Dixie paced back and forth. Her hand rested on the back of her neck.
"Maybe it's not. It could be," she said. The doorbell rang and Dixie slowly
made her way to the door.
"Dixie," Maria Grey said. Dixie swung the door inward. "Hey. Are you ready to go?" Dixie walked back into the house. Maria followed her. "What is it?"
"I'll let you know in about five more minutes," Dixie said as she sat.
"Something's wrong?" Maria sat beside her. "Dixie, you're my best friend. You were the maid of honor at my wedding..."
"I really shouldn't be fussing over this. I should be excited, right? But with Tad still in the hospital, I guess that's kind of overshadowing this whole thing."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's just that I wish that Tad was here for this." She paused. "What if he never wakes up, Maria? What if Tad is in that hospital forever? What am I going to do?"
"You've kept faith for so long," Maria said. "You can't give up on him now." Maria still had a questioning look on her face as Dixie stood and walked over to the bathroom. She disappeared for a moment and Maria spoke again. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?" there was silence. "Dixie? Are you OK?" There was still nothing. Maria knocked on the door. "Dixie?" When she still received no answer, Maria pushed the door inward. Dixie stood over the sink, leaning with her head in her left hand and something else, that Maria couldn't quite see, in her right. "What is it, Dixie?"
Dixie looked over at Maria, wide eyed. "I'm pregnant." Dixie steadied herself by grabbing hold of the sink. "I think I'm going to pass out."
Maria moved over to Dixie and helped her out to the sofa. "Easy," Maria said, helping Dixie to sit. "I'll go get you some water." Dixie took a deep breath as Maria went to the kitchen and brought back a glass of water. "Are you going to be OK?" Maria asked, handing her the glass.
Dixie nodded. "This is just a little too much excitement for me to handle right now." Dixie paused. "Tad would be so excited. "She smiled. "He said one time... that if I ever told him I was pregnant he would be the happiest man in the world." Dixie paused. "You must remember Edmund's reaction when you told him you were pregnant with Maddie."
"Of course I do," Maria said.
"And it was one of the happiest moments of your life, and Edmund was more excited than a little kid locked overnight in a candy store." Maria nodded slightly. "What if I never get to se Tad's reaction?"
"Dixie, stop talking like that."
"Oh, Maria," Dixie cried. "I dreamed that when this day came it would be perfect. I would set up the candles, we'd have a gourmet meal, and after dinner, I would tell him. I could see it clearly from the day Tad and I first set eyes on eachother. I could picture the look on his face when I told him and the happiness we would share, raising our baby... together."
"You can still have that," Maria told her. "You've been sitting in that hospital room everyday for weeks now. You can't tell me that..."
"I can't do this anymore," Dixie cried. "I can't sit in the room and... expect him to open his eyes. I love Tad too much to see him like this." She paused, taking a deep breath and rubbing her eyes. "I tried to imagine what it would have been like if I was the one who was in the accident."
"Tad wouldn't give up on you, Dixie. You know that." Maria sat, facing her. "I don't know what else to say. You two have gone through everything together."
Dixie nodded. "I know. Tad... has been my everything. He's my knight in shining armor. Through everything with Junior and Adam. He saved me from it all. He's been understanding and compassionate and..."
"Then I think there's only one logical choice," Maria said. "Don't you?"
Dixie managed a weak smile. "Now I know why I keep you around," Dixie said, hugging Maria.
"What are friends for, huh?" Maria grinned. She pulled away slowly and stood, looking down at Dixie. "So, mommy. What do you say I take you out to celebrate?"
Dixie stood. "Sounds good to me."
"Please, JR?" Colby begged as she tried to drag JR by the hand. "Please?"
"Didn't you make your list already?" JR asked, letting her lead him.
"But Uncle Stuart lets me talk to Santa anyway."
"You want to eat lunch too, right?" Colby nodded. "OK." JR gave in. Colby jumped up and down excitedly. "Not long though. Just tell Santa what you want for Christmas and then we have to go. I promised I'd have you home
early."
