Saving Justice

Chapter Five

"Did you arrive already?" I have already lost count on how many times I heard Cole ask that question since I left their house. I'm going to meet the wedding planner his mother recommended to us. She's her friend and slightly older than me.

Unfortunately, Cole can't come because he has a separate meeting at the same time. That meeting is rescheduled to an earlier date because the potential client will fly tomorrow to New Jersey.

He's such a busy bee, mainly because they're already at the peak of their project. That is the second project assigned to him, so he wants to do better than the first one he handled. He's leading his team in engineering a new condominium building which will launch early next year while going to meetings with possible clients for their next project.

I'm worried about him most of the time, but he promised me that he would not push himself if his hands were already full.

"I just arrived," I say when the cab pulls over as we reach the restaurant. I pay the exact amount of my fare. "Thank you." I smile at the driver then get out of the cab.

"You're welcome. Have a good day," I hear the driver say before I close the door.

As I'm ten minutes late, I brisk walk and enter the establishment right away.

"Is she there already?" he asks, maybe hoping that the planner would ditch me and reschedule our meeting because he really wanted to be with me today. "Don't hesitate to send me a text or call me if you need my help. I can go there."

He hates that he can't attend the first meeting with our wedding planner.

Eleanor wanted to come, but she needed to attend a parent-teacher conference as Natalie's parent and Justice's guardian.

"Don't kid yourself, Cole," I tell him, laughing. "You have an important meeting yourself.

"Babe, I can cancel this meeting for you. Just tell me if you want me to."

Still quietly laughing, I shake my head. "Whatever, Cole," I say and try to look for a blonde-haired woman wearing a maroon jumpsuit and eyeglasses. Luckily, I find the woman, in no time, who's just sitting near the window. "Cole, I need to end the call now. I already found her."

Well, at least, I think that's her.

"Okay. See you later. I love you."

"I love you, too."

After exchanging 'I love yous' with each other, I turn the call off and approach the lady who fits the description I read in the email.

"Mrs. Johnson?"

The lady turns to me with a smile, stands up, and offers her hand. "Miss Venice Sanders?"

"That would be me," I say and return the handshake. "Call me Venice."

"Then, just call me Emily."

I already like the vibe I'm getting from her. She seems approachable and easy to talk with. She also looks very professional with the tablet, notepad, and clear book prepared on top of the table.

"I thought you're coming with your fiancé?" she asks as we take a seat at the same time, after greeting each other.

"He has a sudden change of plans," I answer. "He actually wants to come, but he can't due to a conflict of schedule."

She nods her head. "Usually, I only meet with the brides because they're the ones deciding about stuff. It's rare for men to accompany their fiancée in this kind of meeting."

I laugh in a very awkward way. Yes, I also think that's how it usually goes, but... "That wouldn't be the case for us. I'm not good with aesthetics," I admit one of my flaws. "I hope you can lead me today."

"No problem, Venice," she assures me.

We begin our meeting with Emily presenting some of the past weddings she organized. I'm completely in awe while browsing through her tablet and flipping the pages of her clear book. I think she almost did all possible themes and concepts for a wedding. I find her even more reliable because of these.

While I'm still looking through her portfolio and going back to the wedding concepts and themes, which piqued my interest, she starts asking questions with her notepad and pen ready. "Have you both decided on the exact date of your wedding already?"

"Yes," I answer. "This fall, October 28."

It's the day we first met each other. It just so happens that my favorite season is autumn.

She begins taking down notes. "Do you have any theme in mind or none at all?"

Hmm, let's see...

What I have in mind is very simple: An outdoor wedding decorated with fall colors or something that highlights nature's beauty during the fall season. I have no idea what decorations we should use or where to hold the wedding, but that's what I want.

I tell Emily what I have in mind. She scans her tablet and shows a nature park in Utica. She shares that she already organized a wedding there before because the bride wanted a nature-friendly wedding.

