Page 3 of Wishful Scheming

“Wait till you see what else I wished for, sweet cheeks. Time will tell…” She grabbed her clothes and followed him up the path towards their home.

∞∞∞

Chapter Two

A Fork In The Road

Stella stared at the walls. The familiar room filled her with dread and she remembered the last time she had sat in the same seat. The same crappy magazines sat on the table, and the odor of sickness and cleaning products permeated the air. She yawned and pulled out her phone, then put it away again, remembering itwasn’t allowedon in the building. She stood up and moved down the hall to the nurses station where a large black and white clock sat high on the wall. It had only been an hour, and she was restless. A large woman in a sea-green blouse came from the end of the hallway where the two doors stood between her and Wille.

“Hi, I’m here checking on Willie. Noone hassaidanything, yet. Is he doing okay? Can I see him yet?” The womansmiled gently.

“They’re still trying to stabilize him. Do you know what he had to eat or drink tonight?” Stella looked at the woman and relayed the list of what they had grazed on and drank at her home. Unsure if it helped, she mentioned the several tokes of the joint.

“The doctor is thinking it’s some kind of poison. Whatever, it keeps throwing him into cardiac arrest. We’ve used naloxone onhim twice but it’s notas effective as we’d hoped. As soon as I hear something, I will let you know. It’s still touch and go. If you have a God that you pray to, I suggest you use your energy on that. We’re doing the best we can, I’m sorry.” The womanset a stack ofcharts down,thenwalkedin the opposite direction. Stella stood there, her mind racing.

“Poison? Weate the same things. I hope everyone else is doing okay. Christ, what did you get into, Willie? I’llpray you make it through this and let me know what you did.”

Stella walked back to the waiting room and collapsed into the chair. Her energy now depleted, she sobbed as the commercial played across the screen on the tv in the corner. A happy couple frolicking in the sand and toasting in the setting sun. Vacation Dominique emblazoned across the screen. She leaned her head back on the wall and closed her eyes. She felt alone. Fumbling for a tissue, she blew her nose. The womanreturned, and Stella sensed her presence. Saying nothing, shewaited for Stella to look up. Stella gazed at the woman’s eyes and watched as she shook her head back and forth. Movinginto the room, shesat down across from her. Reaching out, she touched her arm gently.

“I’m sorry, but your friend has passed away. Whatever it was, he wasn’t strong enough to beat it. We did everything we could. He will goto autopsy. We willfind out what he ingested, whetherpoison or drugs. Again, my apologies, if you’d like to see him one last time, you may.” Stella sat there and shook her head as the tears coursed down her face.

“I know, you’ve tried. Thank you for letting me know. I think Iwill sit here for a minute, then I’ll come say my goodbye, just give me a moment, please.” The woman stood,patted Stella’s shoulder, then left her alone. The sound of her thick rubber soles squeaking as she moved away. Stella sobbedas she touched her heart.

“I love you Willie. Go with God, go in peace. Save me a space, because we will be together again, you stubborn old coot.” She wiped the tears from her face and stood up, now feeling drained. She moved out of the room and headed towards the double doors at the end of the hallway, knowing it was time tolet her love fly free. Her sigh echoed in the quiet, broken by one last sob as she slipped through the double doors to say goodbye.

∞∞∞

Lacey walked the stretch of the empty beach, staring at the stars illuminated above her. Wrapping her arms around her midriff, she exhaled and pondered the discussion she had had with Stella. It felt exhilarating, yet strange. Realizing her mother was here, she rubbed her stomach and smiled.

“You will have a grandma to love you as much as papa and I. Oh, baby girl, we have such a wonderful life ahead of us. I wish you were here right now to see these beautiful stars, to hear the waves... I love this place. But you, my love, will have the best of both worlds.” Lacey glanced up and saw a body emerge from the dunes and move down the beach. Seeing Stella, she moved in her direction. The woman’s headbowed and her shoulders slumped forward. Lacey stared at her and knew she was sobbing, her soft noises drifted to her ears on the air. Laceyfelt her stomach plummet, and the image of Willie on the floor came to her. The realization dawning that maybe he had not made it. Her feet moved her forward to catch up with her mother, she stopped a few feet away. Calling out to her, Stella turned as she heard Lacey’s voice. Lacey could see the wetness on her face, the tears glistened in the moonlight.

“He didn’t make it, did he?” Stella buckled as Lacey wrapped her arms around her, deep heaving sobs erupted from her being.

