Harvesting Acorns (17 page)

Chloe
did not realise at the time just how significant this would be for her
personally, and just how central a part of all of this she was. She, the
newcomer, stranger to the village, had been the one to bring them all together;
changed neighbours into family and built bridges and paths where there weren’t
before. People began to take the time to visit with neighbours and talk over
the fence again. They began to take an interest in the challenges of their
peers and not remain single mindedly
focussed
on their own
troubles. Burdens were shared and therefore lightened. All in all, over the
next three weeks a change came over the village that brought back the old
sentiments that had whispered to Chloe from the buildings that had remembered
how it used to be and was now becoming again.

Finally,
after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Ben called Chloe to say that the
doctors had found a possible donor, and would let him know as soon as they had
contacted this person to receive consent that he or she was still willing to
proceed. They were still busy speaking on Chloe’s office phone, when her mobile
phone rang, she asked Ben to hold on while she quickly answered.

She
answered and then when silent as she listened to what was said and then
answered with a few brief acknowledgements, thanked the caller and hung up. She
retrieved Ben’s call and told him:

“Ben,
that was the doctor. I am a match for Hannah. I am most likely going to donate
bone marrow after they have done final tissue typing.”

Ben
went silent. When he spoke again his words surprised her.

“I
knew it would be you. I just knew. It had to be.”

Chloe couldn’t say anymore. The room
started to spin and so she told him she would see him later and hung up. This
was all just a little too much for her to take in. She was not scared to be the
donor, quite the opposite in fact, she was ecstatic that she could be instrumental
in helping Hannah. It was just all of the events of recent months that swarmed
through her thoughts. As comforting as it had been not too long ago to have a
sense of a higher power guiding her every move and working for her, ahead of
her, this was now all a bit frightening. The feeling that absolutely everything
was beyond her control and all figured out in advance left her feeling a bit
vulnerable. She felt all of a sudden that she had back
slid
in her beliefs and faith and she was long overdue for some quiet time and the
stilling of her mind to absorb what was taking place in her life. Also to
consider was her job, how was she going to tell Edward that she would be
hospitalised and unable to be in the office editing. Even if for a short time,
this would affect their production of the magazine.

She
was still sitting, dazed and ashen, at her desk when Edward walked in. He took
one look at her and guessed.

“Chloe,
has there been some news about all the tests?”

She turned around, looked up at him,
and nodded slowly.

“I
am a match,” was as much as she could say.

“And
how do you feel about that, besides shocked as I can see? Are you willing to go
through with it?” he asked.

“I
am more than willing… there is just so much to think of, with regard to…”

“Your
work will be here waiting when you have recovered,” he interrupted her trail of
thought. “You are important to us Chloe, we need you here, but a child’s life
comes first. We will make a plan.”

Chloe
teared up at the sincerity and support in his eyes and voice.

“Thank
you,” she said, “that is all I needed to know.”

“Now
go, you are not going to be able to concentrate for the rest of the afternoon
anyway. Take some time for yourself to process this all.” He really was the
kindest man she had ever worked for.

She
packed up her things and headed to the beach for some solitude and influence
from nature to calm her spirit. She had always found the best answers came when
she was alone with the world and her thoughts. She walked and thought. She sat
and thought. She went over everything Ben had told her about what to expect
with regard to the transplant. And she found that she really was prepared to go
through all of that for Hannah, a little girl she barely knew, whom, a few
months ago was not even a consideration or thought in her life.

She
was exactly where she was meant to be. All her life she had dreamed of helping
others with her stories, touching hearts, healing lives. Now she was given an
opportunity to live that in a way that exceeded her hopes a million fold. And
she would see it through no matter how frightening or painful or what she may
have to sacrifice doing so, although she knew nothing would be lost, only a
life saved. She was just walking back along the beach as the sun began to set
when she saw Ben approaching. He looked worried as he got closer.

“Chloe!
There you are. I was so worried. I called your office and they said you had
left and your mobile phone has just been ringing. Are you OK? I know this must
be a huge decision for you to make. I will understand if you can’t go through
with it.” He was rambling, obviously concerned and anxious. It strangely warmed
Chloe to realise that some of that concern was for her, as well as Hannah.

“Ben!
I’m all right!” she reassured him. “I just needed some space and time away from
the clutter of noise to process it all. My decision was made the day I got
tested, it would be the greatest honour to do this, it is part of my destiny.”

She
saw Ben physically relax as he sighed a huge sigh of relief. She was not offended
that he had been worried she may back out of helping Hannah, she understood
completely, but again, she also saw that part of his relief was that she was
all right. She was not mistaking that, it was obvious. Their friendship really
had begun to grow through all they had been through together the past few
weeks.

They
stopped off together briefly at Tea for Two and told Phoebe and Jean Pierre the
big news. They were surprised and so happy to hear this odd turn of events. Ben
told them that he needed to get back home to Hannah. There was a nurse looking
after her and it was time for her to go home. He greeted them all and left.
When Chloe looked back from the door when he had left, she caught Phoebe
looking at her with an amused expression on her face.

“And
that look?” Chloe asked her.

“I
could ask you the same thing,” teased Phoebe, “but I will leave it there. For
now. Everything has its time and place.”

Chloe ignored that and proceeded to
tell Phoebe and Jean Pierre about how Edward had taken the news and had been so
understanding and accommodating of her decision. They told her they would be
there for her through everything and she need not worry about anything at all.
Whatever needed to be taken care of while she was in hospital and recovering,
they would see to it all. The only focus now was for Hannah and Chloe and what
they were about to go through.

