Chapter 44
"This tastes just like Mom used to make, Kris," smiled Krystal. "I wish I could cook. Boiling water would be nice at this point."
"Mom didn't put nuts in hers. If you want, I could teach you how to cook, I love to and it's easy really," Krista offered.
"Can you do laundry and clean house too?" asked Krystal in awe. "I can fly a Tomcat and argue a case in court, but I can't cook or keep house. Tom said he'd teach me, but I kind of feel inadequate."
"Well, with both of us teaching you, you should be fine," Krista smiled.
"Tom, I have an early day tomorrow, so we really should leave now," Krystal smiled. "Thanks, Kris, and don't forget, we eat at Tom's tomorrow night."
"If you don't mind, Krista, I'll stop and pick you up and take you there and bring you back. It's a long drive and with the twins kicking, it might be uncomfortable for you to drive," replied AJ. "Let me walk you two out, then I'll come back and help Krista clean up."
Once they were outside the building, AJ stopped Tom for just a minute and simply said, "Tell her, she needs to know."
Tom looked at his friend and said, "Krista is going to be very upset with you when Krys confronts her with this, isn't she? She thinks you're the only one that knows!"
"I'll just deny that I told her. She'll either believe me or not," AJ shrugged. "Krystal has to know if there's any chance of saving Krista's life. Lets just hope Krystal can talk her into going ahead with the transplant."
"Don't lie to her, AJ, just tell her you told me and that I told Krys." Tom said laying a hand on his friends arm. "I should get back to Krys now, have a good evening, AJ."
"You're too good buddy, and remember that conversation we had about Krystal. I hope you two discuss that little surprise too," grinned AJ heading back inside.
"I think that's for her to tell me, don't you?" Tom told AJ sternly.
"What if she doesn't, what are you going to do?" frowned AJ. "I don't know many thirty-two year old virgins, do you?"
"Now that I know I can be very careful the first time we are together. Even if she doesn't tell me."
"I'm sorry Tom, this thing with Krista has me torn up and I should have just kept my mouth shut. I just want to shake some sense into her. Wonder if I could have her committed long enough to get her treated," replied AJ tired and weary from all the stress and worry from the past weeks.
"You love her don't you?" Tom asked with sympathy in his voice.
"It shows that much does it, ole buddy? Do you think she can see it?" he asked. "She seems to be running everyone that loves her off, so I'm trying really hard not to let it show."
"I think she's afraid to love anyone right now, AJ. If she doesn't love then she can't be hurt. Loving the babies that she'll never get to hold and raise? Loving her sister after all this time apart only to lose that again? I think she's running scared, and just needs someone to hold her and make her see that she can't live without love."
"She is so skittish that if you touch her she runs. I'm willing to try anything if it means she'll give life a chance," sighed AJ. "If Krystal takes this badly, have her come in late tomorrow, or not at all, okay?"
"I will," he said and giving his friend a nod walked over to where Krystal waited for him by his car.
"What was that all about? Deciding the menu for tomorrow night?" grinned Krystal leaning on Tom's shoulder.
"No, darling, AJ was giving me permission to tell you what he knows about Krista's problem," Tom told her as he helped her into the car.
To be continued…