Hey everyone. Thank you all for your reviews. I really appreciate them. Keep them coming and I will keep chapters coming. Hang in there with me if it takes a little longer than normal between chapters. I am beginning to find these chapters harder to write because they are so emotionally charged. Also, my husband and I have recently moved into a new home, so things have really been hectic. I promise that I will continue the story as long as you want to read it... That is of course until the characters tell me it is over and it comes to an end. ;o) Thanks DeannaMorgan
Chapter 8
The morning sun shone brightly through Lizzie's hospital window. Her father had taken Gordo and Miranda to a hotel so they could get some much-needed rest. Neither had left the hospital in three days, so the McGuire's had insisted and would not take no for an answer. They explained that Lizzie was going to need them both strong when she woke up, and if they were both too tired to hold their eyes open, they would be of no use to her. After many debates, Miranda and Gordo gave in and left with Sam. Jo stayed with Lizzie in case she woke in the middle of the night and needed her.
As she watched Lizzie sleep, Jo thought back to all the wonderful times they had together as she grew up. They had always been close, even when Lizzie went through her rebellious stage. She thought of the time that she had taken Lizzie and Miranda to the mall to shop for their first bras. She had been so excited that she didn't even realize she had embarrassed them by telling everyone they met what they were there for. Lizzie of course was mortified by her mothers reaction and exploded yelling that she could look for her own bra and didn't need her help.
Lizzie's outburst had hurt her deeply. All she wanted to do was experience this with her daughter, but then she realized that she was doing to her daughter the same thing her mother had done to her. She embarrassed her. Of course, once Lizzie had gotten older, they talked about what had happened and both of them laughed uncontrollably.
There had been a lot of things that had happened since the bra incident. When Lizzie turned sixteen, she started dating and was feeling pressured from her boyfriend to have sex. Lizzie moped around the house for several days. When Jo finally asked her what was wrong, Lizzie told her what her boyfriend was doing.
At first Jo was furious that anyone would make her daughter feel inadequate, but once she calmed down, they discussed the situation openly. The next day when Lizzie came home, she told Jo that she had talked to her boyfriend, and he could not understand why she was not ready and wanted to wait, so she broke up with him. Jo smiled at the memory. She could always count on Lizzie to make the right decision.
Looking over at her, Jo thought of the last words Lizzie had said to her, "No ones going to love me, I'm broken." Jo wiped a tear that slid slowly down her cheek. 'Surly she can't believe that.' She whispered.
Jo thought of the way Gordo had acted once they arrived at the hospital. He didn't want to leave Lizzie's side for a moment. They practically had to hogtie Gordo and carry him out of the hospital in order to get some rest. Jo smiled. "The three musketeers, Gordo, Lizzie and Miranda. When you see one, you see the other two." Her mind wondered back to the night of Lizzie's prom. When none of them had dates, they went together. She took a picture of Gordo in the middle with Lizzie and Miranda on each side all in their formal wear. Gordo's face was lit up with a smile that shown brighter than the sun.
At that moment Jo knew Gordo loved Lizzie. He couldn't keep his eyes off her when she walked down the stairs in her silvery silk gown. It matched the cumber bun and tie of his tux. Gordo had been in the middle of a story, but the moment Lizzie came into the room, Gordo's mind tuned to mush, and they never got to hear the ending.
When Jo really thought about it, Gordo had been there during every big moment in Lizzie's life. He was there when she got her first bike, when she broke her arm from falling from the bike, when her first boyfriend dumped her, when she went to Rome and was pushed out into the light of fame. He was her rock, her salvation, and her best friend. Who better to be there for her now?
"Mom?" the weak whisper snapped Jo back to the present.
"Hey honey, how do you feel?" Jo asked brushing the hair back from Lizzie's face.
"Mom," she said again. Her hazel eyes glassy from unshed tears, "Please tell me it was just a bad dream and that none of it happened."
"Oh honey." Jo replied. She looked down not wanting to see the hurt in her daughter's eyes. "I wish I could, but it did happen, but you have your whole life ahead of you. You and Gordo..."
"No." Lizzie cried, "No mom. There is no me and Gordo."
Jo looked at her daughter with confusion clearly showing on her face. "Lizzie, you and Gordo are destined for each other. Why would you say that?"
Lizzie sat silently for a moment staring down at her hands. She noticed that they shook slightly. Taking a deep breath, she fought against the tears that threatened to fall. She rubbed at her eyes furiously and laid her head back against her pillow. "He wants kids," She whispered, "and that is something that obviously I will never be able to give him."
