Last First Kiss by Kimberly Killion, Lori H. Leger Page A

awoke to the sound of low, rumbling, thunder and a steady downpour of rain falling on the roof of her home. It brought the previous Friday morning to mind, when she and Toby had awakened to similar weather.
    She’d rolled over and cuddled up close to her husband.
    “ Mmmm…Let’s stay home and play hooky today,” he had murmured, pulling her closer. “I don’t have anything pressing. Do you? We could send the girls off to school and spend the rest of the day making love.”
    Instead of taking him up on the offer, she’d put him off. “Save it for tomorrow night,” she’d told him.
    Giselle threw her arm over her eyes and suppressed a sob. Why didn’t I go back to bed with him? Why did I put it off? It haunted her. God knew when they found the time for each other, it was wonderful. She closed her eyes, remembering how good it was. She would definitely miss making love with Toby.
    She lay there for a few moments, recalling more dialogue of the same conversation, along with the reason she’d given for not crawling back to bed.
    “ I can’t babe. Carrie and Jackson both worked late last night on our project deadline so I could go to the girls’ dance recital. I can’t leave her to deal with ‘Satan’ all alone again.”
    “ Will you ever drop that grudge against Jackson? He’s alright once you get to know him,” Toby had insisted.
    “ He’s a grumpy ass, even if he is the best engineer we have at the department,” she’d told him.
    “ He’s only grumpy because of ‘Crazy Chloe’,” he retorted, in defense of his good friend.
    Giselle had snorted with disdain. “Chloe’s just depressed, like I’d be if I had to live with Satan.”
    Now that she knew Toby had been right about Chloe’s vicious tendencies, she felt bad for treating Jackson as she’d done.
    Regrets...that’s all she seemed to have left. Regret for not making more time for Toby; regret for how she’d treated Jackson. Regret that she’d never again be able to look into the gorgeous brown eyes of her husband. She felt lost without him.
    Dear God, please give me the strength to get through this day. Please let me be strong for my daughters. Please send the help we need to get through this.
    Giselle sniffed loudly, then attempted the most difficult and painful physical act she’d gone through since the accident...getting out of bed after sleeping through the night without a painkiller. She tried to sit up, but was in so much pain she broke out in a cold sweat. She rolled out of bed and it produced a wave of nausea so severe she had to sit back down on the bed until it passed. She finally maneuvered herself out of the door toward the end of the hallway, as she leaned against the wall for support and took shallow breaths. She looked toward the breakfast table where her two daughters were eating, and chattering with Sam, Jackson, and Bill. It took excruciating effort from Giselle to call for help.
    Jackson was the first to see her and shot out of his chair to reach her before she collapsed. “Sam!” he barked as he helped her to the table, “Get her pain killers...two of them, and a glass of milk.”
    Lexie panicked. “What’s wrong with momma?”
    Jackson spoke calmly to her. “It’s okay, sweetie. Your mom just slept through the night and doesn’t have any pain medication left in her system. Here, Giselle, take them with milk and when you feel like you can eat something, let me know.”
    Giselle chased the two pills with a swallow of milk. She held on to the glass with shaking hands, and began to lean over as she fought off a wave of dizziness.
    “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Jackson said as he sat next her to support her.
    “I guess I...need to set my alarm...to take a dose during the night,” she gasped, still only able to take shallow breaths.
    “That may be a good idea for the next week or so. Try to drink the rest of this,” he said, pushing the milk at her.
    She pushed it away. “I don’t want it