Lucy
Almost three weeks later, February the twelfth, Lucy was released from the hospital. She smiled when the nurse pushed her wheelchair out to the pick-up area. There, standing against her mini-SUV, were her three favorite men.
Over the past few weeks Seth had doted on her like a puppy. He’d brought her flowers, red roses with little Valentine hearts dispersed between the blooms, a giant chocolate kiss and a teddy bear that said “Be Mine” with a mournful expression on his cute face. He’d sat and visited with her and then picked Jacob up from daycare and headed home. Chris had merely moved into the hospital room with her, refusing to leave her side for even an hour.
It hadn’t taken long for her to remember just how deeply her feelings for Seth went. She’d kept them on a tight leash for so long, it was difficult having him in her everyday life.
She wanted to reciprocate his affection, but upon hearing what the doctors said about her prognosis, she was glad she didn’t. They were optimistic that the chemo and radiation worked, but they couldn’t promise anything. A relapse was possible. She couldn’t afford to form any new connections. Her time on this earth was iffy at best.
Of course, Chris hadn’t made things any easier. He’d played his buddy up every chance he’d gotten. She knew what he was up to and a small part of her dared to dream of a life with Seth Landers. They’d get married and finally give Jacob the family he deserved; but another part of her rebelled at the mere idea of letting herself or her precious son care for the frivolous playboy.
Although Seth argued, Lucy had asked for paternity tests in order to prove her claim. She refused to have anyone accuse her of being a gold-digger. She knew Jacob was Seth’s son. Seth had been the only man she’d ever been with, but she’d kept that little gold nugget to herself.
“Ready to go home, Mommy?” Jacob asked, his chubby little face alight with happiness.
Lucy smiled in return and waited for the nurse to lock the wheelchair. Pushing herself to stand, she almost laughed when both Chris and Seth raced to offer her a hand. She waved them both away like buzzing gnats and bent to envelope her baby in a hug so fierce she even surprised herself. All the extra physical therapy was paying off and she had gotten some of her strength back.
“You bet I am,” she whispered in Jacob’s ear. “I’ve missed you so much.” She smiled when his little arms tightened around her neck and he buried his face in the hollow of her throat.
“I’ve missed you too,” Jacob responded and then stepped back and smiled up at Seth.
“But Uncle Seth has taken good care of me,” he announced proudly. “He even made me wash behind my ears.”
All three adults chuckled at the little one’s affirmation and Lucy rose, turning a smile on Seth. He stood proud, chest protruding like he’d pitched a perfect game and won the World Series. She had to admit that he’d certainly changed in the past couple weeks. He’d gone from playboy millionaire to daddy-slash-nanny.
Trusting him with her precious child was simply the most difficult thing she’d ever done. It had been a risk, but she was glad she’d taken it. On impulse, she turned and moved toward Seth, sliding her arms around his waist for a hug.
Her entire body hummed to life when he wrapped his large arms around her still small frame. She owed him much more than he owed her.
“Thank you,” she murmured against his chest. “Thank you for taking such good care of my baby.”
She inhaled sharply when Seth leaned down and nuzzled her ear with his lips.
“Our baby,” he responded and she shivered when his warm breath brushed across her skin.
Chris cleared his throat, obviously recalling their attention back to the here and now. Lucy’s cheeks heated in a school-girl blush. She extracted herself from Seth’s tight grip and turned, motioning toward the car.
“You guys taking me home or what?” she quipped and winked at Jacob. The little boy squealed and climbed in the backseat, scooting over to allow room for her. Seth closed her door and then folded himself into the passenger seat while Chris took the wheel.
“Seatbelts,” Chris called and waited for everyone to comply before putting the car into gear. Her brother’s eyes met hers in the rearview mirror and she didn’t miss the little wink he gave her. She smiled back and nodded, happy and in the same moment, sad beyond belief. She didn’t know how long she had to live and these men were going to be almost impossible to leave.
She made a mental note to speak with Chris about her Will and let her mind wander to all the things she needed to get done. After that, she started building her bucket list.