"Oh honey," Jo walked over to Lizzie and sat beside her on the bed. Opening her arms, Lizzie melted into her mother's embrace and laid her head on Jo's chest. "You know that Gordo will still love you. This will not change that."
"It changes everything." Lizzie cried. "I could never ask him to stay with someone that could not give him the children he wants. He has talked about a huge family ever since he got in high school."
"Honey, there are other options."
"Mom," Lizzie cut her off, "How can I possibly ask Gordo to raise someone else's child, when I am not willing to do it myself. I don't want someone else's, I want my own, and I can never have that. I will never know what it is like to have it growing inside of me, feeling the poke as it kicks me, the pain of delivery or the joy of seeing its face for the first time. All of the things that help you to know that this child is a part of you and the person you will spend the rest of your life with. I will not ask Gordo to give up his dreams of having his own either. Truth be told, he will be relieved."
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire," Jo exclaimed. "I can't believe you said that. Gordo is not that shallow. He loves you for who you are not what you can give. It doesn't matter to him if you can give him children or not."
Moving her head to look into her mother's eyes, Lizzie replied. "It matters to me."
"But Lizzie..." her mother began, but she was cut short when Lizzie closed her eyes and clutched her shirt. "Honey are you in pain?"
"Yeah." Lizzie breathed, "I tried to move."
"I'll call the nurse." Jo said as she eased off the bed.
"No." Lizzie gasped, "I don't want any more drugs. I feel foggy enough as it is."
"But honey, if you are in pain, it will help."
Lizzie shook her head vigorously, "No mom, please. I'm sure it will ease off in a minute. I don't want to sleep anymore. I feel like that it is all I have done for days."
Jo looked into the tortured eyes of her only daughter. Even though Jo could see that Lizzie was in a tremendous amount of pain, she could also see that her daughter was not going to willingly allow her to call a nurse and get medication. Sighing deeply, Jo relented. "Okay if that is what you want."
"Thanks." Lizzie whispered. "It's not as bad as it was a few minutes ago. I just need to stay still."
Jo brushed several wet strands of hair out of Lizzie's face. "You are so brave."
Suddenly the door opened and Dr. Cain stepped into the room. He had Lizzie's chart in his hands as well as a set of x-rays. "Well, how is our young patient today?" he asked in his most cheerful voice. His eyes scanned Jo's face. She looked as if she had not had any sleep in days. Then he looked over at Lizzie and noticed her pale face and the beads of sweat shinning brightly on her face.
He walked over and placed his cool hand on Lizzie's warm brow. "I don't think you have much of a fever. That's always a good sign. Are you in much pain?"
"No." Lizzie lied.
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire! Shame on you. I will not allow you to lie to your doctor. Yes she is doctor. Just a few minutes ago, when she moved, she was in extreme pain."
"Mom." Lizzie said rolling her eyes, "It wasn't extreme."
"Lizzie..." her mom started to retort, but Dr. Cain held up his hand to silence her. "Lizzie, where was the pain?" he asked gently.
Lizzie shifted her eyes to the bed. Embarrassment shined bright red on her face. "My pelvic area." She whispered.
"Is that the only pain you feel?" he asked gently. He walked over, picked up her arm and proceeded to check her pulse.
"No. It's a little hard to breathe deeply, so I guess that is from the broken ribs, and my head hurts a little." She gasped when he put the cold stethoscope against her skin.
"Try to breath in." he said. Listening intently to her heart beat. Lizzie concentrated on breathing, for each breath caused her to grimace in pain. Each labored breath came almost as a hiccup. Dr. Cain stepped away from Lizzie and looked at her pained expression. "Any particular reason you want to try and keep your pain hidden from us?"
"I'm just tired of sleeping." Lizzie replied.
Dr. Cain smiled as he placed the thermometer in Lizzie's mouth. "Your pelvic bone was fractured, but not completely broken as we had feared. You will be very sore for a while, but with therapy, there is no reason why you won't be back on your feet by the end of the month. As for the broken ribs, they will take a little more time. You will have to take care not to re-injure them by lifting or over extending your reach. Let others do for you a little." Dr. Cain took the thermometer and read the numbers. Lizzie had a slight fever, but nothing to worrisome. "The other will heal in time as well. If all goes well, the staples and stitches should be able to be removed in about ten days."
