Chapter 71

They went back home after a wonderful time in California. Life really ramped up as the softball season was in full swing, and so was Sheila’s morning sickness.

Maggie and Hannah did the best they could to ease her symptoms. Makayla decided to go back to work part-time and was teaching a morning kindergarten class.

She would come by in the afternoon, checking on her before picking up Abigail from the great little daycare she found. They all rallied like a little family, and it was awesome.

Maggie had a great routine, and the girls on the team loved when Patrick came to practices. He was like a little mascot and sat in the stroller in the dugout, watching and laughing as they played.

The season started just as strong as they ended the last season; they were killing each team that they faced. Maggie was giddy and the girls were on cloud nine.

August rolled into September and Maggie was exhausted. Her schedule was not that hectic, but she was seriously dragging. She found herself napping when Patrick did and still feeling tired.

She made a doctor’s appointment to get her blood checked and was shocked when the doctor laughed and told her that she was pregnant again.

Maggie thought back to the trip to California… They had been caught up in the moment and forgotten to use a condom!

The doctor gave her some vitamins and had her make an appointment for next week to do a proper exam.

Maggie was in a daze as she drove to practice. Afterward, she decided to visit Liam and tell him the news. He worked late on Tuesdays to do the managerial items for the firm.

Liam had a typical Tuesday routine. He would go work out in the building’s gym for about an hour, go back to his office, order takeout, shower, and work until about nine.

Maggie parked in the parking garage and used the key pass that Liam had made for her, entering and waving to the security guard on duty.

She pushed the button on the wall and smiled as she felt the familiar whoosh in her belly as the car traveled up to the fifteenth floor.

Walking down the hallway, she heard the cleaning crew vacuuming in the other direction. The office double doors were slightly open, and she heard voices.

“...I have said no repeatedly, Veronica! How can I make it any more plain for you?”

Veronica? What the hell was she doing there? God, that woman pissed her off so bad! Maggie thought.

“Liam, you know you want this! Remember how good we were before that stupid redhead interfered with our relationship!”

“Watch your mouth, Veronica! Insulting my wife is not the way to continue this conversation!”

“Okay, fine, I won’t insult her. But think about it! You and me, here Tuesday nights, rocking each other’s world...me screaming your name like before when you pounded into me!”

Maggie was livid and so upset as she waited for Liam’s refusal, but all she heard was a hitch in Liam’s breathing, and she could take no more.

She pushed open the door and entered with a fake smile on her face, pretending that she hadn’t heard the conversation.

“Hey, Liam, I thought... What the hell is going on?”

Maggie was stunned to find Liam in only shorts and Veronica’s shirt unbuttoned, showing off her small breasts. She had a hand on Liam’s chest!

Liam instantly jumped back. Veronica blushed and started fixing her shirt as Maggie stormed into the room.

“Well? Anyone care to elaborate?” she fumed.

“Well, I—,” Veronica began.

Maggie whipped around. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what the hell you have to say! Leave right now!

“If I ever see you around my husband again, I will rip every dyed hair out of your slutty head, then I will kick your bald ass from here to Miami! Do you understand?”

The bleached blonde woman was near tears after hearing Maggie’s fierce and very angry threats. She all but ran out of the office, grabbing her purse and briefcase as she went.

Maggie slammed the door behind her. She took a deep breath, trying to control her temper and hormones. Tears welled as she turned to look at her husband.

“Darling, can I explain—”

“Why the fuck would I want you to explain what I walked in on? I heard through the door, and you didn’t tell her no!” she sobbed. “Why didn’t you tell her no?”

“Maggie, it took me by surprise, that’s all! I don’t want her! I love you!”

The tears were flowing at this point, and he felt terrible. Maggie took a minute to grab some Kleenex and wiped her eyes, still waiting for him to say the one thing that she needed to hear.

She tossed the used tissues and looked at him.

“Can you put on a fucking shirt? Is that too much to ask?”

“Sorry…,” Liam sheepishly whispered, quickly putting on a T-shirt.

“You never said you want me, just that you didn’t want her. So, do you want me?”

“Of course! I love everything about you, I love our life!”

“Do you remember what was happening in my life when we got together? Do you remember my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend? Do you remember how heartbroken I was?

“You promised me that you would never hurt me! And today you broke that, because I can’t even tell you how many pieces my heart is broken into!”

“Maggie, I’m so sorry—”

“I will~ not~ listen to your shitty apologies anymore! You are the biggest fucking asshole I have ever met! I am going to pick up our child and am going home! I don’t want to see you tonight!”

Liam could only nod his head, trying to gauge how she was feeling. He felt so bad and didn’t know how the situation with Veronica had gotten so out of hand.

Maggie went and grabbed the Kleenex again as she was on the way out the door. She picked up her purse that she didn’t realize she had thrown on the couch.

Liam rushed over and laid a hand on her arm. She felt the jolt between them but shrugged it off.

