This story is about breast cancer. I know for some it might be difficult if not impossible to read. I understand. I’m not one who likes to give or get spoilers but there are times when they are appropriate. Should you need to know any details before you make the decision to read this please contact me.

Chapter Six

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

“She doesn’t look sick,” whispered Lizzie.

“Shh, you don’t want to wake Mom up,” scolded Matt.

As the fog of sleep lifted, Trixie realized that she and Jim were no longer alone in their bedroom. Opening one eye she spotted her son and daughter tip-toeing toward her bed. Quickly she closed her eye and pretended she was still asleep.

“I brought my last Barbie Band-Aid for Mom. She might need it to cover up her owie. Do you think that it will be big enough?” asked Lizzie.

Jim and Trixie were spooning. Trixie felt Jim’s arms around her tighten and could feel him trying to contain his laughter.

“No, you goof ball. Those breasts are the size of melons. That’s what Timmy Nelson told me and he heard his brother talking about them on the phone one day.” Timmy Nelson was in Matt’s class. His older brother was fourteen and Timmy worshiped the ground he walked on. In Timmy’s eyes, his brother could do no wrong and knew everything important, especially when it came to girls.

By now both kids were almost to the bed. As if it were pre-planned Trixie and Jim simultaneously sat up and cried, “Boo!” Trixie grabbed Matt and Jim grabbed Lizzie and an all-out tickle fest ensued.

“I give up,” said Trixie. She glanced at the clock and realized it was after 7:00 in the morning. “We’ve got to get going. You’ve got school and your dad and I have an important appointment.”

All four of them got off of the bed. Jim headed for the master bathroom as Trixie pushed the kids out of the room and towards their own.

“Mom, can I ask you something?” Matt inquired.

“Sure, anything. Like I said last night I won’t lie to you but I may not know the answer.”

“Are you scared?”

Trixie swallowed and thought hard about how she would answer that question. “The easy answer is yes. It’s more than that though. It’s fear of the unknown. Hopefully, we will all know more later today.”

Trixie wrapped her arms around both kids and kissed each of their heads. “Now let’s get going. We need to get dressed and I have to call the bus company and let them know we’ll be bringing you in to school today.”

Matt and Lizzie, along with the rest of the school aged Belden grandchildren, all attended Sleepyside public schools. When it came time to send Matt to school, Trixie and Jim thought long and hard about whether to send them to the public schools or enroll them at Ten Acres Academy. Since Di, Mart and Jim all taught at the Academy and Brian was the school doctor they felt if their kids attended the Academy the other students may feel like they would have to compete for their teachers’ attention. Even though they didn’t attend classes at the Academy, they all spent time with the students there. Lasting friendships were being made.

After the kids had left the room Trixie headed to the bathroom with the hopes of taking a quick shower. She looked at herself in the mirror and groaned. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Her shoulder length curls were a tangled mess. And her cheeks were mottled. “I look like death warmed over,” she moaned.

Jim had just stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked behind Trixie and wrapped his arms around her pulling her into his damp, supple chest. “You look beautiful to me.”

“You need to have your eyes tested and I need to get moving.”

Trixie wasn’t quite sure how they pulled it off but in less than a half an hour everyone was dressed, fed breakfast and loaded in the car. She had even taken extra time to apply a little more make up than usual to try to make herself more presentable.

When they arrived at Park View Elementary School Trixie and Jim walked both kids to their classrooms. They briefly told their teachers what was going on in case any issues arose during the day.

They quickly left and headed over to the clinic. They met up with Brian as they walked into Dr. Weber’s reception area. Brian greeted Jim with their usual hand shake embrace. He turned and embraced Trixie. “How are you doing this morning?”

“It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do,” Trixie replied. “I don’t feel as much despair.” She managed a weak smile.

A nurse appeared and announced Trixie’s name. “I guess that’s us. Let’s get on with this.” Trixie said.

For over an hour, the three of them met with Dr. Weber. He explained how he would like to approach treatment. A lumpectomy would be performed within the next few weeks. Shortly after that there would be four three-week courses of chemotherapy followed by five weeks of radiation therapy. If no cancer cells were found after that there would then be routine follow-ups - every three months the first year, then tapering off to every six months.

Jim and Trixie asked lots of questions. Brian sat back and mostly observed and took notes for future reference. When he sensed that Jim or Trixie didn’t quite grasp the meaning of something he would jump in and ask the appropriate question to clarify it.

“I’ve given you a lot to think about. However, I don’t want to wait too long before we make a decision. I’d like to see you again at the end of the week.” Dr. Weber concluded the meeting.

After making an appointment for Friday afternoon Jim, Trixie and Brian left Dr. Weber’s office.

