maybe in a week."
"Ok. Will I be ok?"
"Yeah."
"What was wrong with me?"
Adam caressed Riley's forehead.
"The goat hit your side and it was hard enough to rupture your spleen. The doctor had to remove it, but you can live without it. Daddy hasn't had his for a long time. It just means you have to be very very careful. You could get sick very quickly, and it'll be very hard to recover from it." Adam explained. Riley's stomach rumbled and Adam smiled. "Let's see if we can get you something to eat."
Soon Adam and Riley were eating breakfast while watching tv. Hannah walked in with Holly and smiled at the two.
"What are you watching?" Hannah wondered.
"It's called Thomas and Friends." Riley answered. Holly climbed up on the bed and gently hugged RIley and then the two watched the show. Hannah walked over to Adam and they kissed.
"Daddy, Henry stuck in the tunnel cause of the rain." Riley said as she pointed at the tv.
"Yeah. I can see that." Adam answered.
"No, you can't. You're too busy kissing mommy." Holly exclaimed.
Adam and Hannah chuckled and pressed their heads together.
At the ranch, Brian was working in the barn when Sam walked in.
"Hey." Brian greeted as he walked over. Then he noticed that Sam was upset. "What's wrong?"
"We had a date last night. You stood me up." Sam answered.
"Oh, I forgot about that. I'm sorry. Cleo's father died and then Riley had surgery to remove her spleen. It was chaotic last night. I'm sorry. Can I make it up to you?"
"I guess."
"What can I do?"
"You can start by taking me out for brunch. I'm starving and I just want to eat without my mother around. She makes you lose your appetite in a heartbeat."
"Ok. Let's go."
Brian took Sam to town and they had brunch.
"My mom is growing unbearable to live with. Dad's starting to get worse and mom constantly wants me to stay home and twiddle my thumbs with her." Sam said.
"I knew a couple like that. They were the parents of Adam's friend, Briana. When she was diagnosed with cancer, her parents were horrible. They took the news worse than Briana." Brian answered.
"It must have been hard for them."
"It was."
Cleo woke up and saw Ford in the kitchen making brunch.
"Your mom went to town to get groceries. She said let you sleep." Ford said.
"Thanks." Cleo answered. Ford put a plate of food in front of Cleo and smiled.
"Try to eat."
"Ok."
Cleo ate her meal and then followed Ford outside.
"I feel so lost even after everything daddy did for us." Cleo said.
"I know. I do too. At least we have plenty of help from people around us." Ford answered.
"I guess."
At the ranch, Chase and Lisa arrived.
"Is Hannah here?" Lisa wondered as she walked inside.
"No, she's at the hospital." Guthrie answered.
"Oh, I see."
At Daniel and Dakota's house, the finishing touches were in place and the house was almost complete. Dakota walked into Sally's house and saw Jane and Sophie talking with Sally.
"I have more tomatoes." Dakota said.
"Good. We can start canning." Jane answered.
Lisa walked in and saw them.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"We're canning tomatoes." Jane answered. "Come help."
"Uh, no thanks. Why do you even bother? You know you can just go to the store and buy canned tomatoes."
"Most of the time, there's always something not right about them. Besides, we have so many tomatoes that we might as well do something with them."
"I guess. Who's house is that?" Lisa huffed
"Mine and Daniel's. Why?" Dakota answered.
"It's pitiful. I was just inside it looking around. There's nothing feminine about it."
"Feminine?"
"Yeah. There are no feminine colors."
"I don't like pink and purple."
"Oh."
"When are you and Daniel going to start on the indoor playground?" Sally wondered.
"When we move in." Dakota answered.
That evening, Daniel come home with a bottle of wine.
"Who's that for?" Dakota wondered.
"Us. One of the guys found out that we're expecting twins and gave us a bottle to save for when they're born. He said we'd need it." Daniel answered.
"Not that nonsense again. A child's scream is only as bad as you make it out to be. If you make it unbearable, it will be unbearable. If you make it joyful, it will be joyful."
"I'm not the one you need to convince."
"I know."
Daniel put the bottle down and hugged Dakota.
"Henry says the house will be move-in ready the day after tomorrow. They only have a few things to do. Then they're gonna start on Crane and Molly's house." Daniel said.
"That will be good for them and for us." Dakota answered.
"Yeah."
Two days later, Hannah was home taking care of the dishes when Lisa walked in.
"You know, we came here to visit you and you haven't spent much time with us." Lisa complained.
"Who knew that a goat would hurt Riley. She's my daughter. I have to be with her." Hannah answered.
"Maybe."
Lisa sat down at the table.
"Your mom is disappointed in you." Lisa said. Hannah put down the dish and turned off the sink.
"And I'm disappointed in her." Hannah answered. Then she went back to work.
"DO you even love her?"
"Of course I do. She's my mom. I just... we just don't see eye to eye. When she was here, she caused havoc on the family. It was too much for me and Adam. Me being pregnant with Briana wasn't easy and then losing Joseph made it worse."
