Natalie purposely stayed away from the hospital that day and the next. She held out until the following day, and then went to visit Angel. She walked in the hospital room and found Angel sitting up in bed. She had just finished her lunch, the tray pushed to the side.
Natalie bent down and hugged her. “How are you today, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay. Did you bring the kids?”
“You can see them when you get home.”
“You didn’t come the last two days.”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Why?”
“If you must know, I suppose I’ve been a little mad at you about the way you treated Cole.”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes. He’s gone.”
“Good.”
“Good?” Natalie’s eyes narrowed. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Why?”
“Do you know he sat by your side day and night for weeks?”
Angel looked away. “I find that hard to believe. He hates hospitals.”
“Yes, he does. But he did it anyway, because he loves you. He dropped everything and flew out here as soon as I called to tell him what had happened.”
Angel didn’t say anything.
“And you don’t even have the decency to hear him out.”
“I guess I’m tired of being lied to.”
“He loves you. That’s no lie. Hasn’t he proven it? Hasn’t he proven it more than once?”
Angel looked away. She knew he had. “I don’t want to talk about this now.”
Natalie studied her. “Okay. We won’t talk about this now. But believe me, we will talk about it.”
***
That night when Natalie got home, Cole called her to tell her they were safely in California. He was back at his old place. The new house he bought still needed to be painted and furnished. Natalie asked to speak with the kids, but he explained that they were tucked in bed next to him, fast asleep. They hadn’t wanted to sleep in a separate room in the strange house.
She told him to kiss them for her and to call her tomorrow. He had promised to show the kids the ocean, but said they’d call as soon as they got back.
***
Days passed, and the day had finally come for Angel to be released from the hospital. Natalie went to pick her up in the old car, leaving the shiny new one parked out on the street.
When they pulled up to the house, Angel expected the kids to run to meet her. She assumed that Natalie’s friend, Bonnie was watching them.
Natalie came around and helped Angel out of the car. She was still a little sore and had to take it slow. They got into the house, and Angel realized it was empty. She asked, “Where are the kids?”
Natalie knew it was time for their confrontation. “Sit down, dear.”
Angel sat down on the sofa, and Natalie joined her. “I have something to tell you.”
Angel looked at Natalie’s face, trying to read her expression. “What is it? Are the kids okay? You’re scaring me.”
“The kids are fine, but they’re not here.”
“Where are they?”
“They’re with their father.” Natalie waited for the explosion. It didn’t take long.
“What?”
“They’re with their father.”
“I heard you. They’re with Cole? Why? He took them? He can’t just take my children. Get me the phone. I’m calling the police.”
“No. You’re not.”
“The hell I’m not.”
“Angel. I sent them with him.”
“You… what? Why?”
“Because he’s their father, and I needed some help. You were in the hospital, and I was concerned about you. And taking care of you and two little children, it was too much for me,” she lied.
“You let him take my babies? Back to California? How could you?” Angel practically shrieked. Her children were in California, seven hundred miles away. Were they okay? Was he taking care of them? Did they understand any of this? Did they understand why they’d been sent off with a father they barely knew? A million thoughts raced through her mind.
“Yes, back to California. And they’re not just your babies. They’re his, too. You’d better start remembering that because if he ever wants to press his rights, you just might be sending them off every other weekend.”
“What? That’ll never happen.”
“Really? What makes you so sure? If you don’t stop acting so stubborn and think about what you’re throwing away then that is exactly where you’re going to end up.” Natalie stood, marched into the kitchen, and got the keys to the new SUV off the kitchen table along with the letter Cole had written. She marched back to Angel and held them out to her.
“What’s this?” Angel asked, taking them.
“I don’t know why you’re being so stubborn that you can’t see you’re throwing away your happiness with both hands. That man loves you with all his heart. He’d do anything to make you and those kids happy. Why can’t you see that?”
Angel looked at her.
Natalie nodded to the keys in Angel’s hands. “He bought that for you so you could drive it to California.”
“What?”
“Yes. A brand new SUV. Top of the line. It’s worth quite a lot of money, but I’m sure you know that.”
“Why would he do that?”
“My God. Because he loves you!”
Angel just stared at her.
“You might as well know everything. My friend in Seattle wasn’t sick. I didn’t fly to Seattle. I flew out to see Cole.”
“What? Why?”