The Weight of Small Things (31 page)

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Authors: Sherri Wood Emmons

Tags: #Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #General, #Psychological

BOOK: The Weight of Small Things
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B
ob drove cautiously back to Bryn’s house, where they packed a suitcase for Corrie. Then they drove back to the hospital to drop it off. When they left, Corrie was just dozing off.
“We’d better go home,” Bob said. “We left in such a rush, I didn’t really check on the house. We’d better see the damage.”
They drove to the house, the boys gaping at the storm damage from the backseat. When they pulled into the driveway, Bob breathed a huge sigh.
“It looks okay, right?”
“Except there’s a hole in your roof!” Bryn pointed to a gaping hole on one side of the roof.
“Well, except for that.” Bob grinned at her and they both began laughing. Once they started, they couldn’t stop. They laughed until they cried, staring at the hole in the roof.
“What are you guys laughing at?” Cody demanded from the backseat.
“Oh, buddy,” Bob managed. “Sometimes you just have to laugh.”
They went inside to survey the damage. Most of the windows were shattered and everything was wet. They climbed the stairs to the attic and stared out the hole to the sky above.
“Wow!” Micah breathed.
“It can be fixed,” Bob said firmly. “I’ll call the insurance guy tomorrow morning. But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed.”
They walked through the house, picking up debris and glass. Outside, the sky began to darken.
“Why don’t you guys stay at my house tonight?” Bryn asked. “You can’t stay here. Everything’s wet.”
“Can we?” Cody’s eyes sparkled. “We can camp in the living room!”
“I guess so.” Bob sounded tired.
“Come on.” Bryn took his arm. “Let’s pack up what you need and go home.”
The barricade at the corner of Bryn’s street was gone, but the street was still blocked by trees and debris. Bob parked around the corner and they picked their way to the house, a tiny beacon of normalcy in a surreal scene.
“I can’t believe it,” Bob said. “It’s like the tornado just hopped right over you guys.”
“I know.” Bryn smiled. “Good thing, too. I didn’t have time to get to the basement.”
Bob turned to stare at her. “Where were you?”
“In bed.” Bryn pointed to the upstairs window. “I woke up and thought we were having an earthquake. The whole house was shaking, the windows were rattling. It sounded like the end of the world.”
Bob wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Thank God you’re okay.”
Bryn unlocked the door and flipped the light switch, but nothing happened.
“Looks like we don’t have electricity,” she said. “Hang on, we’ve got some candles in the kitchen.”
She returned with several candles and a large flashlight. They swept the light across the walls. Two windows on the west wall had broken, but the rest were intact. They climbed the stairs and looked through Bryn’s room and the nursery. Everything stood just as she’d left it earlier that day.
“Unbelievable,” Bob said. He stared out Bryn’s bedroom window to the house next door, which had no roof at all.
Bob carried the mattress from Bryn’s bed to the living room, then put Corrie’s mattress next to it. “There,” he said. “You guys can sleep right here.”
“Where will you guys sleep?” Micah asked.
“Bryn can sleep on the couch and I’ll . . .” Bob looked around. “I’ll sleep right here beside you guys on the floor.”
They piled pillows and blankets on the floor and sat in the candlelight, quiet for the moment.
“Can we roast marshmallows?” Cody asked. “We can make a fire in the fireplace.”
“Sure!” Bryn rose and took a candle to the kitchen.
“I don’t think we should use the fireplace until you’ve had it inspected,” Bob said.
“Well, then we’ll roast marshmallows over the candles.” Bryn returned, carrying a bag of marshmallows and some metal skewers.
“Cool!” Cody threaded a marshmallow and held it over a flame, promptly setting it on fire.
“Cody!” Bob grabbed the skewer and ran with the burning sweet to the kitchen, where he doused it with water in the sink.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” he said, walking back into the room.
But Bryn had already skewered another marshmallow and was holding Cody’s hand, showing him how to hold the candy safely above the fire. Bob leaned against the wall, overwhelmed with gratitude that they were safe, that Bryn was safe, that they were together. He glanced to where Micah sat on the floor, watching his little brother, smiling.
Later that night, after the boys had fallen asleep, Bob and Bryn sat on the couch, staring at the lone candle still burning.
“Thank you,” Bob whispered.
“For what?”
“For being you, for being safe, for . . . everything.”
She turned to look at him, took his face in her hands, and said, “I love you, Bob Carter.”
“I love you, Bryn Baxter.”
He kissed her, gently at first and then with more urgency. Behind them, Micah snorted softly in his sleep. Bryn giggled. Everything felt right with the world.
 
