Granting Wishes Read online

  Somehow they made it safely to the floor in a sweaty pile of entangled legs. She snuggled against his chest and for a moment he closed his eyes, catching his breath.

  “Chels,” Dom kissed her head. “Will you marry me?” When she didn’t reply, he tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. His princess was fast asleep.

  “Well, damn.”

  Chapter 27

  A silver shaft of light peeked through the curtains, landing haphazardly across her eyes. The warm pressure of Dom’s hand rested on her belly. So far, each night he didn’t have his son, Dom stayed with her in her small, but comfy, rental on Bluebird Street. Enough weeks had passed that she now had a swelling baby bump, something she was becoming quite accustomed to. Thus far, Chelsea didn’t understand why women got so upset about gaining weight during pregnancy. Sure her favorite jeans didn’t button any longer, and when she wore a tank top or swimming suit the bulge in her belly announced itself proudly. But instead of bothering her, it made her smile knowing that their child was flourishing within her. Come spring time, early March to be more exact, a miniature version her and Dom would be breathing its first breath of sweet Georgia air.

  Unsure what caused her to wake up she eased from the bed to get a glass of water. Dom was sleeping so deep he didn’t move a muscle. Poor guy. He’d been stretched thin splitting his time between school, Peyton, and her, but things were going well. They had sat down with his parents and told them of her pregnancy. His parents were shocked, but supportive and had continued to treat Chelsea like one of their own like they always had. They seemed even more protective of her now. She hadn’t bothered talking to her own parents yet. It had been nearly a year since she’d had any contact with them and if it didn’t bother them, she wasn’t going to let it bother her either.

  Last night when they took Peyton to Jade’s to stay the night, Dom thought it a good time to break the news to her. Chelsea hadn’t wanted to, but since the news was spreading already, he wanted Jade to hear it from them. It seemed like she took it well, congratulating them before they left. But Chelsea could see it in her eyes she wasn’t as okay with it as she said. The two women had walked on eggshells around each other. As much as she tried, forgiveness wasn’t something Chelsea felt in her heart. Dom thought Jade was a changed woman, but Chelsea didn’t quite feel the same way.

  Standing at the kitchen counter sipping her water, she saw the message light on her cell phone blinking. When they’d gotten home, she had put it on the charger before Dom had carried her into the bedroom. She smiled for a moment remembering the sweet way he’d made love to her. That man sure knew what he was doing in the loving department.

  Upon checking her messages, the smile left her face and she chewed her bottom lip. Jade was requesting to meet with her. She specified she wanted it to be just the two of them. It nagged at her that Jade was asking her to keep Dom out of it. Withholding information was just as bad as lying in her book. But she remembered back to earlier that night when Jade had looked so frail leaning against the door frame when they dropped Peyton off. Actually the last few times that she’d had to be around her, Jade hadn’t said another snide word since that day at the diner.

  Against her better judgment, she sent Jade a reply and agreed to have tea with her the following evening. For now, she needed the comforting warmth of Dom’s arms around her. Carrying her glass with her, she went back into the bedroom and managed to slip back under his arm without waking him.

  ***

  Even though she tried not to think about it, from the time she woke up until the time she pulled into Jade’s, Chelsea had been nervous. Not knowing what Jade wanted or how she would treat her had been in the back of her mind all day. Even through the rest of the night she was restless and woke up tired. As she got out of her car, she smoothed her hands over her pale pink summer dress that hit right above her knees. She didn’t want to admit it even to herself, but Chelsea had taken great pains getting ready for this visit. Jade had always been so critical of her it made her feel like the unsure teenager that wanted so badly to fit in.

  She tossed her long blond waves over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs to the colonial home that had been in Jade’s family for generations. Growing up, they had spent many hours playing on this big porch, and later when they reached their boy crazy years, they spent hours on the porch swing talking about boys. They had planned their fairytale weddings, named future children and plotted their happily ever after’s. That was before Dom had come into their lives and everything changed. Jade blossomed into a tall, svelte beauty, while Chelsea stayed short and blossomed outward instead of upwards, making her figure plump instead. They were total opposites. Chelsea being quiet and more introverted with shyness, Jade being outgoing and popular. Still, back then they were like sisters. Many times Jade’s home became her get away from her undesirable family life.

  Then they met the twins. Chelsea and Lilah clicked, and Dom and Jade became the hottest couple in junior high, staying together into high school in an on again, off again relationship. Through all that, they started growing further apart until it got to the point that Jade was snide and hateful. Making fun of Chelsea’s weight was Jade’s favorite pastime, picking her apart until she felt worthless and humiliated. It still shamed Chelsea that she let Jade have such a negative effect on her in her younger years. Yet here she was, standing at the front door of the home of the girl that was once her best friend.

  Before she had a chance to knock, Jade opened the lily white front door and invited her in. It struck her just how worn down her old best friend turned nemesis looked. Chelsea felt a pang of regret for all her hateful feelings she’d been harboring towards her but she still kept her guard up. She may be soft hearted, but she wasn’t a fool.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Chelsea. I have tea service set up in the library if you’ll join me.” Jade waved the way, not that Chelsea needed directions. The house still looked the same as when they were kids except for some up to date decorating.

