Chapter 4: Delia's Disappearance
"Good morning Nina! You're looking well rested." Andy peeped his head thru the door of the hospital waiting area. He spoke ironically observing her tired eyes and tousled light brown hair.
"Hey, speak for yourself." Nina yawned and stretched on the couch. "What time is it?"
"A little after 10." Andy replied silently admiring Nina trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
"Gosh, I over slept!" Nina yawned again.
"No you didn't. You were exhausted. You needed your sleep after being up all night."
"Sam is usually my wake-up call. He'd wake me up to make him breakfast. But since my mom took him home last night, I didn't hear my little human alarm clock go off." Nina said. "Aren't you tired, Andy?" She was amazed at his liveliness.
"No. After five pots of black coffee, I'm wide-awake. Actually, I'm used to it. I'm a doctor remember? Long hours, sleepless nights. My body is trained to need very little sleep."
"Where have you been?" Nina ran her fingers thru her tangled hair.
"I've been in radiology before dawn waiting for Ephram's test results. Results are due at twelve noon." Andy scanned the entire area of the waiting room. "Where's Delia?"
"Isn't she with you?" Nina said after glancing at the empty couch where the child had been sleeping.
"No, she's not with me."
"The last I saw, she was asleep on that couch over there. And that was about 5 this morning. I've been so tired. I must've slept like a log without hearing her get up." She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I'm so sorry Andy."
"It's not your fault. We were all under considerable stress." Andy forgave. "Where do you suppose she is?"
"Probably in the bathroom. I'll go check." Nina quickened her pace to the women's restroom. She entered the cold damp restroom calling Delia's name repeatedly and checked every stall in the bathroom for any signs of the young girl. The echoes of the leaky faucet and Nina's voice bounced off the tiles and suggested no one was in there.
"Well?" Andy said impatiently as Nina stepped out of the restroom. She shook her head. "I just checked the lounge and vending machines, she's not there either."
"Do you think she went looking for you and got lost?" Nina guessed.
"That could be a possibility. I'll ask around and check with the nurse's station. Maybe someone has seen her walking around."
"Good idea."
"I'll swing by the doctor's lounge on the way back."
"I'll check the cafeteria. Maybe she got hungry. I'll also look in the lobby downstairs. She's got to be around here somewhere." Nina scratched her head.
"That young lady has a lot of explaining to do when we find her. I'm going to have a long talk with that youngster about the dangers of venturing out by herself." Andy fumed. "She is so grounded." Andy was outwardly angry on his daughter's sudden foolish lack of responsibility, but inwardly, his heart was brimming with worry for her safety.
"Don't worry, we'll find her." Nina comforted. She felt Andy's racking anxiety and fear on the disappearance of his daughter. "We'll meet back here in 15 minutes, ok?"
Andy nodded and the search was on.
******
A sudden discomfort caused him to awaken from his much needed sleep. With eyes shut, Ephram breathed out and felt something weighing heavily upon his chest restricting his breath. He drew a deep breath again and the weight was still there. A soft object pressed down on his chest making it difficult for him to inhale and exhale properly. The heaviness made him hot and uncomfortable. He opened his eyes to see what was causing this nuisance. Mixed with the medication and the sunlight creeping thru the blinds of the window, all he saw was a haze of colors. He couldn't explain what was happening to him. Was this the start of another painful episode? Another pulmonary whatchamacallit? Or was he having a heart attack? But then again, wasn't he too young to have a heart attack? All these thoughts of uncertainty scared him. He wanted to call for the nurse. All he had to do was to press that little red button.
'No wonder I can't breathe. Whose stupid idea was it to put this heavy blanket on me.' Ephram's thought dizzily. 'Bad enough I had a fever, are they trying to suffocate me with this thick blanket?!'
He groaned in annoyance and wanted to kick the smothering blanket off but he remembered his legs were still elevated with the block of foam and could barely move. He tried to find the strength in his left arm to push the thick blanket off his chest when a tickle developed on a spot on his forearm making him desperately in need of scratching it. He squinted to see what was irritating him so. It was a blotch of fuzzy pastel blue. He blinked and shook his head to clear his vision. As his eyes focused slightly, he realized it was a toy. It looked a lot like the fuzzy teddy bear that he had won for Delia at the Shooting Gallery. He wondered what Delia's toy was doing sitting on his stomach. His blanket caught his attention. Thru the corner of his eye he could've sworn he saw it shift by itself. Ephram thought it was the medication doing tricks on his eyes. He shook his head again.
