The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 81 - Home, Rest, and Night Time Musings

Susan was uncommonly quiet Greg noted during their drive through the canyon on their way home. She rode with her eyes closed for a time and he wondered if she might have nodded off. Her eyes opened when he pulled into their driveway but she didn't say anything until Greg parked the car in the garage.

"Am I really supposed to go to bed?" Susan asked.

"Dr. Lin did suggest you should," Greg reminded her.

"I know she did, and she's right. I should use the time while Melody's in the hospital to recover so I feel more like myself, but I can't help feeling there is so much to do! I don't even have the supplies I need to collect my milk for her, Greg. We really weren't ready for this ... having a baby, I mean."

"Your mother will help you and I will too. All you have to do is to tell us what you need," Greg reminded her.

Susan nodded. "Where do I even start?"

"How about by getting out of the car? Let's join the family for lunch. Since the kids are out of school for the holiday, everyone should be there. Afterwards, we can talk about it."

Greg smiled at her as they got out of the car. He retrieved their bags from the back, and together they walked into the house through the cave and the library. It felt very strange to be coming home without the baby.

"Mom!" Zackary was the first to spot them when they came in.

"Hi Zack," Susan said as she greeted him with a hug.

Before she was finished hugging him, Matthew was there too, with Jessie trying to squeeze in between them. Susan's parents, Alan and Cindy, and Julie and her family were all there too to greet them.

"Grandma said you were coming home when she got home hours ago. But we didn't know when, so we were sort of waiting," Matt said as they released her from the hug.

"I apologize, Matthew. We stayed longer than we originally intended to in order to speak with Dr. Lin again," Greg explained.

"Well you're here now, so come in, sit down. We're all ready for lunch," Mrs. Abernathy told them. "We're having soup and sandwiches in the dining room."

"Can you go to the dining room, Mama?" Jessie asked.

"Yes, Jessie. I'm not pregnant anymore, so it's okay for me to use the stairs," Susan told her.

"Is Melody still at the hospital?" Jessie asked.

"Yes," Greg told her. "She had her operation this morning. That's why we stayed as long as we did."

"How is she doing?" Julie wondered. "Has there been any change from when we were there?"

"Not too much," Susan said. "So far she's still stable and seems to be adjusting to the shunt, so there's less risk she may reject it as of now."

"That's good," Julie said.

"It is. Also Greg fed her twice while we were there, and she's eating well," Susan added.

"Very well," Greg agreed as they all sat down and Mrs. Abernathy began to serve the chicken soup.

They gave the family all the very latest news about Melody over their meal, after which Susan created a shopping list for her mother and finally consented to rest.

"How long are you going to be here?" she asked Cindy and Alan before going to her room.

"Our flight leaves this evening," Cindy told her. "We'll still be here when you get up."

Susan smiled. "I'm glad. You've come all this way and I feel I've hardly spent any time with you."

"You have been a little busy," Alan reminded her. "But I know what you mean. I feel like I've spent more one on one time with Melody than I have with the two of you. I'm glad I got to do that though. It really made a difference, didn't it?"