  Walking into the library was like a step back in time. It was always her favorite room in this house. Bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Old classics, law books, dusty encyclopedias to current romance novels filled each shelf like loving reminders of the past. Her fingers itched to thumb through them until she found just the right one to pluck from the shelf and curl up to read in the window seat that faced the garden.

  “You still love books don’t you?” Jade broke the silence and Chelsea gave a slight nod.

  “They were always a perfect escape for me. I could leave my not so perfect life for one that was sure to take me on a journey far away from here, to a place that didn’t hurt.”

  They sat down on the floral settee that was older than the two of them put together. She watched Jade with inquisitive eyes as she poured the tea and added two squares of sugar to her own. “I never understood your fascination back then. I knew things at your house were bad, but in my shallowness I didn’t catch on to why you loved to read so much. I get it now.” Jade stirred her tea while Chelsea added a liberal dose of cream to hers.

  “That’s one of the reasons I loved coming here. Your life was so different from mine. You had freedom’s I never experienced until I got to spend nights here with you. This room was my favorite. Stocked full of never ending adventures and romance so perfect it seemed unattainable, but it was addicting. A fix I wanted each time I walked in the door.”

  Jade laughed and took a sip of her tea. “But I didn’t care as long as you were happy. It was one of the rare times you would smile back then.”

  “I didn’t have a whole lot to smile about.”

  “You do now,” Jade placed her slender hand on Chelsea’s. “I want you to know I’m honest to goodness happy for you and Dom. It looks like you’ve found your own happily ever after.”

  It surprised her so much she clanked her cup against the saucer, spilling a tiny bit of her tea. Clumsy chubby Chelsea, she chanted in her head
. She sat it the delicate bone china on the coffee table and twisted her hands together.

  “Don’t look so surprised. I know I was,” she paused and looked away. “I was less than kind to you so many times. But I loved you, Chels. You were the sister I always wanted.”

  Chelsea felt her hardened heart start to soften towards her old friend. “You were mine too, Jade. That’s why it hurt so much. All those mean and awful things you said and did. You humiliated me over and over. I never understood why.” She wasn’t going to cry. Not again.

  Jade pulled a tissue from the box on the table and dabbed the corners of her eyes. “I know. I was wretched. I’m so sorry.”

  Chelsea wasn’t sure what to think but her tender, loving heart wanted to forgive though she would never forget. This once vibrant woman was now a frail reminder of what she once was. The pallor of her skin was an unhealthy, pale shade stretched across a now skeletal frame that seemed to exhaust her to hold up. Even with all the hell Jade put her through, Chelsea wouldn’t want suffering like this on anyone.

  Taking Jade’s hands in her own, she held them and spoke the words she never thought she would be able to say with honesty. “I forgive you, Jade. The past is in the past and it’s over and done. I’m letting it go and I want you to do that too.”

  Jade’s shoulders slumped and she softly cried, leaning over and resting her forehead on Chelsea’s shoulder. “I’m not ready to die, Chels. I’m so scared. I don’t want to leave my baby and not see him grow up. In all the things I’ve done in my life, he is the one amazing thing I’m proud of.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and sent up a prayer asking for strength. As she gently stroked Jade’s back, it startled her to feel her bones jutting out as if she didn’t have an ounce of meat left on her fragile body. Her skin had an almost translucent hue, so much that you could see the pattern of each and every vein as it traveled along her body.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask,” Jade lifted her head weakly and wiped her face. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she continued, “If I could ever pick a mother to take my place and raise Peyton, I would pick the only woman that had been a true friend to me. That’s you, Chels. And as hard as it was for me to see you and Dom together at first, I can see the love you have for each other. It’s real and it’s beautiful just like the romance books you used to make me read with you.” They laughed a little amidst their tears.

  “I know without a doubt in my mind you’ll be the best mother Peyton could ever need or ask for. Please say yes, Chels. Please tell me you’ll help Dom raise him in a loving family.” The tears were sliding down her cheeks and the honesty in her eyes was what made Chelsea lose her battle of holding back a waterfall of tears. She cried for the friend that had hurt her in such a damaging way, she’d never gotten over it. She cried for the woman that was losing her life to a disease that was cruel and unforgiving, whittling her life away from her at such a young age. And most of all, she cried for the darling little boy that was so young, he would barely remember his mother.

  Chelsea shook her head yes, unable to speak for the emotion had clogged her throat. It was all so unexpected. Coming here she braced herself for the worst, unable to believe Jade had good intentions. One thing was for sure, when it came to her son, Jade truly only wanted the best for him.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, leaning against Chelsea’s offered strength. It worried her when Jade shuddered and her breaths sounded more labored. It was like their conversation had sapped all her strength and she could no longer sit up on her own. She helped her lie back on the settee and propped pillows up behind her. “I’m going to go get your mom, Jade. I’ll be right back.”

  It scared the hell out of Chelsea that she didn’t respond, but just looked at her with blank eyes. With her heart lodged in her throat, Chelsea took off in a flat out run, yelling for Jade’s parents.