“Damn Lacey, I loved that man, he was the sweetest, kindest friend a woman could have. I hate knowing that when I wake tomorrow, I won’t see his happy grin anymore. The night you, I mean, the night the man attacked me, it was Willie who found me and got me to the hospital. He offered to marry me when he found out I was pregnant, but I didn’t want that, I didn’t want a reminder of that night. He’s stood by me for manyyears, and yes, I should have kept you, because you are the best thing I’ve ever made. I can’t go back and change time, no one can, but I love you girl. Never think I don’t. Your baby is a gift, and I’m tickledthat you’ll allow me toshare in the joy of my grand-baby.”

Lacey hugged her, holding her close as she expelled her tears over the loss. Lacey was fond of Willie, as was Philippe. Her heart sunk when she realized that when the sun rose, breaking her boys heart would fall on her. Reaching down, she clasped Stella’s hand in her own and the two walked down the beach. Listening as Stella explained what had happened at the hospital. It shockedLacey to hearthe poison theory. Dread filled her as she wracked her brain, wonderingwhat he could have had, or where he could have ingested it. Scared torealizeany of them could have been stricken. Still healing from the gun-shot wounds, she wondered if something connected the two incidences.

“I’ve got to get back home before Horst sends out the search party. Will you be all right?” Stella smiled and nodded.

“Go home, sweetie, I’m ready to move my pity-partyin, too. Tomorrow will be another day, and we will muddle through it together, okay?” Lacey nodded and kissed her on the cheek, hugged her again and moved down the path towards the road. Stella walked up the steps to her porch and gazed at the spot on the floor where Willie had collapsed.

“I love you, old coot, today and always. Help us find out who did this to you, please.” She picked up the lamp from the table and held itto her chest.

“Please keep my baby and her babies safe, I beg of you. Bring this soul to justice and keep ussafe, amen.” She shook her head and chuckled, realizing praying and asking for wishes may be two different things, but didn’t care. Stella headed towards bed, the lamp tucked safe beneath her arm.

∞∞∞

Belle woke before the sun reached the horizon and stretched her arm out. Sal was out like a light and she slipped from the sheets, grabbed her robe and giggled as Sassafras slid out from under the blankets and toddled along after her. She madecoffee, fed the cat, and walked over to the window. The beach below lay deserted.She hadhalf a mind to goslip into the warm water. Glancing over, she saw the empty place where her lamp sat and remembered that she had left it at Stella’s.

“I hope Willie is doing better.It’s too early to rouse the poor woman.” She poured herself a mug ofcoffee and walked back to the window to enjoy the cool breeze. Realizing she was sweaty because the cat had been under the sheets, she smiled. Even with Sal beside her, Sass still tried to squeeze between them. Ifhe’dknown the cat was there, he would have booted him from thebedroom. She saw Stella emerge from her porch and move down the beach. Belle smiled and grabbed her keys and dumped her coffee in a plastic mug, then went down to catch Stella.

Stella was sitting on a towel on the beach. Belle walked up behind her and called gently, so as not to startle her. Stella turned and Belle looked at the dark circles beneath her eyes and the puffed redof her face. Her stomach clenched up, and she knew that things hadn’t gone well. Tears welled up in her eyes as Stella began crying again. Belle kneeled down and wrapped her arms around the woman as her torrent of sobs filled the air.

“They did everything they could, he didn’t make it, Belle. What the hell do Ido?Willie and I have been friends forever, and now knowing I won’t see his face, nor feel his big bear hug arms wrapping around me, Christ, this sucks.” She wiped at her tears with her sleeve and Belle sat there, allowing Stella to release her pain.

“They said someone mayhave poisoned him. Can you believe that? You and Sal are okay, right? I saw Lacey last night and she, Horst and Philippe are fine, too. I can’ttake any chances. We’llthrow out everything served last night. Just in case it was something we had at our get together. What the hell! Dammit Willie! Why did youdo this to me?” Her wracking sobs began again,and Belle just stroked her hair and let her cry it out. Stella cried until there were no tears left and Belle helped her to her feet. Grabbing her coffee mug, she followed Stella into her house. She and Sal had cleaned everything up, but she walked in the kitchen and pulled back out everything that they had put away.

“I didn’t notice what he ate.I know he mentionedbeing at the Lug before coming here. Hedroppedthe grouper off that he caught. You should ask Angel. Bree’s been covering since Lacey left, so ask her, too. I honestly don’t know anyone who would have a reason to hurt him, he’s a harmless old coot, and Sal smokedhis weed and is fine. Energized beyond belief, but fine.” Stella nodded and pulled out the garbage can from under the sink, then dumped all the food into it.

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