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Chapter 18: With a little help
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2022-11-24 14:32:55Related chapters
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 19:
EMMA"Well . . . this is better." Jenny stood in my sitting room with her hands on her hips, surveying the trailer. "I mean, with all due respect, it's probably not going to make the cover story of Home and Garden any time soon, but it's kind of cute, actually." I flopped back into the comfy chair we'd found at the thrift store, kicking off my shoes. "It smells better. And it's clean. And . . ." I took a deep breath. "It's mine.""It is, indeed." Jenny's tone left it up to interpretation as far as whether that was a good thing or a bad one. I understood her trepidation. While my little home-on-wheels was better than we'd found it, it was lit by a variety of gas lanterns (from the camping department at Walmart) and kerosene lamps (from the thrift store). My bedroom and sitting room walls were lined with jugs of water I'd bought for drinking, washing dishes . . . and showering. I hadn't been sure how I'd manage basic bathing, but then when we'd been looking for the lanterns at
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 20: Truce
EMMAI arrived at St. Agnes the next morning, feeling fresher and more myself. If I wasn't a whole new woman, at least I was one who had gotten a solid night's sleep, thanks to hours of hard labor and several glasses of wine. And if my new home had seemed a little less cozy in the harsh morning light than it had by the glow of the lanterns the night before, I was in a better place to square my shoulders and get on with it, even if that meant using the dreaded composting toilet and showering with my new camping equipment. Since the solar panels hadn't had time to work overnight, I cheated and warmed two gallons of water on my stove to use in the shower. The result might not have been the kind of experience I'd have had at a five-star hotel, but it did the job. What I hadn't taken into consideration was that I couldn't use my blow dryer. After a little bit of deliberation, I managed a French braid, which looked neat and efficient even if it wasn't the most flattering style. At
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 21: Friends and frustrations
EMMA"You look like you've just run from the devil." A teasing voice came from behind me. "Don't tell me you've been sparring with Mrs. Hoskins again." I glanced over my shoulder, smiling at the slender young woman who was curled on a chaise lounge. Angela Spencer wore a long cotton dress with a huge hoodie over it. She'd told me yesterday that even the softest sweats or yoga pants chafed her back since she'd lost weight over the course of her illness, so she'd defaulted to what she called granny house dresses. From the size of it, I guessed that her hoodie belonged to her husband. "Not so much sparring today." I sat down in the chair across from Angela. "And if you heard about that, I'm guessing your husband tattled on me." She grinned. "I wouldn't call it tattling so much as a full report. He told me that he'd met you on his way in to see me, and he said you were having a rough day." Inwardly, I winced. It was one thing to whine about my troubles to someone like Jenny-o
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 22:
EMMAI worked about eight hours over that first weekend at St. Agnes, mostly because I was still trying to catch up and become familiar with all of the patients. In addition to those currently on the floor of the oncology wing, we had others who would be coming in for treatment in the future. I wanted to begin establishing some protocol for integrating natural healing into their care plans from the start. And to be honest, being in the air-conditioned corridors of the hospital was a far cry better than melting in the afternoon heat in my trailer. On Sunday afternoon, Jenny called me just as I left St. Agnes and invited me over to swim and eat dinner. I was pathetically grateful for both the company and the chance to be in a real house. The home she was sub-letting from Nico really was gorgeous. I loved the lush backyard, with flowers and deep green plants surrounding the swimming pool. Jenny made us salads with crusty homemade Italian bread and special vegan cookies for dess
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 23: Not the most auspicious meeting
EMMAIt was a Friday morning, and I had gotten up early to get some work done at the hospital before the official day began. At least, that was what I was telling myself; in truth, it had been a very still, muggy night which had dawned to an even hotter, more humid morning, and the idea of air conditioning had been too tempting to resist. I was sitting at one of the nurses' stations, working on the computer there as I enjoyed my coffee. I chatted back and forth with Darcy, who was just finishing up her overnight shift. "Rough night?" She eyed my jeans and sleeveless blouse. "You're not the fashion diva I'm used to seeing." I grimaced. I hadn't shared the details of what I privately referred to as my living situation with anyone but Jenny, who had seen it up close and personal. Despite the challenges of my home, I still tried to come to work dressed professionally, but this morning, bleary-eyed from a restless night, I hadn't been able to muster the energy for heels and a dre
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 24: Amends, part two
EMMATwenty minutes later, just as the shift was changing and the hospital was transitioning from nighttime vibe into daytime brightness, I dragged my feet down the hallway toward Dr. Girard's office. I hadn't felt this much trepidation and guilt since I was a sophomore in high school.The door was open, and I paused just outside. He was sitting at the desk, his head bent over the keyboard of his computer. As before, he seemed to feel my presence before I made a sound. "I wondered if you'd come, or if you'd just pretend that this morning didn't happen." I sighed, resting my back against the doorjamb and stretching my neck. "I have a quick temper, and I have a tendency to speak before I think. My mother used to say that my mouth went into drive before my brain was engaged. But even so, I don't hold a grudge, and I always own up to my mistakes." "That's good to know." Finally, Dr. Girard looked up. "On the other hand, I'm a stubborn son of a bitch. I have an unfortunate habi
