"Thank you," she'd said, although she didn't mean it.
"Anytime you need to talk, or need anything at all, we're here." He handed her a business card which she tucked into her tote bag along with the handout and left the office.
Darci hadn't given it much thought since. But looking at her reflection and the dark smudges under each eye, her thoughts flashed back to the stress reducing strategies he'd given her. Maybe she'd look at it later after all.
She pulled her hair back into a pony tail and threw on jeans and a blouse before heading into the kitchen. Darci grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and froze at the sight of the Tupperware containers on the counter.
Three dozen not-chocolate chip cookies. She'd totally forgotten. How she hadn't seen them all weekend, was a mystery. Or maybe not. For the last few nights, by the time she'd gotten home from the hospital, she'd more or less bypassed the kitchen and stumbled straight to bed.
Susanna would have been freaking out at the bake sale on Saturday, Darci thought and before she could stop it, a smile played at her lips. Cam would have filled her in on Taylor, which is why Susanna hadn't called her freaking out. Cam would have told everyone. Darci didn't know why, but the thought of the whole team knowing about Taylor's diabetes, made her pulse speed up. She and Taylor didn't need anyone's pity, or the worried looks. The last thing they needed was the same treatment they'd received after Ryan died.
She shook her head. She couldn't think about it. Darci knew she'd have to deal with it sooner or later, but not yet. She had just enough time to get to the store and open it by nine. She grabbed her tote bag and headed for the door.
With any luck, Monica would remember her promise to cover for Darci and wouldn't be late. Then Darci could get to the hospital in time for Taylor's first lesson with syringes. The thought of her daughter injecting herself twice a day still made her stomach flip, but she knew she'd have to get over it sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.
###
Darci's cell phone rang as she was pulling into the parking lot in front of Golden Moon Health.
"Monica," she said into the receiver, without looking at the caller ID, "Please don't tell me you're going to be late. I have to get to the hospital and-"
"Darci?"
"Cam?"
"I'm glad I caught you," he said and she immediately felt guilty. She should have returned his calls days ago.
"Cam, I'm sorry I never got back to you. Things have been crazy and we're just starting to figure things out. I just-"
"It's okay. I'm sure you've had a lot more important things to think about then calling the soccer coach." He laughed and despite her stress, Darci smiled.
"Thanks," she said. "I appreciate you being so understanding. And you know you're more than just the soccer coach."
"Am I?"
The sudden shift in his voice froze her.
Darci cleared her throat and forced a lighter tone. "Cam, you know you mean the world to Taylor."
He didn't respond right away, and Darci prayed she'd lost the connection. The last thing she needed was any weirdness between her and Cam. She couldn't deal with anything else.
After what seemed like too long, she heard a sigh and Cam said, "Of course. And she means a lot to me too. How is she? Do you think she's up for a visit from good ol' Coach Cam?"
Darci picked up on his tone, but ignored it. Tucking the phone under her chin, she got out of the car and went to unlock the store.
"I honestly don't know," she said. "Taylor's still going through a lot. She has so much to learn and accept, I'm not really sure if we need any distractions."
"I'm not taking no for an answer, Darci."
Darci pushed the door open, the bells to the shop jingled as she made her way inside. "Cam, please." She flipped the sign in the door to 'open' and flicked the light switch, illuminating the aisles.
"I'll come by this afternoon," Cam said.
Darci let out a deep
"Anytime you need to talk, or need anything at all, we're here." He handed her a business card which she tucked into her tote bag along with the handout and left the office.
Darci hadn't given it much thought since. But looking at her reflection and the dark smudges under each eye, her thoughts flashed back to the stress reducing strategies he'd given her. Maybe she'd look at it later after all.
She pulled her hair back into a pony tail and threw on jeans and a blouse before heading into the kitchen. Darci grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and froze at the sight of the Tupperware containers on the counter.
Three dozen not-chocolate chip cookies. She'd totally forgotten. How she hadn't seen them all weekend, was a mystery. Or maybe not. For the last few nights, by the time she'd gotten home from the hospital, she'd more or less bypassed the kitchen and stumbled straight to bed.
Susanna would have been freaking out at the bake sale on Saturday, Darci thought and before she could stop it, a smile played at her lips. Cam would have filled her in on Taylor, which is why Susanna hadn't called her freaking out. Cam would have told everyone. Darci didn't know why, but the thought of the whole team knowing about Taylor's diabetes, made her pulse speed up. She and Taylor didn't need anyone's pity, or the worried looks. The last thing they needed was the same treatment they'd received after Ryan died.
She shook her head. She couldn't think about it. Darci knew she'd have to deal with it sooner or later, but not yet. She had just enough time to get to the store and open it by nine. She grabbed her tote bag and headed for the door.
With any luck, Monica would remember her promise to cover for Darci and wouldn't be late. Then Darci could get to the hospital in time for Taylor's first lesson with syringes. The thought of her daughter injecting herself twice a day still made her stomach flip, but she knew she'd have to get over it sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.
###
Darci's cell phone rang as she was pulling into the parking lot in front of Golden Moon Health.
"Monica," she said into the receiver, without looking at the caller ID, "Please don't tell me you're going to be late. I have to get to the hospital and-"
"Darci?"
"Cam?"
"I'm glad I caught you," he said and she immediately felt guilty. She should have returned his calls days ago.
"Cam, I'm sorry I never got back to you. Things have been crazy and we're just starting to figure things out. I just-"
"It's okay. I'm sure you've had a lot more important things to think about then calling the soccer coach." He laughed and despite her stress, Darci smiled.
"Thanks," she said. "I appreciate you being so understanding. And you know you're more than just the soccer coach."
"Am I?"
The sudden shift in his voice froze her.
Darci cleared her throat and forced a lighter tone. "Cam, you know you mean the world to Taylor."
He didn't respond right away, and Darci prayed she'd lost the connection. The last thing she needed was any weirdness between her and Cam. She couldn't deal with anything else.
After what seemed like too long, she heard a sigh and Cam said, "Of course. And she means a lot to me too. How is she? Do you think she's up for a visit from good ol' Coach Cam?"
Darci picked up on his tone, but ignored it. Tucking the phone under her chin, she got out of the car and went to unlock the store.
"I honestly don't know," she said. "Taylor's still going through a lot. She has so much to learn and accept, I'm not really sure if we need any distractions."
"I'm not taking no for an answer, Darci."
Darci pushed the door open, the bells to the shop jingled as she made her way inside. "Cam, please." She flipped the sign in the door to 'open' and flicked the light switch, illuminating the aisles.
"I'll come by this afternoon," Cam said.
Darci let out a deep
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