Past Forward Volume 1 (46 page)

Chad read through to the end of the journal.
Their Christmas celebrations tugged at his heart. They were so
alone, and yet they seemed more fulfilled in their little family
celebrations than almost anyone he knew. Even his own family didn’t
have the absolute peace that Kari and Willow had managed to
achieve.

“You truly did find the Peace that passes
understanding, didn’t you, Kari?”

“
Chad?”

A glance at Willow showed her struggling to
open her eyes. With a deep sigh that he tried to suppress, Bill
took her hand. “Chad’s gone to your house to get some sleep and
take care of the animals.”

“That’s odd,” Willow murmured. “I thought I
heard his voice.”

“He was here until about an hour ago.” Bill
grabbed the pitcher beside the bed and poured her a cup of water,
holding the straw for her. “Apparently, your body reacts really
well to anesthesia. You haven’t seemed to want to wake up.”

“I feel so weak.” Her eyes closed as she
took a deep breath. “I can’t ever remember feeling so weak.”

“Willow,” he began, brushing her hair out of
her eyes, “you lost a lot of blood. They had to give you a
transfusion.”

“Transfusion? Oh, surgery. Right. The doctor
in Fairbury said something about that before they put me in the
heliotropter.”

“Helicopter, yes.”

Never had he thought he’d be glad to hear a
woman giggle. “That’s what I called them when I was little. I saw
my first one the year we planted heliotrope.” She took a deep
breath and coughed. “Water?” After a sip she continued her story as
if compelled. “I got the names all mixed up in my mind. It amused
Mother, so I’ve always said it that way. It always made her
smile.”

“Kari had a beautiful smile.” It seemed
cruel to say, but Bill didn’t know how to respond.

“I miss her.” Bill watched as she struggled
to control her emotions, a tear sliding down her temple and
splashing onto the pillow. “Why are you here? It has to be
late…”

“Well, I wasn’t going to leave you alone in
here.”

“But you need your sleep too.”

Bill forced himself to smile. “Not as much
as I need to know you’re ok. Now just rest or the nurse will come
in here and yell at me again. They don’t like us being here because
we’re not family.”

“But I don’t have—well, I guess I do—but
it’s like I don’t have family. You’re the closest thing—well, you
and Chad of course—that I have to family.”

“Shh…” Bill whispered smoothing hair away
from her face again. “I’m here, and Chad will be back in the
morning. You just rest.”

The phone jarred both Willow and Bill from
sleep. Bill punched it on, feeling stupid for not setting it to
vibrate while she was sleeping. “Yes.”

“Bill?” Chad’s voice sounded uncertain.

“Yes.”

Chad stammered for a minute about a prayer
chain around the Rockland loop and then asked about visitors. “Is
she staying today?”

“Yes. The nurse said it would be tomorrow at
the earliest. They have to watch for infection and get her started
on physical therapy before she leaves.”

Chad asked a few questions, most of which
were variations of the last one. Bill couldn’t decide if it was an
occupational hazard or if Chad was stalling. “I can’t tell you
anything more. I just don’t know.”

Silence hung between them until Bill thought
they’d gotten disconnected. Just as he was about to slide his phone
shut, Chad said, “So, Alexa Hartfield wanted to bring Willow’s
birthday album to her. I guess Willow was supposed to get it after
the faire last Saturday but forgot. I was going to ask if she’d
bring my Aunt Libby too. I think Willow would like that.” He paused
for a moment before he added, “I’m rambling. Did I ask how she
is?”

“Doing well. Trying to rest—”

“And I woke her up. Argh—” Chad’s voice
blasted through the phone.

Willow heard him and grinned. She took
Bill’s phone and interrupted Chad’s verbal self-flagellation. “Now
that you’ve ruined my life and made it a living nightmare of epic
proportions, what else can I do for you?”

“Willow! You should be resting. I’m
sorry—”

“How are my animals?”

Bill watched her features as Willow gave
instructions and listened to Chad’s suggestions for visitors. She
was integrating herself into the people of Fairbury. Before long,
leaving would be unlikely if not impossible. He needed to find a
way to encourage her to consider Rockland before her roots were
firmly cemented into place.

Willow handed him the phone. “They’re
coming. Alexa is bringing Chad’s Aunt Libby, and he’s coming after
the night milking.”

“I’ll stay until they get here and then go
do a few things at the office.”

“I’m sorry—”

Bill interrupted her. “Don’t be. Just call
me when they leave, and I’ll come back until Chad arrives.”

“You don’t have to—”

Bill’s eyes told her he did. “No one should
be alone in a hospital.”

Silence hovered between them. Bill dozed
intermittently. He felt her fidgeting. “What’s wrong?” Bill didn’t
even open his eyes. One hand slid across the blanket and captured
her restless ones.