Much to Ephram's surprise, what appeared to resemble a heavy blanket, was not a blanket at all. It was his sister resting her cheek against his chest fast asleep. What was Delia doing in his bed? Somehow, she had managed to climb onto Ephram's bed and nestled herself under Ephram's right arm. Delia's long shiny chestnut brown hair flowed passed her small shoulders like ribbons of chocolate. Ephram admired her soft impish facial features. She definitely had his nose. He also noticed a few trails of dried tearstains on her cheek. Poor kid must've cried herself to sleep. She had one arm clasped tightly around Ephram's waist.
"Del." Ephram croaked. He had forgotten how raspy his voice sounded. "Del?" Ephram shook her a little. She was showing signs of waking from her burnt out sleep.
"Ephram?" Delia raised her head sleepily.
"You're crushing my ribs." Ephram hissed.
"Sorry." Delia responded getting off his chest.
"What are you doing here?" Ephram whispered.
"I was listening to your heartbeat, then I guess I fell asleep." Delia answered. She stretched out lying on her stomach.
"It was that boring, huh?" Ephram attempted to laugh but only ended up coughing.
"Want water?"
"No. I'm ok." Ephram cleared his throat and rubbed his chest. "Does dad know you're here?"
Delia shook her head sadly. "I wanted to be with you. I wanted to make sure you're ok. I'm scared Ephram. I really am."
"What could you possibly be scared of? You're the most courageous girl I know."
"I'm scared of losing you like we lost mom." Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Delia, please don't cry." Ephram pleaded. "This was just a little set- back. I'll get better, you'll see." He said pointing to his legs. "Hey, sorry you never got to ride that pony." Ephram said wanting to change the subject. "You'll ride them next time."
"No, no, no. I don't want to ride them anymore. I don't ever want to go to another fair as long as I live." Delia defied shaking her head from side to side.
"You don't mean that. I thought you loved ponies and cotton candy and merry- go-rounds." Ephram said shockingly.
"I used to. I don't care for any of that now." She said indefinitely.
"But why?" Ephram shot a surprised look at his sister. She only shrugged and aimlessly toyed with the polka-dotted bow on her bear. "Was it because of me? Did I scare you?"
Delia looked Ephram straight in the eye and boldly shook her head 'no', then slowly nodded to a 'yes'. She could never pull off a convincing lie.
"I'm sorry." Was all Ephram could say. He was too tired to reason with his sister on her irrational feelings. He would have a talk with her when he was feeling better. The medication was taking its toll on his body and made him drowsy again. He knew better than to fight it. "You tired shorty?"
"Yes." Delia yawned.
"You must've been up all night." Ephram blinked sleepily at his sister who was staring quizzically at him. "I'll let you in on a secret. I'm tired too. What say we take a nap right now?" He drawled.
Being extra careful not to dislocate the IV in his wrist, Ephram pulled his sister close to him gently with his right arm. Delia willingly snuggled under her protector's wing.
"You should tell dad you're here. You know how he worries." Ephram sighed tiredly. Though, he made no effort to release his sister. He was much too fatigued to move any part of his body.
"I know. I'll tell him later." Delia whispered half-asleep. She had a restless night and was dead tired as well.
"I love you knucklehead." Ephram blurted before falling into the sleep his body so desperately craved.
******
"Any luck?" Andy spotted Nina waiting for him in the corridor.
"No. I looked everywhere I could think of." Nina said biting her fingernail.
"No luck here either. I can't believe nobody has seen her walking around. And they call this place a hospital?" Andy shouted almost too loudly. "I wouldn't be surprised if the patients checked themselves out of the hospital without anyone knowing." He ran a frustrated hand thru his dark brown hair.
"Andy, I know you're worried but we will find her." Nina calmed.
"Arrgh! It's so aggravating." He wanted to pull his hair out.
"Delia probably went unnoticed because she's so small. It's easy for her to make her way thru the building without being seen. No one would suspect anything out of the ordinary even if she had." Nina said. "Let's think. You don't suppose she went out of the building do you?"
"I don't think she would have a reason to. We're running out of options here. Do you know how big this hospital is? It would take days to scour it from top to bottom searching every little crawl space."
"If that's what we have to do, then that's what we'll do." Nina replied. "But there has to be a place we haven't looked yet."
"Did you think she went somewhere to hide? I mean, she was a little shook up after witnessing what happened at the fair, she might be in shock." Andy paced back and forth nervously.
"Andy, will you stop pacing? You're making me dizzy." Nina stammered.