Lizzie averted her eyes from his kind expression. Her breathing quickened the moment he brought up the subject of her emergency hysterectomy. "Dr. Cain?" she asked. "I have to know."
Dr. Cain sat on the edge of Lizzie's bed. "What's that?" he asked.
"Was there anything that could have been done? I mean" she stopped and took a steadying breath, "was it to the point that there were no other options?" Lizzie's hands slid down to her abdominal area. She stopped just before the stitches. She couldn't bring herself to touch them. That would make it real, and all she wanted was to wake up from the nightmare she was in, find out she was okay, and she and Gordo could still have a life together.
Dr. Cain sat down beside Lizzie and took her hand. "Lizzie, I'm sorry, there was nothing we could do. When you got here, you were bleeding out. We didn't have a lot of time. You flat lined twice on the operating table, and we thought we lost you. The damage to your abdominal area was extensive. The Uterus was completely ruptured as were your ovaries." Dr. Cain reached his hand out and lifted Lizzie's tear stained face. "You are very young and have a lot to live for. If you were not strong enough to get through this, you would not have fought so hard to live. In time, you will be fine. Don't give up on the ones who love you. They will help pull you through this. Understand?"
Lizzie nodded resolutely. "I understand." Wiping the tears from her face, she put on a brave smile. "So, when can I get out of here?"
Dr. Cain was about to answer her when the door opened and in walked Gordo. Lizzie's smile wavered slightly, but she forced it back on, she would deal with the Gordo situation later. "Did I hear someone say something about going home?" Gordo asked.
Dr. Cain smiled. "Your friend doesn't like my company."
"That's not true." Lizzie said. "I am just ready to see more than the back of my eyelids. I am tired of sleeping."
"I will prescribe a mild medication for the pain. It shouldn't make you sleepy, but I want you to rest. I will also have the physical therapist to start working with you tomorrow, and trust me, you will relish the thought of being in that bed once she is through with you." Dr. Cain said with a wink. "Your body will heal in time. Your fever is not high enough to worry about and your spirits seem to be up. That's good. A positive outlook always helps in the healing process. Until then, you need to take it easy "
"Don't worry doctor." Gordo spoke up, "I will make sure she has all the rest she needs." He sat on the side on the bed and placed his hand on her shoulder affectionately.
Lizzie looked over at her mother. The look in her eyes was one of "I told you so" but Lizzie averted her eyes and shrugged away from Gordo's hand.
Lizzie ignored Gordo's hurt expression. "I will make sure I have enough rest Doctor. Thank you."
"See that you do young lady." Dr. Cain replied, "Well, I had better go finish my rounds. If any of you have any questions, just let one of the nurses know, and she will get in touch with me."
"Thank you." Jo answered. Looking over at Gordo and Lizzie, she hastily added, "How 'bout I walk you out and let these two talk."
"Mom?" Lizzie called.
Jo walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "I am going to take a break. I will be back soon. You and Gordo have a nice visit."
Lizzie opened her mouth to protest, but Gordo stopped any response she might have by placing his arm around her and sitting down on the bed. "You go and have a nice break Mrs. McGuire. I will make sure our girl is okay."
Gordo and Lizzie both watched as Jo walked from the room. Lizzie's heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn't ready for this. She didn't want to talk about anything important. Most of all, she didn't want to shove Gordo out of her life at this moment.
Turning to stare into Lizzie's eyes, Gordo said. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you are trying to avoid me. What's the deal?"
Lizzie swallowed repeatedly. Her throat was dry, her hands were sweaty and her heart was beating so fast, she just knew that she was going to have heart failure. "What do you mean?" she asked averting her eyes from his.
"Oh come on Lizzie. You practically flung my hand away the moment I touched you." Gordo sat down in front of Lizzie determined to make her talk to him. "Every time I said 'we', you said 'I'. Since when is it you against the world and not us?"
"Gordo, please. Lets not talk about this now okay?" Lizzie begged. "How's Miranda?"
"Lizzie," Gordo replied. "Please don't change the subject. I know what you are thinking. You think that just because this terrible thing has happened, that I will no longer want to be with you." Gordo reached out and took her hand in his. "Don't you understand. I have never been happier than at the moment you said you loved me."
Lizzie closed her eyes as tears slipped down her rosy cheeks. "I love you Lizzie. No matter if you can give me children naturally, or if we have to adopt a million of them. I will always love you. I have been in love with you since grade school. I can't believe you would think I was so shallow as to throw all that away because of this."
