[b] Chapter 18 [/b]
Liz sat in the cardiologist's office, Hannah reading a book on the floor. She was showing a little girl pictures. "Cat." Hannah pointed at the word.
Liz smiled her encouragement.
"Dog." She went on. She looked at Liz to make sure she was listening.
"Dog and Cat." The next page said. Liz looked down the book. This was one from the doctor's office. She didn't have this one at home which meant Hannah could actually read, or recognize, the words.
"Good job, Hannah." Liz encouraged.
Kyle came up behind her and sat down. Hannah had yet to notice his presence.
"Fish." Hannah said. "Dog, cat and fish." She looked at Liz her eyes shining. "I did it, Mommy." She jumped into her arms. Liz held her for a second feeling her heart beating frantically in her daughter's chest.
Her eyes lit up. "Hi!"
"Mon Papillon." He took her. "How are you?"
"Good." She told him hugging him. She had never really been nervous at her doctor's appointment, but today she was trembling.
"She ok?" Kyle asked.
Liz's happiness turned to concern. She shook her head in the negative.
Kyle pulled back and raised Hannah's chin so her eyes met his. He spoke softly to her in French. Tears filled her eyes as she nodded her head yes and buried her head into his shirt babbling on.
Liz's heart constricted and tears filled her eyes as well as Kyle hugged Hannah close to him. His eyes rose and met hers.
Liz had heard every word echoing loud and clear. She was having trouble breathing. There might have to be another surgery. Liz shuttered and closed her eyes.
There was no money for another surgery.
"Parker, Hannah." The MA called.
Standing with Hannah in his arms, he moved to the front door.
Hannah shot from his arms and into Liz's. Liz's arms came automatically around her and she rolled her eyes.
Hannah buried her face in Liz's neck as they walked into the examination room.
****
Isabel reclined lazily on the beach. Alex was beside her and Serena and Maria on the other side. "So where are Liz and Hannah this fine afternoon?"
"Hannah had a doctor's appointment." Maria said.
Alex couldn't keep his eyes off of Isabel. Good Lord, she was gorgeous.
"She, OK?" She asked.
"We don't know." Serena answered trying to keep her face neutral. "Liz wanted Kyle to be there though."
Isabel looked at the red head through her glasses. "What does that mean?"
"It means that everything isn't fine, there's something Liz isn't telling us." Maria clarified. It wasn't for them to tell Isabel about Hannah.
Isabel's brows drew together. "Why would she tell Kyle?"
"She tells Kyle everything." Serena told her quietly. Isabel eyed the woman next to her suspiciously.
"Why?"
"I don't know, she just does." Serena put her sunglasses back on and closed her eyes.
Isabel dwelled on it a little more before her eyes wandered back over to Alex.
He was rather cute, she finally admitted to herself, and if she wasn't mistaken he hadn't stopped looking over at her.
"What would be so wrong with Hannah that Liz wouldn't tell you guys?" She asked innocently.
She was met with silence.
****
Liz blinked as she went over her finances. Hannah was going to need another corrective surgery, and there wasn't any money in which to do it with.
Her insurance would cover some but it wasn't enough. She wanted to cry. She put her head down on her arms.
She felt a small, sticky, hand on her shoulder. "Mommy?"
"Yes, Hannah bean." She lifted her onto her lap.
"Love you." Hannah said quietly.
"I love you too." Liz kissed her neck.
Her heart was beating quickly and she knew she had just walked from the living room.
Liz's own heart ached. She was going to have to move, in order to cover the cost of the surgery.
Hannah wrapped her arms around Liz's neck so she was imprisoned. Liz didn't mind and held her daughter all the tighter to her. "No work tomorrow?"
"No work tomorrow." Liz smiled.
"When?"
"Next week."
"Monday?"
"No, one week from Monday." Liz told her.
Hannah's eyes widened. That was a long time!
"Love you!" she turned and wrapped her arms firmly around her mother's neck.
Later Serena returned to find Liz scanning the newspapers.
"What are you doing?" Serena asked, sitting down exhausted.
"Looking for an apartment." Liz told her absently.
"Why?" Serena straightened, Liz wouldn't look at her. "What's wrong, Liz?" She asked.
"Hannah needs another corrective surgery. I can't stay here, I don't make enough."
"Well, I could always shoulder your part of the rent for a few months." Serena tried. She'd be more than happy to do so.