"I really hope she's alright. It's not like her to go somewhere without letting anyone know. This thing with Ephram and now Delia's missing -" Andy stopped in his tracks as his mouth hung open. They read each other's mind.
"Ephram's room!!" They both exclaimed in perfect unison. Andy and Nina raced down the hall to Ephram's room.
All this time, the answer to their big dilemma was right under their noses. To find Delia, they only had to walk a short distance down the hall to the room where her brother lay. It was elementary and they neglected to see the solution that stood right before their eyes. Ephram's room should have been the first place they checked. It was so obvious.
The door to Ephram's room flung open and Andy stumbled inside with Nina shortly behind. Delia had been found. He couldn't be mad at Delia for caring so much about her brother. Andy had never been so moved at the scene that stood before them that whatever anger he felt before had vanished.
The two exhausted kids were sound asleep in each other's arms. Ephram covered his right arm protectively over Delia's shoulder. Delia cuddled next to Ephram and had resumed her clasped arm around her brother's waist. She was not going to let any harm come to her loved one. Her rosy cheek rested against Ephram's bicep. Delia had kicked off her sneakers and was in her stocking feet. The blue fuzzy plush teddy bear from the fair was tucked between Delia and Ephram. Andy ventured towards his children.
"Oh Andy, that is so sweetie. Look at your babies." Nina repressed her excitement.
"Yea, a couple of fallen angels." Andy whispered back.
"Don't wake them." Nina cautioned as she saw Andy reaching out his hand to touch Ephram.
"I don't intend to. I just want to move Delia's head so the circulation in Ephram's arm won't get cut off." He said pointing to Ephram's bicep. Nina nodded. Andy slowly lifted Delia's head and adjusted Ephram's arm to a more comfortable position. Delia stirred in her sleep and snuggled even closer to Ephram's side. Andy smiled at his daughter's loyalty. He confirmed the IV in his son's wrist was still intact and not disturbed with all the unnecessary movement.
"The redness and swelling has gone down a bit." Andy said when he pulled Ephram's left pant leg up for a quick inspection.
"Can't you just eat them up?" Nina marveled as she drew the thin blanket up to tuck in the children. She couldn't help put brush a finger against his cool cheek. "The fever's gone." She studied Ephram's face. He was paler than usual, with dark circles remaining under his eyes. "Andy, are you sure this is normal? His face is so ghastly."
"It'll take a while for the color to come back to his cheeks. The medication and drugs had taken a lot out of him. I'll keep him on the IV for another day or so. His body needs to be replenished of fluids and nutrients."
"Look at the way he's breathing." Nina detected. She shook her head in sympathy.
"The pulmonary embolism made his lungs weak. But at least he's able to breath on his own." Andy replied. A slight wheezing sound came from Ephram's breathing as he inhaled and exhaled thru his mouth. He involuntarily gasped for air when his breath became too shallow and once that air satisfied his lungs, his breathing evened out. His difficult respiration repeated this way as he slept.
"It sounds harsh. Wish there was something we could do to make it easier for him." Nina smoothed Ephram's blanket.
"You love him don't you?" Andy found himself suddenly saying. Nina blushed deeply and turned away. She was searching for the right words. What was so terrible about it that made her feel embarrassed to admit? Was it not allowed to love someone and to care for him like he was one of your own? Maybe it was not her place to play 'dear old mother' to someone she knew so little about. She was, after all, just the girl next door - the friendly neighbor - a nobody. Who was she to suddenly step into their lives and play the devoted mother and loving wife to this family? Ephram and Delia were not the only ones she had feelings for. There were repressed romantic feelings she buried deep in her heart for Andy. They were feelings she could never reveal.
"It's not so hard to see. You worry about him the way I do. And I appreciate that." Andy smiled.
"Is it so obvious?" Nina said. "He makes it easy to love him." There, she said it.
"I know for a fact that Ephram enjoys you fawning over him. Hey, I may be blind to parenting and a lot of other things but there are certain things I can see very clearly. And this is one of them. Just don't tell him I said that."
Nina looked up and caught Andy's grin. She reddened.
"The test results should be in now. Should we go?" Andy spoke to deter the awkwardness.
"Sure." Nina headed to the door and reached for the doorknob.
"Nina?" Andy called from behind. She turned her head. "Just thanks. Thanks for being here." Andy added.
"No sweat." Nina grinned.
* end of chapter 4 *
Author's Note: There are more chapters to come. Hope you are enjoying this so far!! :) Thanks for reading!!
