Page 81 of A Chance at Forever
*
After Rusty left,Victoria struggled to make it through each day. She focused on work, and her friends made sure they spent plenty of time with her to keep up her spirits. She lived for those brief calls from Rusty every night. He spoke little. She babbled before she sang to him. Victoria chose funny or uplifting songs, she even made up one about him that caused him to laugh, but more often than not their conversations ended in mutual tears and reassurances of their powerful love. When she grew lethargic as time passed, she blamed it on stress and anxiety.
And then one night Rusty didn’t call. Or the next night. Or the next. Victoria’s attempts to connect with him failed. She knew deep in her gut how much he needed her. After a crying jag, Victoria vomited, and made up her mind. She called her father to ask if she could use the private plane and arrangements were finalized for her and Bud to fly to Denver at the end of the week.
By Thursday morning, Victoria was a weak wreck. She kept waking up nauseated to the point of retching. After another round of heaving over the toilet, she studied herself in the mirror. She had to pull herself together for Rusty’s sake. She wouldn’t be of any help to him at all in this condition…in this condition… Her eyes grew round in disbelief. Could it be true? The timing seemed right. She and Rusty were together on Valentine’s Day over a month ago.
Waiting until after school to buy a home pregnancy test was excruciating. Waiting for the results was even more excruciating. Waiting to tell Rusty he was going to be a father in November—no words could describe the anticipation Victoria felt. What better reason to fight for life than a baby on the way?
The next day Victoria met Mr. Noyes in his office with a heavy heart. She didn’t know how to break the news to him. “Mr. Noyes, Rusty is seriously ill. I’m not sure what’s wrong with him, but I haven’t heard from him all week, and I’m worried. I have to go to Colorado and be with him no matter what. I’m really sorry, sir. I have to take a leave of absence.”
Mr. Noyes shook his head. “You have no idea how many brokenhearted children and their furious parents I had to deal with after Rusty resigned without any notice, and nowyou’releaving, too?”
Regret surged through her. “I wouldn’t do this if Rusty didn’t need me. Please, Mr. Noyes, keep my position open for me. I swear I’m not resigning. No matter what happens, I’ll be back. God willing, with Rusty. You’ll hire him back, won’t you? He needs an incentive to fight.”
He waved his hand. “Yes, yes, of course. Godspeed. Please tell Rusty I’ll be praying for him. I hope to see both of you again before the school year is over.”
They hugged and she left his office. On her way out, Patsy stopped her. “You’re doing the right thing, Victoria. For you and for Rusty. You’ll be back with him. I feel it in my bones.”
Tears burned in Victoria’s eyes. “Thank you, Patsy. I hope so.”
That night the friends gathered at Victoria’s house to wish her well and to say goodbye. During a lull in their conversation, she blurted, “I’m pregnant!”
Mia and Jonica squealed and jumped up from the sofa to hug her. Steve and Danny grinned and offered their congratulations.
Jonica glanced at Danny and asked, “Now?”
He nodded and together they exclaimed, “We’re pregnant!”
Mia’s and Victoria’s mouths fell open in surprise.
“What? You never said a word, Jonica,” Mia chided.
Jonica held Danny’s hand. “We wanted to be sure I’d make it past the first six weeks before we said anything.” She had suffered a miscarriage two years ago, and it had taken all this time for her to recover from the loss.
After another round of congratulations and a group hug, the friends parted. Victoria had an early morning flight to catch and Steve had promised to give her and Bud a lift to the airport. As she packed a suitcase, her nerves ran rampant, but underneath—pure joy. If the worst should happen, if she should lose Rusty to death, a part of him would always be with her. She sat down on the bed with one of Rusty’s shirts and laughed joyously until tears streamed down her face. In eight months she’d be able to hold Rusty’s child in her arms, and she wanted nothing more than for him to be alive to rejoice with her.
“I’m coming, my love. I’ll see you in less than twenty-four hours. And I can’t wait to tell you that you’re going to be a father.”
*
When Victoria landedat Denver International Airport, she found a rental car waiting for her and blessed her father’s thoughtfulness. Though she didn’t remember how to get to the Sinclairs’ ranch, she knew the address and programmed it into the car’s GPS system. The most direct route would take about forty minutes.
Forty minutes. In less than an hour she’d be in Rusty’s arms.
She had so many questions to ask him. What had he done with his truck? It wasn’t parked in the driveway at home, and she couldn’t imagine his driving all the way to Colorado in his condition. Did he have a rare form of cancer? Victoria didn’t think so. He hadn’t been researching cancer. Something kept attacking him that caused flu-like symptoms and upper respiratory issues.
The ranch came into view. Victoria drove through the open gate and traveled the length of a snow-covered football field to get to the main house. She didn’t see Rusty’s truck or any vehicle, for that matter. “Okay, Bud, we’re here.”
He grinned and wagged his tail.
Victoria wasn’t surprised to find the front door unlocked. She knocked a couple of times before she stepped across the threshold and called, “Rusty? Rebecca? Is anyone here?”
Her voice echoed through the empty house.
At least it looked lived in. She wandered through the great room, touching this and that, and made her way to the master bedroom. “Rusty?” Silence.
Victoria stared at the number of framed photographs of her sitting on the dresser and on the twin nightstands. Rusty’s shrine to her. Some were of the two of them together. She sank onto the bed and soaked it all in. Victoria hoped these pictures gave Rusty comfort but wondered if they tortured him, too.