"No." Liz shook her head. She still had her pride. She wouldn't allow someone else to pay her rent as long as there was still a cheaper place she could move.
"Where will you go?" She asked.
"I don't know yet." Liz went back to the newspaper.
"What about Max?"
"What about him?"
"When is he going to meet her?"
"I don't know. I have this week off."
"Max?" Hannah piped up automatically. She was still very curious about who he was. Isabel had a picture of him in her wallet. "I see Max?"
Liz thought it would be a clever thing to have Max see Hannah before she goes into surgery.
"Go play in the other room for a minute, will you, Hannah bean?" Liz scooted her off her lap.
She watched as she went back and settled back down to watch Veggie Tales. "We have to go to another surgery."
Serena's face fell. "Oh, Liz." She said her shoulders dropping. "When."
"It's not immediate but you can feel her heart beating faster." Liz looked over at her daughter who was bobbing her head in time to the song on the music.
"Is that why Kyle went with you?" Serena asked.
Once again Liz's eyes clouded over. She didn't know where she stood with him. They had never brought it up before.
The credits rolled and Hannah came back to her mother. "I'm hungry."
"Alright. What do you want?" She asked sliding her off her lap.
"Cereal." She answered. "We can see Max tomorrow?" She asked while Liz prepared her cereal.
Liz trembled when her daughter asked the question. She stared down into the wide questioning eyes. "Why do you want to meet Max?"
Hannah shrugged. "Please?"
"Alright. I have to call him, but I don't know if it's tomorrow that you will meet him."
It was sooner than she was hoping and she was planning on talking to Kyle but now would have to do.
****
"Hi, Max." Liz said into the phone. She had realized that she had never given him her telephone number and it was always her doing the calling.
"Hello." He said smiling at her voice.
"Hannah wants to meet you."
The smile was wiped off his face. His breath came in on a sharp grasp. "She asked?"
"Yeah. She knows your name, I'll explain to her who you are. Give me one more day?" She asked. "Sunday noon?"
"Sunday noon sounds good. The park?"
"The park." Liz agreed.
She didn't know what she was getting herself into. She contemplated calling Kyle but decided against it. This was between her, Max and Hannah.
Liz sat in the cardiologist's office, Hannah reading a book on the floor. She was showing a little girl pictures. "Cat." Hannah pointed at the word.
Liz smiled her encouragement.
"Dog." She went on. She looked at Liz to make sure she was listening.
"Dog and Cat." The next page said. Liz looked down the book. This was one from the doctor's office. She didn't have this one at home which meant Hannah could actually read, or recognize, the words.
"Good job, Hannah." Liz encouraged.
Kyle came up behind her and sat down. Hannah had yet to notice his presence.
"Fish." Hannah said. "Dog, cat and fish." She looked at Liz her eyes shining. "I did it, Mommy." She jumped into her arms. Liz held her for a second feeling her heart beating frantically in her daughter's chest.
Her eyes lit up. "Hi!"
"Mon Papillon." He took her. "How are you?"
"Good." She told him hugging him. She had never really been nervous at her doctor's appointment, but today she was trembling.
"She ok?" Kyle asked.
Liz's happiness turned to concern. She shook her head in the negative.
Kyle pulled back and raised Hannah's chin so her eyes met his. He spoke softly to her in French. Tears filled her eyes as she nodded her head yes and buried her head into his shirt babbling on.
Liz's heart constricted and tears filled her eyes as well as Kyle hugged Hannah close to him. His eyes rose and met hers.
Liz had heard every word echoing loud and clear. She was having trouble breathing. There might have to be another surgery. Liz shuttered and closed her eyes.
There was no money for another surgery.
"Parker, Hannah." The MA called.
Standing with Hannah in his arms, he moved to the front door.
Hannah shot from his arms and into Liz's. Liz's arms came automatically around her and she rolled her eyes.
Hannah buried her face in Liz's neck as they walked into the examination room.
****
Isabel reclined lazily on the beach. Alex was beside her and Serena and Maria on the other side. "So where are Liz and Hannah this fine afternoon?"
"Hannah had a doctor's appointment." Maria said.
Alex couldn't keep his eyes off of Isabel. Good Lord, she was gorgeous.
"She, OK?" She asked.
"We don't know." Serena answered trying to keep her face neutral. "Liz wanted Kyle to be there though."
