Visit to a Grave
"Hi, Mom." Lacey placed the bouquet of fresh flowers on the tombstone. "I miss you." She then placed flowers on the grave next to Judy's. "Hi, Clara. Your little Tommy is doing fine. He still doesn't talk much. Dr. Klein says he's highly intelligent. Just withdrew in himself. Dr. Klein said that maybe something happened with Danny and my DNA. Whatever that means. " Lacey sighed as she rubbed the letters on the tombstone. "That makes it sound like Thomas is a mistake. Like he was never meant to be. I get so angry at people pitying me and my son. They don't see how perfect Thomas is to me. Thanks for listening. Thanks for loving my son."
Clara was always such a blessing to Lacey during her pregnancy. Many thought that Clara was on obstacle to Lacey when in reality, she was a gift. In some strange irony, Clara wasn't the burden as most thought. She was Lacey's life saver. Lacey's love for Danny had thrown her into a huge depression when Danny moved out of the country. Taking care of Clara kept Lacey feeling needed and wanted. When Lacey found out she was pregnant with Thomas, everyone pitied her. Not Clara. Clara was excited about the new life coming into their world. Lacey breathed out as she thought about the first time Clara saw little Thomas.
Lacey placed the new baby in Clara's awaiting arms. Clara beamed at Lacey. "He's beautiful."
Samuel's arms encircled his daughters and his new grandson. Clara's frail body had taken on some harsh times with the therapy. Clara was willing to suffer just for this moment of holding her nephew. Lacey smiled as she handed Clara a receiving blanket.
"He looks just like Danny." Clara took Lacey's hand. "You did really good."
"He's a big guy." Samuel said proudly. "Just like your grandpa. Huh? Fella."
"Look at all that hair." Sarita stood in the door with her new boyfriend, Scott.
They had always flirted around the idea of being more than friends. Scott came back into Sarita's life in college. It seemed that all the old group became friends after Danny and Lacey started dating again in their junior year. But Scott and Sarita only started to date in college.
"He's got a full mop head just like Danny." Lacey beamed. "He's so chubby."
"Are you breastfeeding? Because if he's anything like his daddy, he'll be latched on to those things forever." Jo ran her finger over the baby's cheek.
"Jo!" Rico stated with embarrassment.
"Good Lord, Rico." Jo chuckled. "I meant he'd be eating a lot. Get your mind out of the gutter."
Scott laughed at the banter of his new found friends. He wondered why he let Archie keep him distant from them because of jealousy over Danny. He'd never really got to know Danny Desai. Those that spoke of him including Sarita, seemed to admire him. Scott found it strange considering the guy seemed to have deserted his very young pregnant girlfriend and Sarita's past hating on Danny.
"Clara, I want to name him Thomas." Lacey giggled at the reason for that name. Doubting Thomas from the Bible. "I'd like you to pick his middle name."
"Me!" Clara looked up overjoyed at the prospect. Her head was wrapped in a bandanna to hide her baldness. Clara's body was slowly dying due to her immune system unable to recuperate after the crash. But at that moment, holding the newborn baby in her arms. She had been given an honor of helping name him. So she felt like a queen. "Daniel."
"Daniel?" Samuel laughed as he ran his finger over Thomas's chubby leg.
"After his daddy." Clara winked. "I liked Danny."
"We all liked Danny." Jo jutted up her eyebrows.
They all shared a good laugh. It was a well known fact that Danny Desai had grown from the gorgeous teen to an even more gorgeous man. It was easy for the group of friends to laugh at their jokes than to face Danny didn't even know he had a new son in the world. Cara died shortly after Thomas was born. It seemed she held on to just see his face.
Clara's last words to Lacey were "Thomas Daniel is special, Lacey. He's brought more joy into my life than I could have dreamed for."
Clara's last request was to hold the baby. Thomas had cried consistently. But when placed in Clara's arms, he seemed to calm. It was an unspoken bond between Clara and the baby. When she passed, Lacey felt another piece of her life being torn away.
Lacey allowed a tear to trickle down her face. She whispered. "I love you and miss you."
"We both do." Samuel walked up placing a single rose on Clara's grave.
"Thomas made her so happy at the end." Lacey smiled at her dad. "She held on for so long to meet him."
"Lacey, I know you don't want to hear this but you need to move on from your sister's death. I know that you were her caregiver for so long. Now you are Thomas's world." Samuel bent down next to his daughter. "You're 24 years old. You need to take care of yourself sometimes too."
"Dad, Thomas..." Lacey began to explain that her son took most of her time. However, her father interrupted.
"..Is in school today. Nothing major has happened with him. Don't get angry but you both need time away from each other." Samuel held up his hand in defense. "Trust me. I know you love that boy more than life. We all do. You're a beautiful woman, Lacey. That isn't only outside but inside. You deserve happiness too. I'm sure Thomas can share his mommy with someone."
"I'm not ready." Lacey stood up from crouching from her sister's grave.
"Not ready for what, Lacey?" Samuel stood up towering over his daughter. "To give up the love of Danny."
"I didn't say that." Lacey stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. "This has nothing to do with Danny Desai. I was over him years ago."
Samuel raised his eyebrow. "Really?"
"Dad." Lacey bit her lip as she sighed. "Danny is married in London or Paris...or wherever his millions took him. He's got a wife and a child. I've moved on."
"Fine. If this is true, go out on a date." Samuel nudged Lacey with his shoulder. "I know a guy..."
"NOT you too!" Lacey stepped back. "First Jo and now you. Are you tag teaming me?"
"Maybe." Samuel laughed. "You do know we're not going to shut up until you concede."
"Fine! One blind date then leave me alone."
"Deal." Samuel placed his arm around his daughter's shoulder. "I'll call Jo to set it up."
Danny ran his hand along the marble tombstone before kneeling beside the grave. "Mom, I miss you." Danny closed his eyes before pushing the dark tendrils of hair from his face. "I know I haven't been by..." Danny cursed out loud. "Why am I talking to a dead person?"
Danny stood up as her ran his hand over the gravestone again. "I love you, Mom. I don't think I told you that enough. Well, I told you ever day when I found out that you had cancer. Was that enough? I know one thing for sure, I never told her enough. I miss her, Mom. I don't know why I can't get her out of my head or my heart. We were teenagers for goodness sake. We were just two kids. How in the he## did I fall so much in love when we were both so young?"
Rain began to pepper slowly down on Danny. He glanced up furrowing his eyebrows. Was that Lacey with her dad in the distance?
Before Danny could get to them, Lacey and Samuel were running to their vehicle to get out of the rain. Danny almost made it to their car so he could stop them. All he wanted was to see Lacey's beautiful face again. But he noticed through the rare glass of the car, there was a car seat. Danny stopped and ducked behind a tree. Was Lacey a mother? Danny swallowed the bile that came up to his throat. It had been four years since he last saw her. Of course, she had moved on. Of course, some man was lucky enough to have Lacey Porter as his own.