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We ended up staying awake for a few more hours, anxiously waiting for our baby to arrive, but ultimately headed to bed to get some sleep. A few hours later, I waswoken up by Lydia gasping for air and clutching her chest. She was pale, beads of sweat pebbling on her forehead as she fought to breathe. I felt helpless, unable to do anything but hold her hand and watch her continue to suffer.
At first, I thought she was having a panic attack, which wasn’t odd for her in the last few months, so I focused on helping her get her breathing under control, but the moment she began vomiting uncontrollably, we knew something serious had happened. I scooped her into my arms and rushed her to the hospital, but by then, it was already too late.
The emergency room doctor said that Lydia was having an Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) and was dying. Apparently, she was, in fact, in labor, but because of a severe allergic reaction to the amniotic fluid, she was dying. They needed to work quickly to deliver our baby, or I could lose them both.
I felt as if the world was collapsing around me, unable to wrap my head around what was happening. We had just spoken to the doctor a few hours before. He assured us that everything was fine and that he’d see us at our appointment later in the week.Fine?Everything wasnotfine. The birth of our child was supposed to be the second happiest moment of my life, but instead, I was holding my wife’s hair back as she dry heaved into a toilet, fighting for her and our baby’s life.
As they wheeled her out of the room for a c-section, she had a bright smile on her face as she reassured me thateverything was going to work out, but deep down, I knew it would never be the same. While I wanted to go into the operating room, the surgeon wouldn’t allow it, so I stayed in the waiting room. I paced back and forth around the room, my mind filled with every possible outcome, but I never could’ve prepared myself for the moment the doctor laid my baby girl in my arms and told me the love of my life had died giving birth to our daughter, Jade.
That was fourteen years ago, give or take a few months. Since then, it’s been Jade and me against the world. People feared I would shun Jade, resenting her for her mother’s death, but I never did. It made me want to hold on to the last piece of Lydia I had, our little girl. It was hard raising a little girl on my own, but thankfully, I had friends and family there to support me, helping me through the hard times and celebrating the good right along with me.
The shrill ring of my cell phone breaks me from the painful memories. “Connor Bennett.”
“Always so formal when you answer the phone.” I smile as Bristol’s voice filters over the line.
“What can I do for you, Bristol? Are you having trouble with the new thermostat we installed a few days ago?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It’s hotter than Satan’s house cat in here. I followed all the instructions on how to turn it on, but it’s not cooling down.”
I chuckle softly before replying. “Alright, I have to pick up Jade from dance class. I can stop by and take aquick look. If it’s anything serious, I can come back in a few days to do the repairs.”
“Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious. I don’t want to cancel classes for the rest of the week.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing more than operator error. You aren’t the best at dealing with electronic equipment.”
“Ain’t that the truth, but I really didn’t do anything this time.” Bristol pauses for a moment before continuing. “Audrey and her daughter arrived today…” Her voice trails off slightly as I shake my head.
“I’m glad you finally have someone to help you at the studio.”
After all these years, I can see a setup coming a mile away. This isn’t the first time someone has tried to set me up with one of their friends. According to them, I’m a catch. A successful business owner, I own my own home, and apparently, I’m not hard on the eyes either. But ever since the day Jade was born, she’s been the only girl in my life. I don’t have time for anything else, let alone taking some woman I’ll never speak to again to dinner. I’d rather be at home, watching a movie with Jade, than anywhere else in this world. She’s the last piece of Lydia I have left, and I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure she has everything she needs.
Bristol sighs. “There’s nothing wrong with finding someone to spend some time with, Connor.”
“If I had time, I’d find someone. Jade is my number one priority.” My words are clipped, but I know she means well. Everyone does. My friends and family onlywant me to be happy, but no one interests me. I gave my heart to Lydia when we barely knew what love was. I won’t settle for anything less than that feeling again. It’s rare for a person to find a love like ours once during their lifetime. It’s completely insane to think that it could happen to me a second time.
“I’ll leave it, but you can’t forget to live your life. Lydia wouldn’t have wanted that,” she replies softly.
“I am living my life, Bristol.” I sigh, pulling into a spot near the dance studio. “I’ll see you in a little while to check the thermostat.”
I have a few minutes before Jade finishes dance class, so I decide to stop at the coffee shop for her favorite dessert. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to work this weekend because of the delays. When you’re one of the only construction companies in town, you’re never hurting for business. However, that also means we’re always busy. Even though I’ve managed to find a solution for our late lumber shipment, we still have guys who have lives outside of this business. Sure, we could call them in, asking them to sacrifice time with their families, but we try not to if we can help it. Sometimes, it falls on Vance and me to pick up the slack.
Jade and I had made plans to go camping this weekend with her uncle Vance, but that’s out of the question now that we have to rearrange our entire schedule for the coming week. Jade is going to be beyond disappointed that she’ll be spending the weekend alone. But I’m not above bribing her to gain forgiveness.
The bell above the door of Just the Drip rings, and I step right into a line, waiting patiently to order. Just the Drip has been around since I was in high school. Although it’s changed hands a couple of times, the place still hasn’t changed much. It has a very cozy atmosphere, giving students and businesspeople a place to meet while also making it feel like home at the same time.
As I look around the space, my eyes lock on a woman I’ve never seen before sitting at a small table near the front window. My breath catches as I stare at her sipping her coffee. Her curly hair is pushed back from her face by a headband. The sunlight filters through the large window to her left, casting an angel-like glow across her profile as she brings her coffee cup up to her perfect lips.
I force myself to face forward, remaining focused on the person behind the counter taking orders, but my eyes keep drifting back to the mysterious beauty at the table. My heart pounds inside my chest as I fight the urge to step out of line and head directly toward her table, wanting to know everything about her.
I give my head a shake, attempting to clear my mind of this mysterious woman. She’s just another pretty face, nothing more, nothing less. I’m male, so of course I’m going to notice how breathtakingly beautiful she is, but nothing can come of this attraction I feel toward her. Jade is my number one priority, and dating isn’t in the cards for me.
“Get your shit together, Connor. She isn’t thefirst pretty woman you’ve ever seen,” I mumble to myself as I step up to the counter to place my order.
“Can I get you your usual, Mr. Bennett?” Katie says with a bright smile.
“That would be great,” I reply, my eyes shifting to the right, hoping to catch sight of the woman before I snap them back to Katie. “But how many times do I have to tell you to call me Connor?”
“A million, but if my mom ever found out I called you by your first name, she’d tan my backside.” She snickers before keying in my order.
