A/N short chapter. Sorry. I've been having lots of homework lately and this
is the best that I can do. Thank you all for your kind, kind reviews. You
know they make me smile so much. I hope you are all still interested in
this story, and I hope that you keep reading. This story is nothing without
people there to read it. Another chapter will be up shortly, I promise.
Jo stretched her arm out in front of her. She watched as the light played along the golden band which now encircled her left ring finger. Life for her had been going pretty well. There had been a few bumps in the road, but since her nuptials with Kelin things had been going pretty well. She smiled over at her new husband who lay, mouth open, snoring as usual. She laughed to herself as she rose from the bed and covered herself in her bathrobe. Jo's favorite wedding gift had been, by far, the matching bathrobes from Kelin's mother. They were embroidered at the top left and were a soft mint green. Jo's read : JFS. Josephine Felicity Spence. She ran her fingers over the letters and then hurried downstairs to make some coffee. She had given the old house to Sam in the divorce agreement. There were too many memories in that house, memories of an old life that she didn't plan on revisiting. Jo had simply packed up her belongings and paused briefly in Lizzie's room to take everything in for one last time. Sam told Jo that she could have anything she wanted from Lizzie's room. Jo chose only two things. A photo of Lizzie and Jo, both in tutus. Lizzie had been about four years old and didn't want to go trick or treating alone, so she asked her mother to go with her. They had both chosen to be ballerinas and Lizzie had kept a picture commemorating that wonderful October night by her bedside for about 14 years. Jo also took the silver Heart necklace she bought for Lizzie when she started middle school. She simply plucked both of them up from Lizzie's bed side and put them in her purse. Before leaving the room she picked up one of Lizzie's pillows and breathed in the wiltering scent of her slumbering daughter. The smell was so familiar to her, and yet so different at the same time. As she pulled away from the pillow she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She'll never forget what happened next. Jo had been wearing mascara that day and when she looked down at the pillow she saw an ugly black smudge, the size of her fingertip where her eyes had been resting. It was such a terrible blemish and Jo knew there was only one way to get it out. The pillow would have to be washed. This made Jo cry even harder. Her darling daughter's scent would have to be washed out of that pillow. It occurred now to Jo that the smell on the pillow was the only hard evidence of her daughter that remained. Sam must have heard her crying. He had come in and sat next to her on the bed. Crying and choking Jo pointed to the smudge, trying to explain what had happened. Sam nodded his head and tried his best to understand what she was saying. When she was done Sam reached out and held her in his arms. "Just so you know, I don't blame you for any of this." He said while stroaking her hair. "What are yo-"Jo tried to inquire
"Shh. Let me finish. I know I've not been easy to live with, and I know that you've lost something very precious to you..." Sam let out a few sobs and then continued "And I understand, I just want you to know, that this is what I deserve. I shouldn't have shut you out. You were hurting and I wasn't there for you. This guy was, and I'm sorry. You deserve your happiness Jo. Cherish it."
At that moment the phone rang slamming Jo back into reality. She set her coffee down on its saucer and walked over to the phone.
"Hello" She said in her best phone voice
"Hello may I please speak with a mrs. Josephine McGuire Spence?"
"This is she...."
Two minutes later Kelin was awoken by the jingling of keys and the slam of the front door. He yawned and rolled over. "We must be out of coffee, that girl is crazy about her coffee." A few moments later he was once again greeted by sleep.
Jo had never been one too speed, but on the day that she received news that her daughter had just woken up from a four year coma, she made an exception. She did 70 all the way to the hospital, struggling to make phone calls with her one free hand. She arrived at the hospital within 5 minutes. She was sure it was some kind of a record.
The first person she called was Sam. She was fairly reluctant to speak with him, but he deserved to know first.
"Sam!" She didn't even wait for him to say hello, when she heard the receiver pick up she launched into her speech. "Lizzie is awake, they're not sure if theirs any brain damage or anything, but she's awake, she has her memory, and she's speaking. Please hurry down to the hospital" She then paused before saying "I know she'll be so happy to see you."
Before Sam left the house, he called Miranda's cell phone. She had given it to him at the hospital a long time ago. He prayed that she still had the same number. Hopefully she would be able to get a hold of Gordo. Sam knew that it would mean so much to Lizzie to have her two best friends there. Somewhere downtown a romantic spaghetti dinner screamed to a stand still as Gordo was informed that his best friend was awake and fully alert.