Colby smiled and pulled JR along to wait in line to talk to Santa, who in JR's opinion didn't even look like a good fake. But if standing on the line made Colby happy, he was willing to do it, even if it meant humiliation in front of any number of his friends who could have been in the mall. Still though, JR covered his ground, looking just to be sure nobody he knew was around. Suddenly JR's stare stopped in one direction.
"What are you looking at, JR?" Colby asked him.
"Mom's here," JR said.
"Mommy?" Colby asked him.
"No, no. Dixie." JR quickly said. Colby didn't know Dixie as mom, only JR. There was no point in confusing her.
Maria and Dixie walked on the other side of the mall. They were laughing and giggling as they stopped in front of Lacy's. "I know what we can do," Maria said. "Let's just go in there and pick out the most spectacular, amazing thing we can find. Edmund promised me that the Crystal Ball this year would be the best one yet. What do you say?"
Dixie raised her eyebrows with a smile on her face. "Why not?" she said. Dixie raised her hand and wiped her forehead.
"Are you OK?" Maria asked her.
"Yeah." Dixie assured her. "I think it was something I ate at lunch. I'm fine."
"You're sure?" Dixie nodded. "Whatever you say." Maria started into the store and Dixie followed right behind her. Everything seemed fine. Dixie and Maria started to pick up clothing, showing it off to eachother, when Dixie took hold of one of the clothing racks. "Dixie?" Maria said, concerned.
"I'm OK," Dixie said, slowly loosening her grip. She couldn't. The room was spinning. "I need to sit down." Dixie let go of the rack and tried to make her way to a seat, but fell to the floor. Her eyes were glazed, and tiny beads of sweat rolled down her head.
"Dixie?" Maria said. "Somebody call an ambulance!" She called. Dixie's eyes started to roll back in her head, all she could hear was Maria's voice. "Hold on there, Dixie, we've got help coming for you." And then here eyes shut.
Dixie's eyes eased open. The lights were bright and reflective on the surfaces around her. She couldn't see much of anything, but it was what she heard that caught her attention.
"Dixie?" the voice was familiar to her, but she couldn't focus on the face. "Hey, Dix." She felt a hand reach out and touch hers. "I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you."
Dixie's eyes began to focus on the body sitting beside her. "Tad." Dixie said weakly. "Oh, Tad. I knew you'd come back to me."
"Dixie," Maria Grey said. Dixie swung the door inward. "Hey. Are you ready to go?" Dixie walked back into the house. Maria followed her. "What is it?"
"I'll let you know in about five more minutes," Dixie said as she sat.
"Something's wrong?" Maria sat beside her. "Dixie, you're my best friend. You were the maid of honor at my wedding..."
"I really shouldn't be fussing over this. I should be excited, right? But with Tad still in the hospital, I guess that's kind of overshadowing this whole thing."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's just that I wish that Tad was here for this." She paused. "What if he never wakes up, Maria? What if Tad is in that hospital forever? What am I going to do?"
"You've kept faith for so long," Maria said. "You can't give up on him now." Maria still had a questioning look on her face as Dixie stood and walked over to the bathroom. She disappeared for a moment and Maria spoke again. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?" there was silence. "Dixie? Are you OK?" There was still nothing. Maria knocked on the door. "Dixie?" When she still received no answer, Maria pushed the door inward. Dixie stood over the sink, leaning with her head in her left hand and something else, that Maria couldn't quite see, in her right. "What is it, Dixie?"
Dixie looked over at Maria, wide eyed. "I'm pregnant." Dixie steadied herself by grabbing hold of the sink. "I think I'm going to pass out."
Maria moved over to Dixie and helped her out to the sofa. "Easy," Maria said, helping Dixie to sit. "I'll go get you some water." Dixie took a deep breath as Maria went to the kitchen and brought back a glass of water. "Are you going to be OK?" Maria asked, handing her the glass.
Dixie nodded. "This is just a little too much excitement for me to handle right now." Dixie paused. "Tad would be so excited. "She smiled. "He said one time... that if I ever told him I was pregnant he would be the happiest man in the world." Dixie paused. "You must remember Edmund's reaction when you told him you were pregnant with Maddie."
"Of course I do," Maria said.
"And it was one of the happiest moments of your life, and Edmund was more excited than a little kid locked overnight in a candy store." Maria nodded slightly. "What if I never get to se Tad's reaction?"