The next morning, Bob called his insurance adjuster and took the boys home to meet with him at the house. Bryn packed a few more things in a bag to take to Corrie.
When she arrived at the hospital, she found Mark sitting at Corrie’s bedside, watching her sleep.
“Hey,” she said quietly.
“Hey, Bryn.” He rose and kissed her cheek. “Wow, look at you.”
“Yeah, I know, I’m huge.” She smiled and patted her stomach. “What are you doing here?”
“Sarah called and told me Corrie was here. I just wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
“She’s going to be fine, I think. Her water broke during the storm and she started having contractions, so they brought her in. They’re giving her meds to stop the contractions.”
Mark nodded and looked back down at Corrie, asleep on the bed.
“Our divorce is final next week,” he said.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I should go.” He picked up his briefcase, resting on the floor by the chair.
“No, you stay.” Bryn set down the small bag she carried. “I was just dropping off some stuff for her. I’ll come back later.”
She turned to leave.
“Bryn?”
She turned around.
“You look great.”
“Thanks, Mark.”
A few minutes after Bryn left, Corrie opened her eyes, confused at first about where she was. Then she heard the steady beep-beeping of the monitor behind her. She closed her eyes again, wrapped her arms across her stomach, and whispered, “Hang in there, baby. Please just hang in there for a while longer.”
“Hi.”
She opened her eyes again to see Mark leaning over her, smiling.
“Hi,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“Sarah told me you were here. I just wanted to come see you, to make sure you’re okay. Are you?”
“I hope so.” Corrie glanced back at the monitor. “I’ll be better when I know this baby is going to stay put for a while.”
Mark patted her hand tentatively. “You’re really having a baby, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Corrie smiled. “I’m really having a baby.”
They were quiet for a minute, searching for something to say.
“Did you have any damage from the storm?” Corrie asked.
“No, it missed us.”
“How about Sarah and your folks?”
“They’re good, everyone’s fine.”
“Good.”
Another long silence ensued.
“Corrie?” Mark leaned forward. “I’m really sorry about everything.”
“Me too,” she said.
“I wish—”
“I know,” she interrupted him. “I wish things were different, too. But they’re not.”
Mark looked at her for a long minute, then rose. “I guess I’d better go.” He leaned over her and kissed her forehead. “You take care, okay?
“I will.”
She watched him walk away, wondering at how calm she felt. She hadn’t seen him since the day they’d cleared their things out of the house. Since then, so much had happened. Since then, her baby had grown from an idea to a real, living, kicking being. Since then, she’d moved on.
She’d moved on.
She shook her head and said it out loud. “I’ve moved on.”
“Good!” Bryn stood in the doorway smiling at her.
Corrie smiled back.
“How weird is that? Seriously, how weird is it? I think . . . I
know
I’ve actually moved on. I mean, I still love Mark. I probably always will. But, it’s like a whole lifetime ago that we were together, you know? I’m different now than I was then.”
“You’re stronger.” Bryn sat down beside her. “You’re not a little girl anymore.”
“No.” Corrie smiled. “I’m a mom.”
“Me too!”
“Did you go home last night?”
“Yeah, Bob and the boys stayed at our house. Theirs has a big hole in the roof.”
“Oh my God!”
“It’s okay,” Bryn reassured her. “It’s just a hole. It can be fixed.”
“You seem pretty happy with the world.” Corrie watched Bryn closely. “I guess things are better with Bob?”
Bryn nodded. “And with Micah. Do you know what he told me yesterday? He said he pushed me away because he was afraid I’d leave. Can you believe how smart he is? Seven years old . . . I’m not kidding, the kid’s a genius.”
“That’s pretty smart,” Corrie agreed.
“I told him I love him.”
“Who? Micah?”
“No . . . well, yes, him too. But I told Bob I love him.”
