Page 24 of Christmas Eve Do-Over
"It was Christmas Eve morning when I finally got a chance to confront him. I was furious, hysterical with grief. He didn't take it well, of course, which resulted in him hitting me until I quieted down. I just put my head down and took it, the whole time planning out what I would do. It was like the light bulb went off and I had to get out. So I did. I waited until he left to go to his parents’ house that night. Too many unexplained bruises meant I couldn’t go with him. I packed my bag, and I left. I spent Christmas at a women's shelter, making plans to turn my life around and I never looked back."
"That's my girl," Duke murmured.
"But every time I see Christmas trees I think of that day. Nothing like finding your hopes and dreams of children shattered, then beaten by an asshole, and finally escaping to a shelter to ruin your memories of a holiday." I chuckled dryly. The memories were so long ago it sometimes felt like I was speaking of someone else. The woman I was now no longer resembled that girl.
"I can't even imagine." Duke rolled us over, his head propped up on his hand. He smoothed the hair back from my face, his fingers tracing my features for long moments. "I hate that that happened to you. But I love the woman you are and I know a big part of that is because of what you went through and what you overcame. Going forward, I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make the rest of your days happy and filled with all the things that make you smile. I cherish you, Shasta."
My insides melted into a puddle at his feet. "I know you do. I can feel it."
He leaned down and kissed me sweetly, his promise in his kiss and the way he held me all night long. I fell asleep with his heat at my back, his arms wrapped around me, and his whispered "I love you" drifting through my head.
* * *
We both woke to my cell phone ringing in our ears.
"Hmm?" I murmured into the phone, not awake enough for a full-word answer. I felt Duke sitting up next to me and I resisted the urge to sneak a peek at the gorgeous sleepy man still in my bed. I knew if my phone was ringing at 5 A.M. it had to be an emergency and I needed all my focus.
"Shasta? It's Ivan. We're on our way to the hospital. Hessa went into labor early. Meet us there?"
I shot straight up in bed, the cobwebs fading fast in the face of one of the girls in labor. "On my way. Drive safe and tell Esa to calm down."
I hung up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Sorry to break this up, but I gotta get to the hospital."
I heard a drawer pulled open behind me. I twirled around to Duke flinging a clean pair of sweatpants at me, along with a red t-shirt. I slipped them on while he pulled on his own clothes in a rush.
"Let's go." Duke grabbed his keys off his dresser while I stood stock-still.
When he didn't hear me behind him, he spun around in the doorway, pausing. "What? Is this not something I can go to?"
I pulled my jaw up off the ground. "You want to go?"
He looked around like he was searching for something. "Well, one of your best friends is having an emergency, right? Why wouldn't I want to go with you?"
I shook my head, my shock giving way to a warmth flooding my chest. "I guess you're right. Let's go."
Rushing together, we hopped in his car and made our way to the hospital on the empty roads. It was New Year's Eve and most people had taken the whole week off so the town was still asleep at this hour.
Duke dropped me off at the front door, promising to park the car and find me inside the hospital. I ran through the double doors, wishing for a sturdier bra and faster feet. Calculating how many weeks along Hessa was at the wedding, I came to thirty-six weeks, which meant the baby would most likely be fine. Then I thought of all the complications that could be involved and I was on my way to hyperventilating.
She couldn't lose this baby. We loved her too much already.
