15

Thanks a lot to techsan who edited the story pretty quickly and turned it into a better one.

Chapter Fourteen

One sunny Saturday morning in October, Lisa showed up on their doorstep. She had broken up with George, learnt about Chris's whereabouts from school and had decided to go after him again. That was it.

"I can't believe you have the courage to come here like you do. No word from you in more than six months and you show up saying you'd like to try again. I can't believe my eyes or ears."

"I realized my mistake. Come on, we were a good couple. Everybody deserves a second chance. Or are you with that lady?"

"No, I'm here to protect them. I gave a promise to her daughter. Look, I don't have time for you in my life right now."

He didn't want to mess his life up again but Lisa was so insisting. Anna felt that she had no right to keep him to herself and told him to go so at the end he agreed to go on a trial date to see if they could bear each other. They would eat somewhere and possibly go to a movie afterwards.

Just when he was thinking that much disturbance was enough, later in the day Chris's younger brother James showed up. He was in town for a meeting and had taken some time off afterwards to see his brother. He expressed instant liking for Anna and Anna seemed to be interested in him.

"Hey, bro. Is the lane clear here? Are you sure you won't mind my asking Anna out?" James asked over a cup of coffee in the kitchen away from the women in the sitting room.

"You can do anything you want. I am only keeping my promise to Angela," Chris said dryly.

He was going to date Lisa again anyway. She had every right to do anything she wanted. He thought Anna could be happier with James. Anna had to be persuaded to go on a date after some discussion. Mrs. Sanders eyed the newly formed couple suspiciously and wondered when Chris and Anna would see the truth and be brave enough to express their feelings to each other.

The couples dated a few times. Anna felt that she could not continue it and broke up with James. She couldn't bear his touch and she was comparing him with Chris all the time. He just didn't seem right; he wasn't the one. James thanked her for the nice time they had together but he knew inside that Chris was the reason for the breakup. He silently wished his brother good luck.

Chris, on the other hand, had an argument with Lisa who didn't seem to understand the situation. He drove home regretting that he even agreed to go on a date with Lisa. He bought Anna some daisies and decided to tell her about his feelings.

He was so occupied in his thoughts that he didn't see a van not stopping at the red light and coming to hit him on the side.

Anna was helping Mrs. Sanders prepare dinner in the kitchen and she suddenly sat down as if hit in the stomach.

"Melinda, I have a bad feeling. Chris is not well."

"Come on, girl. I didn't know you were a psychic. He's just called; he'll be home in a few minutes."

"No, Melinda. I feel it. He's not well. Can you take the phone?"

Mrs. Sanders went to the ringing phone saying, "It must be Chris."

"Hello, yes." And her voice trembled, "When? How? Where? We're on our way. Thank you."

It was a bewildered Mrs. Sanders speaking now. A really special bond actually had been formed between these two poor souls.

"Anna, Chris just had a traffic accident and they're taking him to the hospital. Put on your coat. We're going."

Tears fell down Anna's cheeks and she was worried to death. They took a taxi to the hospital where Chris lay unconscious. The police handed her the bouquet of flowers and a small gift box they found in Chris's car. She knew they were for her because it was her birthday. She cried hard and held his hand throughout the night. Mrs. Sanders was sent home to look after Angela but she was back first thing in the morning.

Mark saw them when he stopped by to see Heather. They had realized that they were totally in love and couldn't take their hands off each other most of the time. Heather had secret dreams of marrying Mark although he didn't show any interest in that direction.

Chris didn't wake up for two days. Anna only took breaks to breastfeed Angela who was taken home right after by Mrs. Sanders. She was constantly talking to him, telling about who came to visit him, about Angela and begging him not to leave her. But he didn't even stir. She was scared to death that he could die; she tried to keep her mind occupied with better thoughts. His students had all come to visit. If allowed his room would've been mistaken for a flower shop. But among all this, for some reason he seemed like he wasn't fighting and didn't want to wake up. She had been informed about how he reacted when she kicked him out and she was now afraid that Lisa did a similar thing and made him feel bad. It was suspicious that the woman hadn't come to the hospital to visit Chris.

One midnight two days after the accident, Anna jumped from her restless sleep in the chair by his bed, saw that there was no change and feeling depressed, started to talk to him.

"Chris, I don't have any idea why you are not fighting. I am desperate here. I want to help you but unless you decide to return to us I cannot do anything. Angela is stressed and missing you. I cannot bear losing you. I-I-I..." She burst into tears but continued, "I love you. Please wake up. I cannot let you go. Please Chris."

Chris was dreaming. He was in a cabin near the sea, enjoying life. He had no worries. He walked by the seaside happily, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his hands and sat down under a tree. Just then a little girl in a flowery dress showed up.

"Hello, Chris. I know it is nice here but you have to go back," she spoke as if she knew him.

"Who are you? Do I know you? Why would I want to go back? Life is so meaningless over there." Chris stood up and walked towards the cabin. He was uneasy talking to the girl and wanted to get away from her. He didn't want the peace he had found to be disturbed.

"I am Angela, Chris. You still haven't lived through your promise to me. My mother is not safe, yet."