"Rock Lodge," she says. "It's a good place to hold the wedding that you want. The place is surrounded by tall pines and a panoramic view of the state park. But it's 2 hours away from here."

I know... I've been there on a date with Cole during our first anniversary. I have no idea that we can hold a wedding there.

When realization suddenly strikes me, I lose my train of thought. To get married at the place where we had our first-anniversary date as a couple... Wow... It's not my intention to get married there, but it will be such a memorable place for both of us if we do.

I asked Emily to consider Starved Rock as our top choice for the location and try contacting the management if it's available on the date we want to hold our wedding. I still need to talk to Cole about it before I get a final decision. This is not just my wedding; it's our wedding. His opinion is important, just like mine.

Emily and I end our meeting after eating our lunch. I tell her that I will just email the date for our second meeting once I'm sure with Cole's schedule because he's busier than me.

Afterward, I take a cab back to the Griffins' because I need to pick up Justice. She needs to do some lab tests and physical exams. I advised her to do fasting today because it's a requirement for the tests. The results are necessary before we visit Dra. Olsen, the senior Psychiatrist I'm close with, for consultation and diagnosis.

The lab tests and physical exam will help determine if her depression or PTSD is related to her physical condition. Suppose that factor is eliminated, Dra. Olsen will proceed with prescribing her antidepressants. And since we already have a schedule for the day after tomorrow, she needs to do the tests now.

I'm only a few minutes away when I message Justice to get ready because I'm coming to get her in a few minutes. As soon as I send the message, I receive a call from Cole.

"Hello?" I greet him first. "Done with the meeting?"

"Yes, babe," he answers. "How about you?"

"Done, too."

"How did the meeting with our planner go?"

I smile. So, this is why he called. "Good."

"What good?" Now, he starts to sound frustrated. I try to stop myself from laughing. "Would you care to tell me about the details?"

"I don't feel like it," I tease him more. "Can't you wait until tonight?"

"Nope," he says immediately.

Thinking that this may help contain my laughter, I bit my lip. "Well, I told Emily Johnson that I want to have a beach wedding," I lied.

For a moment, there is a long pause of silence. I slightly move the phone away because I can't stop myself anymore. I chuckle a bit before putting the phone back against my ear.

"Hello, babe?" I call for his attention. "Are you still there?"

With a heavy sigh, he says, "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes..." I tell him, seriously.

"If that's what you want."

He hates it.

He hates the idea of having a beach marriage during the fall. I know that because I hate it, too. But why do I feel like he's going to go with it if that's what I really want?

"Are you going home already?" he suddenly asks, changing the topic, probably wanting to forget about the beach wedding.

"Yes, but I'm just going to pick up Justice."

"Pick up Justice?" He must have forgotten that I will take Justice to the hospital today. "What for?"

He really forgot about it. "I'll take her to the hospital for some tests, remember?"

"Oh, right..." he says. "Sorry. I forgot."

"It's fine." I transfer my phone to my left ear and hold it by pressing the phone against my shoulder. I need to get cash from my wallet to pay for the cab, but I stop right away when I decide just to let the taxi wait for me later. "How about you? Are you driving?"

"Uhuh..." he answers, and I can picture him with his hand on the wheel while the call is on speaker. "But I'm gonna run an errand for dad. I might not see you before you leave with Justice."

"Hmm... How about you pick us up later?" I suggest because I can already tell that he's about to ask that.

"Sure," he sounds so eager to do it. I'm sure he's smiling right now. "Even if you won't ask me, I'll still pick you up, though."

"That's why I asked," I tease him again, and the cab halts in front of their house. After asking the driver to wait for me, I finally got out. "I'm gonna end the call."

"Why?"

"Because I'm here at your house already."

"Okay..."

Feeling guilty because of the beach wedding joke I did earlier; I'll finally tell him the truth before I end this call.

"See you later!"

"Yeah..." He sounds timid. "See you. Take care."

