Thanks for Giving (3 page)

“Yes.” Molly grabbed the cup and sucked in a big gulp of the liquid. It went down the wrong way and she choked and spluttered.

The nurse patted Molly’s back as the door opened and Chip walked through.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“The patient got a little too eager to get some water.”

“I was parched. I don’t know what they put in the anesthesia but man, it sure made my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth.” Molly was both glad and embarrassed to see Chip. She was sure she looked hideous.

“You slept extra-long too. Are you sure you didn’t prick your finger on a needle like Sleeping Beauty?” Chip laughed and waved a card in the air. “Your friend Matt is already awake and writing thank-you notes.”

“Wait a minute. I thought you said he was in isolation. Where did he get a notepad and envelopes?”

“Doctor French?” the nurse interrupted them. “Do you want Miss Touchstone to stay the night? Doctor McMichaels said she could go home. If she’s going, I need to let the admissions office know that the room will be available. I think there are some patients waiting in the heart cath lab for a place to sleep.”

“Do you feel like going home, Molly?”

“Of course I will if someone needs a bed here more than I do. I’m fine. A little sore, but I’m okay.”

“If you’ll stay here with her, doctor, I’ll go tell her parents she’ll be ready to leave in a little bit and drop by admitting too.” The nurse stood and without waiting for an answer, left the room.

As soon the nurse was out of the area, Chip said, “Alone at last.”

“I thought you said Matt was in isolation. How did he write me a card?” Molly reached out for the envelope.

“He is, but he went in with some items like a deck of cards, books and paper and pens. Everything is sterile but we don’t expect people to sit and stare at the walls while they wait for their procedures.” Chip laughed and dangled the card out of Molly’s reach.

“Give me that, you tease.”

“First you have to answer a question.”

“What’s that?”

“Before you went in to the operating room, we were talking about a dinner date, your failed relationships and my grandmother’s prayers.”

“Yes we were. What about it?” Molly grinned. If he asked her out for dinner again, she was going to accept. It no longer mattered that he’d hurt her in the past when he disappeared. He was here now and it seemed as if he were here to stay.

“Will you help me make my grandmother’s prayers come true and go steady with me?”

“Aren’t we a bit old for going steady?”

“No. Never.” He sat on the bed with one foot on the floor. “So, will you?”

“Do you still have your class ring? I’ll need that to wear around my neck on a chain.” She laughed and then got serious. “Tell me why you never came back to see me after freshman year in college.”

“I tried but it seemed like every time I came home I heard you were seeing someone. I didn’t want to intrude and then when I got into medical school, I rarely got time to even go to a pub on the weekends, much less travel to see my family here.”

“You had to know that no matter what you heard was going on in my life that I had special feelings for you and would want to see you.”

“No. I didn’t, Molly. What was I to think when I heard you had a steady guy? We were only in high school when I moved and remember, we decided that you’d give back my class ring and we’d each see other people since we were so young. How was I to know if someone took my place in your heart or not? I chose not to see you since I knew if I’d been replaced, it would hurt too badly.”

“But you did come back those few times the first year of college.”

“Yes and it broke my heart to leave each time and know it would be months and months before I’d see you again. It soon became easier to stay away than to go through the torment of leaving.”

“Wow. That sounds like you really never stopped caring about me.” Molly’s eyes filled with tears.

“I never did.” Chip wiped her unshed tears with the pads of his thumbs. “And I never gave my class ring to another girl.”

“I think I need it back now.”

“That can be arranged. I think it’s in the dresser drawer at Gran’s.”

“I expect to get it first thing tomorrow and speaking of getting—” Molly reached out for Matt’s envelope.

Chip handed it to her, leaned in and planted a light kiss on her lips. “Here’s your note then.”

