Page 29 of First Comes Marriage
“Girl, just tell him when he comes home,” Mindy says while we wait for our food.
With several projects now completed, and a few others in the works that I’m waiting on supplies to arrive before I can finish, today is a ‘me’ day. I picked Mindy up bright and early, we hit the diner in town and had a filling breakfast and have spent the morning shopping. The new thrift store in town was a major plus since there was a kid’s section and I was able to load up on board games. Some were obviously brand-new judging by the plastic that still encased them. Plus, I found books for all three kids that I think they’ll all enjoy reading, as well as a few odds and ends to decorate the rooms with. I may not have to worry about money per se, but Grammy taught me how to be frugal and how to live beneath my means, so with a good chunk of my to-do list done, we’re now getting a late lunch with our pretty new toes.
I may not get all done up the way a lot of women do because of what I do the majority of the time for a living, but one thing I do regularly is get pedicures. Since marrying Dex, we’ve been taking the girls with us, so it’s nice just being the two of us today. I feel like I’ve been a terrible best friend, but I know if I say something, Mindy will just shake her head at me.
“But how? That’s not what we agreed on,” I whisper as I dip another chip into the cheese dip we always get. We both love it with the seasoned ground beef and since the girls don’t, I haven’t had it in a bit so I’m luxuriating over every single bite right now.
“And? Shit changes, Jolie. While I’m irreplaceable, I know he’s your best friend now and I’m in the copilot seat, so to speak.”
I scoff as I roll my eyes at her. “Yeah, right. You’ll always be my bestie, Min. Ride or die, remember?”
“Jojo Bean, it’s fine. I would hope your husband would become your best friend, to be completely honest. Maybe the two of you are doing it the right way in a sense. Most of the time, I jump in with both feet, allowing the lust to drive my attraction. Then, three or four months later, I realize that I don’t reallylikethe jerk.”
“You deserve better than how most of the guys you’ve dated treat you, my friend,” I reply as the waitress slides our plates in front of us with the typical caution of ‘it’s hot’.
“I know, I know. I’ve taken a hiatus from dating to focus onwhyI let them treat me the way they do. I mean, I had a good childhood, no major trauma that I remember at all, so why do I feel as though I need to subjugate myself the way I do? I end up feeling like a twisted-up pretzel by the time I end things.”
I shrug because the years I spent in therapy, while they helped tremendously, still didn’t completely eradicate my fear that everyone I love will eventually leave me. “I don’t know why either, but I suspect it has something to do with Brent Stevens and how he treated you in high school. Mindy, hecrushedyou, remember? You may have fooled everyone else into believing you were perfectly fine when the two of you broke up, but I remember how you were behind closed doors. Hell, Brock wanted to go kick his ass, only you were worried he’d get arrested for assault so you wouldn’t let him!”
“That’s when it started,” she whispers, her eyes widening as realization hits. “He’sthe reason I started doubting myself in every area of my life.”
“Sounds like a good place to start unraveling stuff,” I tell her, diving into my enchiladas. “Mmm, these are so good,” I mumble around a mouthful of delicious cheesy beef goodness.
My phone rings and my first thought is to ignore it until I see Dex’s boss's name pop up on the screen. When I answer, he asks, “Jolie, where are you right now?”
Considering I literally have his number programmed in my phone in case of an emergency, and have never spoken to him before this, my heart starts racing. “I’m at lunch with a girl friend. What’s wrong? Is Dex okay?”
Mindy, sensing something’s not right, waves the waitress over to get to-go boxes as I take deep breaths to try and calm myself. It’s not working, but until I know what’s actually happening, there’s no sense in completely losing my shit.
His sigh carries through the phone’s receiver, and I brace for whatever he’s about to say to me. “No, he’s not, Jolie. Therewas… there was an incident on the rig he was supposed to work on, and while he and his pilot had already left and were flying back to land, the rig explosion was bad enough that the helicopter was damaged, and they ended up crashing into the ocean.”
Moving forward, there will be a time I refer to as before the call and after the call. Once I feel I can say something without breaking down into complete hysterics, I ask, “Is he alive?”
“He’s alive but seriously injured. I’m unsure of the extent of his trauma because it was a call from the Coast Guard and he hadn’t been seen by any doctors yet, but I’ve got a car enroute to your house. We’ll fly you to the hospital where he’s being seen.”
“What about the pilot? And the people on the rig?” I question, standing and grabbing my purse on autopilot. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mindy grab the bag of food and quickly sign the credit card receipt before she holds out her hand for my keys. I’m shaking so much; I fumble and drop them. Twice.
We quickly exit the Mexican restaurant and head to my car as I hear, “The pilot was also injured and taken to the same hospital as Dex. As far as the crew on the rig, no survivors found at this time. They had a belly full of fuel and crude oil, a very bad combination, unfortunately. Plus, they hadn’t done the recommended repairs, so those issues were still present. I want you to know that the company will handle everything and go after the rig owner for reimbursement. You don’t have to worry about anything. Just… be prepared because I think he’s going to have a long road to recovery.”
“Thanks, Bruce. I’ll keep you posted. How long before the car arrives do you think? I’ll need to get packed, of course, and let his grandmothers know. Oh crap, the kids are in camp.”
“I wouldn’t worry about the kids just yet until you’ve seen him and know what you’ll be dealing with. They’ve already had quite a lot to deal with in a short period of time, so waiting a week or so won’t hurt anything,” he advises.
“Good point. Okay, we’re heading home now.”
“Go in, I’ll be there in a second to help,” Mindy says as she parks my SUV, reaching into the back seat to grab our lunch so it doesn’t spoil. The other things we bought while shopping today can wait. I quickly unbuckle and rush up the steps and into the house, stopping dead in my tracks when I hear Abuela and Nonna both wailing.
Nonna is obviously praying in Italian while Abuela is praying in Spanish, with an occasional English word tossed in. Normally, this would make me laugh, but not right now. I’m holding onto my control by a mere thread at this point.
“Nonna, Abuela!” I call out, heading into the kitchen, to see them next to each other with their arms wrapped around each other’s waist, their eyes glued to one of those twenty-four-hour news stations where live coverage is being shown behind the reporter.
“Mija!” Abuela exclaims jumping up. “We’ve already packed your bag because we know you will find our Dex.”
I nod as we hug, Nonna and then Mindy joining our huddle. Both women are crying, but I refuse to let that first tear fall. Not until I see him for myself.
“He isn't missing,” I quickly reassure them. “Dex and his pilot were already onboard the chopper heading back for dry landwhen the rig exploded. His boss called and they’re sending a car for me,” I finally murmur once we all take a step back. “I’m sure whatever you packed will be fine, and if I need anything, I’ll order it and have it shipped to me.
“What about the babies?” Nonna asks. “Should we call the camp?”
