Your Everyday Hero

Chapter 4

6 months later...
   "Kai, can you grab the milk please?" I know the girls are going to need it for their cereal tomorrow morning. They always eat breakfast at home on the first day of school, or at least I make them eat something. My mom doesn't really care. She much rather have them eat at school, so she doesn't have to clean anything.
   "Here you go babe." He places the milk in the cart and when he stands up straight he shakes his shaggy dark hair out of his face. It now reaches past his shoulders.
   "Looks like you might need a haircut soon."
   "Yeah, I'll get it when I get my next paycheck. I should be getting it this Wednesday. Also I might pick up a few more shifts, so I might have to work late." Kai dropped out of school a few months before school ended last year. He had finally convinced his dad to let him after he turned sixteen.
   "Okay. Just call me to let me know. I have a doctor's appointment Friday after school."
   While we walk to the cash register he says, "I'll get off early, if you want me to. I can come with you."
   "No, you don't have to. I can go by myself."
   "No, I'll come. I have to make sure my two favorite people are all good and healthy." He says this while he puts his hand on the tiny little bump that is our baby. I look up at him and I can see the love and adoration he has for the baby. It sends a warm feeling all through my body and I feel as if I'm the luckiest girl in the world.
                            •••
   Once we get home, I see my dad sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette with his cup of Pepsi. I walk up with two small bags of groceries and he instantly puts the cigarette out.
   "Can't have all that cigarette smoke flying around you and baby Lynn." He says with a small smile, that makes more wrinkles on his aging face.
   "Daddy, it's going to be a boy. Stop calling him a girl." I walk into the house to put the groceries away. Ever since he talked to Kai's dad, Eddie about the baby, he keeps calling her baby Lynn. That is the only thing Eddie will ever call the baby. He wants a granddaughter because he has three boys, no daughters and this will be his first grand baby. He needs it to be a girl and he is more than a 100% positive that it is.
   "Sweet pea, that's a girl. I don't care what you say, but I'll be waiting to tell you 'I told you so,' when you come home with the sonogram showing that it's a girl." He grabs the bags from me and pulls out a chair at the kitchen table, "Sit down, girl. I can put these away. Me and the girls will go help Kai with the rest of the groceries."
   When I'm the only one in the kitchen, I instantly put my hand on my stomach and rub it in circular motions. I remember the day I told my parents I was pregnant. I expected my dad to yell, get mad, or even try to beat up Kai for getting his little girl pregnant, but all he did was turn to Kai and ask, "So what are you going to do, big fella?"
   Before Kai could even answer, my mom decided to jump in and start running her mouth, "I knew you'd get pregnant eventually. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner."
   "Becky, shut up. Leave the girl alone and don't talk like that to her." She rolled her eyes and walked out of the room.
   After I told them, I went to tell the girls. They started running around screaming, which brings me back to the present because they're doing the same thing right now. Which means they probably found the brand new pair of shoes I got both of them for school tomorrow and some new clothes.
   Since I started working at Mario's pizza place about 5 and a half months ago, I began to set money aside. Just in case, we (Kai and I) needed something, or if something ever happened.
   The girls only have hand-me-downs from when I was a little girl and they have stains, rips, or holes in them.
   "Cora! Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" Kelsey came running in with her black canvas shoes in hand. I can just see the gratitude sparkling in her eyes. "These are awesome! The best shoes ever! Thank you, Cora!"
   "Of course baby! It's no problem. I'm glad you love them." It makes my heart soar to see her so happy. "Go put yours and Annie's clothes in the washer, so you'll have fresh clean clothes for school."
   Before she leaves she wraps her skinny little arms around my neck and whispers into my ear, "I love you, Cora. You're the best sister I could ever ask for." She pecks me on the cheek and walks out.
   I sit at the dining table with tears in my eyes and as I wipe them away Kai comes in. He instantly drops the bags and squats down to my level and I can see the worry in his eyes. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
   "I'm fine, Kai. They're good tears."
   "Are you sure?"
   "Yes, it was just something Kelsey said."
   "Okay. She got so happy when she saw the clothes you got her. I didn't know she would get that happy."
   "She doesn't get new schools clothes and new shoes every year. We're lucky if we even get one new outfit for school."
   "I'm sorry."
   "It's not your fault. Don't feel bad. I'm just happy, she's happy."
   My dad walks in with a small smile on his face and a hint of gratitude in his eyes. "You're such a sweet girl, sweet pea." He places a feather like kiss on the top of my head.
   "I'm going to take a nap before I have to go to work. This baby is tiring me out."
   As I walk away my dad yells, "Goodnight baby Lynn!" All I did was laugh under my breathe as I walk towards my room.
                               •••
   All of a sudden I'm walking down a hospital hallway. How did I get here? As I'm walking down the hallway, all I hear is the slap of my sandals on the tile and the echo of someone coughing, badly.
   I haven't heard a cough like that since my grandmother got sick and she was coughing up blood. I continue to walk down this endless hallway, getting more and more nervous as each second passes.
   I try not to gag on the hospital smell everyone knows and despises. It makes me shiver just thinking about it. I stop once I hear the coughing to my left, I slowly turn and see the door is slightly cracked open.
   I walk slowly to the door and suddenly the coughing stops. I feel as if my heart is going to pop out of my chest. I push the door open and...
                                •••
   I sit up so fast in the bed, the room is spinning and I feel as if I'm going to get sick. I run to the bathroom just down the hall and hunch over the toilet, retching. Suddenly, I hear heavy footsteps coming my way.
   "CORA! Are you okay? What's wrong?!" I instantly knew it was Kai. He knelt down, grabbed my hair out my face and started rubbing my back.
   I started sobbing even harder and he came up beside me, "It's okay, Cora. Whatever it is, it'll be okay."
   We sit there for about 20 minutes as I regain my composure. "Thank you."
   "You're not going to work. Not after this, you need to rest."
   "No! I can't do that. I need to go to work." As I go to get up he grabs my arm.
   "Cora, you need to stay and rest. That couldn't be good for you and the baby."
   "I'll be fine, Kai. Just let me go." His hold didn't loosen though. The last person who didn't let me go, got punched in the face. I looked him in the eye and he instantly let me go. He must see that I'm not playing.
   He follows me to the room and watches me as I get ready. "Why won't you stay home?"
   "Because Kai."
   "That's not good enough for me. I need an explanation. I need to know you're okay."
   "I will be once I get out of this house and get to work." I walk out to the living room to grab my work shoes and he continues to follow me.
   "Why? Talk to me. Why won't you talk to me?"
   "Because Kai, I just saw my dad lying in a bed, dying and coughing up blood! So now will you please let me go?!"
   He looked at me, stunned and lost for words. All he could manage was, "Okay."
   I turn around and walk out the door without looking back.
                              •••
   It's been a few hours and I'm finally able to think about it, without bursting into tears. I've never had a dream like that before. I don't know if I should take it seriously or not. What if God is trying to tell me something?  What should I do about this?
   "Cora, you're about to burn the pizza!"
   "Oh crap!" I hurriedly open the oven and see the top of the pizza is slightly over cooked. I look over at Jimmy and give him an innocent smile.
   He heaves a big sigh, "Be careful next time and pay more attention."
   "Okay." I can't wait to get home, I need to talk to Kai. Once I calmed down, I instantly started feeling bad. I shouldn't have been so mean to him. He was only worried about me and the baby. The baby.
   The stress isn't good for him. I shouldn't worry so much about a simple dream. Everything should be okay. Right?