“Brian, I know we’re going to have more questions later today after we process all that has transpired. Do you want to take Moms up on her offer and have dinner over there tonight? I know everyone is anxious to get all the gory details,” said Trixie.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I think my last appointment should be done by 3:30 today. Hopefully, I’ll get out of here by 4:30. I’ll try to touch base with Honey before lunch and let her know what’s happening.”

Jim and Trixie walked out of the clinic. The sun was shining and the air brisk. Trixie took in a deep breath. “Is it nap time yet? I feel exhausted already.”

“Why don’t I take you home so you can rest a little? I need to at least check in with the Academy,” Jim said as he climbed into the driver’s seat of Trixie’s Expedition. “How long do you think we can put the staff off before we need to tell them?”

“Do you think you can handle it yourself for right now? If you can, anytime you think is a good time is fine with me. I’m exhausted just thinking about all of the people that we need to tell. There’s your parents, Dan and Hallie, Bob and Tanya as well as Regan and Karla and the rest of your parent’s staff.”

“I don’t think we need to tell the school staff today. Before I tell them I want to make sure I have some sort of plan for telling the students shortly after that. I don’t want any of them to find out by overhearing a conversation between staff members.” Despite all that was happening Jim still was thinking about the well being of all of the students.

“Tomorrow’s Wednesday. Why don’t you call a staff meeting before school in the morning? You can tell them then and then call a student assembly to follow. I'll come over for that so we can tell the students together. That way they can see me and ask any questions they might have.”

Jim started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Where to now, my fair lady?”

Trixie looked at her watch. “I don’t suppose your dad’s at Manor House right now is he?”

“When I spoke with Mother yesterday morning she mentioned that Dad was flying in late last night from the West Coast. She had hoped he could work from home today so she could spend a little more time with him. He’s been gone so much trying to get that merger straightened out.”

After calling up to Manor House and confirming that both Matthew and Madeleine Wheeler were home, Jim made arrangements for him and Trixie to meet them there for lunch. After lunch, Jim would head over to the Academy and meet with Di and Mart and bring them up to date. He’d also try to get in touch with Dan and Bob and see if they could drive out to Crabapple Farm tonight for dinner. Trixie was going to head down to the farm to spend some time with Jenny and then try and rest a bit. Hopefully that would help the headache she felt coming on.

Lunch at Manor House was not the formal affair that it usually was. Knowing Trixie and Jim had something important to discuss, Celia set up a sandwich buffet in the library where the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

“So, Jim,” started his father. “What’s the big news that couldn’t wait until tomorrow? Trixie got you and the Academy involved in one of her mysteries?” Matthew Wheeler laughed at his attempted joke. He stopped short when he looked up and into Jim’s eyes and saw the pain.

Sensing something was wrong, Madeleine Wheeler asked, “Is something wrong with Lizzie? Has she grown out of her mid-face advancement already?”

“No, Maddie. For once Lizzie is not the one who’s sick,” started Trixie. After taking a deep breath she continued. “Last month I found a lump in my breast. It’s malignant.”

Maddie and Matt got up, walked over to Jim and Trixie and gave them each a huge hug. “What can we do?” asked Matt. “If it’s possible, I will make it happen.”

“Right now prayers would be nice. You know how much I’ve come to believe in them since Lizzie’s diagnosis. We just got back from seeing Dr. Weber and he seems pretty positive about the whole thing.” Trixie sighed. “It’s going to be a long year.”

“Well, if you want to go and get a second opinion, the plane is at your disposal. I want only the best for you two,” Matthew Wheeler was doing what he knew best, taking charge of the situation.

“Wait a minute, Dad. We haven’t even thought of a second opinion. Let’s not rush into anything blindly,” Jim knew that if he didn’t nip that in the bud his father would take charge of everything. Trixie needed to be the one who was calling the shots.

Jim and Trixie explained the details of the care plan and how helpful Brian had been. They talked for a few more minutes and then invited them down to Crabapple Farm later in the evening. Matt and Maddie had plans to meet with one of Matt’s most important clients in the city for dinner. Without hesitation he offered to cancel so he could be with his son and daughter-in-law. Jim encouraged them to attend the meeting and he would call them later in the evening.

Shortly after that, Jim and Trixie left. After dropping her off at Crabapple Farm, Jim headed over to the Academy. He pulled the Expedition into his parking space and sat in the car looking off into space. He thought over the events of the past twenty four hours and how Trixie had gone from a total basket case to the one who was the most in control. He hoped she could remain that strong because honestly, he didn’t know how he could.

