February Waltz (Rhythm of the Heart Book 3) (7 page)

Dr. Crist smiled at her as he ran the ultrasound. “Thirty weeks, Zoe! I didn't think you'd make it here, frankly. We're doing good. She's growing fine, your cervix looks steady. I think we can get a few more weeks out of you just yet.”

Zoe blew out a breath and grinned. “I always worry each week, Dr. Crist.”

“I know you do, your blood pressure goes sky high, girl.” He handed her a paper towel to wipe off the gel and then helped her sit up. “You know,” he started as he turned to toss the paper towel into the trash. “I picked up your book off Amazon. The nurses have been talking about it. I have to admit, Zoe, it's a pretty good book. Normally I'm into stuff like Stephen King, but the story you wrote, it's real familiar.”

She swallowed. “Ah, just something my brain came up with.”

“Well, it's a hell of a story. Proud of you!” He clapped her shoulder and walked to the door. “Same time next week, Poppy – I mean, Zoe.” He winked as he closed the door.

Zoe ran a hand through her hair and shot a glance at Grams, who hummed quietly while she knitted a blanket. “Grams, did you hear that?”

“Mmm, I sure did. He called you Poppy. Ain't that the character in your book?” She glanced up at Zoe quickly.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I wouldn't pay him no never mind, let's get you on home, I have some fried chicken to make.”

“Grams, think we could swing by the house? Corey says he's on the final stretch and I'd love to see it. We don't have much time before the baby comes to air it out and get the nursery done.” Zoe carefully eased off the table and steadied herself.

Grams tucked her knitting into her purse. “Sure we could. But just real quick like, we need to get you back home and in bed, you gotta keep baking this girl a little longer.”

Zoe took her proffered hand and they walked down the hallway. As they came into the waiting room, she froze as her eyes collided with someone she hadn't seen in months. Amy sat in a chair, looking suspiciously round in the belly as she flipped through a mothering magazine. “No way in hell...” Zoe whispered.

Grams paused and glanced where Zoe stared. “Well Lord love a duck. I'll be damned. Ain't that Amy Yoakum?”

Amy glanced up from her magazine and her beautiful almond shaped eyes widened in panic. “Zoe...” she breathed, putting the magazine down on the side table next to her as she stood.

Zoe backed up a step as Amy stepped forward, “Don't,” she managed to strangle out around the emotion blocking her throat.

“Zoe, we need to talk. Not right now, but can we please talk, and soon?” Amy ran a hand down her bulging belly and she glanced back at her with a pleading look.

“I – I don't want to talk to you, Amy.”

“Well, I want our babies to know each other. After all, there is a chance they are siblings. I'm having a little boy... I heard you were having a girl.” Amy said softly.

“Siblings?” Zoe said, her voice coming out a few decibels above a shriek.

Amy nodded, her face solemn and sad. Her mouth opened to speak but the nurse came to the door. “Amy? It's time for your appointment.”

Grams grabbed Zoe's elbow firmly and pulled her to the door, saving them both from a talk that neither wanted to have just yet.

Zoe allowed herself to be propelled through the parking lot, and she woodenly climbed in the cab of the truck. She stared out the window as Grams drove. The barren landscape blurred together as she cried.
Really, Derek? Here I am feeling sorry for you and thinking maybe you'd changed, and you got Amy pregnant? Really, Derek? I wonder if you knew. Do your parents know that you definitely have a mixed kid coming? Because unless Amy suddenly goes from ebony to ivory, I think they're gonna have real issues with that epiphany.
A laugh bubbled from her throat and she started to giggle as she cried.

Grams pulled over on the side of the road and shut the truck off. “Calm yourself down, girl. You're not making heads nor tails of anything right now and you're stressing the baby out.”

Zoe wiped at her eyes and swallowed the residual laughter. “It's just funny, Grams. Along with being incredibly pathetic. Rebel hates black folks, and yet his son made a baby with one.” Laughter effervesced up her throat again and she slapped the dash with her hand as she laughed harder than she'd laughed in a long time.

