Authors: Faith
Junior motioned for her to come closer, and when she did he wiped the tears from her eyes. He then removed the mask from his face and said, “Baby, don’t. I love you, and I didn’t think that I was ever going to see you or the kids again.”
“I love you too. Now, put that mask back on before they strap ya butt down again!” Lacey placed the mask back over his mouth.
Once again Junior pointed towards the door.
“Okay, I’m going! But I’ll be right back.” She kissed him on the cheek and left the room to search for the rest of the family.
On her way, she called Felicia to give her an update and Eddie’s room number. She decided not to check on him since Felicia was on her way. Her next stop was to see Lizzie. When she entered the room, Lizzie looked as if she was sleeping. She walked over to the bed and brushed the side of her face. Lizzie opened her eyes. “Hey, Lizzie. I’m happy to see you.”
“Lacey!” Lizzie said. She sat up in her bed and hugged Lacey. She was feeling back to her normal self.
“Are you okay? They said you went into shock,” Lacey said.
Lizzie shook her head, thinking back to everything that had happened. She started telling Lacey every detail of what took place inside of the Pavilion, and Lacey couldn’t imagine the terror that they had experienced. “I just don’t understand how this happened!” Lizzie said, shaking her head.
“Don’t freak out, but it was arson.”
“Arson?” Lizzie’s eyes doubled in size.
“Yes, arson. The doors were chained locked so that y’all couldn’t get out.”
Lizzie plopped back on her pillow and started shaking her head.
“Calm down, Lizzie. You’re safe now. I’m sure that we’ll find out who’s behind this.”
Lizzie shot Lacey a look. “Come on now, Lacey. We know who’s behind this.” She shook her head again and asked, “How’s Mama?”
Lacey tried her best to not let her face express any worry. “I haven’t seen her yet.” She repeated the info that she told her husband about Ruthie and Mud. “Junior is fine. They have him on oxygen. Girl, you know your brother. They had his butt strapped down to the bed. Felicia is with Eddie, and from my understanding they have him on oxygen as well. I haven’t seen him yet. I stopped in to check on you first before I check on the others.”
“I’m fine. Please go make sure everyone else is.”
“Is there anything you need before I go? Something to drink maybe?” Lacey asked.
“Can you find my phone?”
Lacey looked around until she found Lizzie’s bag of belongings in the closet. She retrieved her cell phone and handed it to her. “Okay, I’m going. Everyone is kicking me out of their room. But I will be back,” Lacey said in her best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.
Lizzie just chuckled at her silliness.
________
Felicia burst into Eddie’s room and ran straight to him. As if a dam of emotions broke, she hugged him and cried her eyes out.
Eddie tried his best to console her by rubbing her back. He wanted to rip the oxygen mask off of his face but his chest was still on fire, so decided against it and let her cry. Just holding onto her seemed to be enough
After Felicia emptied her well of tears she busted out laughing. “Baby, I’m sorry. I was trying to be strong, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”
Eddie removed the oxygen mask and pulled her to him to kiss her.
Felicia cried until she started laughing again.
“Baby, what’s so funny?” he asked after they kissed.
“I don’t know. I probably looked like a crazy person busting in here and crying uncontrollably. I’m sorry. The thought of never seeing you again… raising Faith alone… I was praying, but I was so scared,” Felicia admitted.
“You don’t ever have to apologize for loving me, woman.” Eddie winked at her.
“Put your mask back on!” Felicia ordered as she climbed in the bed with him. She cuddled next him and told him about the arson.
________
Mud jumped out of the cab and ran into the house.
Tricia was in the baby’s room, rocking their son and crying. She hadn’t heard anything, and she was overwhelmed.
Mud checked all the downstairs rooms before running up the stairs. He entered the room out of breath.
Tricia looked up at him and gasped. “Mud!” she cried out.
Mud ran to her side and knelt down next to the rocking chair. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.” He consoled his wife and kissed her and the baby.
“Are you okay?” She asked as she gently touched his face.
“I’ll be fine. Everyone is fine, I think. I got up out of there. All I could think about was getting home to you.”
They held on to each other for dear life.
“I need to hold my son.” Mud stood up and Tricia lovingly placed their son in his father’s arms. Mud rocked him as he kept kissing his forehead.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” Tricia asked, wrapping her arms around him.
“Yeah, I do.” Mud looked at her with sadness in his eyes.
“Come on, Daddy. Let me fix you something to eat and you can tell me all about it.” She grabbed his hand. And just like a little puppy dog, Mud followed behind her as she led the way downstairs.
Mud placed Jr. in the bassinet next to the sofa and took his shoes off. He ran his hands over his face while replaying the night’s events in his head.
The beeping from the microwave interrupted his thoughts. He looked over into the kitchen and stared at his wife as she moved around the kitchen. He found himself smiling. Wow, had things changed! Not so long ago he couldn’t be satisfied, but now all he needed was Tricia and his son. Nothing else in the world mattered.
Lost in his thoughts, Tricia startled him when she placed their plates on the coffee table. “Looks good, babe,” Mud said as he admired his plate of pot roast, mashed potatoes and green beans.
“Oh, I forgot your beer,” Tricia said, heading back into the kitchen. She quickly returned carrying an ice cold Heineken and a wine glass. She had a bottle of Moscato under her arm. She placed the drinks on the coffee table and put her hand out for Mud to hold. He placed his hand in hers and he blessed the food.
The couple enjoyed their dinner as Mud explained everything that happened.
After dinner, Tricia rested in his arms as Mud talked about how grateful he was that God had given him yet another chance. He admitted that it was time for him to quit running, and walk in his calling. This event had shaken him to his very core.