"Good morning Nina! You're looking well rested." Andy peeped his head thru the door of the hospital waiting area. He spoke ironically observing her tired eyes and tousled light brown hair.
"Hey, speak for yourself." Nina yawned and stretched on the couch. "What time is it?"
"A little after 10." Andy replied silently admiring Nina trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
"Gosh, I over slept!" Nina yawned again.
"No you didn't. You were exhausted. You needed your sleep after being up all night."
"Sam is usually my wake-up call. He'd wake me up to make him breakfast. But since my mom took him home last night, I didn't hear my little human alarm clock go off." Nina said. "Aren't you tired, Andy?" She was amazed at his liveliness.
"No. After five pots of black coffee, I'm wide-awake. Actually, I'm used to it. I'm a doctor remember? Long hours, sleepless nights. My body is trained to need very little sleep."
"Where have you been?" Nina ran her fingers thru her tangled hair.
"I've been in radiology before dawn waiting for Ephram's test results. Results are due at twelve noon." Andy scanned the entire area of the waiting room. "Where's Delia?"
"Isn't she with you?" Nina said after glancing at the empty couch where the child had been sleeping.
"No, she's not with me."
"The last I saw, she was asleep on that couch over there. And that was about 5 this morning. I've been so tired. I must've slept like a log without hearing her get up." She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I'm so sorry Andy."
"It's not your fault. We were all under considerable stress." Andy forgave. "Where do you suppose she is?"
"Probably in the bathroom. I'll go check." Nina quickened her pace to the women's restroom. She entered the cold damp restroom calling Delia's name repeatedly and checked every stall in the bathroom for any signs of the young girl. The echoes of the leaky faucet and Nina's voice bounced off the tiles and suggested no one was in there.
"Well?" Andy said impatiently as Nina stepped out of the restroom. She shook her head. "I just checked the lounge and vending machines, she's not there either."
"Do you think she went looking for you and got lost?" Nina guessed.
"That could be a possibility. I'll ask around and check with the nurse's station. Maybe someone has seen her walking around."
"Good idea."
"I'll swing by the doctor's lounge on the way back."
"I'll check the cafeteria. Maybe she got hungry. I'll also look in the lobby downstairs. She's got to be around here somewhere." Nina scratched her head.
"That young lady has a lot of explaining to do when we find her. I'm going to have a long talk with that youngster about the dangers of venturing out by herself." Andy fumed. "She is so grounded." Andy was outwardly angry on his daughter's sudden foolish lack of responsibility, but inwardly, his heart was brimming with worry for her safety.
"Don't worry, we'll find her." Nina comforted. She felt Andy's racking anxiety and fear on the disappearance of his daughter. "We'll meet back here in 15 minutes, ok?"
Andy nodded and the search was on.
******
A sudden discomfort caused him to awaken from his much needed sleep. With eyes shut, Ephram breathed out and felt something weighing heavily upon his chest restricting his breath. He drew a deep breath again and the weight was still there. A soft object pressed down on his chest making it difficult for him to inhale and exhale properly. The heaviness made him hot and uncomfortable. He opened his eyes to see what was causing this nuisance. Mixed with the medication and the sunlight creeping thru the blinds of the window, all he saw was a haze of colors. He couldn't explain what was happening to him. Was this the start of another painful episode? Another pulmonary whatchamacallit? Or was he having a heart attack? But then again, wasn't he too young to have a heart attack? All these thoughts of uncertainty scared him. He wanted to call for the nurse. All he had to do was to press that little red button.
'No wonder I can't breathe. Whose stupid idea was it to put this heavy blanket on me.' Ephram's thought dizzily. 'Bad enough I had a fever, are they trying to suffocate me with this thick blanket?!'
He groaned in annoyance and wanted to kick the smothering blanket off but he remembered his legs were still elevated with the block of foam and could barely move. He tried to find the strength in his left arm to push the thick blanket off his chest when a tickle developed on a spot on his forearm making him desperately in need of scratching it. He squinted to see what was irritating him so. It was a blotch of fuzzy pastel blue. He blinked and shook his head to clear his vision. As his eyes focused slightly, he realized it was a toy. It looked a lot like the fuzzy teddy bear that he had won for Delia at the Shooting Gallery. He wondered what Delia's toy was doing sitting on his stomach. His blanket caught his attention. Thru the corner of his eye he could've sworn he saw it shift by itself. Ephram thought it was the medication doing tricks on his eyes. He shook his head again.
