In Need of You

Chapter Six

Lori knocked on the hospital door, then opened it. She walked inside the small room, noticing a small girl sleeping on the foot of his bed. A woman sat next to him, holding his hand while they slept. The aroma of fresh-baked cookies thrilled her nose. 

She smiled. For a moment, she thought she had seen a smile on her son's face as he slept. Of the few days Elisha had been in the hospital, all he spoke of was Sabrina. He went on about how beautiful she was, about how she luminous her skin was, about how brown her eyes were. This woman meant a lot to him, and he hardly knew her. Yet, what Lori knew about her oldest child was that he loved wholly. 

It was never a sometime thing with him. Love wasn't a dollar to be thrown at a stripper. It was the flower he bought to lay next to his sleeping wife someday. That was her son, she thought. In so many ways, Elisha was like his father, Jonah. But when he wanted to prove naysayers wrong, he did so quietly, just like she would do.

As Lori was about to walk out the door, Elisha stirred. "Mom?"

"Hey, my sweetheart," Lori said, closing the door back. "I didn't want to disturb your family here."

"You're fine, Mom," he said. He gently shook Sabrina's hand, making her move from the bed. She shot up with wide red eyes. "It's okay, Sabrina. This is my mom."

Lori waved with a wide smile. "Hi, Sabrina. It's really good to finally meet this woman my son has been speaking about for the past four days now."

Sabrina stood to her feet and extended her hand toward Lori's, shaking the woman's soft hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Brysen."

"Oh my goodness, please call me Lori. The grey in my blonde hair already makes me feel old enough," she said. "The least you can do is call me by my first name. That way I can feel like I'm forty rather than-- well I'm going to keep that a secret."

Sabrina smiled. "Listen, I better get this little one home. We've been out here for at least five hours now."

"I think so," Elisha said. He watched Madeline stretch and yawn. 

"Who is this beautiful little girl?" Lori smiled at the wide-eyed child. Her big brown eyes matched her mother's. Although her skin was a little darker than her mother's, they could have been twins.

"My name is Madeline," she said as she stretched once more. Madeline glared at the woman and smiled. "I just turned five years old last Thursday."

"Is that so," Lori said. "Well, the next time I see you, I would love to give you a gift. "

Lori stared at Sabrina. Her black spiral curls hung to her shoulders. Her brown skin was exactly how Elisha described it to be. Her lips were beautifully full. She smiled as she listened to Sabrina talk about working at Soul Bistro and attending school to be a pastry chef. 

She glanced at her son. The smile on her face widened. This was a family in the making, she thought. This was her son's family. This couldn't be rushed nor could it be ignored. This new family before her eyes was going to need all the love and support to grow. Maybe even one day they would marry and have another child. Lori took a deep breath. As much as she wanted to see her son happy and as much as she wanted to be a grandmother, she, herself, couldn't interfere. That was going to be challenging. 

"Knock, knock," Dr. Sawyer said, walking inside the room. She looked around and noticed that Sabrina had brought her daughter to see Elisha. She smiled. "I can return if you all would like for me to."  

"You're fine, Dr. Sawyer," Elisha said. 

"Well, I've got good news," Dr. Sawyer said. "You're going home tomorrow. I still would like for you to schedule an appointment to see me about that leg in the next two weeks, okay." 

"Sure thing, doc," he replied. 

"Dr. Sawyer, it's nice to see you again," Lori said.

"It's good to see you too. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the book club next Saturday."

"Great! Though, I'm going to need to prepare some dessert this time since its being hosted at my house for the second time around."

"Oh," Dr. Sawyer said, stopping in her footsteps. "Have you tried one Ms. Ellis's macarons. They are so delicious. If I'm not careful, I'm not going to be able to fit that dress for the wedding my wife and I are trying to attend next month."

Lori looked at Sabrina. Beautiful and talented she thought. "Elisha, sweetheart, you didn't tell me that your girlfriend was that great of a baker. I only heard culinary school."

Elisha glanced at Sabrina whose cheeks had turned completely red. "Um. . . mom, we're only just good friends, but yes, she's a baker."

"Whatever, she's still your girlfriend no matter how you address it," Lori said.

"I agree," Dr. Sawyer chimed in. "Friends first and foremost, then the later will come. Just like with my and Penny."

Sabrina gathered Madeline from the bed and ushered her to put her shoes back on. "If there's something you would like for me to bake you, I can. Just let me know," she said. She reached into her purse, pulled out a business card, and handed it to Lori. 

Lori flicked the card in her hand. "And if I lose this card, I could always ask my son for your number, correct?" 

Sabrina glanced at Elisha, then back at his mother with a smile. "Yes. You sure can."

"Great. I will be sure to give you a call tomorrow."

"Come on, babycakes, we've got to get going," Sabrina said. She gathered the containers from the tray and grabbed her purse. Taking Madeline by the hand, she led the small child to the door. "Bye, you all."

"Bye, bye," Madeline said, waiving at Elisha, Lori, and Dr. Sawyer. 

Elisha watched the pair leave the room. He smiled as he directed his eyes toward his mother.

Dr. Sawyer held up one finger and tiptoed toward the door. "I've better get going as well. I've still got rounds to make."   

Lori waved at Dr. Sawyer as she sat in the seat next to her son. "Don't give me that look, Elisha."

"Mom, I don't want you to get too happy, okay. She and I are taking things slow."

"Elisha, for you my child," she said taking his hand into her own. "I've always known you to take your time with the women you've chosen, and even though I didn't like many them, especially Adrienna, there wasn't a moment I never noticed that you didn't treat them right. The love you gave those women was more they could ask for. They didn't deserve it. Then, you just went cold after Adrienna left you at the alter."

Elisha frowned. He twirled his thumbs around each other. "That's something I want to make certain I forget."

"I know you do," she said. She ran her hand through her grayish blonde hair, shifting out of its style. "But, there's something about this woman that I believe is so different from the others you've dated."

"Of course it is, mom. She's black for one. Two, she's got a child--"

"--Three, she has a genuine heart for that little girl and you. That I can clearly see."

"But, dad's not going to be happy about that, mom."

"Elisha, if you dare end this blooming, whatever you're calling this thing between the two of you, I will jack up that other leg. Do you understand me?"

He looked at his mother and smiled. "I understand."

"I don't care if she or that precious little girl is black. They have skin, and it's beautiful."

"Mom," Elisha hesitated. "I think I'm in love with her. I just don't want to run her away."

"Then don't," she replied. She held his hand tighter. "If you truly love her, then you ought to pray over her and that child. Isn't that how I taught you."

Elisha leaned over and kissed Lori and the forehead. "It is, mom. It really is."