"If They Don't Win It's A Shame."chap 4
Chapter 4
Andre glanced at his watch and grabbed his bible nonchalantly from the bedside table, "It's been a great visit, Mrs. Henderson."
She nodded with a sweet smile affixed on her face, "Thank you for coming Pastor."
"I'll be back tomorrow." he assured her, shaking her fragile hand before walking toward the door. As soon as he was out of the room it seemed his feet couldn't take him to the Neonatal unit fast enough. He was in a hurry to see Aria, there was no fooling himself about that. Now all he had to do was hold onto this girl, see what her story was. Find out why he felt this way about her, why she did this to his insides. He actually felt like skipping to the elevator. Strange.
When he finally made his way into the hall way which was completely covered in windows where a person could see the tiny babies inside, he could barely contain himself. Yet again he heard the soft humming which had drawn him to the NICU that first night he'd visited Mrs. Henderson. The woman in the rocking chair however was not an unnamed face, it was Aria McKenzie. He smiled and waved watching as a smile stretched across her face.
After a few minutes, she got up from the rocking chair and gently laid the tiny newborn in one of the bassinets that spanned the entire nursery. Softly she whispered departing words to the nurses and walked out into the hallway to meet him. "Hello."
"Hi yourself, you look great." he whispered.
She smiled wider and shook her head, "I'm in scrubs, I'll just duck in here and change. Be back in a few."
He watched as the door swung shut behind her, and he looked up toward the ceiling. Silently he held a conversation with the Lord about the woman and how He'd brought her into Andre's life. Was this it for him or was it just another woman? Just as he'd again asked the question to God, the door swung open.
"Are you ready?" her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at him.
"As ready as I'll ever be." he answered, linking his arm with her's and guiding her toward the parking garage where his car was.
--
The car door closed behind her and Aria watched Andre walk around the car and climb into the driver's seat.
"You okay?" he asked with a smirk.
She nodded, "Quite alright, it's been a while since I've been out. Excuse me if I get all of this wrong, please?" Nervous to look at him she glanced down at her feet.
His hand grazed her cheek and she jumped and turned toward him. With a smile, he rested his hand underneath her chin, "I'm destined to get this wrong faster than you, Aria, believe me."
She chuckled and watched as his eyes sparkled down at her, suddenly at ease she let her hand graze his. "Thank you."
Looking startled, Andre pulled his hand away and smiled at her. "Shall we?"
Nodding, she folded her hands in her lap. She was sure he was just trying to make her feel good, but it was working. Silence reigned in the car on the way to the restaraunt, and somehow Aria was okay with that. Finally they were at the restaraunt, again Andre got out of the car and walked around to open her door for her.
Together they walked into the restaraunt, the hostess seated them and handed each of them a menu. Aria perused the menu, as did Andre, slowly she came to a decision of what she'd get to eat. But, just as she lowered the menu, her eyes met someone she never thought she'd see again.
Jerry Reynolds.
Swallowing hard, she watched as he grinned and waved. Her stomach turned in revolt and she clamped her mouth shut to keep it's contents on the inside. Heart pounding in her chest as if it'd like to escape her rib cage, Aria shoved her chair back and did the only thing she could do. Run.
Sweat poured down her face in streams as she relived her past one more time. Feet clattered behind her, dirt shot up around her as her feet moved faster and faster to get toward some unseen, unknown goal. The memories played like a movie screen in her mind, it was four years ago all over again. Arms came around her middle and she screamed, knowing what came next.
"Aria? Aria? It's Andre. Why are you running?" he huffed softly as he turned her toward him.
Aria swallowed again, wiping at the tears and sweat that poured down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I had to get out of there...it was him." she felt her chest heaving as she tried to explain without revealing the exact details of her life. It had destroyed her life once, she wouldn't let it do so again. Not anything.
Andre glanced at his watch and grabbed his bible nonchalantly from the bedside table, "It's been a great visit, Mrs. Henderson."
She nodded with a sweet smile affixed on her face, "Thank you for coming Pastor."
"I'll be back tomorrow." he assured her, shaking her fragile hand before walking toward the door. As soon as he was out of the room it seemed his feet couldn't take him to the Neonatal unit fast enough. He was in a hurry to see Aria, there was no fooling himself about that. Now all he had to do was hold onto this girl, see what her story was. Find out why he felt this way about her, why she did this to his insides. He actually felt like skipping to the elevator. Strange.
When he finally made his way into the hall way which was completely covered in windows where a person could see the tiny babies inside, he could barely contain himself. Yet again he heard the soft humming which had drawn him to the NICU that first night he'd visited Mrs. Henderson. The woman in the rocking chair however was not an unnamed face, it was Aria McKenzie. He smiled and waved watching as a smile stretched across her face.
After a few minutes, she got up from the rocking chair and gently laid the tiny newborn in one of the bassinets that spanned the entire nursery. Softly she whispered departing words to the nurses and walked out into the hallway to meet him. "Hello."
"Hi yourself, you look great." he whispered.
She smiled wider and shook her head, "I'm in scrubs, I'll just duck in here and change. Be back in a few."
He watched as the door swung shut behind her, and he looked up toward the ceiling. Silently he held a conversation with the Lord about the woman and how He'd brought her into Andre's life. Was this it for him or was it just another woman? Just as he'd again asked the question to God, the door swung open.
"Are you ready?" her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at him.
"As ready as I'll ever be." he answered, linking his arm with her's and guiding her toward the parking garage where his car was.
--
The car door closed behind her and Aria watched Andre walk around the car and climb into the driver's seat.
"You okay?" he asked with a smirk.
She nodded, "Quite alright, it's been a while since I've been out. Excuse me if I get all of this wrong, please?" Nervous to look at him she glanced down at her feet.
His hand grazed her cheek and she jumped and turned toward him. With a smile, he rested his hand underneath her chin, "I'm destined to get this wrong faster than you, Aria, believe me."
She chuckled and watched as his eyes sparkled down at her, suddenly at ease she let her hand graze his. "Thank you."
Looking startled, Andre pulled his hand away and smiled at her. "Shall we?"
Nodding, she folded her hands in her lap. She was sure he was just trying to make her feel good, but it was working. Silence reigned in the car on the way to the restaraunt, and somehow Aria was okay with that. Finally they were at the restaraunt, again Andre got out of the car and walked around to open her door for her.
Together they walked into the restaraunt, the hostess seated them and handed each of them a menu. Aria perused the menu, as did Andre, slowly she came to a decision of what she'd get to eat. But, just as she lowered the menu, her eyes met someone she never thought she'd see again.
Jerry Reynolds.
Swallowing hard, she watched as he grinned and waved. Her stomach turned in revolt and she clamped her mouth shut to keep it's contents on the inside. Heart pounding in her chest as if it'd like to escape her rib cage, Aria shoved her chair back and did the only thing she could do. Run.
Sweat poured down her face in streams as she relived her past one more time. Feet clattered behind her, dirt shot up around her as her feet moved faster and faster to get toward some unseen, unknown goal. The memories played like a movie screen in her mind, it was four years ago all over again. Arms came around her middle and she screamed, knowing what came next.
"Aria? Aria? It's Andre. Why are you running?" he huffed softly as he turned her toward him.
Aria swallowed again, wiping at the tears and sweat that poured down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I had to get out of there...it was him." she felt her chest heaving as she tried to explain without revealing the exact details of her life. It had destroyed her life once, she wouldn't let it do so again. Not anything.
posted by Jo*Marie at 6:04 PM
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