Together they discussed their future, and Mud shocked Tricia when he asked her how she felt about them having another baby. Tricia was ecstatic. All she ever wanted was for Mud to be the man that she knew he truly was.
“I hate that this happened, but I’m so glad that you came out of that fire a new man.”
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m not worthy of you today, but I promise to never make you regret sticking it out with me. Baby, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the pain and heartache I’ve caused you. I know your friends and family probably think you’re crazy for taking me back.”
“Baby, I don’t care about what anybody has to say. I know what God told me about you. And He’s never wrong.”
Mud and Tricia kissed until they were both moaning from the intensity of it. “How ‘bout we start working on that second baby right now?” he asked.
“Mud, it hasn’t even been six weeks! Are you crazy?”
“Crazy in love! Come on.” He stood up and grabbed her hand, guiding her up the stairs to their bedroom.
“Hold up!
Wait
!” Tricia stopped, ran back down the stairs and grabbed the bottle of wine. “We don’t want to forget this!” She chuckled.
________
Lacey went to Edem’s room next. She walked in expecting to see him in bed with an oxygen mask on, but he was putting on his shoes as the doctor was speaking to him. “Edem!” She rushed over to him and hugged him.
“Is this your wife?” The doctor asked.
“No, I’m his sister-in-law,” she replied, and then directed her attention back to Edem. “Where are you going?”
“The good doctor here just finally told me about me about, Mama so I’m going to check on her.”
“Would you tell him to at least finish his round of treatment?” the doctor asked Lacey.
Lacey tilted her head at Edem and shook her head. “Edem, do what the doctor says. I can go check on Mama Eloise.”
“That’s my Mama. No, I’m going. I’m sorry, Doctor. I appreciate everything that you’ve done, but I need to see my mother. Lacey, I can’t get ahold of Ruthie. I keep calling—”
“Oh yeah, about that…”
“What? Did something happen?”
“Edem, Ruthie is fine. She’s on the third floor, but she’s fine.” Lacey repeated the story of everyone’s conditions to him.
“I really need to go. Are you sure Ruthie is okay?”
“She’s fine, Edem. Go be with your wife and I’ll meet you in Mama Eloise’s room later.”
Edem didn’t respond. He just gathered his belongings and headed out of room.
Lacey looked over the doctor, shrugged and said, “I’m sorry! He’s a Blanks!”and left the room.
She was almost power-walking to keep up with Edem. He was on a mission and there was nothing she could do to stop him. She followed him into Mama Eloise’s room, wheezing and out of breath.
The doctor was in the room checking on her, and Edem bombarded him with questions. “How is she doing? What’s going on with my mother?”
“We have her resting comfortably now. We’ve given her medications to keep her heart rate normal and to keep her blood pressure stable. We’re also giving her IV fluids to keep her hydrated.
“My mother has always been strong as an ox, and she had a heart attack?”
“Yes she did, but with proper medication and diet she should be fine.”
Edem stared at his mother who was sleeping soundly. She had always been a big, robust and energetic woman that very rarely fell ill. It broke his heart to see her looking so helpless and small lying in that hospital bed.
Lacey touched Edem on the shoulder and said, “Mama Eloise is a strong woman, and if anybody can bounce back from a heart attack, you know it’s your mama.”
“I just hate seeing her like this. Is she in pain?” Edem asked the doctor.
“No, she’s pretty sedated right now. She will have to be on medication daily to prevent future heart attacks. Of course she’ll need to realize how serious this can be, but as long as she makes some adjustments, I don’t think you will have anything to worry about. There was no severe damage done to her heart.”
Edem just stared at his mother as the doctor spoke.
Lacey walked over to Mama Eloise, brushed her hand over her hair and kissed her on her cheek. She found herself laughing to herself and thinking that this is one of the rare times that she had ever seen Mama Eloise quiet.
“Edem, go check on your wife. Now that you’ve gotten to see your Mama, go be with Ruthie. You can see that your mother’s fine and resting comfortably. She doesn’t even know you’re here, and your wife needs you right now.”
“She’s right you know. Your mother will be knocked out for a while,” the doctor added.
“Yeah, you’re right, but call me if anything changes,” Edem said. He walked over to the other side of his mother’s bed, kissed her on her forehead, laid his hand on her chest and said a prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I claim healing in the name of Jesus!”
He started to leave the room and turned around. “Wait. What about Elisea?”he asked.
“Oh my God! I need to go check on her. Okay, you go on and I’ll go check on E. Then I’ll go fill Junior in on your mother, and I’ll come back here to sit with her. Now go, because they’ll probably be releasing her soon.”
“I know this is scary, but don’t worry about your mother. She’s in good hands right now, and her vitals are doing well. She went through a traumatic experience. She’s an older woman and sometimes that’s how your body reacts. It’s not like she had a history of heart disease. Trust me, we’d be more concerned if she had a history,” the doctor informed him.
“Thank you so much, and we’ll be back. By the way, my name is Lacey Blanks. This is my mother-in-law, and you’ve met one of her sons. There are five other children, so I’m sure everyone will be gravitating in and out of here. I thank you so much for explaining things and taking good care of her.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s just part of my job. Now you go check on your family, because that one, he looks stressed.
The nurse that had entered the room giggled.
Lacey looked down at the notepad that Renee had given her to see what room Elisea was in. She was actually dreading to see her. Although she knew the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy, she also knew how much she wanted the baby. The closer she got to the room, the slower she walked. She just didn’t know what to expect. She lightly tapped on the door before opening it and entering the room. “Hey, E! How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.”