Why I Lost Her

Chapter 2

Clicking his pen on the side of his mug, Devon bit his lip in concentration. He'd always taken advantage of his lunch breaks to study for exams.

Seated across the cafe on one of the bar stools, was Claire, one of the waitresses. She gazed at him with concern. He came in there every day, always stressing about something.

Devon noticed her walking toward him, and dropped the pen into the coffee, accidentally.

"Whoops. You okay?" asked Claire.

"No, yeah. I was just really focused there."

"Sorry... I just happened to notice, you always walk in here, sit down, have an espresso, and lose yourself in those books. You a student?"

"Yeah, Pre-Psychiatry. And two jobs on the side," said Devon, laughing anxiously and fishing the pen out of his coffee.

"That's rough."

"Yeah, it's complicated."

Claire tugged at the bottom of her shirt, awkwardly. "Well, if you need anything, just give me a holler."

Devon smiled, returning to his task.

Then Claire walked off, smiling politely.

Suddenly, Devon's phone rang, playing "Janie's Got a Gun". Sighing, he picked up.

"Hey, Hon. Everything okay?"

"I'm hangin' in there. How 'bout you?"

"Well, what can I say? Freud's an interesting dude. I have an assignment due this Thursday. How's Luke?"

Luke was their son. A sweet, intelligent three-year-old with bright blue eyes. Devon's pride and joy.

"He seems alright," said Lacey, her voice cracking at the end. She caressed the screen, staring at her baby boy, fast asleep in his tiny bed. "God, I wish I could hold him in my arms."

"Well, Sweetheart, that's how things've gotta be. I know it's tough," he said, slumping in his seat.

"The nana's in the kitchen, cooking. He's all alone. Do you know how hard it would be for me to just sit here watching if something were to happen to him?"

He heard her shiver. "Hey. Don't think like that. You can call her, she'll be on it right away."

"I guess you're right. I'll let you go. You've got work to do."

"Alright. See you later, Hon."

Devon hung up and took a bite out of his scone.

Meanwhile, Lacey sat back in her reclinable chair, groaning, trying to think of what to occupy herself with. However, something on the screen caught her eye.

She stood up, getting a better look. Suddenly, she saw Luke crying, loudly, and flailing his limbs wildly.

Quickly, she grabbed her phone off her bedside table and called Maggie, Luke's sweet grey-haired nana.

"Hello, Dear. You need me for something?" answered Maggie, politely.

"Luke! Help him! I think he's choking!"

The nana ran upstairs, still clutching the phone.

She hurried into Luke's room, and found him resting peacefully. She checked his pulse. Everything was fine. Through the phone in her hand, she could still hear Lacey's pleas.

"I think you're a bit confused, Dear," replied Maggie, heading back downstairs. "He's fine."

"You walked in there and did nothing! Help him! He's foaming at the mouth! Please!"

Maggie, accustomed to these situations, hunched her shoulders and went back, reluctantly, to Baby Luke's room. She scooped him up in her arms, pillow and all, careful not to wake him up, and took him to Lacey's door.

"We're outside. See? He's fine."

Lacey peered at the camera facing the hallway, and saw Maggie carrying the baby in her arms. However, she still saw the baby struggling.

"Give him to me! If you won't do anything, I will! I'll call the police! Give me my boy!"

Maggie, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, set the baby on the floor over his blanket and pillow, and pretended to give him CPR.

"Come on, Luke. You're a strong boy, come back to me," sounded Lacey's voice from the telephone, cheering him on.

Maggie continued to put on the show until Lacey had calmed down.

"You see, Lacey? He's alright now," said Maggie.

"Thank you," breathed Lacey. "I was so worried."

Maggie listened quietly as Lacey broke out in tears, relieved. She once again, carried the baby, now awake, into his playroom, next to the kitchen as she finished cooking.