Fate (Fate 1)

Frowning as she made her way into the house, she thought about how disappointed Grace would be that she’d be missing her game today. Just as she reached her room the doorbell rang. She walked back to the front door wondering who it could be.

As soon as she opened it, she remembered. “Lorenzo, Oh my God, I almost forgot.”

“About your injection, really?”

“Yes, Sal asked if I could go into the restaurant for a few hours this morning, then Grace went into labor a few hours ago. My mind is all over the place,” she said walking back toward her room.

After washing his hands in the restroom, Lorenzo stood at her bedroom doorway. “We doing it in here?” he asked.

Rose glanced around. “Yeah, I think it’s safest,” she said as she pulled the stuff out of her drawer. “My mom isn’t here. I’m not sure if she went to the hospital with them or not. I wouldn’t want her to get here suddenly and walk in on us.”

“It takes but a sec, Rose.”

“Still,” she said looking up at him again, “close the door behind you just in case.”

She handed him the syringe and everything else he needed including rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball. “Do it on my lower back. I don’t want anything affecting my legs today.” She turned around and lifted her blouse, lowering her shorts a bit. How in the world did this happen? Her standing here in her bedroom holding her shorts down for Vincent’s brother. Just the thought of him gripped her heart something awful. “Have you heard anything new?”

“Nothing.” She felt him rub the cold cotton ball on her lower back. “My dad said he’s gonna try calling again today. All done.”

She turned to him, smiling, hoping he wouldn’t see that she was already tearing up again. “You’re getting better every time. I didn’t even feel it this time.”

He handed her the syringe and the empty little bottle of the vitamin injection with an equally forced smile. She put the things down on her desk then to her surprise felt his hand in hers. When she turned to face him, he brought his hands to her face. “Listen to me, Rosie. The power of thought is an awesome thing. You have to believe he’s okay. You have to believe he’ll come home to us.”

Just being that close to him, feeling his strong hands on her face, and hearing him call her Rosie brought back overwhelming memories of Vincent. It was more than she could take, and she fell into his shoulder crying softly. “I wanna believe, Lorenzo. I really do.”

“Then do it. Believe.”

They both froze when they heard the door out front close and footsteps then voices.

“Rose,” Grace called out. “I’m gonna make your game after all. It was a false alarm. But come out here; I wanna show you something.”

“Oh my God,” Rose whispered, sniffling and wiping her tears away as she pulled away from Lorenzo.

She rushed to put the evidence of her injections away. “What do I do?” Lorenzo asked.

Rose glanced at him then responded to Grace. “I’ll be right out, Grace. I just need to finish getting dressed. Give me a minute.”

“Okay, but hurry.” Grace sounded almost giddy.

Rose turned back to Lorenzo. “Just follow my lead okay,” she whispered. “Whatever I say just go along with it.”

Wiping her face clean, she looked in the mirror quickly to make sure it wasn’t obvious she’d been crying—again. She waved at a very befuddled-looking Lorenzo to follow her.

Grace stood just outside her door and waved a sonogram picture at her. “I’m having a girl!” She danced in place until she looked behind Rose and stopped dancing, the smile all but wiped off her face.

“That’s great,” Rose said trying to keep Grace in her cheery mood. “I told you, you were.”

All this time in every ultrasound Grace had the baby’s legs had been crossed. She’d been dying to know and had pretty much given up finding out until the baby was actually born.

Sal stood just a few feet behind Grace. He didn’t look too pleased either about Lorenzo and her stepping out her bedroom together.

Rose pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Lorenzo is going to put up some shelves for me in my room.” She turned to Sal, wishing she wasn’t such a god-awful liar. Her stupid voice even changed octaves when she spoke. “If that’s okay with you, Sal, I was just showing him where I want them.”

Sal nodded, but his expression remained just as hard. Rose glanced back at Grace. She appeared as convinced as Sal. “So Vivianna it is, right?”

Grace seemed confused for a moment then smiled. “Yes,” she turned back to Sal. “We agreed right? Vivianna for a girl.”

He nodded again just as Rose’s phone started ringing in her room. “I gotta get that,” Rose said rushing back into her room. She felt a little guilty about leaving Lorenzo out there alone with them.

“Where are you?” her coach demanded.

Rose spun around to look at the clock on her bedside. “What do you mean? The game is not until—” She brought her hand to her forehead. She’d completely forgotten the coach had asked them to be there extra early this time. “Oh geez, I forgot! I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She hung up and grabbed her bag. “Lorenzo, can you please drop me off, so I can change in the car while you drive?” She turned to Grace. “That was my coach; I was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. I totally forgot.”