Chapter 15
The next morning, Chloe had a permanent smile plastered on her lips.
"Why pumpkin, why are we so happy this morning?" Craig asked in mock curiosity. Chloe raised her ring finger in the air and pointed to the golden band around it.
"He did go through with it! Ah the little devil…" He laughed happily. "Does this mean that I have to give you away?"
"Only at the ceremony daddy. Then you can have me back…" Chloe laughed at little at her attempted joke, twisting the ring around her finger. Craig nodded his head.
"We're planning to have the wedding next week."
"So soon?" Craig asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I only have two months to live remember? And now it's one month and twenty- nine days so I would really like to experience what it is like to be married in this lifetime." Chloe said, tapping her fingers against the wooden surface of the table.
"Oh, ok Pumpkin. Whatever you want." Craig said, nodding his head to show that he supported whatever decisions she made. They were both silent for a moment, the only noise from Chloe's finger tapping out a rhythm on the table.
"Daddy wasn't Shawn supposed to come back yesterday? I was wound up in what the doctor told me that I completely forgot."
"Um…Honey, he's not coming back. Nancy called me yesterday to tell me that she wanted Shawn for two more weeks. I said ok because there wasn't really anything I could do. She called again right before you came downstairs this morning and said she is holding him for the rest of his life. She wants at least one of her children to grow up as a rich city boy."
"Daddy no!" Chloe said pounding her fist on the table. She immediately regretted doing that for a bruise started forming on the outside of her hand. "You can't let him stay there! He told me in his letter that he likes it better here!"
"Chloe honey, I'm afraid there is nothing we can do. When it comes to custody, the courts are usually in favor of the mother. Shawn can't come here on his own either, not until he is eighteen."
Chloe slouched down in her chair. Suddenly her engagement wasn't the most important thing on her mind.
"Then he won't be here for my wedding?" She said quietly, dreading the answer. Craig shook his head slowly, about as disappointed as Chloe was at that moment. "Can't we go over there and get him?"
"Not in your condition honey. And where would I get the money?"
Chloe sighed. First she was being robbed of her life, and now of her brother too? How unfair life could be sometimes. Chloe stood up from the table and left the house, grabbing a jacket on her way out. She was no longer allowed to leave the house without one.
Brady went to answer the door when he heard the persistent knocking.
"Chloe!" He exclaimed happily. Chloe's depleted mood was suddenly lifted. She could not feel sad for long with Brady around her. He gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek and led her inside his house by the hand. Isabella and John sat on the couch enjoying an afternoon tea when they saw their son and future daughter-in-law walk inside. Isabella immediately rose from the couch and went to give Chloe a hug.
"Oh, hello darling!" She said happily, hugging her warmly. John decided her might as well be the receiver that his wife was so he got up and gave Chloe a hug too.
Brady whispered to Chloe, "They're really touchy-feely. You better get used to that!" Chloe grinned at his comment.
"I heard that!" Isabella said, placing her hands on her hips. "And I don't deny it either." Everyone in the room laughed out loud. After sitting and chatting for a while, Chloe pulled Brady off into a corner of the room.
"Brady, remember how I wanted Shawn to be the best man at out wedding?" Chloe asked slowly.
"Uh huh."
"Well scratch that. He's not going to make it. My mother is holding him hostage in New York."
"What!"
"I told you she's a lunatic…"
"Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Not according to my dad. The courts are all supposed to be in favor of the mother or something like that. So we'll have to find a new best man."
John cleared his throat loudly from the seat. Both Chloe and Brady looked over at John then gave each other a look, nodding their heads.
"Say dad, how would you like to be best man at our wedding?"
"Moi?" John asked, pointing to himself and looking around the room in surprise.
"Do you see any other dads in this room?"
"I dunno son. Is there something I should know?" John asked eyeing his son with mock suspicion in his voice.
"Dad…" Brady said in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Ok, ok. I'll do it!" He said, raising his hand over his heart. "For the sake of my son."
Brady rolled his eyes. "Ok, thank you."
"You're welcome." His dad answered before slouching back on the couch and resuming watching "I Love Lucy" with Isabella.
