Lost and Found: Sara Martin Series Read online

  “Okay. That was Joey. He’s on foot and running here right now. I guess the tire on the car was flat again.”

  “I told him last week it has a slow leak. It’s low every time I go to use it. I had to put air in it four times last weekend. He promised he’d take care of it,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Are you guys going to need a ride to the hospital?” I asked.

  “Um, yeah, I guess we could use one, if that’s okay. Are you in a hurry?”

  “No, I can take you. It’s no problem. We'll throw Joey in on top of the boxes and you can ride shot gun. Do you have a bag packed?” I said, thinking about her water leaking all over my Jeep.

  “Yes it’s in the bedroooooooom! OOOOOOHHH!” she yelled and sat up higher on the couch, pulling her belly in with her hands.

  “Oh, shit! Is that a contraction?” I yelled back.

  “OOOOOOH! Yup, I think so,” she took a deep breath and did some quick exhales.

  I ran to the back bedroom and got the bag she had packed and set it by the door. Just as I turned around, a hard-breathing, bent over, too-winded-to-talk Joey came flying through it.

  “Kristin! It’s okay! I'm here, honey!” he yelled, between gulps of air. “Are you okay. Is the baby coming. Don’t push. It’s okay. We’re going to be all right!” he continued, trying to breathe and talk and it wasn’t working well. He walked over to the couch and put his hand on her stomach and kissed her forehead. He was still trying to catch his breath. I updated him on the plans for me to drive them to the hospital in my Jeep, her riding shot gun and he on the boxes. He thanked me and then ran to the back room to change quick and get his things. He was still very out of breath. When he got out of ear shot I asked her if he worked out much, and she laughed hard which caused another contraction. I apologized.

  Joey heard her moaning and came running out, still winded, he took one look at her breathing through it and started to hyperventilate. He was wide eyed and wheezing a hundred miles an hour.

  “Oh shit, seriously? Kristin, do you have any paper bags?” I asked, starting to panic a little myself.

  “Yes, in the closet next to the entryway. Grab him a paper one and me a big plastic one.”

  I ran over, opened the door, located the two bags and ran back to the living room. I threw the plastic one to Kristin and set Joey up with the paper one. He was breathing into it, making it go in and out.

  Two minutes later, Joey was calming down a little, and we were walking slowly to the Jeep. I was glad I'd backed up to the door. We got to the passenger side, and Kristin ripped the bag open and spread it out on the seat. Genius. I had no idea what she was going to do with it, but I wasn't about to question a pregnant woman in labor. Joey climbed in the back the best he could, and we took off. We were only about six miles from the hospital. Kristin had a another contraction on the way. I asked Joey if we should call the hospital and tell them we’re coming. He nodded and dug his phone out to call.

  When we arrived, I parked in the ER drop off zone, and helped them out. Joey was still a little winded but trying his best to keep up. When the doors opened, a nurse with a wheelchair called Kristin by name, so I assumed she was in good hands. Kristin sat in the chair and the nurse took one look at Joey and grabbed his wrist to take his pulse.

  “Grab the other wheelchair behind you, by the door,” she said to me. “You,” she said pointing at Joey, “sit, breathe and don't cause any problems.” Joey gladly sat.

  Kristin started another contraction.

  “How far apart are they?” the nurse asked me.

  “Um, about six minutes maybe, I didn’t even think about timing them,” I admitted. “Her water broke about a half hour ago,” I said.

  So I pushed Joey, who was still puffing into his bag, and she pushed Kristin. Off we went to the maternity ward. This was all happening so fast, I noticed I was shaking. The nurse entered a room and helped Kristin stand, then handed me a folded gown and booties.

  “Here ya go, you can help her get into these,” she said then turned to the computer.” Joey was still in his wheelchair with his bag in his hand. We were all smiling at each other uncomfortably.

  “Oh oh,” I said in a singing voice, “I think we forgot your bags in the car and I parked in ER drop off zone, I better go move it. Here Joey, help your girlfriend get dressed in these, and I’ll bring your bags up to you.” Joey agreed and seemed okay to stand, so I left the room and told them I’d be back in a few minutes.