  Chapter 28

  Lilah was sitting at her desk early Friday morning when the call came through. For the last week, Jade had been in and out of consciousness. This morning however, she was unresponsive and soon passed over to the other side. Even with as much hell as Jade had raised, there wasn’t a single person Lilah would wish cancer on, not even her.

  With a heavy heart, she gathered her wits about her and made a few phone calls before calling it a day. The plans were to stop by the market and pick up the things that her mom needed so they could fix a meal and take it to Jade’s parents. She tried calling her twin to check and see how he was handling it and see how Peyton was doing, but he hadn’t returned her call. Trying hard not to worry, she was comforted knowing Chels was with them.

  On her way out, she left a note on the door stating they would be closed until Monday. All she really wanted to do was go hug her family and see Jake and Roxy. First stop, groceries, and then maybe a call to her man while she was getting the shopping done.

  ***

  Dom thought he had prepared for this moment. But how much can one really prepare themselves for death? Whether it was sudden and unexpected, or drawn out and dated, nothing hit as hard as the finality of the end of a life. No matter if it was a parent, friend, or past lover. It hurt. What hurt more was telling his son that his mother was in heaven now and no longer sick and in pain. Peyton cried until he fell asleep on his chest, still hiccupping from his sobbing. It ripped at his soul that there was nothing he could do to fix it. That’s what a father does right? Protects, soothes, cares for, and fixes whatever is wrong. With this, Dom was at a loss.

  Thank God Chelsea had stayed at his side, her comforting presence giving him a sense of peace. She sat silently beside him holding his hand while he rocked them all in the swing on the back porch. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet and he felt exhausted. It had taken hours to calm his son and get him to sleep. The gentle rocking motion paired with Chelsea’s soft touch was lulling him under. It had been days since he’d slept much at all and it was wearing on him.

  Chelsea whispered in his ear, “Why don’t you take him up to your room and lie down a little while. You could use the rest as much as Peyton. That way, when he wakes up, you’ll be there with him and he won’t be scared.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll help your mom with getting food together for the family. You know how she always goes all out. I’d bet money she’s already getting started in there as we speak.”

  He smiled and nodded, knowing she was right. “I think I might do that. A few hours would do us both some good.” He patted Peyton’s back as he stood and headed inside.

  ***

  Mikayla had a roast in the oven and was peeling sweet potatoes while she talked with Sabrina when Chelsea walked in, offering to help. “The boys are taking a nap. Please put me to work so I don’t feel so useless.”

  “I’ve got a bag of carrots in the fridge that need peeled along with a sack of red potatoes, sugar. I’d appreciate the help. I figured we might as well fix potato salad to chill for dinner tonight. I imagine something simple will be good enough, so I have grilled burgers and hot dogs with it and some coleslaw on the menu.”

  “I think that would be just fine.”

  They worked together in solemn, but companionable silence until Lilah got there with the remaining groceries. Splitting up the work, they each concentrated on their tasks while trying to make idle chit-chat here and there. After a spell, silence took over again until Miki spoke up.

  “You know, I was thinking we could fix up the den upstairs into a playroom for the babies. The entire basement is set up just for fun with the game room and such, but there are four empty bedrooms down there that y’all could move into and have a nursery next to your rooms.”

  The potato Chelsea had been peeling slipped out of her hand and rolled across the kitchen floor. She hurried to retrieve it and washed it off in the sink.

  “Momma, Jake and I have been talking.” Pausing, Lilah looked as if she were trying to find the right words. “He asked me to move into the cabin with him and Roxy. And as
much as Chels and I have said we wanted to raise our kids together, I don’t think either of us had it in mind to do that in the same house with my parents. Talk about weird.”

  “Well that old cabin is tiny, Lilah. You know we have plenty of room here.”

  “I know, Momma. But Jake and I need our privacy too. Don’t you think it’d be weird to have us living with you? I mean, you do realize we have sex, right?” She scrunched up her nose like she smelled something bad and it made her mother laugh.

  “Obviously none of you girls would be pregnant if you were abstaining from sex. I may be getting older but I do know what causes that.”

  Chelsea lost hold of another potato and it shot across the kitchen, making them all bust out laughing.

  “What’s wrong, Chels? Are you suddenly shy about talking about sex with my momma?”

  “Dang it, Lilah. This is awkward!”

  Her blushing reply sent them into another bout of laughter.

  “You think it’s awkward? How do you think we feel when it’s my Twinnie and her son you’re shimmying between the sheets with? So gross!”

  “What’s all the cackling about?” Lilah’s daddy walked in and she turned to kiss his cheek.

  “Oh, momma is just trying to get all of us to live here forever while we have babies and more sex with our men.”

  “What the,” he choked and turned red as a tomato. “I tell you what, there’s not going to be a bunch of sexing going on in this house except between your mother and I.”

  “Oh my God,” Lilah covered her eyes.

  “Ewww! Get a room,” Chelsea made gagging sounds as she walked to the sink with the pot of peeled potatoes.