The Barefoot Girl

Chapter 31

We wait.

It's awful.

The clock is ticking.

We all know it.

We all hate it.

Liam has cone by my side and quickly fallen asleep on my lap. No ones' tears have stopped since they started. Michelle looks about ready to flip a table. It's not a look of anger... Just overwhelming hurt that she doesn't know what to do with.

Then, a doctor comes stalking in, looking intimated by the lot of us.

He stares at the clipboard in his hand and takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry... So much in her body is failing her and we don't have any donors. Even if we did, she's a fragile thing and I'm not sure she could take it at this point. Umm... You can come have a few moments with her. I'm.... I'm so sorry."

Michelle utters some words under her breath that I'd rather not repeat and buries her face in her hands.

Genevieve's tears, which have been subtle until now, become big drops that fall quickly from her eyes.

It feels as if my heart has literally dropped into my shoes. The doctor stood by awkwardly as we all sat in stunned silence. Then, slowly, one by one, we all got up.

I started to nudge Liam awake, but then decided to just carry him.

The doctor led us into Lacy's room and even gave my mom a hug, before heading to his next patient.

I wonder if he felt discouraged after just losing a client.

I laid eyes on my little girl, motionless on the bed, the heart monitor sounding like a time bomb.

I felt like I was being stabbed in the heart. I passed Liam to mom and pulled up a chair at Lacy's bedside. I intertwined my fingers into hers and wept.

Somehow I still felt it was all my fault. That, somehow, because I hadn't saved her from the maniac who stole her on broad daylight, she got ill. It made no logical sense but the remorse was all too real.

No donors? Let her have whatever she needs from me? Give her my heart if that's what's necessary! I'd rather die than lose her...

I read somewhere that sometimes people can hear you while they're in a coma. So I leaned over and whispered in my little girl's ear,

"I love you Lacy."

And I realized not even death could change that. I'll love her all my life.

I swear I felt her little hand grasp mine back.

And then, the heart monitor suddenly flat lined. I didn't think if I had anymore tears left, but I did. I heard Megan gasp a little. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my parents and siblings began to hold each other.

Genevieve was hugging Austin who was crying almost as hard as anyone else.

I would have though something like this would have destroyed whatever faith I had on any God. But, I had accepted Him knowing stuff like this happened. I may not know why this happened but that doesn't change the way God had come into my heart.

I decided to pray because I didn't know what else to do.

______________________

Sleep didn't come easy that night, to say the least. I could hear everyone throughout the house. Muffled cries or tossing sheets.

When I finally fell asleep it only lasted two hours. I woke up at 2:45 in the morning without much hope of getting back to sleep.

I suddenly thought about Genevieve and wondered if she needed some company tonight. She must've gotten close to Lacy...

I snuck out of the house with just my sweatpants and a t-shirt on. I lightly jogged until I got to Q street. But Genevieve wasn't there. I twisted my eyebrows and thought about where else she would be.

I finally decided to check the place we had found shelter from the tornado. Sure enough, there she was! And she wasn't sleeping either...

"Hey, Genevieve," I called softly.

She didn't turn to look at me, and for I moment I wondered if she heard me. But then she started speaking in a distant voice.

"You'd think it'd get easier."

I stood in silence, a bit confused by what she meant.

"But it doesn't," she continues, throwing a rock half heartedly into the distance.

I slowly walk closer to her.

"It hurts more every. Single. Time!" she cries throwing more rocks, each one with more force than the last.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" I say, scared by the way she's acting. I come and sit next to her and wrap my arms around her while she leans in and cries.

I just hold her for a little while before asking her what she meant.

She looks at me with eyes that look full of shame.

"I really have no right to be saying this to you... I should be the one comforting you."

That's when I know it has something to do with Lacy. I swallow hard.

"Gen, you don't have to be strong for me... I know it's not be easy for you either," I reassure her.

She takes in a shaky breath.

"Bridget my whole family had there lives taken to soon. I thought I'd never hurt like that again... And now I am. And it's worse that I have to watch someone else's family feel that pain right along with me..."

I started crying right along with her. My curiosity was sparked when she brought up her family and I felt a little bad about it. She was obviously hurting enough so I wouldn't make her talk about that.

Genevieve raised her head to look me in the eye.

"Thank you for being here for me all the time," she said.

"Me?" I asked, shocked.

"You're the one who's been there for me and my whole family! You're practically a member!" I said letting myself chuckle just a little.

She smiles a sad smile.

"You and Lacy feel like sisters to me. And I'm really thankful for that."

I squeeze her a little tighter in response.

And then something hits me.

Family. Sisters....

Don't get the wrong idea. There is absolutely no way Lacy could ever be replaced and I know I could never "replace" her family. But maybe...

We both needed each other to get through and Genevieve was an amazing person but we all need a support system. And I loved this girl like she was the missing fourth sister I never had.

All this is what compelled me to ask her,

"Gen? Ummm... How would you feel about becoming my step sister?"