Overcoming Circumstances by Belinda Slider-Baker (best book club books of all time txt) 📖

two doors shut.  I decide to get up and look out the window.  Coor and a woman are heading back to the cottage.  They go into the cottage.  I have had enough.   I know I can’t call Maris at 2am.  So, my dad said to call him day or night.  I am going to take him up on it.  I am so tired.  I dial his number.  He answers on the second ring.  

“What is wrong, Blythe?”  

“Braelyn and I are fine, Ian.  No, I am not fine.  Coor just took a woman to the cottage, he has cabin fever.  Thane is out on a date with another woman.  What in the hell am I going to do?”  

“You are going to pack up and come and stay with me for a while and not tell them where you are going.  You tell Maris, but tell her not to say anything to either of them.  You will find out sooner or later if either one of them is truly worthy of your love.”  

“You know what Ian, you are right.  I am going to do it.  I will come first thing tomorrow morning.  It will take me about 5 hours to get there.”  

“Blythe, don’t worry about furniture, etc.  Just bring her clothes or anything she is attached to.  I will take care of the rest.” 

“Thank you, Ian.”  

“Blythe, I love you.  It is the least I can do.”

Coor was not in the main house at 7am.  I decided to leave both Thane and Coor a nice text message.  I told them both that they were Braelyn and Blythe free.  They don't need to worry about us.  They can have whatever woman they were with the night before.  I truly wish them both the best.  I made the text out to Coor & Thane.  So, they both know what each other did the night before.  I know it is childish, but I am hormonal and tired.  I just don’t give a shit at the moment.  I called and told Maris what I was doing.  She actually said my dad was a genius.  I got Braelyn in the car, and we were off to see my dad in Greenville.   

After two weeks in Greenville, Thane and Coor had left me multiple texts and voicemails.  Coor said he was sorry for going out and getting busy with a woman, but he was going stir crazy being tied down.  He wouldn’t try to get any custody rights to Braelyn.  He said he would always be there for us if we needed anything.  He loved us both.  He was sorry.  He was trying to do the right thing, and he failed.  If he couldn’t give us both his whole heart, it wasn’t fair to us.  I sent a text back telling him everything would be fine.  I loved him and didn’t want to lose my best friend.  

Thane, he has been going crazy with messages and voicemails.  He was drunk when I was talking to him the last time we spoke.  He was hurt and didn’t know what to do.  He loves Braelyn and me so much.  He was stupid to think he could just go on with his life.  I wasn’t as nice to him.  I should have been, but dammit I was hurting so deeply.  I expected Coor to do what he did but not Thane.  It seemed when the going got tough, he got going.   I told him that he gave up too easily.  He said he would never leave us.  I asked him to trust me.  I told him I would never ‘be’ with Coor.  I love him.   What happened to forever?  He tried to call and text me, but I just didn’t answer them.  

Ian was now being called ‘dad’.  He truly made things so much easier for me.  I hadn’t been feeling well for a couple of days, and he, Jasop (my brother), and his wife, Ivory, helped take care of Braelyn.  When I woke up on the third day of not feeling well and tried to get a shower that is when everything went to hell.   I woke up in a hospital room.  My dad was sitting right beside me.  I noticed he had tears in his eyes.  

“Dad, why am I here?  What is wrong with me?”  I asked in a pleading type of voice.  

“You have a mass on your uterus, Blythe.”  

“Oh, God no.”  I say through a wave of tears.  

“Where is Braelyn?” I scream.  

“She is with Jasop and Ivory.”  

“Dad, what am I going to do?”   

“First, we are going to find out if the mass is benign or malignant.  Then, we can determine what to do from there.”   

“I need to talk to Marissa.  I have to get a will made out dad.  Can you help me get that done?”  

“Please, Blythe, don’t get ahead of yourself.  But, if you want me to do that, I will call my lawyer and have him here today with papers drawn up.”  

“Yes, I need you to do this for me.”   

I called Marissa and told her what was going on.  She said she would be in Greenville in no time.  She would bring Emmison, and they could spend time with mom.  I told her to tell mom where I was.  I really wanted to see her.  Within 25 minutes, mom was standing at my door.  I introduced mom to my dad.  I explained to dad that mom was Marissa’s mom.  She helped raise me.  My dad was very nice and appreciative to mom.  I never called mom, Iris.  Her name was always, mom.  I don’t think I could call her Iris.   I asked dad to go get Braelyn for me.  He said he would just have Jasop bring her.  Mom was so excited to meet Braelyn.  She sat and held her for a good hour.  She fed and changed her.  