Lizzie took a deep breath. Gordo never knew when to stop pushing. He was making her do it. Stilling her resolve, she opened her mouth and whispered. "I don't love you."
Chapter 8
The morning sun shone brightly through Lizzie's hospital window. Her father had taken Gordo and Miranda to a hotel so they could get some much-needed rest. Neither had left the hospital in three days, so the McGuire's had insisted and would not take no for an answer. They explained that Lizzie was going to need them both strong when she woke up, and if they were both too tired to hold their eyes open, they would be of no use to her. After many debates, Miranda and Gordo gave in and left with Sam. Jo stayed with Lizzie in case she woke in the middle of the night and needed her.
As she watched Lizzie sleep, Jo thought back to all the wonderful times they had together as she grew up. They had always been close, even when Lizzie went through her rebellious stage. She thought of the time that she had taken Lizzie and Miranda to the mall to shop for their first bras. She had been so excited that she didn't even realize she had embarrassed them by telling everyone they met what they were there for. Lizzie of course was mortified by her mothers reaction and exploded yelling that she could look for her own bra and didn't need her help.
Lizzie's outburst had hurt her deeply. All she wanted to do was experience this with her daughter, but then she realized that she was doing to her daughter the same thing her mother had done to her. She embarrassed her. Of course, once Lizzie had gotten older, they talked about what had happened and both of them laughed uncontrollably.
There had been a lot of things that had happened since the bra incident. When Lizzie turned sixteen, she started dating and was feeling pressured from her boyfriend to have sex. Lizzie moped around the house for several days. When Jo finally asked her what was wrong, Lizzie told her what her boyfriend was doing.
At first Jo was furious that anyone would make her daughter feel inadequate, but once she calmed down, they discussed the situation openly. The next day when Lizzie came home, she told Jo that she had talked to her boyfriend, and he could not understand why she was not ready and wanted to wait, so she broke up with him. Jo smiled at the memory. She could always count on Lizzie to make the right decision.
Looking over at her, Jo thought of the last words Lizzie had said to her, "No ones going to love me, I'm broken." Jo wiped a tear that slid slowly down her cheek. 'Surly she can't believe that.' She whispered.
Jo thought of the way Gordo had acted once they arrived at the hospital. He didn't want to leave Lizzie's side for a moment. They practically had to hogtie Gordo and carry him out of the hospital in order to get some rest. Jo smiled. "The three musketeers, Gordo, Lizzie and Miranda. When you see one, you see the other two." Her mind wondered back to the night of Lizzie's prom. When none of them had dates, they went together. She took a picture of Gordo in the middle with Lizzie and Miranda on each side all in their formal wear. Gordo's face was lit up with a smile that shown brighter than the sun.
At that moment Jo knew Gordo loved Lizzie. He couldn't keep his eyes off her when she walked down the stairs in her silvery silk gown. It matched the cumber bun and tie of his tux. Gordo had been in the middle of a story, but the moment Lizzie came into the room, Gordo's mind tuned to mush, and they never got to hear the ending.
When Jo really thought about it, Gordo had been there during every big moment in Lizzie's life. He was there when she got her first bike, when she broke her arm from falling from the bike, when her first boyfriend dumped her, when she went to Rome and was pushed out into the light of fame. He was her rock, her salvation, and her best friend. Who better to be there for her now?
"Mom?" the weak whisper snapped Jo back to the present.
"Hey honey, how do you feel?" Jo asked brushing the hair back from Lizzie's face.
"Mom," she said again. Her hazel eyes glassy from unshed tears, "Please tell me it was just a bad dream and that none of it happened."
"Oh honey." Jo replied. She looked down not wanting to see the hurt in her daughter's eyes. "I wish I could, but it did happen, but you have your whole life ahead of you. You and Gordo..."
"No." Lizzie cried, "No mom. There is no me and Gordo."
Jo looked at her daughter with confusion clearly showing on her face. "Lizzie, you and Gordo are destined for each other. Why would you say that?"
Lizzie sat silently for a moment staring down at her hands. She noticed that they shook slightly. Taking a deep breath, she fought against the tears that threatened to fall. She rubbed at her eyes furiously and laid her head back against her pillow. "He wants kids," She whispered, "and that is something that obviously I will never be able to give him."