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 25: Cabana boys
EMMA"If I had half the intelligence I claim to have, I would have taken you up on your offer to move in here with you as soon as you mentioned it." With a happy sigh, I turned over on my raft to grin at Jenny, who was stretched out on a chaise lounge alongside the pool. "This could be my life all the time. I wouldn't have to worry about sweating through every night, trying to get lukewarm water for a shower, how to keep my food cold . . . or my new best friend, the skink." Jenny laughed and shaded her eyes to look at me. "You have a new best friend who's a skank? Do tell. Do I know her?" "Skink, not skank," I corrected. "And no, I don't believe you've had the pleasure. We met four nights ago . . . you remember the day we had that killer storm, and then instead of cooling things off the way storms do up north, it actually left us with more humidity? Remember that?" She snorted. "Vaguely. I can't be sure, since I live in the lap of air-conditioned luxury." "Nice. Well, any
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Diagnosis: Love Chapter 26: Nice and Jenny, again
EMMAJenny wrapped her arms around her middle. I could see the tremor in her hands. "You left me. You . . . we made love. And then you were gone. Just . . . gone, with no explanation. You walked away from me, Nico." Her shoulders squared. "No, you fucking ran away from me, like what we did-what was between us-like it didn't matter at all. Like it meant nothing." I was frozen to my spot in the pool, both arms resting on the raft, my eyes wide as they darted from Jenny to Nico. I knew that this was an intensely private moment, and I should get the hell out of here, but I was afraid of what might happen if I reminded either of them of my presence. There wasn't any way for me to get out of the water gracefully. My only other option was to sink underwater, and call me crazy, but I wasn't prepared to drown to give them privacy. "Jen." Nico reached for her hand, and with some effort, pried it loose from where she was gripping her arm. "Jenny. Please. Listen to me. You're right, I did
Last Updated : 2022-11-24
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Diagnosis: Love Chapter 193: As long as we both shall live
NOAHNoahIt was a beautiful day for a wedding. We gathered at mid-morning under the covenant oak on Jimmy and Anna Girard's farm. Alison and I had decided that since Emma and Deacon's wedding had been the start of our love story, we should say our vows under the canopied branches of that same steadfast tree. We hadn't wanted anything grand or involved, but it was important to us that the special people in our lives were present. So when Alison and I joined hands and made our vows, among those surrounding us were Emma and Deacon, Darcy and Jackson, Jenny and Nico, Mira Hoskins, and all of the people who worked with Alison in her practice. Maggie Corning, the midwife, and Brooke Slater, Alison's therapist, were there, too. My family had flown down en mass from Wisconsin and other key points around the country. My mother couldn't stop smiling, and my dad looked proud. Even my brothers and sisters and their families were behaving themselves. And then of course, there was the Tam
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 192: Happily Ever After part 3
ALISONA human being can accomplish almost any task while sobbing her eyes out. I'd known this from experience in my past life, but after Noah left that afternoon, I went about proving it all over again.I cried as I wiped the table and counters. I wept as I took out a frozen macaroni and cheese to eat for dinner. I sobbed as I climbed the steps and listened at the baby's door-she was still asleep in the crib. I sniffled as I switched a load of newborn clothes from the washer to the dryer.He was gone, and I was alone. Again. Naturally.The hell of it was that even as he'd pleaded his case to me, even as he'd told me that he loved me, I'd known he was telling the truth. I believed him. But I couldn't trust what he thought he felt, not when people changed their minds about being in love all the damn time. People claimed to love a friend or a child or a lover, and then they changed their minds. It happened. I knew it first-hand. I'd experienced it over and over again before I was t
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 191: Break
NOAH"Where's the baby?" Alison walked into the kitchen, her face etched with fatigue. We'd had a long and trying few days as Evangeline had apparently been going through a growth spurt: she nursed almost constantly and was difficult to console the rest of the time. She'd fought sleep, and she'd cried piteously no matter what we'd tried to do. The pediatrician had assured us that this was normal and we'd get through it, but privately, I thought he was a heartless imbecile who clearly didn't understand that our daughter was advanced and needed more attention than the typical newborn. But finally, today we'd caught a break. Alison had gone upstairs to take a shower-her first in three days-and somehow, I'd managed to get the baby to sleep without the benefit of a boob. More than that, I'd actually laid her in the crib without waking her up. I was pretty satisfied with myself, all in all. I was also crossing my fingers that she'd stay asleep long enough that her mother and I could d
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 190: Parenthood