About two hours later, there was a knock at my door.  Dad was sitting in the chair while Braelyn and I were asleep in my bed.  As soon as I heard my dad say “Come in” I opened my eyes.  Marissa walks through the door, but right behind her is Thane.  My heart drops.  I can’t believe she told him where I was and what was going on.  She runs up to me and hugs me.  She then snatches up Braelyn.  Thane immediately takes Braelyn from Marissa and heads over to me.  

“Just go away Thane.  I don’t need or want you here.  Thank you for flying your fancy plane to Michigan and bringing Marissa to me quicker than her driving, but I don’t want to see you.”  

As I am saying this, tears are streaming down my face.  

“Bly, you can’t mean that.”  

“Yes, I mean it.  Give Braelyn to my dad or Marissa and get the hell out.”  

He handed Braelyn to Marissa.  Marissa and my dad leave the room immediately.  They both said they would be right back.  Thane sits down in the chair by my bed.  

“Thane, just leave.  Go back to Lexington and be with your mimbo you were with when you were drunk.  I bet she was just so f*ing great in the sack.  I bet she is so much better than I could ever be.  I am sorry I made you go through this hell with me.  I am sorry I told you all about my pathetic life.  I am sorry I drug you to doctor appointments.  I am sorry that Braelyn and I interrupted your life.  I will pay you back for the care you gave me.”  

“Damnit Bly, I don’t want your money.  I never slept with any other woman.  I might have been drinking at the pub, but I never slept with that woman.  I dropped her off at her house.  I never even walked her to her door.  I love you.”  He said.  

“Yeah, you promised forever.  You bailed.  When the going got tough, you left me.  I needed you, and you left.  I am used to it.  Everyone always leaves me.  My real mom, dad, granny, Coor, you and the people who never left me are Maris and mom.  I will get over this.  I have Braelyn and my family.  Dad and I are getting along.  I have a brother and sister-in-law who are wonderful as well.  Besides, don’t come here now because you think I am sick and pathetic.”  

“What do you mean you are sick?  I thought you were in here because your blood worked from the transfusion.”  

“No, I have a mass on my uterus, Thane.  I needed Marissa here so she could sign some paperwork.  I just made out a living will.  If anything happens to me, Marissa will raise Braelyn.”  

“What have they said about the mass?” Thane said.  

“I don’t know.”   

“Give me a minute, okay?”  

“Whatever, I need Marissa.”  

Marissa walked in with Braelyn.  She said she signed all the papers.  

“The lawyer was out in the lobby with her dad.”  

“Thanks Marissa.”  

“Welcome girl.”  

“I don’t want Thane there.  He didn’t want me weeks ago.  He gave up on me and Braelyn.  I just can’t do this.  I put my heart and body out there.  I am tired of the promises that always get broken.  I can’t do it Marissa, I just can’t.”  I said.  

“I can’t tell you what to do, but maybe you should really listen to him.”  

About an hour later Thane and a doctor walk into my room.  Dr. Hamilton is a specialist in Gynecology.  He wants to check me out.  After he ran three tests and did a biopsy.  The mass was malignant.  He is going to remove it in the morning.  I would then need to start chemo and possibly radiation.  It is very small, so I should make a full recovery.  I thanked Thane for flying in the specialist.  He said he loves me and that is why he did it.  He begged me for another chance.  He wants to take me back to Lexington where Dr. Hamilton’s office is.  He would hire a nurse for both Braelyn and I until after I get through all my treatments.  I knew I was going to have to do it.  I didn’t have any other alternative unless I stayed with my dad.  I didn’t want to do that.   I called and told Coor.  I told him if anything happened to me that Marissa would take care of Braelyn.  He said he would be in Lexington in a couple of weeks.  

I have had 4 months of chemo now.  I am so sick.  Coor came and saw Braelyn and me at Thane’s for a couple of days.   He finally broke down and told me that if Thane wanted to adopt Braelyn, he would let him.  I told him I would keep that possibility open.  Thane has been great with Braelyn.  He was taking care of her at night after the nurses left.  I was doing all I could.  I refused to not take care of my baby girl.  Braelyn was getting so big.  She is 6 months old now.  She is spoiled rotten indeed.  Thane and I haven’t really talked about us.  I don’t even know if I want to.  My dad, Jasop and Ivory have made trips to see me several times throughout my chemo sessions.  Marissa has come to see me too.  I had some tests run.  The cancer is gone.  I am cancer free.  Finally, my life can start to get back to normal.  

Coor came to visit a couple of days after I was told I was cancer free.  I don’t know if he was trying to do the right thing, but asked if Brae and I would like to come and live with him in Ohio even if it is temporary or permanent.  He wanted to see if we could try and be a family.  Thane then walked over to me. 

“Are you leaving and going back to Ohio with him, Blythe?  I guess your worst nightmare has finally become a reality.  You are going to have to choose between staying here in Lexington or going to Ohio and having a