“Don’t, please…,” Liam pleaded as she got to the door. “I love you, Maggie, and I am so sorry!”

She stopped and stood at the door with her back to him, “Then think about that tonight!”

Liam flinched as he heard the pain and anger in her voice. He watched as she stormed through the door, jumping at the sound as she slammed it behind her.

“Bloody fucking hell!” he yelled.

Maggie heard him as she ran to the elevator and got in. The damn machine was moving so slowly, and she was very happy to hear a ding as the doors opened.

She ran down the hall and dove into the front seat of the SUV, locking the door behind her.

She was so glad that her SUV was in the shop for new tires and an oil change, and she was driving the other small SUV. It didn’t get much use, but they liked having it around just in case.

Maggie started the car and pulled out, just needing to hold her son in her arms and curl up in bed with him. She started the drive to her mother-in-law’s house to get Patrick.

Liam’s ringtone sounded, but she ignored it. It just kept ringing, and Maggie thought about answering it and seeing what he had to say.

Just as she was about to give in, she heard the honking, engines revving, and glass shattering as her body was jerked violently to the right.

She closed her eyes, trying not to think of the pain that suddenly hit her as the darkness engulfed her.

***

Liam kept praying that she would answer the phone, but no such luck.

“Damn it!” he yelled, throwing his phone into the couch and stomping around the office, fuming. He had to figure out a way to talk to her and apologize.

He needed to make her see how much he wanted, needed, and loved her. He couldn’t imagine his life without her and Patrick and felt horrible that he didn’t react differently to Veronica.

Maybe he had no choice but to give Maggie some time to herself. He sighed and went to his desk to try and get some work done, but couldn’t focus.

When his phone started ringing, he leaped out of his chair and grabbed the phone from the couch, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

“Maggie, darling, where—”

“Mr. Olsen? Are you Liam Olsen?” a male voice asked.

“Yes, who is this?”

“Mr. Olsen, this is Deputy Mike Schmidt, with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Do you know Margaret Olsen?”

“She is my wife! What’s wrong?”

“Mr. Olsen, she has been in an accident and taken to County Memorial Trauma Center…”

“Oh, god! I am on my way!” he yelled into the phone. Liam hung up, grabbed his keys and wallet from his desk, and ran to the elevator, calling his dad as he went.

“Liam, are you watching the Man U game? It’s—”

“Dad, it’s Maggie! She’s been in an accident! Can you ask Mom to keep Patrick? I’m on my way to the hospital now!”

“Bugger! Which one? Niall and I will meet you there.”

Liam hurriedly gave the details that he knew and called Brett next, but it went to voicemail. He left a rushed message and drove as fast as he dared to the trauma center, squealing the tires as he went.

He parked haphazardly and ran to the emergency room desk.

“My wife was brought in; she was in an accident!”

“Her name, sir?” the bored-looking young woman asked.

“Maggie Olsen! Please, I need to see her!”

“Let me check in with a nurse, sir, please have a seat.”

Liam growled and walked away, knowing that making a scene would not help him. He sat at the back, his knee bouncing as his phone started ringing.

“Brett—”

“What the fuck happened, Liam? Where is she?”

“I don’t know. We’re at the Trauma Center. I just got here, and they haven’t given me any information yet.”

“Nick and Mike are here working on some stuff for the club. We are on our way!”

Brett hung up before Liam could respond. Liam felt a growing sense of urgency and helplessness as he paced the room, trying to fight off tears and anger as the minutes dragged by.

Twenty minutes later, he heard his dad call his name, “Liam! Any word, son?”

Liam looked up and almost let the tears break through as he saw his dad, Niall, and Joan rush up to him, each hugging him in turn.

“Your mom asked me to come, sweetheart. She thought you could use a hug from her.”

Liam nodded and swallowed hard. “Nothing yet…”

They sat a few more minutes before Brett, Nick, Mike, and Makayla ran in. They each hugged him and sat down to play the waiting game.

Finally, just before Liam lost his temper and went to demand answers, a doctor in a white coat came out.

“Is the family of Margaret Sloan here?” he called.

“I’m her husband!” Liam all but yelled at him.

The doctor sat across from the large group of people and looked at each of them before he started talking.

“Mr. Olsen, your wife was in a pretty severe car accident, but all things considered, she is not as bad as she could be. Her left arm is broken, and she has some internal bleeding.

We need to go in and remove her spleen. We can set the arm while we are in surgery, and she probably has a concussion, we just don’t know how severe yet.

“She is pretty bruised, and we will have a plastic surgeon in to take out the glass fragments and stitch up the larger cuts on her face, neck, and arms to minimize scarring.”

Makayla and Joan were crying as he heard Brett and Nick mutter under their breath.

“Can I see her?” Liam whispered.

“I’m afraid they already took her up for surgery. They want to get in and out to help reduce the risk to the baby.”

“Baby? What baby?” Liam asked, bewildered.