What Becomes of a Tragedy?, chapter 13
We got a hold of Lisa and I was scheduled to go "under" Thursday morning at 10. I know we were scared, but on Wednesday, my fear of losing everything was elevated.
Tre and I went to see Lisa on Wednesday morning to fill out paperwork and to have her explain the procedure to us. We learned that I would have a permanent scar on the under curve of my breast. She explained to us that my procedure would take a little longer than normal because of my condition. That really shook up Tre.
When we left the hospital we met Billie Joe, Adie, their boys, Mike, his girlfriend, his daughter, my sister, her family, my brother, and Tre's children for lunch. As one could imagine it was a little depressing. Well, at least it started out that way. We told everybody what Lisa had told us. But, by the end of lunch, we were all laughing and having a good time.
After lunch, Becca, her family, Luke, Tre and I went back to our house. We all sat around the living room and I got to know my niece, my nephew, and my brother-in-law. Ramona and Frankito were in the basement, playing games with Timothy and Nicole.
Becca, Tim, Luke, Tre and I were all still in the living room. Talking about the next day. My brother-in-law started. "How long do they think this will take?"
Tre looks at me. "At least four hours."
"Why so long?" I hadn't told my brother and sister I was pregnant.
I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for not explaining earlier. The procedure will take longer because they have to use special anesthetics and tools because I'm pregnant."
They, like Tre did, sat quietly for a few minutes. Then, my brother spoke up. "Holly, Tre, I want to apologize."
"For what?" Tre and I said in unison.
"When I saw your number on the caller-id, I thought you had an answer to my question. You know, if I could move in. And this whole time I'm sitting here, I want to know. I know that sounds rude. And I want to know that you're okay and taken care of, and I know you," he looks over at Tre, "will do a damn good job at that, but what about when you're not here. I know Adie isn't going to be able to help all the time."
Tre and I exchange looks and Tre nods and I begin to explain. "Luke, we were talking about this last night."
He interrupts. "I understand if you say no. Who would want their little brother living with them?"
Tre finishes what I started to say. "We would love for you to come live with us. I need someone to keep an eye on her for me when I'm gone."
Needless to say, Luke was thrilled. (Like I said years ago . . . what teenager would complain about moving to California?) Around 7pm, Becca, her family, and Luke left to go back to their hotel. Adie came over and picked up Ramona and Frankito, so they could stay with her and Billie.
After everybody had gone, Tre and I went upstairs, to our bedroom. I say on my side of the bed and stared at the floor. Tre came up and knelt in front of me. "Tell me what's on your mind, blue eyes."
"I just have this fear of them putting me under and I'll never get to see you again."
"Holly . . . don't . . ."
"NO, Tre!! I have waited for fourteen years to call you my husband and now that I can, I can feel it slipping away."
"Baby, please don't. I need you to be strong."
"I am being strong. I'm just afraid of not being with you."
Tre sits in silence for a few minutes and then looks at his watch. 8:30. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Yes."
He smiles his all too familiar smirk. "Put that dress on. Try and make yourself more beautiful than you already are and smile."
"Can I ask why?"
"I want to show you something." He said still smiling.
We both go dressed and I walk downstairs at 9pm. Tre is sitting on the couch in a black suit, red shirt and black tie. He stands up when I walk in the room. Walks up to me and gives me a hug. "Where are you taking me?"
He leans back and flashes his boyish grin and kisses the tip of my nose. "Blue eyes, it's a secret. I can't tell you."
"Tre, you can't keep secrets."
"That's okay. I think you'll love it either way." We head out to the car and Tre starts heading east.
"Would you like me to close my eyes?"
"No, I have a blindfold in the glove box." He turns to me and smiles. "Could you please put in on?" I do as he asks because I love surprises and he knows it.
We drive for (what seems to be hours - to me) a half hour. I could tell we had gone up in altitude because my ears were popping. After a final steep down slope, Tre stopped and turned off the car. "We're here, blue eyes." I start to take off the blindfold. "No, we have to walk a little before you can take that off."
We walk for about five minutes and Tre helps me sit down on what feels like a flat rock. He stands behind me, bends down, kisses my cheek, and slowly removes the blindfold.
What I see before my eyes is the most breathtaking scene I have ever witnessed. Tre had driven up the mountains to a clearing that looks over the city.
Not only could we see the entire city, but I could see a glimmer of the ocean off in the distance. I don't know when and how he found this, but it was beautiful. Tre sits next to me and holds my hand. "I found this place October 5, 1990. I was at a low. I came up here to say good-bye. I was going to play one more gig with Billie and Mike and then I was going to leave this town. I wanted to go out and find a purpose for my life. And the very next night I found something to stick around for. I played that night like I would never do it again. Little did I know that you were there or that you would be the best thing that ever happened to me or that fourteen years after that night, I'd be back up here with the woman you changed my heart and didn't even know it. I fell in love with you that night and have loved you everyday since. I love you more at this moment that I have ever loved anybody in my life. As a friend, you have motivated me to be more than possible. As a lover, you have inspired me to be the man I always wanted to be. I love you and nothing is ever going to change the way I feel for you. You are my world and I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for you."