Molly opened the envelope and read the message—

Dear Molly,

Today is Thanksgiving Day but from now on, I’m calling the holiday Thanks for Giving. This day, I thank you for not only giving me more family—my dear new-found cousin—I thank you for giving me your precious bone marrow and most of all, I thank you for giving me a new life. For now, in this little note, I want to say Thanks for Giving.

When I’m out of isolation, I plan to have a huge party to thank you for your many gifts. Your selfless act on short notice and with what I hear was with good cheer means the world to me. I will always be grateful to you.

Your cousin, Matthew

Tears sprang to Molly’s eyes as she read the note. Matt had always been friendly but she had no idea he could be so eloquent. She glanced up at Chip. “I was a grouch about this whole thing and for some reason Matthew thinks I was cheerful about it. Where did he get that idea?”

“I told him.”

“You?”

“Yes, me.”

“Even after I acted like I did?”

“You forget I know the real you. Inside and out.” Chip winked.

“It’s been a long time since you knew me in that way, Chipper.”

“People don’t change at the core, Mols.”

“So, we’re back to high school nicknames?” She smiled.

“You started it with the Chipper.” He took the note from her hand. “May I read it?”

Molly nodded.

Once he’d read it, Chip looked back at her. “I like this
thanks for giving
thing. It could be a new trend. Here’s mine. I want to thank you for giving me another chance to be in your life.”

“And I want to thank you for giving me a push to do the right thing by Matt.”

“You can do better than that. You would’ve always done the right thing. Try another
thanks for giving
.”

“How about thanks to your grandmother for giving me a lot of lousy boyfriends after you left town so I would still be available for you when you came back?”

Chip laughed aloud and scooped Molly into a gentle hug. “That’s a
thanks for giving
that I can get behind.”

The door opened and Molly’s parents entered. Her mother said, “The nurse told us we could come in and take you home.” She held a stuffed turkey in her hand and waggled it at her daughter. “See what your dad found in the gift shop? Isn’t it cute?”

Chip stood and shook Molly’s dad’s hand. “I don’t know if you remember me—”

“Of course I do. You were at our house every day for years and I think I saw you in my yard today talking to my wife, didn’t I?” Molly’s dad clapped Chip on the shoulder. “I hope you’re back in town for good. You know you broke my girl’s heart, right?”

“I hope to make that up to her and all of you.” Chip smiled at Molly. “I think your daughter is willing to let me try.”

“Good.” Her father turned to address her. “Thanks for giving Chipper another chance.”

Molly and Chip burst out in laughter at her dad’s inadvertent use of Matthew’s new name for Thanksgiving, causing Molly’s mother and father to stare at each other in confusion. They finally shook their heads and joined in the merriment.

*The End*

About the Author

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Jillian Chantal is the pen name of a lawyer living on the gulf coast of Florida. She writes fiction as a stress release from her intense day job. She likes happy endings and they’re sometimes easier to write than to be won in a courtroom.  She also loves photography and scrapbooking.

Jillian loves to hear from readers. She can be contacted at
www.Jillianchantal.com
or
http://www.facebook.com/jillian.chantal
or
https://twitter.com/JillianChantal

Other Books By Jillian Chantal

Full Length:

Doctor, Lover, Baronet

Hot Pursuit

Moon Dance

Redemption for the Devil

Sebastian’s Salvation

Solo Honeymoon

Surf Bride

Tequila Mockingbird

Venetian Masks

Series
:

The Gambler (Book One, the Gambler’s Inheritance)

The Gambler’s Brother (Book Two, the Gambler’s Inheritance)

The Gambler’s Daughter (Book Three, the Gambler’s Inheritance)

Christmas on St. Charles Ave (Christmas story, the Gambler’s Inheritance)

Shorts:

All I Want for Christmas is a One-Night Stand

Carver’s Fall

Enchanted Edinburgh

Fireworks for Katerina

Flight Risk

Surf Break

Thanks for Giving

The Layover (free)

The Season of the Witch

The Tainted Keitre

The Size of the Scandal