"And by the way..." I add. He stays silent. "I'm just joking about the beach wedding. I'm going to tell you the details of our meeting later tonight. Bye. I love you, Griffin."

Without letting him say another word, I end our call and laugh like a crazy woman. I'm already nearing their front porch when I receive a new message from him.

From: Cole

I hate you, Mrs. Venice Sanders-Griffin.

I smirk.

He hates me, but he still affixed his name next to mine.

Shaking my head, I ignore his text message and go inside the house before my fare goes insanely high. Good thing Justice is already waiting for me in the living room.

"You ready?" I ask her, though I see that she's already dressed and prepared to go.

She nods her head quietly.

I smile at her. "Let's go. The cab's already waiting outside."

Without a word, she follows me outside, and I let her in the cab first before I enter.

"Where to go now?" the driver asks and looks at me through the rearview mirror.

"Advocate Christ, please."

"Copy that."

The driver immediately drives us to the hospital, and we have already arrived within thirty minutes. Since I still do my annual physical exam back in Denver, I don't have any physician I'm acquainted with here in Illinois. I had to ask Eleanor if they have a family doctor. She told me to just look for Dr. Benjamin Foster here in Advocate Christ.

And so, that's what I did.

I asked the hospital's receptionist for Dr. Benjamin Foster's clinic, and she immediately gave me the floor and room number after searching through their system.

"Does she already have a record here?" the nurse assistant of Dr. Foster asks me and glances at Justice, who's sitting quietly beside me.

"Nope, she doesn't," I answer briefly.

She nods her head, then pulls a form out of her drawer. She puts some checks on the blanks that I have to fill in. "Please put all the information needed on the blanks where I put checkmarks."

I don't know anything about Justice except for her full name, so I let her fill out the form, and she completes it in less than ten minutes. I make sure that all required blanks are filled in before handing it over to the nurse.

"Justice, please remove your shoes and step onto the scale," the nurse asks her politely.

The exams began by measuring her height and weight. After a few minutes, the doctor invites us inside and performs a physical examination for Justice. He checks the important vital signs; temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. At the same time, he goes over Justice's medical history, written on the form we filled out earlier.

Justice is fidgety and feels uncomfortable during the assessment, especially when Dr. Foster asks about her current feelings. Aside from having trouble sleeping, she's all good.

The physical examination lasted for only forty minutes. Once we were through with the assessment, we headed to the hospital's laboratory to get some tests done.

While Justice is still collecting her urine specimen in the bathroom, I message Cole.

To: Cole

You can come and pick us up now. We'll be done in a few minutes.

As usual, Cole replies right away.

From: Cole

Already on my way.

I keep my phone in my bag when I see Justice go out of the bathroom with the bottle of urine. I pity her because she looks tired already, but the Radiologist calls her name from the intercom for her full-body X-Ray before she can even sit beside me.

The nurse takes the sample and guides her to the X-Ray room. Hesitating to go with the nurse, she turns to me, looking for assurance. And since I promise that I will stay with her all the time, I stand up and follow them. Justice goes inside the room while I wait outside until she's done.

"You can get the result within three to six hours," the nurse informs me and hands the claiming slip over after paying for the bills.

I take it and put it inside my wallet. "I can claim it tomorrow, right?"

She smiles at me. "Yes, you may."

"Okay, thank you," I say and turn to Justice. "You did great. Let's go home now? Your cousin's waiting for us in the driveway."

Feeling drained, Justice just nods her head.

To support her from walking, I put my hand at her small back and push her to move forward slowly. Cole's sedan is on hazard while waiting. He must have seen us approaching because he went out of the car to open the back door for his cousin and the passenger seat for me as well. But, of course, before he lets me slide into his car, he pulls me for a swift kiss on the forehead first.

"Can we go to a drive-thru first before going home?" I ask him. "Justice hasn't eaten anything yet."

He smiles and tousles my hair. "Okay, babe."

I smile back and enter his car now.