This Was Just Too Much!

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions to be destroyed”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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Lia had to have known that telling Lucas all that at once was going to set him off. But she had no time to worry because she knew that if it had to come from anyone else, he would have not been happy. Irrespective of that, Lucas pulled himself together to transport Lia to the hospital. On the way, there was complete silence. The atmosphere was heavy but was lightened when he held her hands. Tears streamed down his face and Lia did not know whether they were happy or sad. But whatever emotion his tears bore, she was glad that he had not held it in.

He had found parking close to the emergency entrance which would not require Lia to walk a far distance. Lucky for them when they reached inside to register, not many people were there. He informed them of her condition and how they came to arrive at the emergency room that night, and instead of waiting, they had decided to triage her to get her seen quickly. Lucas was worried inside. He had a nauseating feeling but chose to keep himself strong and present for Lia.

Since she had been triaged and set up into a bed, they still had a bit of waiting to do but he was comforted that at least if anything else should go wrong, they were in a place where help could get to her fast. He had not brought up anything about what he had read from the letter Lia gave him, but he had many questions. He did not have a moment to process and would not start until she had drifted off to sleep. He knew that she was tired, and exhausted at how strong she had to be to hold it all together with everything that was going on.

He stepped out for a moment to call Neil to let him know of the circumstances that he was facing and also to let him know that he would be taking some personal time to deal with it. Although he already knew that Neil would have had him covered, he just needed that assurance for himself from his best friend. After making the call, he went back into the room where Lia had drifted off to sleep. And the only thought that circulated in his mind was “Why did she take so long to tell me?”

Lucas had a sense of disappointment in her. Knowing all of this, all he wanted to do was to be there for her. But he missed moments when she needed him the most and while she suffered in silence, there was nothing that he could have done. He felt powerless. He loved Lia more than she would ever be able to imagine and now every second he feels scared not knowing whether she could come back from this.

He looked at the woman who would be the mother of his child and envisioned a life where they would be so happy, so proud. And from where he sat, he leaned over her bedside, placed his hands together, and began to pray. Something he had not done in a very long time. And from his heart, he asked the Lord to preserve her life and the life of his unborn child. And to prepare him for what is coming ahead because he needed all the help that he could get.

Lia, who heard his prayer, silently prayed too. She prayed to the God who has kept her all of her life even up to this point, believing for a miracle she knew only HE had. She turned to hug Lucas, who knew she heard the contents of his heart, and he laid his head on her chest, his place of safety. And they cried it out together because they knew every moment after this required all the strength that they had.

To be continued!

Kerique Hoo-Kim