"You know, she is right about a lot of things."
"No. No, she isn't. I'm not a city girl. I never was. this is my home. This is where I belong. I love Adam. He's been good to me."
"If he's so good then why is making life hard for you by creating a restraining order against your mom?"
"That wasn't him. That was both of us."
"But you hurt your mom. She came home crying saying that your husband had turned you against her and you let him."
"No. She turned me against her. She came here expecting to be a part of my baby's life and instead, told me that I should keep my figure even if it meant losing Briana. What kind of mother does that? What kind of mother is more concerned about her daughter's looks than her daughter and granddaughter's health."
Adam walked in and looked at Hannah and Lisa.
"What's going on?" Adam wondered.
"Nothing." Hannah lied.
"Ok. Well, Daniel said that he and Dakota could drop us off at the hospital. He took the day off to get settled into his house."
"I'll be ready in a minute."
Hannah dried off her hands and grabbed her purse and then followed Adam. They were dropped off at the hospital so that Crane and Molly could help Daniel, Evan, and Brian get the furniture for Daniel and Dakota's house. Hannah leaned against the wall and looked out the window. Adam walked over and kissed her cheek.
"What's wrong?" Adam wondered. Hannah snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. She rested her head on Adam's shoulder and Adam wrapped his arms around her.
"Lisa and I had a disagreement about mom." Hannah answered.
"We did what we had to do."
"I know. I just... Lisa's my best friend. I don't want her going home angry with me."
"I know. I know."
Hannah sighed and held onto one of Adam's arms.
"This is my home. In your arms. I'd be lost with you." Hannah whispered.
"I probably wouldn't be alive if you hadn't come along." Adam admitted.
"I know."
Adam kissed Hannah's forehead and they sighed.
"When Riley recovers from this, I want to take a trip. Just us and the kids." Adam suggested. "We need a trip like that."
"Ok." Hannah answered. "We can schedule it for August."
"Before school starts."
"Ok. Where will we go?"
"You let me worry about that."
"Ok."
A couple of days later, everyone but Adam attended Wheeler's funeral. When it was over, Ford and Guthrie stopped by the hospital to see Adam and Riley.
"Hi, uncle Ford." RIley exclaimed when Ford and Guthrie walked in.
"Hi, RIley. How do you feel?" Ford wondered.
"Uh, my side hurts a little bit."
"I see."
"Riley, I brought a book to read." Guthrie said. Guthrie sat on the bed and read the book to RIley. Adam hugged Ford and they left the room.
"How are you holding up?" Adam wondered.
"I'm ok. Cleo's grieving and so is her mom. It's not going to be easy. The meal train Hannah and grandma started has helped a lot." Ford sighed.
"I bet. How's work?"
"Pretty good actually. Everything is running smoothly despite the past few days."
"Good. You know we can help if you need it."
"I know. Grandpa's actually been helping a lot."
"Well, he spent his life ranching."
"It's good having his advice."
"I bet. I think the sanctuary's doing pretty well. Marie adopted another cat. Coop adopted a dog to help him with the horses."
"I know. He was talking about it."
"Well, if you need any help, you know who to call."
"I sure do."
Adam looked at Ford proudly, but he was also sad.
"You've grown up. You're not a little boy anymore. It seems like a few days ago, I had two shadows. Now, those two shadows are growing up and I have four more." Adam sighed.
"Yeah. I do miss those days. SO much has happened. It's kind of overwhelming." Ford agreed.
"But we're stronger even though we're moving more and more apart."
"At least no one has moved more than 2 miles away."
"True."
A few days later, RIley was well enough to go home, but she had to rest and couldn't be her playful self. Hannah was in the kitchen cleaning when Lisa walked in.
"This week has been good despite our disagreement. I was wrong, Hannah. Your mom was wrong about a lot of things. I guess it just took me coming here and seeing you and your family to realize that. You have a good life here. You wouldn't have had that in Denver." Lisa admitted.
"I just wish this week had gone by slower and we had had more time together. I could have shown you around more." Hannah sighed.
"I saw what needed to be seen. What was important."
They hugged and said goodbye. Lisa and Chase left and Hannah felt relief.
"I heard what Lisa said. I'm glad." Adam said as he wrapped his arms around Hannah.
"So am I." Hannah answered.
"Uh oh." Luke exclaimed from the other room.
"Mommy, Luke spilled my cup." Riley said.
"I got it." Adam sighed.
Adam cleaned up the mess and then picked Luke up.
"Uh oh." Luke cooed.
"No uh ohs. Say something else." Adam answered. "Can you say 'mama'?"
"Mumma."
Adam smiled and hugged Luke close.
"Now, say 'dada'," Adam said.
"Dada." Luke mumbled.
"That's a boy."
"He's been able to say that for a few days. Holly's been practicing with him and Briana." Hannah sighed as she walked in.
"Now we just have to wait for him to start walking." Adam answered.
"It might not be long. He's pretty quick to learn and Briana's right behind him."
"Never a dull moment."
TBC