Page 14 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

"Yes, I can help." I walked over to her and dropped to all fours as I swept a hand under the edge of her bed. She was used to getting her own medication, but there were nights when her arthritis flared up and I had to open a bottle or, like tonight, she dropped something she needed. She couldn't get down on the floor anymore without help getting back up, so it fell to me to aid her on nights like this.

"I'm so sorry, dear. I didn't mean to interrupt your evening with Lily." That was the good part about having her here and not Dad. She was at least considerate about my time and privacy and felt bad for imposing on me. Dad would have milked it for all it was worth. But his health conditions demanded twenty-four-hour care, which I couldn’t provide, and he refused to have nurses come into his home. So he stayed at the retirement village.

"It's okay, Mom. I understand, and so does Lily." I found the pill bottle and picked it up. There was no way she could have gotten it herself, and with it being her blood pressure medication, it was important. I was glad I snuck away to help her. I handed it to her. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nothing in particular. How are things going?" She opened her bottle and fumbled out a pill, and I watched her hand shake with a tremor, something that had been getting worse for a few months. I wanted her to get checked out, but she insisted she was fine.

"Uh, pretty decent, actually." I wasn't going to tell her we'd just had sex, but I thought that classified as "pretty decent". I sat on the edge of her bed while she took out her other medications and swallowed them with a sip of water, one by one. When she was finished, she set the glass down and patted me on the knee.

"Now see, when she left a few years ago, you were so distraught. But I told you that love finds a way, and if she wasThe One, she'd be back."

I had told Mom about Lily, almost every detail of it. She knew the depth of mourning I'd gone through when Lily left, and she knew how excited I was when I found her again. We had dinner together a few nights ago when she was in a good spell, and she encouraged me to go for it. I didn't need that encouragement, but having it was special.

"You did say that." I smiled and laid my hand on hers. "How did you know Dad was the one?"

She chuckled, a dry sound that I hoped wasn't going to turn into a coughing fit. "Oh you just know, kiddo. You just know." She patted my hand and closed her eyes. "I was a waitress and he was just another customer, but every time he came in, I'd get butterflies in my stomach. He was so shy with me, always fumbling his change and making small talk, but one day, he asked me out for a soda, and the rest is history."

“And how did you know you were in love?” I asked, and she must have known how I was feeling. I had spent so long in a state of depression and loneliness. With Lily here, life changed.

"When I realized I couldn't picture my life without him in it. I had always been alone and fine, but when I met your father, everything changed. That's how you'll know, when you can't imagine waking up without him by your side." Mom yawned, and I thought about what she said. I already didn’t want to wake up without at least knowing I’d see her at work again. The way she vanished five years ago left me with a bit of PTSD that she’d just up and leave again.

"I'm a bit tired now. Can you let yourself out?"

"Of course." I leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You rest, okay? I'll come by tomorrow with more soup."

"You're a good boy," she mumbled as she lay down. I flipped off the light on her nightstand and walked to the door, pausing to look back. I didn't know how many more talks like that I'd get with her, and I treasured every single one.

As I shut the door quietly behind me and left the room, a smile played on my lips. Love did find a way, just like Mom said. Lily was back in my life, and I wasn't going to let her go again. And I knew, deep down in my bones, that this time, we'd make it work.

With Mom tucked in, I returned to my bedroom hoping to see Lily sleeping peacefully and waiting for me. But the light was on, the bed empty. There was a note scrawled on a sheet of paper on my pillow. I walked over to it and picked it up to read it. My heart simultaneously soared and sank.

Ethan,

I had a great time tonight, but I can't stay here. My own personal responsibilities call and I have to go home. I'm sure you understand.

But I would love to do this again sometime. Give your mom my love.

XOXO

Lily

I smiled at the note knowing my gut was right. Lily wasn't just back in Denver. She was on her way back to me. It made me so happy that I tossed and turned for hours just thinking of the future and how things might develop with her. My heart was full, despite my bed being empty, because I knew it was only a matter of time.

Love finds a way…

11

LILY

My footsteps were heavy as I trudged up the hallway to my next patient's room. Seeing little children suffering made my worry over my own son worse. I had three young boys on my patient list who had terminal conditions, and when I interacted with them, my heart broke. As a mother, I couldn't imagine losing my son, especially so young. It was how I knew I was in the right profession. My passion lined up with my education, and I was helping people. I just wished I could help my son as easily.

Tina, one of the nurses, waved at me as I passed the nurses’ station. I knew she wanted me to come over there and talk, but I had to make a few phone calls that wouldn't wait. She probably just wanted to gossip about the good-looking male nurse they just hired, or maybe she'd ask me to hang out with the gang after work, but my calls had to come first.

I stepped around the corner and pulled my phone out. I wasn't supposed to be making personal calls during work hours, but when a doctor has a sick child and works first shift, there isn't much to be done. I dialed Noah's new pediatrician's number and waited as it rang through. All of his files from Princeton had been transferred over, and I had already met with the man once.He was nice and very laid back, though he was nothing like the pediatrician out east.

"Dr. Butler's office."

"Uh, hi, this is Lily Carter, Noah's mom…" I paused, giving her time to look us up in the system. "I just wanted to chat with Dr. Butler about Noah's condition and see what he thought about a few symptoms Noah's having." Biting my lip, I waited as she typed. I could hear her fingers clicking on the keyboard, and then she sighed softly.

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