***
Brady led Chloe outside and they sat on the porch steps. Chloe felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg and winced.
"Chloe what's wrong?" Brady asked, concerned.
"It's my leg…" Chloe said, the pain apparent through her expression. She ran her hand up and down her calf in an attempt to stop the surges of pain that shot up her legs.
"Can you walk?" Brady asked, helping her to her feet. Chloe appeared to be walking fine, but after her fifth step, her legs gave way and she collapsed. Luckily, Brady had been there to keep her from hitting the hard surface of the porch or worse, the sharp edge of the steps. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her out to his car.
"I guess I should get you to that doctor now…" Brady said, driving quickly down the road.
Chloe bit her tongue to keep from crying out in pain.
***
At the Wesley house, the doctor inspected Chloe's legs carefully.
"Uh huh. Hmmm…" He said quietly as he ran his hand over the back of her leg. He took the little metal hammer from his medicinal bag to test Chloe's reflexes.
He tapped the metal surface on the pressure point in Chloe's knee, but her leg did not kick upwards. He tried again. This time, it took five seconds, but her leg did kick up.
"I see…" He said, backing up and placing the tool back in his bag. "Well, right now the nerves in your legs are going haywire. I will have to check again tomorrow. But for now…" He rifled around in his bag again. "Take one of these every four hours to ease the pain."
Chloe nodded her head and just sat there. She was afraid to stand up. Brady left the room to grab a glass of water, leaving Chloe alone with her thoughts.
Chloe glanced around the room, then, hanging on to the sides of her chair, she struggled slowly to her feet. She was able to stand, and even walk perfectly fine. She got out of the room and down the stairs, but upon reaching the last step her legs gave way again and she stumbled onto the hardwood floor of the living room.
Craig came running into the room when he heard the thud of Chloe's body hitting the floor. He arrived to see Chloe grabbing the stair rail and trying to stand up again. He disappeared back into the kitchen, coming back with a pair of crutches.
"Here…" He said, helping his daughter up. "The doctor left these for you."
The next morning, Chloe had a permanent smile plastered on her lips.
"Why pumpkin, why are we so happy this morning?" Craig asked in mock curiosity. Chloe raised her ring finger in the air and pointed to the golden band around it.
"He did go through with it! Ah the little devil…" He laughed happily. "Does this mean that I have to give you away?"
"Only at the ceremony daddy. Then you can have me back…" Chloe laughed at little at her attempted joke, twisting the ring around her finger. Craig nodded his head.
"We're planning to have the wedding next week."
"So soon?" Craig asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I only have two months to live remember? And now it's one month and twenty- nine days so I would really like to experience what it is like to be married in this lifetime." Chloe said, tapping her fingers against the wooden surface of the table.
"Oh, ok Pumpkin. Whatever you want." Craig said, nodding his head to show that he supported whatever decisions she made. They were both silent for a moment, the only noise from Chloe's finger tapping out a rhythm on the table.
"Daddy wasn't Shawn supposed to come back yesterday? I was wound up in what the doctor told me that I completely forgot."
"Um…Honey, he's not coming back. Nancy called me yesterday to tell me that she wanted Shawn for two more weeks. I said ok because there wasn't really anything I could do. She called again right before you came downstairs this morning and said she is holding him for the rest of his life. She wants at least one of her children to grow up as a rich city boy."
"Daddy no!" Chloe said pounding her fist on the table. She immediately regretted doing that for a bruise started forming on the outside of her hand. "You can't let him stay there! He told me in his letter that he likes it better here!"
"Chloe honey, I'm afraid there is nothing we can do. When it comes to custody, the courts are usually in favor of the mother. Shawn can't come here on his own either, not until he is eighteen."
Chloe slouched down in her chair. Suddenly her engagement wasn't the most important thing on her mind.
"Then he won't be here for my wedding?" She said quietly, dreading the answer. Craig shook his head slowly, about as disappointed as Chloe was at that moment. "Can't we go over there and get him?"
"Not in your condition honey. And where would I get the money?"