And as one could imagine, my eyes were crying waterfalls. I couldn't even speak and even if I could I wouldn't know what to say to him.
We stayed there until 11pm because we decided we should try and get some sleep.
But when we got home we didn't fall asleep. We gave into our passions and made love until the sun came up.
Around 5am, Tre made me breakfast; or at least he started to, but remembered I couldn't eat before the surgery.
We met everybody at eh hospital at 9am. We all sat in the waiting room, when Lisa came in. I stood up. Tre stood up with me.
I gave one more hug to everybody and walked out of the room. Tre came with me because I wanted his to be the last thing I saw when I closed my eyes.
They put me under and the last thing I remember is telling Tre I love him and I'll see him when I wake up.
In the waiting room, they tried to pass the time. They started telling my brother and sister stories about me from over the years. Both good and bad. Everybody was talking and trying to break the silence, except Tre. He sat in the corner and looked at pictures on his digital camera.
Tre passed the time by looking at our past. He smiled, laughed, and cried to himself.
Around 1:30pm, Lisa walked back in the waiting room. Tre jumped to his feet and walked up to her. "Tell me, please. No bullshit either."
She nodded and took a deep breath. "No bullshit . . . we almost lost her, Tre." Tre falls into a chair. "She came back, though." Tre looks up at Lisa with a look of hope and questioning in his eyes. "She's in recovery right now. They're slowly waking her up."
Tre couldn't hold it in. "And the baby?"
Lisa smiles. Tre weakly smiles back. "We were wrong, Tre."
"Wrong about what?!" He asks furiously as he stands back up.
"Tre, your wife isn't going to have a baby."
"WHAT?!?!?!" Tre screams. "How could you make that mistake?" Lisa smiles at him. "What the fuck are you smiling about?"
"Tre . . . we read the ultrasound wrong." She pauses. "Tre . . ." She looks at everybody else glaring at her and she looks back to Tre. "Holly is pregnant with twins. So . . . like I said, she's not having a baby . . ."
He looks up and smiles at her. "She's having two."
Just then a nurse comes in and whispers something to Lisa. Lisa nods and turns to back to Tre. "You may see your wife now."
Tre follows Lisa to the room where I am resting. I am awake and smile when I see him. Lisa lets him in and closes the door so it is just me and him.
"Tre . . . I love you."
"I love you, too. I have news . . ."
"Twins."
"How do you know?'
"I had a crazy dream about my parents and you meeting. And in the background I heard voices talking about me being pregnant with twins. So, when I woke up, I asked." I look up at Tre. "Baby, we're having twins."
He smiles. "Twins . . ."
Tre and I went to see Lisa on Wednesday morning to fill out paperwork and to have her explain the procedure to us. We learned that I would have a permanent scar on the under curve of my breast. She explained to us that my procedure would take a little longer than normal because of my condition. That really shook up Tre.
When we left the hospital we met Billie Joe, Adie, their boys, Mike, his girlfriend, his daughter, my sister, her family, my brother, and Tre's children for lunch. As one could imagine it was a little depressing. Well, at least it started out that way. We told everybody what Lisa had told us. But, by the end of lunch, we were all laughing and having a good time.
After lunch, Becca, her family, Luke, Tre and I went back to our house. We all sat around the living room and I got to know my niece, my nephew, and my brother-in-law. Ramona and Frankito were in the basement, playing games with Timothy and Nicole.
Becca, Tim, Luke, Tre and I were all still in the living room. Talking about the next day. My brother-in-law started. "How long do they think this will take?"
Tre looks at me. "At least four hours."
"Why so long?" I hadn't told my brother and sister I was pregnant.
I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for not explaining earlier. The procedure will take longer because they have to use special anesthetics and tools because I'm pregnant."
They, like Tre did, sat quietly for a few minutes. Then, my brother spoke up. "Holly, Tre, I want to apologize."
"For what?" Tre and I said in unison.
"When I saw your number on the caller-id, I thought you had an answer to my question. You know, if I could move in. And this whole time I'm sitting here, I want to know. I know that sounds rude. And I want to know that you're okay and taken care of, and I know you," he looks over at Tre, "will do a damn good job at that, but what about when you're not here. I know Adie isn't going to be able to help all the time."
Tre and I exchange looks and Tre nods and I begin to explain. "Luke, we were talking about this last night."
He interrupts. "I understand if you say no. Who would want their little brother living with them?"
Tre finishes what I started to say. "We would love for you to come live with us. I need someone to keep an eye on her for me when I'm gone."
Needless to say, Luke was thrilled. (Like I said years ago . . . what teenager would complain about moving to California?) Around 7pm, Becca, her family, and Luke left to go back to their hotel. Adie came over and picked up Ramona and Frankito, so they could stay with her and Billie.
After everybody had gone, Tre and I went upstairs, to our bedroom. I say on my side of the bed and stared at the floor. Tre came up and knelt in front of me. "Tell me what's on your mind, blue eyes."
"I just have this fear of them putting me under and I'll never get to see you again."
"Holly . . . don't . . ."