“Your face. I’ve never seen you
unshaven.”

Unconsciously, Bill rubbed one hand along
his jaw. “I’ll have to take care of that at the office.”

“Does it itch?”

He cleared his throat. “Not really—if I
waited too long, it might.” Bill raised her hand and laid it on his
jaw. “See.”

“Oh! It really is prickly! Like—” She
paused, thinking as she stroked his cheek gently. “Like—like
Mother’s medium grit sandpaper.”

“Better not let him kiss you then,” the
nurse teased, as she entered the room for her vitals check. “Your
face will be as raw as a chapped baby’s bottom!”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a
problem,” Willow said, her voice a bit frosty. He winked at her,
shaking his head.

The nurse recorded several things on
Willow’s chart, gave her a tiny cup of pills to down, and handed
her the cup of water to wash down the pills. “We’ll take a look at
that leg as soon as you’ve got that down.”

Bill stood, gave her hand a squeeze, and
stepped from the room. As he stepped through the door, he heard the
nurse comment, “He’s a little shy isn’t he?” Her reply brought a
grin to his lips as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms
over his chest.

“He’s considerate. A gentleman.”

“He’s a good-looking guy too.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

“He didn’t have to leave—”

Willow forced herself to smile at Libby. “I
think he feels a little self-conscious.” Though she spoke
confidently, Willow looked a little self-conscious herself as she
remembered their hands intertwined on the edge of the bed as the
ladies entered. The look in both women’s eyes—maybe Chad was
right.

From a large shopping bag, Alexa withdrew a
wrapped box. “I hope you don’t mind, but I rewrapped it. Wes is a
marvelous photographer, but his wrapping skills leave much to be
desired.”

“May I open it?”

Alexa winked at Libby as she said, “Well
it’s yours! Enjoy!”

Willow’s fingers played with the ends of the
sheer aqua ribbon of the package. A square box, wrapped in kraft
paper, tied with the ribbon looked deceptively simple. She untied
the ribbon, folded it and the paper beneath it, and opened the
white gift box. The lid slipped to the floor as Willow pulled the
photo album from the box with a cry of delight. A clear pocket in
the front showed a picture of Willow’s eyes peeking over her
enormous bouquet of daisies. Pure delight and happiness reflected
in her eyes alone. “He took
this
?”

“Wes is an incredible photographer. You
won’t believe the pictures he has.”

She opened the album and the first picture
was of her and Lily Allen. “How…”

“Telephoto lens. He had it shoved through
the hedge.”

Page by page, she relived the only birthday
party she’d ever had. From the picture of her shouting “surprise!”
to a delighted Lily, the final shot of Chad’s pick up with the
bicycle perched in the back, the album displayed every moment of
it. She relived the dance with Joe, her many dances with Chuck and
Chad, and the final one with Bill. She felt the eyes of Alexa and
Libby on her as she took a second glance at the picture. Had he
really looked at her like that?

The gift pile looked like a work of art, but
a picture of a single daisy petal lying next to a cake crumbly fork
captured her heart, holding it for a moment. “That—who would have
thought you could take a picture of a dirty plastic fork and it
turn out so breathtakingly beautiful?”

Libby stopped her from turning the page. “Oh
this profile of her blowing out that candle—how did he manage to
get so little of her face in the picture? The detail—those
eyelashes, her lips blowing. It’s incredible!”

Willow had almost overlooked the picture.
Pictures of herself rarely interested her, but Libby was right. It
was more than great photography; it was art. “That is—oh I wish I
had a picture like that of my mother—oh or a baby! Can you see a
baby like that?”

The morning passed lost in memories of a
happier day. They scrutinized every picture, looking over each one
multiple times, but each woman chose a different favorite. Alexa
loved the picture on the cover of the album, but Libby chose one of
Willow’s feet flying through the air as Joe spun her around at the
end of a dance. Willow, however, returned after each perusal
through the book to the picture of her seated with “her men.”

“I look like I have some kind of secret.
Chuck knows it, but Bill and Chad aren’t quite sure if they want to
know.”

Her lunch tray arrived, signaling for Alexa
and Libby to leave. Libby hugged her and promised to stay with her
the first few nights at home, and Alexa promised to bring her a new
book after she returned home. At the door, Libby turned, retraced
her steps, and gave Willow another long reassuring hug.

“You’re going to be ok. We’re here for you.
Alexa, Chad, your friend Bill—even Chad’s parents, Luke, Aggie—all
of us. Anything you need, we’re here for you. Even if it’s just
someone’s shoulder’s to cry on or someone to give you a big hug and
tell you we love you.”