Grams sat patiently until the laughter subsided. With a stoic face she nodded once. “Yeah, you're right.” Then a slow smile stole across her weathered face. “It's damn funny, when you think about it. Talk about come-uppance. So. You gonna talk to this girl?”

The mirth dancing in Zoe's eyes died as quickly as it had come. She stared back out at the scenery. “I don't know.”

“If they are siblings, they got a right to know each other, Zoe Hall.”

“I can't forgive her.” She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted as she stared at the bare trees on the side of the road.

“And why not? Are you still with Derek? No indeed you are not. I'm not saying be best buddies with that viper again, I'm saying give her a chance to talk and if these babies are related, let them know each other. Hate ain't no way to live.”

“Not today, but soon. I'll see what she has to say. But I'm not promising anything, Grams.” She finally agreed.

Grams started the old truck again and pulled back onto the two lane road. “That's all I ask, Zoe.”

A few moments later they pulled into the drive of the house Zoe had known all her life. It had been painted a rich, robin's egg blue and Zoe's heart squeezed as Grams parked the truck. “It's beautiful...”

Grams popped her door and climbed out. “It sure is.”

Zoe followed suit, carefully stepping out of the car and taking Grams' hand. “Momma loved that color.”

“It's a right pretty color. Come on let's get you inside real quick to look then back home so you can get your feet up. No lollygagging and staring, you hear me?”

Zoe nodded as they climbed the stairs. She opened the front door and gasped at what she saw inside. Corey and his team had ripped up all traces of the seventies carpet and linoleum and replaced it with new wooden flooring. The walls were freshly painted in cream and the new kitchen was simple but gorgeous with new slate grey countertops.

I almost miss the way it was...But it's better this way. It really is.
“Corey?” She called out and the young blond came from the back of the house with a smile.

“Zoe! Good to see you! What do you think so far?”

“It's gorgeous,” she admitted. “It doesn't look like the same house.”

“Come on back to the bathroom and the bedrooms, see what you think.” He held out a hand and Zoe took it. Grams stood in the middle of the kitchen, her mouth slightly agape.

“Grams, I'll be back.”

“You go on,” she waved. “I'm just going to look around in here.”

Corey pointed out the new molding in the bedrooms, fresh paint and flooring. “What do you think?”

“I – It doesn't look the same at all, Corey. Which is both good, and bad, I guess. A part of me misses the old house, but it just feels... I don't know, fresh in here. Like a fresh start.”

Corey nodded. “I understand ... We'll be done by the end of this week, by the way. Just doing some last touches.”

Zoe grinned wide. “I'm so excited. I can't believe it's almost done.”

“Now you have to get everything set up for when your baby comes, right?” He led her back down the hallway and passed her off to Grams.

“Yeah, we can expect her anytime. Just kind of baking the baby on borrowed time now. Each week we get past is better and better.” She walked to the door with Grams. “Thanks for everything, Corey. It looks great.”

He tipped his baseball cap with a smile as they left the house. Grams helped her get back in the truck and they drove home in silence. Once parked, Zoe moved into her bedroom and lay down on her side. She sighed in pleasure at the comforting embrace of the mattress and dozed off to the smell of fried chicken.

“Zoe! You gotta wake up honey!” Grams yelled.

She rolled over and sleepily opened her eyes. “What's the matter, Grams?” Her hand came up to rub at her eyes. “Why is it so dark in here and why do I smell smoke?”

“You need to get up, the kitchen is on fire!” Grams caught her elbow and started to tug at her.

In a panic she stood and they stumbled into the living room. Smoke filled her lungs and she coughed and gagged. “The floor, Grams, we gotta get to the floor!” she gasped.

