Broken Hearts

Broken Hearts Part 1

Chapter One: Annabelle

Olivia, Savanah, and Prue are all cleaning up in the kitchen. Almost everyone has finally left the house. It's been a long, tough, emotional day, saying goodbye to my mother. Prue, Olivia, and I have all known each other since we were children and I think my mother's death has been almost as hard on them, as it's been on me. Savanah has been a part of our group for less time since she and Prue met in college but she's still one of my closest friends and I'm so grateful to have them all here during this difficult time.

My friends have been finding happiness these past couple of years and it's brought me great joy to watch. It's been nice to see the way they light up while my world has been covered in darkness. Savanah and Steele got married this past year and Prue reconnected with her high school sweetheart. I have to admit there is a piece of me that is somewhat envious of the lives they have.

I've never been married and it's been a long time since I've been in a serious relationship. The last relationship I had was with Tate McNally. He's our local accountant and was the love of my life. Closing my eyes, I can feel the sting of the unshed tears I still have for him.

Tate McNally was everything I had ever wanted in a man. He swept me off my feet the first year I started working at the local hospital. We met through a mutual friend at a party and were instantly inseparable. He was the man I shared all my firsts with. My first kiss, first boyfriend, first lover. It's not that boys didn't ask me out but I've always been on the shy side and a bit of a nerd. I was too busy with my nose buried in books to date. It took until I came back home and got a grown-up job to really blossom into the woman I've become today.

Life was on track to becoming everything I thought it would be. Two years after Tate and I started dating, Tate got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so excited and in love that "yes" was the only answer. We agreed on a short engagement. Not wanting to wait to start forever with each other.

We planned the wedding and bought a house together. I couldn't believe how happy I was. Life was perfect until it suddenly wasn't perfect. The day of our wedding came. We were getting married at the country club in front of two hundred of our closest family and friends. Tate and his groomsmen were all there and I was just about ready to head to the country club when suddenly there was a crash downstairs followed by a bunch of yelling.

Flinging open my bedroom door, I raced down the stairs to see what all the commotion was about. I heard Prue yelling at Olivia to call 911 and my mom was lying on the floor. I raced over to them and knelt beside my mother.

"What happened? Did she fall?" I asked as I grabbed her wrist and took her pulse. My nurse's training kicking in.

Her pulse felt weak beneath my fingers. I could hear the sirens of the ambulance as they sped towards our home. "I'm not sure what happened. Your mom said she was feeling a little off and she looked kind of white. Before I could get her in a chair she was out cold on the floor," Prue told me, looking concerned.

"I need a phone! Someone get me a phone!" I yelled.

Olivia rushed over and handed me her cell phone. I called Tate and am kicked right to his voice message. Damn it! He's turned off his phone. With tears in my eyes and my voice cracking, I leave Tate a message telling him that I'm on the way to the hospital with my mother and that I can't marry him today. I ask him to meet me at the hospital.

The ambulance pulled into the driveway and Olivia was waiting for them at the door. They hurried over to my mother and Prue pulled me back from my mother's side so they had room to work. I struggled against her wanting to help. "Annabelle, come on. Give them room. She's your family, you need to step back and let them do their job. They'll take care of her," Prue said tugging on me.

Savanah came out from the kitchen where she'd been on the phone with 911. "Prue why don't you take Annabelle to the hospital to be with her mom. Olivia and I will head over to the country club and fill Tate in on what's happening and deal with everything else. We'll meet you at the hospital later.

A few hours later, Tate arrived at the hospital with Savanah and Olivia. He rushed over to me and pulled me close. "How's Amy doing?" he asked me.

I shook my head and fought to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, "Not sure yet. The doctors are running some tests. I'm sorry our day got ruined, Tate. I tried to call you but only got your voicemail."

"It's okay. Savanah told me everything. Making sure Amy is okay is all we need to worry about right now," he reassured me.

I could only imagine the picture we made, Tate in his tux and me still in my wedding dress. Prue reappeared with a change of clothes for all of us girls and we headed off to get me out of my dress and into something more comfortable. It was going to be a long night.

Two days later my world was forever changed. I sat beside my mother's bed holding her hand as the doctor explained that my mother had cancer and had less than a year left to live. Tate was waiting in the hall with my friends while the doctor talks to us.

I told my mother that I'd stay living at home and would take care of her. There's no way I'm shipping her off to a home or having her die in a hospital. She wanted to enjoy what time she has left and I was going to make sure that happens.

I headed out to the hall and asked Tate if I could talk to him. We headed into the waiting room which thankfully was empty for the moment. The girls headed in to stay with my mom while we talked.

"Tate, my mom is dying. There's no way to sugarcoat this. It's cancer. It's aggressive and right now my mom needs me to take care of her. Now is not the time for me to get married. Would you be willing to wait to get married?" I asked him.

Tate's eyes went round and huge. He looked like something out of a cartoon. "You can't put your whole life on hold just because your mom's sick. I love Amy, don't get me wrong but I'm sure she wouldn't want you to not live your life," he said to me.

"It's not about that Tate. Of course, she would say that. But it's not what I want. My mom has always made sacrifices for me and made sure I've had everything I needed. This is about being there for my mom and giving her my all with the short amount of time she has left," I tried to explain.

"What if she lives more than a year. What if it's two years? I can't put my life on hold and just wait around. We can get married and we can hire help for Amy and make sure she's taken care of," he told me.

I sighed and the tears I'd been holding back for days finally started to stream down my face. "Tate, you just don't get it. I don't want to hire people to care for my mom. I'm a nurse and her daughter. I'm going to take care of her. I'm not asking for your permission. If that means we can't be together, well then I guess that's what it is. I'm telling you I need time. Time to care for my mom. Time to make as many memories with her as I can. Can't we just keep dating while I care for her? I love you Tate, but she's my mom and she's dying. That means she's the number one priority now and if you can't understand that, well, then you should just go."

Tate bit the bottom of his lip which he always did when he was angry and trying to control his temper. He looked me in the eyes and I could see the anger burning inside him. Without a word, he turned and walked down the hall and out of my life. I crumpled into a heap on the floor as a wave of grief overtook me.