Isabel looked at the red head through her glasses. "What does that mean?"
"It means that everything isn't fine, there's something Liz isn't telling us." Maria clarified. It wasn't for them to tell Isabel about Hannah.
Isabel's brows drew together. "Why would she tell Kyle?"
"She tells Kyle everything." Serena told her quietly. Isabel eyed the woman next to her suspiciously.
"Why?"
"I don't know, she just does." Serena put her sunglasses back on and closed her eyes.
Isabel dwelled on it a little more before her eyes wandered back over to Alex.
He was rather cute, she finally admitted to herself, and if she wasn't mistaken he hadn't stopped looking over at her.
"What would be so wrong with Hannah that Liz wouldn't tell you guys?" She asked innocently.
She was met with silence.
****
Liz blinked as she went over her finances. Hannah was going to need another corrective surgery, and there wasn't any money in which to do it with.
Her insurance would cover some but it wasn't enough. She wanted to cry. She put her head down on her arms.
She felt a small, sticky, hand on her shoulder. "Mommy?"
"Yes, Hannah bean." She lifted her onto her lap.
"Love you." Hannah said quietly.
"I love you too." Liz kissed her neck.
Her heart was beating quickly and she knew she had just walked from the living room.
Liz's own heart ached. She was going to have to move, in order to cover the cost of the surgery.
Hannah wrapped her arms around Liz's neck so she was imprisoned. Liz didn't mind and held her daughter all the tighter to her. "No work tomorrow?"
"No work tomorrow." Liz smiled.
"When?"
"Next week."
"Monday?"
"No, one week from Monday." Liz told her.
Hannah's eyes widened. That was a long time!
"Love you!" she turned and wrapped her arms firmly around her mother's neck.
Later Serena returned to find Liz scanning the newspapers.
"What are you doing?" Serena asked, sitting down exhausted.
"Looking for an apartment." Liz told her absently.
"Why?" Serena straightened, Liz wouldn't look at her. "What's wrong, Liz?" She asked.
"Hannah needs another corrective surgery. I can't stay here, I don't make enough."
"Well, I could always shoulder your part of the rent for a few months." Serena tried. She'd be more than happy to do so.
"No." Liz shook her head. She still had her pride. She wouldn't allow someone else to pay her rent as long as there was still a cheaper place she could move.
"Where will you go?" She asked.
"I don't know yet." Liz went back to the newspaper.
"What about Max?"
"What about him?"
"When is he going to meet her?"
"I don't know. I have this week off."
"Max?" Hannah piped up automatically. She was still very curious about who he was. Isabel had a picture of him in her wallet. "I see Max?"
Liz thought it would be a clever thing to have Max see Hannah before she goes into surgery.
"Go play in the other room for a minute, will you, Hannah bean?" Liz scooted her off her lap.
She watched as she went back and settled back down to watch Veggie Tales. "We have to go to another surgery."
Serena's face fell. "Oh, Liz." She said her shoulders dropping. "When."
"It's not immediate but you can feel her heart beating faster." Liz looked over at her daughter who was bobbing her head in time to the song on the music.
"Is that why Kyle went with you?" Serena asked.
Once again Liz's eyes clouded over. She didn't know where she stood with him. They had never brought it up before.
The credits rolled and Hannah came back to her mother. "I'm hungry."
"Alright. What do you want?" She asked sliding her off her lap.
"Cereal." She answered. "We can see Max tomorrow?" She asked while Liz prepared her cereal.
Liz trembled when her daughter asked the question. She stared down into the wide questioning eyes. "Why do you want to meet Max?"
Hannah shrugged. "Please?"
"Alright. I have to call him, but I don't know if it's tomorrow that you will meet him."
It was sooner than she was hoping and she was planning on talking to Kyle but now would have to do.
****
"Hi, Max." Liz said into the phone. She had realized that she had never given him her telephone number and it was always her doing the calling.
"Hello." He said smiling at her voice.
"Hannah wants to meet you."
The smile was wiped off his face. His breath came in on a sharp grasp. "She asked?"
"Yeah. She knows your name, I'll explain to her who you are. Give me one more day?" She asked. "Sunday noon?"
"Sunday noon sounds good. The park?"
"The park." Liz agreed.
She didn't know what she was getting herself into. She contemplated calling Kyle but decided against it. This was between her, Max and Hannah.