“And?”
“And he loves me, too.”
“I’m glad, Bryn. I’m so happy for you, for both of you.”
Corrie leaned back into the pillows and closed her eyes.
“Are you feeling all right?” Bryn asked.
“I’m fine. Just wishing I had someone in my life, too.”
“Well you could, if you’d just let yourself.”
Corrie’s eyes flew open. Daniel stood in the doorway, carrying a huge bunch of roses.
“Hey, you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry.” She smiled at him. “I’ll try not to do it again.”
“Hey, Bryn.” Daniel stared at Bryn’s belly. “You’re as big as a house!”
“Screw you, Daniel.” But she smiled at him.
“When are you due?”
“Four weeks.”
“Wow! Coming right up. I hope we don’t beat you to it.”
He turned back to Corrie. “What are they doing for you?”
“Giving me meds to stop the labor. I hope they’ll let me go home soon.”
“But if she does go home, she’s on complete bed rest,” Bryn said. “No going back to work, no laundry, no cleaning. Just bed rest.”
“Oh my God!” Corrie rolled her eyes. “I might just go crazy.”
“It’s for the baby,” Bryn said, watching the monitor carefully. “Hey, I’m going to get some coffee.”
She left the room, leaving Corrie staring behind her.
“Bryn!” she called. But Bryn just kept walking.
“Let her go,” Daniel said, settling down into the chair by the bed. “This way I get you all to myself. So seriously, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Daniel. I keep telling everyone, I’m . . .” Corrie’s voice trailed off and she sat in silence, her eyes wide.
“Corrie, what’s wrong?”
Before she could answer, a nurse ran into the room, stared at the monitor, and announced, “You’ll have to leave now.”
Behind Corrie, the monitor beeped frantically.
“Corrie?” Daniel stood uncertainly.
“Sir, you really have to go.” The nurse pulled a curtain around the bed, leaving Daniel standing helplessly on the other side.
“Daniel.” Bryn stood behind him. “Come on. Let’s go to the waiting room. They’re just going to check on her. Probably the monitor is just screwing up.”
Bryn pulled him back to the lobby and they sat, staring down the hallway toward Corrie’s room.
“What’s happening?” Daniel asked. His face was gray, ashen, his hands shook.
“I don’t know,” Bryn said, taking his hand. “I just noticed the monitor was beeping faster than it was before, so I called the nurse.”
“But she’s going to be okay, right?” He turned to stare at her, his blue eyes wide and scared.
“She’ll be fine,” Bryn said, squeezing his hand. “She’s in the hospital; she’s got great doctors and nurses. It’s probably just a problem with the monitor.”
A nurse ran past them, padding down the hall toward Corrie’s room. A minute later, they watched as the nurses wheeled Corrie out of her room.
“Wait!” Daniel ran down the hall toward them. “What’s going on?”
He caught sight of Corrie’s face, pale and frightened.
“I’m the father!” he yelled. “What’s going on?”
A nurse turned to him and put up her hand.
“The baby is in distress,” she said softly. “We’re going to do a C-section.”
“But it’s too early!”
“Sir, please just go sit down.” The nurse spoke firmly, her hand on his arm. “We’ll take care of her.”
She turned and ran after the gurney, following through doors that swung shut behind them.
“But . . .” Daniel stood, staring after them.
“Come on.” Bryn took his arm, pulling him back toward the lobby. “Let the doctors do their job.”
 
Corrie stared up at the bright lights, willing herself to stay calm.
“Okay, Corrie.” Dr. Ping smiled down at her. “I know you’re scared, but it’s going to be all right. Your baby is ready to be born.”
Then he disappeared behind the curtain that draped across her stomach. She couldn’t feel anything on the other side of that curtain.
“I want Daniel,” she said. Then again, louder. “I want Daniel!”
The nurse standing by her head wiped her forehead. “Is Daniel the father?”
“Yes, and he’s here. Please! I want him.”
The nurse disappeared, returning after a moment. “He’s on his way, honey. You just relax.”

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