"Oh honey," Jo walked over to Lizzie and sat beside her on the bed. Opening her arms, Lizzie melted into her mother's embrace and laid her head on Jo's chest. "You know that Gordo will still love you. This will not change that."
"It changes everything." Lizzie cried. "I could never ask him to stay with someone that could not give him the children he wants. He has talked about a huge family ever since he got in high school."
"Honey, there are other options."
"Mom," Lizzie cut her off, "How can I possibly ask Gordo to raise someone else's child, when I am not willing to do it myself. I don't want someone else's, I want my own, and I can never have that. I will never know what it is like to have it growing inside of me, feeling the poke as it kicks me, the pain of delivery or the joy of seeing its face for the first time. All of the things that help you to know that this child is a part of you and the person you will spend the rest of your life with. I will not ask Gordo to give up his dreams of having his own either. Truth be told, he will be relieved."
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire," Jo exclaimed. "I can't believe you said that. Gordo is not that shallow. He loves you for who you are not what you can give. It doesn't matter to him if you can give him children or not."
Moving her head to look into her mother's eyes, Lizzie replied. "It matters to me."
"But Lizzie..." her mother began, but she was cut short when Lizzie closed her eyes and clutched her shirt. "Honey are you in pain?"
"Yeah." Lizzie breathed, "I tried to move."
"I'll call the nurse." Jo said as she eased off the bed.
"No." Lizzie gasped, "I don't want any more drugs. I feel foggy enough as it is."
"But honey, if you are in pain, it will help."
Lizzie shook her head vigorously, "No mom, please. I'm sure it will ease off in a minute. I don't want to sleep anymore. I feel like that it is all I have done for days."
Jo looked into the tortured eyes of her only daughter. Even though Jo could see that Lizzie was in a tremendous amount of pain, she could also see that her daughter was not going to willingly allow her to call a nurse and get medication. Sighing deeply, Jo relented. "Okay if that is what you want."
"Thanks." Lizzie whispered. "It's not as bad as it was a few minutes ago. I just need to stay still."
Jo brushed several wet strands of hair out of Lizzie's face. "You are so brave."
Suddenly the door opened and Dr. Cain stepped into the room. He had Lizzie's chart in his hands as well as a set of x-rays. "Well, how is our young patient today?" he asked in his most cheerful voice. His eyes scanned Jo's face. She looked as if she had not had any sleep in days. Then he looked over at Lizzie and noticed her pale face and the beads of sweat shinning brightly on her face.
He walked over and placed his cool hand on Lizzie's warm brow. "I don't think you have much of a fever. That's always a good sign. Are you in much pain?"
"No." Lizzie lied.
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire! Shame on you. I will not allow you to lie to your doctor. Yes she is doctor. Just a few minutes ago, when she moved, she was in extreme pain."
"Mom." Lizzie said rolling her eyes, "It wasn't extreme."
"Lizzie..." her mom started to retort, but Dr. Cain held up his hand to silence her. "Lizzie, where was the pain?" he asked gently.
Lizzie shifted her eyes to the bed. Embarrassment shined bright red on her face. "My pelvic area." She whispered.
"Is that the only pain you feel?" he asked gently. He walked over, picked up her arm and proceeded to check her pulse.
"No. It's a little hard to breathe deeply, so I guess that is from the broken ribs, and my head hurts a little." She gasped when he put the cold stethoscope against her skin.
"Try to breath in." he said. Listening intently to her heart beat. Lizzie concentrated on breathing, for each breath caused her to grimace in pain. Each labored breath came almost as a hiccup. Dr. Cain stepped away from Lizzie and looked at her pained expression. "Any particular reason you want to try and keep your pain hidden from us?"
"I'm just tired of sleeping." Lizzie replied.
Dr. Cain smiled as he placed the thermometer in Lizzie's mouth. "Your pelvic bone was fractured, but not completely broken as we had feared. You will be very sore for a while, but with therapy, there is no reason why you won't be back on your feet by the end of the month. As for the broken ribs, they will take a little more time. You will have to take care not to re-injure them by lifting or over extending your reach. Let others do for you a little." Dr. Cain took the thermometer and read the numbers. Lizzie had a slight fever, but nothing to worrisome. "The other will heal in time as well. If all goes well, the staples and stitches should be able to be removed in about ten days."
Lizzie averted her eyes from his kind expression. Her breathing quickened the moment he brought up the subject of her emergency hysterectomy. "Dr. Cain?" she asked. "I have to know."
Dr. Cain sat on the edge of Lizzie's bed. "What's that?" he asked.