  On the way to the lot, I stopped by the cafeteria and grabbed a banana and coffee. I was really starting to feel the physical affects of my crazy life. I sat for a moment and consumed them. Then I went back out to my Jeep, moved it to visitor parking and grabbed their bags. I stopped by the gift shoppe on the way and got some flowers.

  Settled in the room, Krisitin had been wired and was leaning back in her bed holding her belly and breathing hard. Joey was sitting calmly beside her breathing normally and holding her hand. So precious! It momentarily reminded me of Jake and me. I set the flowers down and put their bags in the far corner.

  “Thank you for everything you've done for us,” Joey said.

  “It's no problem!” I told them. I liked them, they seemed really nice.

  “Do you want me to call anyone for you?” I asked.

  “No, I'll make calls in a few minutes, both our parents live in Colorado. That’s where we grew up. We moved here three years ago after I graduated college. They’re not planning a trip up for about three weeks,” Joey told me.

  “Our parents are going to fly together and then share the car and hotel expenses because our apartment can’t fit everyone comfortably, but I'm not suppose to be due for two weeks. So this, again, is not happening on a well-planned schedule. I hope I find time to finish unpacking,” Kristin said looking at Joey.

  “Oh, wow. Well, that’ll be nice. Are they staying long?” I asked.

  “Only Thursday through Sunday night. All four are in full-time jobs still, so it makes it hard,” Joey answered.

  “If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you guys?” I threw it out there.

  Kristin laughed and said, “I’m twenty-five. Joey's twenty-six. “

  “Oh, sorry. You just both look really young, and then you mentioned graduating college, and I was confused. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

  “No, not at all. We both get that a lot,” Joey said with a smile.

  “Well is there anything else you need?” I asked.

  “No, thank you so much. I don’t know what we would have done without you,” Kristin said. “Really, you’re so nice, and we don’t have much for friends up here. You're such a blessing. Thank you.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome. Well, I’ll leave and let you guys get to business. Good luck and thanks for the boxes,” I said with a wink and let myself out. I was feeling weak, and happy and incredibly sad, all at the same time.

  10

  I got on the highway and called Mark’s two numbers again and got voice mail on both. I left a message on his cell, telling him I was just checking in, that I'd check back later, and I left my new number, with strict instructions not to give it to Jake.

  When I got home, I grabbed a bottled water and went to my room. I was so tired, I just wanted to sleep. I looked at the clock. Only six but it felt like midnight. I hit the pillow and thought I’d be out right away, but found it hard to sleep with all the tears.

  It all felt like a bad dream. I wished the pain would go away. I talked to God for a bit and asked Him for healing and guidance. I hadn’t been to church in a couple months, so I wondered if He heard me. Jake and I belonged to the church where we were married, but we were kind of hit and miss on attendance. I better start going on a regular basis, I thought as I drifted off.

  I heard someone yelling my name. It was muffled and sounded far away. I didn’t recognize the voice, but I could tell it was a woman’s. I got up and walked towards it. I was at the edge of the woods, near the cabin area from the trip. I was
at the start of a path. It was cold and damp and morning or dusk. I wasn’t sure, but it was dim and foggy and the air was heavy.

  I stepped on to the dirt path and headed into the woods. I could hear her yelling my name over and over, “Saaaaarrrrra!” It was far away. I wasn’t sure I could get there. Who was it? It was dark, I didn’t want to go. I was afraid of the dark. I wished I had someone with me. I needed a friend. I was scared, not sure if the sun was coming up or setting. I was hesitant to continue. I walked slowly and then stopped. “What?” I yelled back, “Where are you? What do you want?” I came to a steep hill. I climbed, still on a path but it was steep. I couldn’t see well. On the pontoon looking around the lake, I remembered seeing a big rocky cliff, like a small mountain, off to one side. This must be it. I climbed and climbed, until my legs and chest hurt. I couldn’t breath in the thick, heavy air. The higher I got the worse the fog got, too. I saw something at the top of the hill. A person, I blinked and stared harder. It was a girl, young. She was still yelling my name.

