The Moment of Truth

And there was Boston Public Garden. “There’s a garden someplace by Cape Cod that’s known for daylilies.” He’d been too much in a hurry to get wherever he’d been going when Michelle had mentioned wanting to stop there. “I know winter is coming fast, but if she does well, you can take her farther. Maybe even to Florida. Would you be willing to go to Florida, Sara, if I hire enough people to help you?”

“I’d go to Florida if it was just me and her and the driver,” Sara said. “But you don’t have to do this. She’s going to be the same here, in Florida, or anywhere else.”

“We don’t know that for sure, Sara. Maybe she’s more aware than we think. And if you don’t mind going with her, what can it hurt?”

Unless the doctor said it wasn’t a good idea.

“We thought she was going to be gone by now when we first made our plans,” he said. “It’s clear she’s got the will to live and I want to make certain that she has as much of a life as it’s possible for her to have.”

While he was across the country creating new life.

“You make the call to Dr. Humboldt, and if he’s agreeable, have him call me,” Sara said. “I’ll need instructions from him. And I can take the plans from there, if you’re sure you really want to pay for this.”

“I’m positive.” The money was there. And while no one seemed to believe him, he had no intention of using any of it for himself.

Or maybe he was, Josh amended his thought as he drove into work that morning. Maybe all of his money was being used for him. Because if, as they said, Michelle had no awareness of her surroundings, then all the money he was spending on her was only to assuage his own conscience.

To make him feel better.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Can you get out of your lease?

SITTING IN ENGLISH 101 Monday morning, Dana read the text as it came through. She’d forgotten her tablet that morning, still not used to having one even though the scholarship money had provided for it three months before.

I’m paid up for a year.

Can you sublease?

I don’t know.

Find out.

She didn’t reply.

* * *

AT TEN AFTER TEN, she was standing in Josh’s backyard with a very happy-to-see-her Little Guy, when another text notification came through.

You just have student insurance, right?

Yes.

Won’t cover pregnancy.

Yes, it does.

She’d checked. In a moment of panic Saturday morning just before she’d rushed out of the house. There had definitely been a pregnancy section. Her insurance covered sixty percent of the doctor’s bill and one hundred percent of any hospital stay. She’d figured she’d use her savings to cover the other forty percent of the bill.

Not until you are on it for a year.

She didn’t reply.

Unless there are complications, then covered.

“Come on, Little Guy, this isn’t playtime. That’s this afternoon. I have to get back to class.”

She still didn’t reply to Josh.

Her eleven o’clock was a lecture that started right on time every time. She wanted her front row seat and didn’t relish walking in front of everyone after class had started.

Or maybe she just didn’t relish standing in Josh Redmond’s backyard while he was busy poking his nose into every aspect of her business.

* * *

SHE WENT HOME at lunchtime to let Lindy Lu out and to have a salad. To spend a few minutes in the peace and quiet of her own space.

Did you check on your lease?

Josh would be home now, too, having lunch with Little Guy. The man was starting to get on her nerves. How could she stay immune to him if he was going to be bothering her all the time?

No.

Okay, when?

She wanted to know why he wanted her to check on her lease. If he thought he was going to put her up someplace, like some kind of kept woman, he had another think coming.

But if he was rethinking the whole relationship thing...if he thought that two people who were having a baby and were going to be raising it together should live together...

If he was thinking that living together would be a way to save money...

This afternoon.

Okay, thanks. Let me know.

She didn’t reply.

* * *

AT ONE-FIFTEEN another text came through. She was in class, had the phone on Vibrate and couldn’t make herself wait to get out of class to look at it.

Just met with HR and set autowithdraw to new bank account you have access to, to pay doctor. Will give you details.