"NO, Tre!! I have waited for fourteen years to call you my husband and now that I can, I can feel it slipping away."
"Baby, please don't. I need you to be strong."
"I am being strong. I'm just afraid of not being with you."
Tre sits in silence for a few minutes and then looks at his watch. 8:30. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Yes."
He smiles his all too familiar smirk. "Put that dress on. Try and make yourself more beautiful than you already are and smile."
"Can I ask why?"
"I want to show you something." He said still smiling.
We both go dressed and I walk downstairs at 9pm. Tre is sitting on the couch in a black suit, red shirt and black tie. He stands up when I walk in the room. Walks up to me and gives me a hug. "Where are you taking me?"
He leans back and flashes his boyish grin and kisses the tip of my nose. "Blue eyes, it's a secret. I can't tell you."
"Tre, you can't keep secrets."
"That's okay. I think you'll love it either way." We head out to the car and Tre starts heading east.
"Would you like me to close my eyes?"
"No, I have a blindfold in the glove box." He turns to me and smiles. "Could you please put in on?" I do as he asks because I love surprises and he knows it.
We drive for (what seems to be hours - to me) a half hour. I could tell we had gone up in altitude because my ears were popping. After a final steep down slope, Tre stopped and turned off the car. "We're here, blue eyes." I start to take off the blindfold. "No, we have to walk a little before you can take that off."
We walk for about five minutes and Tre helps me sit down on what feels like a flat rock. He stands behind me, bends down, kisses my cheek, and slowly removes the blindfold.
What I see before my eyes is the most breathtaking scene I have ever witnessed. Tre had driven up the mountains to a clearing that looks over the city.
Not only could we see the entire city, but I could see a glimmer of the ocean off in the distance. I don't know when and how he found this, but it was beautiful. Tre sits next to me and holds my hand. "I found this place October 5, 1990. I was at a low. I came up here to say good-bye. I was going to play one more gig with Billie and Mike and then I was going to leave this town. I wanted to go out and find a purpose for my life. And the very next night I found something to stick around for. I played that night like I would never do it again. Little did I know that you were there or that you would be the best thing that ever happened to me or that fourteen years after that night, I'd be back up here with the woman you changed my heart and didn't even know it. I fell in love with you that night and have loved you everyday since. I love you more at this moment that I have ever loved anybody in my life. As a friend, you have motivated me to be more than possible. As a lover, you have inspired me to be the man I always wanted to be. I love you and nothing is ever going to change the way I feel for you. You are my world and I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for you."
And as one could imagine, my eyes were crying waterfalls. I couldn't even speak and even if I could I wouldn't know what to say to him.
We stayed there until 11pm because we decided we should try and get some sleep.
But when we got home we didn't fall asleep. We gave into our passions and made love until the sun came up.
Around 5am, Tre made me breakfast; or at least he started to, but remembered I couldn't eat before the surgery.
We met everybody at eh hospital at 9am. We all sat in the waiting room, when Lisa came in. I stood up. Tre stood up with me.
I gave one more hug to everybody and walked out of the room. Tre came with me because I wanted his to be the last thing I saw when I closed my eyes.
They put me under and the last thing I remember is telling Tre I love him and I'll see him when I wake up.
In the waiting room, they tried to pass the time. They started telling my brother and sister stories about me from over the years. Both good and bad. Everybody was talking and trying to break the silence, except Tre. He sat in the corner and looked at pictures on his digital camera.
Tre passed the time by looking at our past. He smiled, laughed, and cried to himself.
Around 1:30pm, Lisa walked back in the waiting room. Tre jumped to his feet and walked up to her. "Tell me, please. No bullshit either."
She nodded and took a deep breath. "No bullshit . . . we almost lost her, Tre." Tre falls into a chair. "She came back, though." Tre looks up at Lisa with a look of hope and questioning in his eyes. "She's in recovery right now. They're slowly waking her up."
Tre couldn't hold it in. "And the baby?"
Lisa smiles. Tre weakly smiles back. "We were wrong, Tre."
"Wrong about what?!" He asks furiously as he stands back up.
"Tre, your wife isn't going to have a baby."
"WHAT?!?!?!" Tre screams. "How could you make that mistake?" Lisa smiles at him. "What the fuck are you smiling about?"
"Tre . . . we read the ultrasound wrong." She pauses. "Tre . . ." She looks at everybody else glaring at her and she looks back to Tre. "Holly is pregnant with twins. So . . . like I said, she's not having a baby . . ."
He looks up and smiles at her. "She's having two."
Just then a nurse comes in and whispers something to Lisa. Lisa nods and turns to back to Tre. "You may see your wife now."
Tre follows Lisa to the room where I am resting. I am awake and smile when I see him. Lisa lets him in and closes the door so it is just me and him.
"Tre . . . I love you."
"I love you, too. I have news . . ."
"Twins."
"How do you know?'
"I had a crazy dream about my parents and you meeting. And in the background I heard voices talking about me being pregnant with twins. So, when I woke up, I asked." I look up at Tre. "Baby, we're having twins."
He smiles. "Twins . . ."
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