Chloe sighed. First she was being robbed of her life, and now of her brother too? How unfair life could be sometimes. Chloe stood up from the table and left the house, grabbing a jacket on her way out. She was no longer allowed to leave the house without one.
Brady went to answer the door when he heard the persistent knocking.
"Chloe!" He exclaimed happily. Chloe's depleted mood was suddenly lifted. She could not feel sad for long with Brady around her. He gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek and led her inside his house by the hand. Isabella and John sat on the couch enjoying an afternoon tea when they saw their son and future daughter-in-law walk inside. Isabella immediately rose from the couch and went to give Chloe a hug.
"Oh, hello darling!" She said happily, hugging her warmly. John decided her might as well be the receiver that his wife was so he got up and gave Chloe a hug too.
Brady whispered to Chloe, "They're really touchy-feely. You better get used to that!" Chloe grinned at his comment.
"I heard that!" Isabella said, placing her hands on her hips. "And I don't deny it either." Everyone in the room laughed out loud. After sitting and chatting for a while, Chloe pulled Brady off into a corner of the room.
"Brady, remember how I wanted Shawn to be the best man at out wedding?" Chloe asked slowly.
"Uh huh."
"Well scratch that. He's not going to make it. My mother is holding him hostage in New York."
"What!"
"I told you she's a lunatic…"
"Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Not according to my dad. The courts are all supposed to be in favor of the mother or something like that. So we'll have to find a new best man."
John cleared his throat loudly from the seat. Both Chloe and Brady looked over at John then gave each other a look, nodding their heads.
"Say dad, how would you like to be best man at our wedding?"
"Moi?" John asked, pointing to himself and looking around the room in surprise.
"Do you see any other dads in this room?"
"I dunno son. Is there something I should know?" John asked eyeing his son with mock suspicion in his voice.
"Dad…" Brady said in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Ok, ok. I'll do it!" He said, raising his hand over his heart. "For the sake of my son."
Brady rolled his eyes. "Ok, thank you."
"You're welcome." His dad answered before slouching back on the couch and resuming watching "I Love Lucy" with Isabella.
***
Brady led Chloe outside and they sat on the porch steps. Chloe felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg and winced.
"Chloe what's wrong?" Brady asked, concerned.
"It's my leg…" Chloe said, the pain apparent through her expression. She ran her hand up and down her calf in an attempt to stop the surges of pain that shot up her legs.
"Can you walk?" Brady asked, helping her to her feet. Chloe appeared to be walking fine, but after her fifth step, her legs gave way and she collapsed. Luckily, Brady had been there to keep her from hitting the hard surface of the porch or worse, the sharp edge of the steps. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her out to his car.
"I guess I should get you to that doctor now…" Brady said, driving quickly down the road.
Chloe bit her tongue to keep from crying out in pain.
***
At the Wesley house, the doctor inspected Chloe's legs carefully.
"Uh huh. Hmmm…" He said quietly as he ran his hand over the back of her leg. He took the little metal hammer from his medicinal bag to test Chloe's reflexes.
He tapped the metal surface on the pressure point in Chloe's knee, but her leg did not kick upwards. He tried again. This time, it took five seconds, but her leg did kick up.
"I see…" He said, backing up and placing the tool back in his bag. "Well, right now the nerves in your legs are going haywire. I will have to check again tomorrow. But for now…" He rifled around in his bag again. "Take one of these every four hours to ease the pain."
Chloe nodded her head and just sat there. She was afraid to stand up. Brady left the room to grab a glass of water, leaving Chloe alone with her thoughts.
Chloe glanced around the room, then, hanging on to the sides of her chair, she struggled slowly to her feet. She was able to stand, and even walk perfectly fine. She got out of the room and down the stairs, but upon reaching the last step her legs gave way again and she stumbled onto the hardwood floor of the living room.
Craig came running into the room when he heard the thud of Chloe's body hitting the floor. He arrived to see Chloe grabbing the stair rail and trying to stand up again. He disappeared back into the kitchen, coming back with a pair of crutches.
"Here…" He said, helping his daughter up. "The doctor left these for you."