The Barefoot Girl

Chapter 38

Luke steals an awkward glance at my family, all of whom in the doorway, wide eyed with newfound concern and confusion.

"You guys can head home, I'll just walk," I insist.

No one moves.

"Really guys it's ok," I push.

I secretly don't want any of them here. Whatever's going on with Genevieve...

Mom looks at Ben.

"Stay with her and the two of you can walk back together," she orders. Ben nods and stars nervously making his way towards me. Then he decides to just sit back in the one of the dreaded waiting room chairs.

I look back at Luke expectantly.

He face palms.

"Of course she wouldn't tell you! Knowing her... Sweet mother of pearl..." he thinks aloud to himself.

"Luke!"

His head snaps around to look at me.

"Yeah?"

"What is... Does she ha.... Why is she..?" I stutter trying to find the right words.

Luke chuckles and I let myself relax a little. If he's laughing... She's ok... Right?

"Come here kid," he says after coming out from behind the desk.

"Phoebe!" he calls to a young woman passing by. She looks up at him with questioning eyes.

"Watch the front desk for me for like, five minutes?"

The woman- Phoebe- shrugs and smiles saying,

"Sure!"

Luke gently guides me by placing his hand on my shoulder. I glance behind me to see Ben watching us walk off. I feel bad for worrying him after we were all just so relieved.

Luke stops and I turn to face him. Then he bends down and whispers,

"Just don't... Cry..." he says in a voice that I feel is a little too light for the situation.

I purse my lips and eye him curiously.

"No promises," I reply.

He smiles at his shoes and laughs.

"Fair enough," he shrugs.

"Alright, let's go."

I'm in front so I just keep walking to where Lacy's room is, my head pounding with every possible, horrible, reason she could be sitting in that hospital bed. Luke puts a hand out to stop me when we reach what I assume is Gen's room. He puts his fingers to his lips and gets a mischievous look in his face.

By now, I'm utterly confused. Would Luke play around just to try and lighten the mood of a horrible situation?

He swings open Genevieve's door.

"Hey Gen! You have a visitor," he chants.

"Oh my word!" I hear Genevieve's voice from the other side.

"Luke Davinson, who the heck did you tell?" she laughs with a sparkle in her voice.

I squeeze my way past Luke so I can see Gen and she can see me. Her hands fly over her mouth to cover a gasp.

"Luke!" she scolds.

He shrugs, still grinning like an idiot.

"I thought maybe she already knew."

I look between the two of them.

"What in the name of Christopher Columbus are you two talking about?" I demand.

This only makes Luke laugh harder.

"Christopher Columbus, huh?"

"Ohhh you didn't tell her," Genevieve notes.

Something suddenly hits me. I look back and forth at the two of them some more.

"No!" I say in surprise, as if they could tell what I mean just by my tone of voice.

"Genevieve!" I exclaim.

"Did you... Did you give your kidney to Lacy?" I practically shriek, walking to her bedside.

She looks down at her hands and shrugs.

"I had an extra," she answers simply.

My own hands fly up to my mouth and I start making weird laughing-combined-with-surprise noises.

She laughs softly then points at Luke.

"He paid for it."

Luke throws his arms in the air.

"Whatever happened to anonymous?" he asks teasingly.

I turn to look at him, my mouth still attempting to stifle the sounds coming out of me.

He holds up his hands.

"Forget it! I owed it to that kid."

I'm shaking and I don't know how to describe the emotion that is surging throughout me and making me shake.

All her life, Genevieve has done nothing but give away everything that was ever given to her. And now she literally gave up part of herself. I know there are risks that come with giving up a kidney.

And Luke, a stranger to me, caring enough about Lacy and the family to pay the entire cost of ye surgery.

I'm glad I never said I wouldn't cry because the tears are flowing freely already.

"Bridget, stop! You're gonna get me emotional too and Luke will never let me forget it!" Genevieve says, whacking me on the arm lightly with a smile glowing on her face.

Luke just stands in the corner of the room and keeps laughing and laughing.

I finally bring my hands down and then wrap my arms gently around Genevieve. She returns the hug whole heartedly.

"Oh my... Oh my.."

I separate slowly from Gen and start wiping my eyes.

"Sweet mother of Benjamin Franklin..." I mumble laughing.

"You're hilarious," Luke teases.

I just keep dabbing at my eyes with my fingers, not knowing what to say. It takes way to long to think of the words I should've said ages ago.

"Thank you," I say with an awkward laugh.

Gen shrugs.

"I did it for Lacy, your family, and myself," she replies.

"I told you Bridget. That kid's like a sister to me too."