The
next few weeks flew by with preparations, more testing. Hannah was admitted to
hospital to prepare her for the transplant. Apparently the actual transplant
process was not as serious as what she needed to go through first. First her
immune system needed to be crashed so that her own body would not attack the
new cells that were being transfused. Once the transfusion had been done, the
healthy bone marrow would replace the unhealthy bone marrow and the healing
process would begin. It would take some time and she would be susceptible to
the slightest infection during that time and so would have to be kept isolated
in intensive care for an extended period.

Chloe
went in to have the bone marrow harvested. It was an excruciatingly painful
procedure but the love and support of all of her friends kept her spirits high.
Grace and Joel visited, as well as Phoebe and Jean Pierre. Jessica also brought
James to see her and Ben visited often, bringing her flowers and gifts and
making sure she was comfortable and had everything she needed. He was so
grateful to her and she could tell in his efforts that he was trying to do
something to make up for the pain she had to go through and also express his
gratitude for her saving his daughter’s life. She could not begin to imagine
what all of this must have been like for him, watching another person go
through pain to save his child. He would have done it in a heartbeat for Hannah,
it was different watching an outside person doing it.

Chloe
recovered very quickly, the doctors were surprised at how she bounced back. She
attributed it to the care of her friends, her support system, her lifeline.
They all in turn attributed it to her determined and stubborn character.

Hannah
took a long time. Ben said she was fragile, like her mother. There were many
times he had feared for her life during the time leading up to, and following,
the transplant. He became another version of the jittery, anxious man Chloe had
first met. She called and visited him often to make sure he was coping and to
catch up on Hannah’s progress.

The
doctors agreed that it had been rough on her, but they were happy with her
progress and confident that, although slow, her recovery was progressing. She
was actually tougher than she first seemed. They were all confident she would
be just fine and they urged Ben to relax and just go home and spend some time
doing some things for himself. He would need his strength to care for her when
she was eventually allowed to go home. Chloe managed to persuade him to leave
the hospital and just go and have a shower in his own shower, dress in his own robe
and just either climb into his own bed or watch some mindless television. Anything
just to get him to unwind and calm himself. The strain of the last while showed
deeply on his face.

C
hapter Eleven

Eventually
Hannah had recovered enough to go home. She was not quite up to any visitors
just yet, but Grace and Joel organised that as soon as she was strong enough
and felt ready, they would throw a celebratory party in her honour. She really
was a warrior and had fought her illness with grace and quiet strength. Ben was
ecstatic, his little girl was safe and on the road to full recovery. James was
beside himself with anticipation; he couldn’t wait to see his friend again.
When she had been home for a few weeks Ben invited James to spend the afternoon
with them. He rented movies for them, but they had so much catching up to do
that all they could do was talk and giggle. It had been beautiful to watch. He
had invited Chloe over as well so that she could spend some time getting to
know the little girl to whom she had given a second chance at life.

The
following weekend Grace had arranged to hold the welcome home and happy health
party for Hannah. They held it at Ben and Hannah’s home and invited only those
who were closest to the family, they did not want to overwhelm Hannah. It had
been a small gathering: Grace and Joel, Chloe, Phoebe and Jean Pierre, Jessica
and James and, of course, Ben and Hannah. They also invited the Taylors as
Edward’s company had been instrumental in getting the story out there and
giving Chloe a platform to make it all happen.

Ben
proposed a toast, to Chloe, and everyone joined in acknowledging all she had
done and gone through to make that day of celebration possible. Chloe blushed
at all the attention and then gave a short return speech of her own. She
thanked them all for welcoming her into their lives, their homes, and hearts at
a time when she was down and out and lost. She thanked Phoebe for giving her
the push she needed to realise she could not run from destiny, and for her and
Jean Pierre’s hospitality. She thanked Edward and Beth for being supportive and
understanding employers and landlords. She thanked Grace and Joel for sharing
their story and letting her believe in magic and the power of dreams again. She
thanked Ben and Hannah for allowing her into their lives and to have been able
to realise her destiny through them. And lastly, she called James to her. She
crouched down to his level to see each other eye to eye and she cried as she
told him how he had changed her life and shown her true, untainted beauty of
heart and spirit.

The
love and sense of family, not even community anymore, filled the room as they
all engaged in the moment of appreciation for life. Ben came over and gave
Chloe a hug and over his shoulder she caught the same look on Phoebe’s face
that she had seen not too long ago. She averted her eyes.

Later
on, when she was away from everyone else, Phoebe came over to her.

“It
may not be obvious to everyone else, you are good at covering it up, but you
can’t fool me,” she prompted Chloe.

“I
don’t know what you are talking about,” Chloe denied.

“Love
should never be silent. It is deafening to the heart that holds it. And when it
does eventually come tumbling out after being pent up, it is a lot scarier to
be heard than if told gently and lovingly and freely. Think about it.” And she
walked away, leaving Chloe standing confused in the middle of the room.

What was she talking about? Love? Whom?
And then it hit her with a force that almost knocked her off her feet. Ben. All
those little moments she had not been able to make sense of. The warm feeling
she had when she saw his concern for her. How she felt in his presence, and how
she enjoyed his company. Even the decision she had made without hesitation to
help his little girl, whom she had felt a kinship with the moment James had
mentioned her. It all made sense now. But her and Ben? He would never consider
her. His life was devoted to Hannah, there was no room for her. He had never
looked at her that way, or even hinted that he may feel anything. She looked at
him now and he met her eyes, their gaze lingered for a moment, he smiled and
she looked away and left the room.