"Was there anything that could have been done? I mean" she stopped and took a steadying breath, "was it to the point that there were no other options?" Lizzie's hands slid down to her abdominal area. She stopped just before the stitches. She couldn't bring herself to touch them. That would make it real, and all she wanted was to wake up from the nightmare she was in, find out she was okay, and she and Gordo could still have a life together.
Dr. Cain sat down beside Lizzie and took her hand. "Lizzie, I'm sorry, there was nothing we could do. When you got here, you were bleeding out. We didn't have a lot of time. You flat lined twice on the operating table, and we thought we lost you. The damage to your abdominal area was extensive. The Uterus was completely ruptured as were your ovaries." Dr. Cain reached his hand out and lifted Lizzie's tear stained face. "You are very young and have a lot to live for. If you were not strong enough to get through this, you would not have fought so hard to live. In time, you will be fine. Don't give up on the ones who love you. They will help pull you through this. Understand?"
Lizzie nodded resolutely. "I understand." Wiping the tears from her face, she put on a brave smile. "So, when can I get out of here?"
Dr. Cain was about to answer her when the door opened and in walked Gordo. Lizzie's smile wavered slightly, but she forced it back on, she would deal with the Gordo situation later. "Did I hear someone say something about going home?" Gordo asked.
Dr. Cain smiled. "Your friend doesn't like my company."
"That's not true." Lizzie said. "I am just ready to see more than the back of my eyelids. I am tired of sleeping."
"I will prescribe a mild medication for the pain. It shouldn't make you sleepy, but I want you to rest. I will also have the physical therapist to start working with you tomorrow, and trust me, you will relish the thought of being in that bed once she is through with you." Dr. Cain said with a wink. "Your body will heal in time. Your fever is not high enough to worry about and your spirits seem to be up. That's good. A positive outlook always helps in the healing process. Until then, you need to take it easy "
"Don't worry doctor." Gordo spoke up, "I will make sure she has all the rest she needs." He sat on the side on the bed and placed his hand on her shoulder affectionately.
Lizzie looked over at her mother. The look in her eyes was one of "I told you so" but Lizzie averted her eyes and shrugged away from Gordo's hand.
Lizzie ignored Gordo's hurt expression. "I will make sure I have enough rest Doctor. Thank you."
"See that you do young lady." Dr. Cain replied, "Well, I had better go finish my rounds. If any of you have any questions, just let one of the nurses know, and she will get in touch with me."
"Thank you." Jo answered. Looking over at Gordo and Lizzie, she hastily added, "How 'bout I walk you out and let these two talk."
"Mom?" Lizzie called.
Jo walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "I am going to take a break. I will be back soon. You and Gordo have a nice visit."
Lizzie opened her mouth to protest, but Gordo stopped any response she might have by placing his arm around her and sitting down on the bed. "You go and have a nice break Mrs. McGuire. I will make sure our girl is okay."
Gordo and Lizzie both watched as Jo walked from the room. Lizzie's heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn't ready for this. She didn't want to talk about anything important. Most of all, she didn't want to shove Gordo out of her life at this moment.
Turning to stare into Lizzie's eyes, Gordo said. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you are trying to avoid me. What's the deal?"
Lizzie swallowed repeatedly. Her throat was dry, her hands were sweaty and her heart was beating so fast, she just knew that she was going to have heart failure. "What do you mean?" she asked averting her eyes from his.
"Oh come on Lizzie. You practically flung my hand away the moment I touched you." Gordo sat down in front of Lizzie determined to make her talk to him. "Every time I said 'we', you said 'I'. Since when is it you against the world and not us?"
"Gordo, please. Lets not talk about this now okay?" Lizzie begged. "How's Miranda?"
"Lizzie," Gordo replied. "Please don't change the subject. I know what you are thinking. You think that just because this terrible thing has happened, that I will no longer want to be with you." Gordo reached out and took her hand in his. "Don't you understand. I have never been happier than at the moment you said you loved me."
Lizzie closed her eyes as tears slipped down her rosy cheeks. "I love you Lizzie. No matter if you can give me children naturally, or if we have to adopt a million of them. I will always love you. I have been in love with you since grade school. I can't believe you would think I was so shallow as to throw all that away because of this."
Lizzie took a deep breath. Gordo never knew when to stop pushing. He was making her do it. Stilling her resolve, she opened her mouth and whispered. "I don't love you."