Much to Ephram's surprise, what appeared to resemble a heavy blanket, was not a blanket at all. It was his sister resting her cheek against his chest fast asleep. What was Delia doing in his bed? Somehow, she had managed to climb onto Ephram's bed and nestled herself under Ephram's right arm. Delia's long shiny chestnut brown hair flowed passed her small shoulders like ribbons of chocolate. Ephram admired her soft impish facial features. She definitely had his nose. He also noticed a few trails of dried tearstains on her cheek. Poor kid must've cried herself to sleep. She had one arm clasped tightly around Ephram's waist.
"Del." Ephram croaked. He had forgotten how raspy his voice sounded. "Del?" Ephram shook her a little. She was showing signs of waking from her burnt out sleep.
"Ephram?" Delia raised her head sleepily.
"You're crushing my ribs." Ephram hissed.
"Sorry." Delia responded getting off his chest.
"What are you doing here?" Ephram whispered.
"I was listening to your heartbeat, then I guess I fell asleep." Delia answered. She stretched out lying on her stomach.
"It was that boring, huh?" Ephram attempted to laugh but only ended up coughing.
"Want water?"
"No. I'm ok." Ephram cleared his throat and rubbed his chest. "Does dad know you're here?"
Delia shook her head sadly. "I wanted to be with you. I wanted to make sure you're ok. I'm scared Ephram. I really am."
"What could you possibly be scared of? You're the most courageous girl I know."
"I'm scared of losing you like we lost mom." Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Delia, please don't cry." Ephram pleaded. "This was just a little set- back. I'll get better, you'll see." He said pointing to his legs. "Hey, sorry you never got to ride that pony." Ephram said wanting to change the subject. "You'll ride them next time."
"No, no, no. I don't want to ride them anymore. I don't ever want to go to another fair as long as I live." Delia defied shaking her head from side to side.
"You don't mean that. I thought you loved ponies and cotton candy and merry- go-rounds." Ephram said shockingly.
"I used to. I don't care for any of that now." She said indefinitely.
"But why?" Ephram shot a surprised look at his sister. She only shrugged and aimlessly toyed with the polka-dotted bow on her bear. "Was it because of me? Did I scare you?"
Delia looked Ephram straight in the eye and boldly shook her head 'no', then slowly nodded to a 'yes'. She could never pull off a convincing lie.
"I'm sorry." Was all Ephram could say. He was too tired to reason with his sister on her irrational feelings. He would have a talk with her when he was feeling better. The medication was taking its toll on his body and made him drowsy again. He knew better than to fight it. "You tired shorty?"
"Yes." Delia yawned.
"You must've been up all night." Ephram blinked sleepily at his sister who was staring quizzically at him. "I'll let you in on a secret. I'm tired too. What say we take a nap right now?" He drawled.
Being extra careful not to dislocate the IV in his wrist, Ephram pulled his sister close to him gently with his right arm. Delia willingly snuggled under her protector's wing.
"You should tell dad you're here. You know how he worries." Ephram sighed tiredly. Though, he made no effort to release his sister. He was much too fatigued to move any part of his body.
"I know. I'll tell him later." Delia whispered half-asleep. She had a restless night and was dead tired as well.
"I love you knucklehead." Ephram blurted before falling into the sleep his body so desperately craved.
******
"Any luck?" Andy spotted Nina waiting for him in the corridor.
"No. I looked everywhere I could think of." Nina said biting her fingernail.
"No luck here either. I can't believe nobody has seen her walking around. And they call this place a hospital?" Andy shouted almost too loudly. "I wouldn't be surprised if the patients checked themselves out of the hospital without anyone knowing." He ran a frustrated hand thru his dark brown hair.
"Andy, I know you're worried but we will find her." Nina calmed.
"Arrgh! It's so aggravating." He wanted to pull his hair out.
"Delia probably went unnoticed because she's so small. It's easy for her to make her way thru the building without being seen. No one would suspect anything out of the ordinary even if she had." Nina said. "Let's think. You don't suppose she went out of the building do you?"
"I don't think she would have a reason to. We're running out of options here. Do you know how big this hospital is? It would take days to scour it from top to bottom searching every little crawl space."
"If that's what we have to do, then that's what we'll do." Nina replied. "But there has to be a place we haven't looked yet."
"Did you think she went somewhere to hide? I mean, she was a little shook up after witnessing what happened at the fair, she might be in shock." Andy paced back and forth nervously.
"Andy, will you stop pacing? You're making me dizzy." Nina stammered.