"What? You are just a little baby. How am I supposed to believe you? Besides, Anna will be happy with James."

"I am the one who called you to help mum out of the alley. I've been talking to you since then. I know James is not the one for mum."

"If you had the power to do, why didn't you help her before, when she was with your father?" Chris was angry at the girl.

"I couldn't do anything until I came to the world. It worked that night because I was so close to being born."

He accepted the reason and her identity, thinking of all the times the little voice spoke to him, helped him, encouraged him. She was a little angel who called out for help for her mother.

"You have to go back to mum. She needs you and I need you. I miss mum. I only see her when she's feeding me then I'm sent back home. It is so lonely there. Mrs. Sanders always thinks about you, while you and mum are in the hospital. I miss you and the games you play with me. Come on, you can hear mum calling you, if you try."

Then the cabin disappeared. He felt like the earth moved under his feet and he fell deep into darkness.

Anna buried her face into the sheets near his hand. There was nothing she could do but to cry and pray. His first tiny movements were disregarded as she thought they were from her own sobbing but when he groaned and complained about pain she jumped and ran out to the nurse.

He was ready to be discharged the next week. She stayed by his bedside all the time and brought him home. Chris stayed at home to rest for a few weeks more, enjoying the interest in him very much. James and Chris's parents came to visit him. They actually wanted to take him home but seeing him in good hands with Anna's care and Mrs. Sanders being a retired nurse they left him there. He seemed happier than necessary anyway. James had told Chris about their decision to break up somewhere in between.

"How come Lisa didn't show up?" Mrs. Sanders asked sarcastically.

"We had an argument on the night of the accident. We had broken up."

"Lucky for you. You should never have gone out with her at the first place."

"I know, I know. But she was so insistent and so was Anna."

There was another restless person at home. Angela knew when to start whining and attract attention to herself. She was teething and kept them awake at nights. One night they decided on doing shifts. They figured they all could get some sleep this way. But Angela, being an angel, slept through Chris's shift and was constantly crying on Mrs. Sanders's. Chris heard that Anna was crying on her shift because she couldn't bear the stress anymore, so he got up and took Angela. He said that he was fine, and Anna should go and rest for a while. Anna was grateful but she couldn't stop the tears so he held them both. Angela seemed to let her mother have some peace after grabbing Chris's index finger to chew on. Anna cried herself out and slept on the sofa holding Chris's hand. Chris was sitting on the floor by the sofa. One hand with Angela, the other with Anna, he fell asleep, too.

Mrs. Sanders smiled happily when she saw the trio and started to sing on her way to the kitchen. It was a beautiful morning after all.

Chapter Fifteen

Mrs. Taylor called Mrs. Sanders about the Thanksgiving dinner. She said she was organizing a family reunion and wanted to see her and Anna along with Chris at the dinner. Mrs. Sanders was invited by her own family before so she thanked and excused herself but agreed to send the rest of the group along for a delicious turkey feast.

Anna was quite nervous and fiddled a long time with the dress she would wear. She wasn't a real part of the family and she didn't want to be pitied. She was already too angry with Mrs. Sanders that she forced herself to go. Chris, on the other hand, had no considerations at all but he had her mother warn every family member who would be there not to ask anything of Anna.

Mrs. Taylor welcomed Chris, Anna and Angela warmly. After the hugs and kisses the Taylors settled down to acting like grandparents as they played with Angela. A few relatives who asked if she was Chris's daughter under their breaths were hushed by Mr. Taylor. Angela was playful and made everybody smile. Anna was not disturbed by the coziness of the family-only meeting. Nobody questioned her or her position as they were strictly instructed not to do so. Although she sensed that, she was grateful. At one point, trying to be nice and polite to everybody, trying to act happy and grateful, trying to supress her urge to run away became too much. She felt like she was suffocating, so she had to go out.

Chris saw her running out to the garden. Suddenly fear caught him. Didn't she like his family? Did somebody say something to her? Was she running away? No, Angela was playing happily in his mother's lap. So he dashed out after her. She was a few feet away, sitting on the ground in the cold weather.

"Come in, you'll catch cold." He attempted to sound unaware of her sudden exit.

"I need some fresh air. Leave me alone," Anna answered. Chris heard the tears in her voice and sat down next to her.

"What about telling me what upset you so much? Is it one of my idiot relatives?"

"No, you have a nice family. They are trying their best not to make me feel out of place, but I still do. I mean I am jealous of your family. I wish Angela had such a nice family. I am so alone."

"Now, now, you have Mrs. Sanders..." Chris started.

"...who has her own family to spend Thanksgiving with," Anna ended the sentence.

"You know, she wouldn't go anywhere if you were not coming here."

"I don't know. I just don't feel like I belong here."

Chris handed her his pullover. "Give me ten minutes and I'll take you home, if it's going to make you feel better."

Chris went inside to explain to people that it was Angela's bed time and they should go. Mrs. Taylor eyed his son suspiciously because the baby in question was still playing merrily in her lap. Chris whispered in her ear that Anna wasn't feeling well. The drive home was silent. Angela really fell asleep in her seat, and Anna didn't say a word.

Thanks a lot for your nice comments, I'll try to post the next chapter soon.

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