  I answered, “What?” I was out of breath. “Who are you. What do you want?”

  She was waving a big “come here” wave. It was the same girl from the wood boat and the edge of the woods when I was locking my car! What was she doing here? I stood up and started walking towards her. She moved away. I was losing her. “Wait!” I moved faster and got to the top of the mini-mountain and looked around. I couldn’t see her anywhere. The area was very rocky. I noticed a small opening in the rock in the distance. I wondered if I could fit in it. I started to walk towards it.

  “Help her! Help us!” she pleaded, her voice far away and distant. I looked around again and still couldn’t see her anywhere, I heard her though. “Please help us.”

  “Where are you? I can’t see you. What do you want me to help you with?” I yelled.

  I heard something ringing. It, too, was far away. I didn’t know what it was, but it was getting closer, louder. My breathing was getting faster. I looked around. I couldn’t find her. What was ringing? It was loud! I opened my eyes.

  I woke up in my bedroom, in my apartment, out of breath, and sweaty. What’s ringing? I suddenly remembered I had a new cell phone. I got up and ran to my purse. My mom, just checking in. I told her I was fine and just had a bad dream, that I'd call her in the morning.

  A glance at the phone showed ten-thirty. Great. Wide awake. It was going to be a long night. After making a PB and J sandwich and pouring a glass of milk, I tried to eat, but I wasn't hungry at all. I took two bites and drank the milk. Then I grabbed the mailbox key and walked down to the lobby to get my mail. No one was in the hallway, thank goodness, because I looked a fright. I paged through the stack of mail, on the way back to the apartment. Nothing interesting. I grabbed the paper, and the apartment-guide magazine and circled a few options. I decided I could be picky, since I had a really nice budget to work with. I'd probably build a home soon, but I wasn't sure when or where that would be. In the meantime, I wanted to be comfortable and happy.

  I set that aside for the time being. I needed a drink or two. On the drive to the liquor store, for more wine, I remembered the time. They were closed. Duh! The grocery store wasn't, so I got chocolate, a Bacardi mixer, and some ice cream. Soul food, right? On the way home, I tried Mark again. Still no answer. I texted him that I was worried and he needed to reply or I was sending cops over to do a welfare check on him. He replied right away that he had gotten my messages, new number, and threats. He said he was fine, just wanted time alone and he'd call me tomorrow. I replied with a smiley face.

  While I cried through bites of chocolate, sips of a strawberry daiquiri, and the movie Titanic, I realized that the chocolate-daiquiri-love story therapy wasn't working and went to bed again. I hoped I didn’t have anymore weird dreams. It had been very scarey and seemed too real. I wondered if I was losing it. The first two times I saw that girl-ghost was when I was mostly sober and awake, and last time it was in a dream. I had no idea what it meant. I tried to forget about it and put on my jammies and crawled into bed. I laid there awake and alone, the bed seemed so big. I missed Jake so much, but I hated him so much more.

  The next morning, I carried in the boxes and packed up all of Jake’s things. I emailed him that his things were packed by the door, ready for him to pick up, and asked if there was anything else in particular he wanted. He replied back that he was on his way right now. I replied back that I didn’t want to be here, and to give me an hour and then I'd leave for an hour. I hit send and jumped in the shower. I dressed in jeans and a nice white blouse, silver jewelry, and tan high-heel sandals. Fashion always cheered me up. I did my hair and make-up quickly, and I was surprised that it turned out good. I came around the corner, and there was Jake sitting on the couch. He looked like hell. I was so glad I’d jumped in the shower and had had a good hair day. He looked awful, and I looked good. Perfect.

  “What are you doing here? Didn’t you get my message to give me an hour?” I asked, irritated.

  “No, I’m sorry. I left as soon as I replied to the first one,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m glad I got to see you though . . . you look great,” he said with an exhale. “I miss you so much, Sara. Please, can we talk?” he begged. “I tried your cell but I couldn’t get through.”