Jo stretched her arm out in front of her. She watched as the light played along the golden band which now encircled her left ring finger. Life for her had been going pretty well. There had been a few bumps in the road, but since her nuptials with Kelin things had been going pretty well. She smiled over at her new husband who lay, mouth open, snoring as usual. She laughed to herself as she rose from the bed and covered herself in her bathrobe. Jo's favorite wedding gift had been, by far, the matching bathrobes from Kelin's mother. They were embroidered at the top left and were a soft mint green. Jo's read : JFS. Josephine Felicity Spence. She ran her fingers over the letters and then hurried downstairs to make some coffee. She had given the old house to Sam in the divorce agreement. There were too many memories in that house, memories of an old life that she didn't plan on revisiting. Jo had simply packed up her belongings and paused briefly in Lizzie's room to take everything in for one last time. Sam told Jo that she could have anything she wanted from Lizzie's room. Jo chose only two things. A photo of Lizzie and Jo, both in tutus. Lizzie had been about four years old and didn't want to go trick or treating alone, so she asked her mother to go with her. They had both chosen to be ballerinas and Lizzie had kept a picture commemorating that wonderful October night by her bedside for about 14 years. Jo also took the silver Heart necklace she bought for Lizzie when she started middle school. She simply plucked both of them up from Lizzie's bed side and put them in her purse. Before leaving the room she picked up one of Lizzie's pillows and breathed in the wiltering scent of her slumbering daughter. The smell was so familiar to her, and yet so different at the same time. As she pulled away from the pillow she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She'll never forget what happened next. Jo had been wearing mascara that day and when she looked down at the pillow she saw an ugly black smudge, the size of her fingertip where her eyes had been resting. It was such a terrible blemish and Jo knew there was only one way to get it out. The pillow would have to be washed. This made Jo cry even harder. Her darling daughter's scent would have to be washed out of that pillow. It occurred now to Jo that the smell on the pillow was the only hard evidence of her daughter that remained. Sam must have heard her crying. He had come in and sat next to her on the bed. Crying and choking Jo pointed to the smudge, trying to explain what had happened. Sam nodded his head and tried his best to understand what she was saying. When she was done Sam reached out and held her in his arms. "Just so you know, I don't blame you for any of this." He said while stroaking her hair. "What are yo-"Jo tried to inquire
"Shh. Let me finish. I know I've not been easy to live with, and I know that you've lost something very precious to you..." Sam let out a few sobs and then continued "And I understand, I just want you to know, that this is what I deserve. I shouldn't have shut you out. You were hurting and I wasn't there for you. This guy was, and I'm sorry. You deserve your happiness Jo. Cherish it."
At that moment the phone rang slamming Jo back into reality. She set her coffee down on its saucer and walked over to the phone.
"Hello" She said in her best phone voice
"Hello may I please speak with a mrs. Josephine McGuire Spence?"
"This is she...."
Two minutes later Kelin was awoken by the jingling of keys and the slam of the front door. He yawned and rolled over. "We must be out of coffee, that girl is crazy about her coffee." A few moments later he was once again greeted by sleep.
Jo had never been one too speed, but on the day that she received news that her daughter had just woken up from a four year coma, she made an exception. She did 70 all the way to the hospital, struggling to make phone calls with her one free hand. She arrived at the hospital within 5 minutes. She was sure it was some kind of a record.
The first person she called was Sam. She was fairly reluctant to speak with him, but he deserved to know first.
"Sam!" She didn't even wait for him to say hello, when she heard the receiver pick up she launched into her speech. "Lizzie is awake, they're not sure if theirs any brain damage or anything, but she's awake, she has her memory, and she's speaking. Please hurry down to the hospital" She then paused before saying "I know she'll be so happy to see you."
Before Sam left the house, he called Miranda's cell phone. She had given it to him at the hospital a long time ago. He prayed that she still had the same number. Hopefully she would be able to get a hold of Gordo. Sam knew that it would mean so much to Lizzie to have her two best friends there. Somewhere downtown a romantic spaghetti dinner screamed to a stand still as Gordo was informed that his best friend was awake and fully alert.