NOAHParenthood was amazing, fulfilling, beautiful, awesome . . . and exhausting. The first few weeks of baby Evangeline's life at home were a blur, a constant, never-ending whirlwind of feeding, and changing, and washing, and catching whatever small bites of sleep we could whenever she slept. People came to visit and brought gifts and food, and I was pathetically grateful for that, because I didn't have the energy to cook, and both Alison and I were tired of takeout. The one factor that made everything survivable was the baby herself. God, I hadn't known how much I was going to love this ten-pounds of tiny, perfect human. I'd never anticipated that staring at her sleep for an hour was better than four quarters of football. Or that catching what might have been a smile could make me feel as though I'd just witnessed greatness. What was some missing sleep compared with noting how well my two-week-old daughter could lift up her head?Even so, as much as I was ga-ga over my baby gir
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 189: New life
ALISON"Congratulations, mama! You're at six. I think it's time to break your water and get things really going." It sounded like a great idea to me, but I saw Noah's lips go white. "Are you okay?" I asked, rubbing my fingers over the back of his hand. "You look a little green." He swallowed, his throat convulsing. "This is the only part I'm a little, uh, squeamish about. I watched that birth online, and breaking the water looked-intense." Maggie chuckled. "Stay up there by Alison and keep your eyes on her face. We don't need papa hitting the floor and suing the hospital." Noah did as he was told, watching me intently as if waiting for me to show some sign of distress. "Does it hurt?" he asked quietly. "The water part, I mean." I shook my head. "It feels a little weird, but not-oooooh!" I gasped as I felt the gush hit my inner thighs. "Okay, then. Eyes here, Noah. Come on. We're in this together." After that, it felt as though everything got a lot more serious. The con
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 188: Giving in
ALISON Spoiler alert: having sex with Noah did not start my labor.But it sure was worth the effort. Two days after that monumental night-and after we'd given it the good old college try several more times-we went to Maggie's office. I was in a rotten mood-being a million years pregnant can do that to a person-and poor Noah looked a little haggard. He'd been sleeping with me in my bed (we both clung to the excuse that if I went into labor, I'd want him closer than across the hall), which meant that he woke up whenever I had to climb out of that bed to pee. He thought I'd been exaggerating about how often I had to go. He was quickly disabused of that notion. After a quick exam, Maggie made some notes on her tablet and then turned to the both of us. "So listen," she began. "Do you want to have this baby?" I stared at her as though she'd lost her mind. "What the hell do you think I've been trying to do for over three weeks now, Maggie?" I bellowed. "Of course, I want to have th
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 187: Finally, at last
NOAHNow I got it. The night we'd first had sex-the night after Emma and Deacon's wedding-we'd challenged each other to come up with the sexiest, most outrageous names for cocktails. Alison was playing the game again."Ohhhhh." I grinned. "I still don't believe that last one is legit.""It totally is. The bartender confirmed it." With a smile that was deceptively seductive for an extremely pregnant woman, she reached down to grasp the bottom of her oversized T-shirt-which was not so oversized just now-and lifted it over her head. I helped just to make sure she didn't topple over in the process. It was the first time I'd really seen her without a shirt in many months. My first few impressions were awe at the size of her swollen middle. I knew she was huge, but damn. The skin was stretched as tight as a drum, and her belly button looked like a cork just about to give way. And her boobs-they were incredible. Within the utilitarian maternity bra, they were still the sexiest breasts
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 186: Things you shouldn't ask
NOAH"What's the world record for the longest pregnancy ever?" I glanced up at Alison from the book I was reading. We were both lying on her bed while a movie that neither of us was very invested in played on the TV. The couch downstairs had become too uncomfortable for her over the past week or so, so we'd begun hanging out here in her room. It was strictly for comfort, though; we stayed on top of the covers, with Alison on one side while I stuck to the other. It was a king-sized bed with plenty of room for us. But while we hadn't hesitated to cuddle and kiss on the sofa, something about being on the bed made us more cautious. I didn't know why, exactly; Alison was so tired of being pregnant that she wasn't up for much of anything other than television lately. She'd stopped going into the office after her due date since she'd already arranged with Dr. Johanson to cover her hours. So we were both at home now all the time . . . just waiting.She really was huge. While the ultraso
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 185: Trust love
ALISON"Read me that last part again?" Noah and I were sitting in the nursery, surrounded by boxes, gift bags, and about a million pieces of a pine crib. He had spent the last two weeks focusing on the nursery. He'd painted the room a lovely pale yellow color, insisting that I stay with Emma and Deacon at the cabin for the two nights after he'd completed the first and second coats so that I didn't have to inhale the paint fumes. Together, we had selected the crib and the dressing table. Noah's mother had sent us the cradle that all of her children had slept in, and that was already set up in my bedroom.Now, with my due date less than ten days away, we were finally tackling the project of building all of the furniture that hadn't come pre-assembled. I squinted at the paper in my hand, trying to decipher the words."I'm pretty sure that this was translated directly from Swedish by someone who didn't speak English," I commented. "It doesn't seem to make sense.""Does it say at wh