  “Ah, no, Jake, there’s nothing to say. I’m filing first thing Monday morning, and I already have a good start on moving on.” I said firmly. “I changed my phone number and service contract. They’ll be mailing you the info. Why don't you call Lily if you want to talk to someone?” I said in a snotty voice. “Those boxes are yours,” I added, pointing at the pile of ten by the door. “If you want anything else you should get it out today. You can have the bedroom furniture and anything else you want. If you leave it here, I’ll donate it or give it away. I don’t want the memories. So take it if you want it. There's a pen and paper on the table. Leave me your info of where you're staying, and I’ll forward your mail. I'm looking for a new place. Do you and Lily want this one or should I cancel the lease?” I asked.

  “No, Sara, I don’t want to live here with Lily. I haven’t spoken with her since we all split. It was a terrible mistake. I want you,” he said, through tears.

  This had me laughing out loud. Once I recovered, I lowered my voice, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Never going to happen. Do you want the apartment or not?”

  “No,” he said softly. “I could never afford it on my own.”

  I told him he had until the the end of the day to get his stuff all out. I tossed my purse over my shoulder and marched out the door. I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry. I hauled myself into the Jeep and pull out of the lot.

  I didn't want to see him, but part of me was glad that I had. I didn’t know why really. I didn’t know how to be without him. He had been by my side every day since the eighth grade. We'd been together longer than we’d been apart. This was going to be a whole new world now. Jake was my first and only boyfriend, I couldn’t even imagine dating again.

  At the local Perkins, I ordered a muffin and juice. While I was waiting, I grabbed my phone and the apartment guide out of my shoulder bag and set up four apartment showings all an hour apart. A couple were on the other side of town but not too far. I wanted to stay close to work, for a while at least.

  I called Mom. I told her about the box/baby story, and she laughed and said she was thankful she’d raised such and strong, sweet girl. I told her I loved her and disconnected. When I checked out at the counter, I got two more mammoth muffins to go.

  Parking at the hospital was not fun, but eventually I was on my way to the maternity ward. I had been thinking about Joey and Kristin all morning and thought I’d drop by. It’d be hard to have a baby and have no one come to see you. I got to the room, and the door was wide open. Both Joey and Kristin were there. Kristin was on the bed and Joey on the pull-out couch. There was a baby wrapped in pink, in what looked like a clear, plastic box on wheels. I tapped lightly on the door and they both looked
over.

  “Hey, guys,” I said gleaming, “Can I come in and meet your new arrival?”

  “Oh, hey, Sara,” Joey said. “Yes please, come on in. Dude, it’s a girl!” he added and was absolutely glowing. He got up and picked her up out of the box and walked over to me.

  “I get to hold her? Oh, my gosh, she's so pretty. Congrats!” I said, while I set down my purse.

  “Wait!” Kristin said, “Tell me what’s in the bag and then you can hold my baby.”

  “Oh, just a couple mammoth muffins from Perkins,” I responded nonchalantly. “I heard the hospital food was really good so you probably don’t want them,” I said, waving the bag.

  “God bless you, Sara,” Joey said and grabbed them from me. “Here you go. You take the baby while we eat.”

  She was beautiful, lots of blond hair, just like mom and dad. They were both really nice looking blondes, thin, great teeth and skin, and they made beautiful babies together.

  “What’s her name?” I asked.

  “Marissa Lynn Spencer,” Kristin proudly announced.

  “Well, hello, Marissa, I’m Sara Martin,” I said, “That’s funny how I didn’t even know your guys' last name. I feel like we know each other so well.”

  We all laughed, and Kristin said hers was Smith.

  Then Joey interrupted and said, “Not for long though,” he pointed to her finger, and there was a ring on it, “I asked her to marry me last night.”

  Kristin laughed and said, “Yeah, while the baby was ready to come out and I’m pushing my hardest, this guy asks me to marry him. He even had a ring pulled out. What was I going to say?” They both laughed, and he kissed her cheek.

  “Well congratulations again! Wow, what a night to remember,” I said, smiling. It felt good to be around these two, well three now. They made me forget my problems and made life seem so great. “So how long do you have to stay?”

  “We can leave tomorrow if they both stay healthy, eat their food, and void properly,” Joey said with a crooked smile. I laughed and told the baby to be a good girl so she could go home soon.