"I really hope she's alright. It's not like her to go somewhere without letting anyone know. This thing with Ephram and now Delia's missing -" Andy stopped in his tracks as his mouth hung open. They read each other's mind.
"Ephram's room!!" They both exclaimed in perfect unison. Andy and Nina raced down the hall to Ephram's room.
All this time, the answer to their big dilemma was right under their noses. To find Delia, they only had to walk a short distance down the hall to the room where her brother lay. It was elementary and they neglected to see the solution that stood right before their eyes. Ephram's room should have been the first place they checked. It was so obvious.
The door to Ephram's room flung open and Andy stumbled inside with Nina shortly behind. Delia had been found. He couldn't be mad at Delia for caring so much about her brother. Andy had never been so moved at the scene that stood before them that whatever anger he felt before had vanished.
The two exhausted kids were sound asleep in each other's arms. Ephram covered his right arm protectively over Delia's shoulder. Delia cuddled next to Ephram and had resumed her clasped arm around her brother's waist. She was not going to let any harm come to her loved one. Her rosy cheek rested against Ephram's bicep. Delia had kicked off her sneakers and was in her stocking feet. The blue fuzzy plush teddy bear from the fair was tucked between Delia and Ephram. Andy ventured towards his children.
"Oh Andy, that is so sweetie. Look at your babies." Nina repressed her excitement.
"Yea, a couple of fallen angels." Andy whispered back.
"Don't wake them." Nina cautioned as she saw Andy reaching out his hand to touch Ephram.
"I don't intend to. I just want to move Delia's head so the circulation in Ephram's arm won't get cut off." He said pointing to Ephram's bicep. Nina nodded. Andy slowly lifted Delia's head and adjusted Ephram's arm to a more comfortable position. Delia stirred in her sleep and snuggled even closer to Ephram's side. Andy smiled at his daughter's loyalty. He confirmed the IV in his son's wrist was still intact and not disturbed with all the unnecessary movement.
"The redness and swelling has gone down a bit." Andy said when he pulled Ephram's left pant leg up for a quick inspection.
"Can't you just eat them up?" Nina marveled as she drew the thin blanket up to tuck in the children. She couldn't help put brush a finger against his cool cheek. "The fever's gone." She studied Ephram's face. He was paler than usual, with dark circles remaining under his eyes. "Andy, are you sure this is normal? His face is so ghastly."
"It'll take a while for the color to come back to his cheeks. The medication and drugs had taken a lot out of him. I'll keep him on the IV for another day or so. His body needs to be replenished of fluids and nutrients."
"Look at the way he's breathing." Nina detected. She shook her head in sympathy.
"The pulmonary embolism made his lungs weak. But at least he's able to breath on his own." Andy replied. A slight wheezing sound came from Ephram's breathing as he inhaled and exhaled thru his mouth. He involuntarily gasped for air when his breath became too shallow and once that air satisfied his lungs, his breathing evened out. His difficult respiration repeated this way as he slept.
"It sounds harsh. Wish there was something we could do to make it easier for him." Nina smoothed Ephram's blanket.
"You love him don't you?" Andy found himself suddenly saying. Nina blushed deeply and turned away. She was searching for the right words. What was so terrible about it that made her feel embarrassed to admit? Was it not allowed to love someone and to care for him like he was one of your own? Maybe it was not her place to play 'dear old mother' to someone she knew so little about. She was, after all, just the girl next door - the friendly neighbor - a nobody. Who was she to suddenly step into their lives and play the devoted mother and loving wife to this family? Ephram and Delia were not the only ones she had feelings for. There were repressed romantic feelings she buried deep in her heart for Andy. They were feelings she could never reveal.
"It's not so hard to see. You worry about him the way I do. And I appreciate that." Andy smiled.
"Is it so obvious?" Nina said. "He makes it easy to love him." There, she said it.
"I know for a fact that Ephram enjoys you fawning over him. Hey, I may be blind to parenting and a lot of other things but there are certain things I can see very clearly. And this is one of them. Just don't tell him I said that."
Nina looked up and caught Andy's grin. She reddened.
"The test results should be in now. Should we go?" Andy spoke to deter the awkwardness.
"Sure." Nina headed to the door and reached for the doorknob.
"Nina?" Andy called from behind. She turned her head. "Just thanks. Thanks for being here." Andy added.
"No sweat." Nina grinned.
* end of chapter 4 *
Author's Note: There are more chapters to come. Hope you are enjoying this so far!! :) Thanks for reading!!