Grams nodded and they crawled the rest of the way through the living room to the side door. Grams came to her knees to turn the knob and she threw the door wide. Sweet oxygen filled her lungs and she hurried outside, taking in deep draughts of the cold air. The fresh air only served to fuel the fire and her eyes widened in horror as fingers of gold began to lick into the living room.

“Grams, we need to get back,” she coughed. “It's too late.” She caught the older woman's hand and pulled her back to the tree line.

Grams shook her head slowly. “Over forty years in that house, Zoe... Over forty years.” Her eyes blinked quickly and she lifted a shaky, soot covered hand to wipe at her eyes. Zoe wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her gently.

“It will be all right, Grams. We made it out okay.”

“I was cooking chicken and I wanted to just sit down for a minute, my legs were killing me... Next thing I knew I woke up, I guess I dozed off. The grease on the stove was popping and snapping, I hurried in there to put a lid on the grease and take it off the stove, and some oil splashed out onto the burner... That was it. Fire just started, and I grabbed the salt, but I was all out. I couldn't get it to stop and I didn't know what to do. I grabbed the phone and called 911, and then I got you out. I just... It was an accident, Zoe. I didn't mean to do it. I just wanted to rest my legs. That's all.” Grams shivered in her embrace and Zoe tightened her arms around her.

“It was an accident, Grams. The fire department is coming and they will put it out. It will be okay,” she promised, her face paling as the flames licked out the front door and began devouring the rickety wooden deck. The dry, salty wood crackled and sizzled as the fire caught hold and within moments, the little deck was reduced to ashes.

A siren sounded in the distance and Grams began to cry. “My house is gone. Gone.”

“No, Grams, they will save it.” Zoe promised. She coughed again and held her stomach as the baby kicked.

“You breathed too much smoke. If I hurt the baby, I'll never forgive myself.” Grams sobbed, her hands coming to her face again to cover her face.

“The baby is fine, Grams. Just calm down,” she yelled over the roar of the sirens. Grams never heard her over the din. The rusted old volunteer fire truck pulled into the drive and they hooked the hose to the hydrant, the team moving in tandem to save the house.

A young man ran to them as the water unfurled from the hose, fighting the now roaring fire consuming the front of the house. “Is anyone inside?”

“No,” Grams told him. “Just me and her. An ambulance needs to come get her. She needs to be checked out. She's pregnant and at risk.”

The boy nodded, pressing a button on a walkie talkie on his shoulder. “We need an ambulance stat.” He paused to listen and nodded. “We have someone coming. They will be here as soon as they can. If we can get you ladies to the road away from the fire...” He held out a gloved hand and Grams took it, pulling Zoe along behind her. They passed close to the house and Zoe closed her eyes against the searing heat that licked at her skin. Grams sat down in the ditch across from the house, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows against her knees. Her head fell into her hands.

“Sit down, girl. All we can do is pray. It's in the Lord's hands now.”

Zoe stared at the raging fire as it consumed the house, inch by inch. Grams began praying beside her, her words soft and tinged with panic. Zoe couldn't look away from the fire and she shivered as the firemen yelled for more water, more water!

It's not enough. They can't save the house...
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
If I hadn't gone to sleep. If I had stayed up with her this wouldn't have happened. What are we going to do?

She reached over to Grams and found her wrinkled hand and she squeezed it gently. Grams returned the squeeze all while never ceasing to pray.

Zoe swallowed as a police car roared up behind the fire truck. Tim jumped out and yelled to a wide eyed Layla who sat in the passenger seat. “Stay!” He ran to the firemen who were still spraying the fire. “What's going on?” He yelled.

The fireman simply shook his head as they talked.

They can't save the house...

Layla opened the door of the car and stood with mouth agape as the fire burned on. The young man from before slowly crossed the street, his face grim. “Mrs. Hall?”

“Yes?” Grams croaked.

“I – I'm sorry. The fire is too far gone. We are going to manage the blaze, but there isn't anything else we can do.”

“I understand,” she assured him. “I knew as much before. But you boys did as much as you could. There just wasn't enough water.”