"Dixie, stop talking like that."
"Oh, Maria," Dixie cried. "I dreamed that when this day came it would be perfect. I would set up the candles, we'd have a gourmet meal, and after dinner, I would tell him. I could see it clearly from the day Tad and I first set eyes on eachother. I could picture the look on his face when I told him and the happiness we would share, raising our baby... together."
"You can still have that," Maria told her. "You've been sitting in that hospital room everyday for weeks now. You can't tell me that..."
"I can't do this anymore," Dixie cried. "I can't sit in the room and... expect him to open his eyes. I love Tad too much to see him like this." She paused, taking a deep breath and rubbing her eyes. "I tried to imagine what it would have been like if I was the one who was in the accident."
"Tad wouldn't give up on you, Dixie. You know that." Maria sat, facing her. "I don't know what else to say. You two have gone through everything together."
Dixie nodded. "I know. Tad... has been my everything. He's my knight in shining armor. Through everything with Junior and Adam. He saved me from it all. He's been understanding and compassionate and..."
"Then I think there's only one logical choice," Maria said. "Don't you?"
Dixie managed a weak smile. "Now I know why I keep you around," Dixie said, hugging Maria.
"What are friends for, huh?" Maria grinned. She pulled away slowly and stood, looking down at Dixie. "So, mommy. What do you say I take you out to celebrate?"
Dixie stood. "Sounds good to me."
"Please, JR?" Colby begged as she tried to drag JR by the hand. "Please?"
"Didn't you make your list already?" JR asked, letting her lead him.
"But Uncle Stuart lets me talk to Santa anyway."
"You want to eat lunch too, right?" Colby nodded. "OK." JR gave in. Colby jumped up and down excitedly. "Not long though. Just tell Santa what you want for Christmas and then we have to go. I promised I'd have you home
early."
Colby smiled and pulled JR along to wait in line to talk to Santa, who in JR's opinion didn't even look like a good fake. But if standing on the line made Colby happy, he was willing to do it, even if it meant humiliation in front of any number of his friends who could have been in the mall. Still though, JR covered his ground, looking just to be sure nobody he knew was around. Suddenly JR's stare stopped in one direction.
"What are you looking at, JR?" Colby asked him.
"Mom's here," JR said.
"Mommy?" Colby asked him.
"No, no. Dixie." JR quickly said. Colby didn't know Dixie as mom, only JR. There was no point in confusing her.
Maria and Dixie walked on the other side of the mall. They were laughing and giggling as they stopped in front of Lacy's. "I know what we can do," Maria said. "Let's just go in there and pick out the most spectacular, amazing thing we can find. Edmund promised me that the Crystal Ball this year would be the best one yet. What do you say?"
Dixie raised her eyebrows with a smile on her face. "Why not?" she said. Dixie raised her hand and wiped her forehead.
"Are you OK?" Maria asked her.
"Yeah." Dixie assured her. "I think it was something I ate at lunch. I'm fine."
"You're sure?" Dixie nodded. "Whatever you say." Maria started into the store and Dixie followed right behind her. Everything seemed fine. Dixie and Maria started to pick up clothing, showing it off to eachother, when Dixie took hold of one of the clothing racks. "Dixie?" Maria said, concerned.
"I'm OK," Dixie said, slowly loosening her grip. She couldn't. The room was spinning. "I need to sit down." Dixie let go of the rack and tried to make her way to a seat, but fell to the floor. Her eyes were glazed, and tiny beads of sweat rolled down her head.
"Dixie?" Maria said. "Somebody call an ambulance!" She called. Dixie's eyes started to roll back in her head, all she could hear was Maria's voice. "Hold on there, Dixie, we've got help coming for you." And then here eyes shut.
Dixie's eyes eased open. The lights were bright and reflective on the surfaces around her. She couldn't see much of anything, but it was what she heard that caught her attention.
"Dixie?" the voice was familiar to her, but she couldn't focus on the face. "Hey, Dix." She felt a hand reach out and touch hers. "I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you."
Dixie's eyes began to focus on the body sitting beside her. "Tad." Dixie said weakly. "Oh, Tad. I knew you'd come back to me."