Six years ago, when he and Trixie had faced everything that Lizzie would have to go through, he thought nothing could be as trying as that, but this seemed ten times worse. Trixie’s optimism had gotten him through the worst days. He couldn’t expect that she would be optimistic every day. Taking a deep breath, and summoning all of the strength and knowledge he had gained through all of his life experiences, he got out of the car and headed toward his office.

As he entered the office, Brenda barely glanced up and in her typically efficient manner started to review Jim’s messages. “Dr. Sullivan from the Department of Public Instruction called. They have received your grant application and everything is in order. The Department of Health and Family Services called and wants to know if we can take on an emergency student.” Brenda looked up again from her notes as Jim crossed to his office. One good look at his slumped shoulders and the despair in his eyes and she stopped mid-sentence.

“Jim, what’s the matter?”

Jim beckoned her into his office and asked Brenda to shut the door.

“Please arrange an emergency staff meeting first thing tomorrow morning to be followed by a mandatory student assembly before school starts. But first see if Roger and Charles are available. If they are, ask them to go watch over Mart’s and Di’s classrooms so I can meet with them here.”

Ever efficient, Brenda started toward the door so she could complete the tasks. She knew there was more to this story, but realized Jim would tell her when he was ready. As she reached to open the door Jim said, “When Mart and Di arrive, send them in and I’d like you to join us. Hold all of my calls unless it’s Trixie, a Belden, or a Bob-White.”

“That reminds me,” Brenda said. “Dan Mangan called. He said to call when you had a free moment.”

Jim sighed. He knew that Dan needed to be told. He wasn’t quite sure how Dan would handle this. Since he’d returned from Iraq, Dan had been rather withdrawn. Jim knew that Dan and Hallie were going through trying times as they tried to find their way after being separated for almost 18 months.

“I’d better call him while you round up Mart and Di.”

Brenda left to find the Beldens while Jim reached for the phone. He dialed Dan’s cell phone hoping he was not on duty.

“Detective Mangan here.” Dan’s voice came over the phone.

“Dan. It’s Jim. Did Brian get a hold of you?” Jim leaned back into his chair and resisted the urge to put his feet on the desk.

“No, I was calling to see if you were available for lunch later in the week. We haven’t really sat down and talked since I got back to the States.” Dan and Jim had a special bond that the rest of the Bob-Whites respected but didn’t quite comprehend. They both had been orphaned by the time they were teenagers and had been physically and mentally abused. They had spent many hours over the years working through their insecurities and losses. Jim could discuss things with Dan that he could never discuss with Trixie or Brian. The amazing thing was that Brian understood this and never resented it. It had taken Trixie a longer time to get to that point.

Jim took a deep breath. “It doesn’t look like this week will be good. Brian was going to try and contact you to see if you and Hallie could make it out to Crabapple Farm tonight for dinner. Something’s come up.”

Even over the phone Dan could hear the despair in Jim’s voice. Dan knew the quickest way to get an answer out of Jim was to be straight-forward. “Spill it Frayne. What’s wrong?”

“Trixie found a lump in her breast and it’s malignant.” No sugar coating just straight-forward that’s the way it was between Dan and Jim.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Finally Jim heard, “I’m so sorry.”

Those three words said more than most of the platitudes Jim had heard over the last day. Jim knew the sincerity behind them.

“We found out yesterday. Last night was pretty rough. We’re meeting at the farm this evening to fill everyone in. I hope you and Hallie can make it.”

“I don’t dare speak for Hallie. Lately, it seems like if I plan anything, she has an excuse to not go. I know it was difficult while I was deployed and she had to take on so many more responsibilities but it’s as if I don’t know her anymore.”

“Dan, now it’s my turn to say I’m sorry. Once things settle down a little we will get together to commiserate over lunch.”

There was a knock on the door. Jim motioned Di, Mart and Brenda in.

“I’ve gotta go Dan. We’ll look forward to seeing you, at least, for dinner.” They rang off as the three sat down.

“Please sit down. This could take awhile,” started Jim. He stood up and went over to the small refrigerator that was tastefully disguised along the wall of bookshelves on one side of the office. He took out a bottle of water for himself and Diana, handed a Coke to Mart, and poured a glass of iced tea for Brenda. Knowing Mart’s penchant for food Jim pulled out a jar of mixed nuts left over from Christmas and some napkins.

“I’ve called you together because a personal matter arose yesterday that will affect how I will be handling the school for the next year or so. Mart and Di know what is going on. Brenda, Trixie found a lump her breast last month and yesterday found out it is malignant.”

Only those with the keenest eyes would have noticed the look of surprise on Brenda’s face. To those who only knew her professionally, Brenda was a no-nonsense person who ran Jim’s office like a tight ship. Underneath that professional exterior was a very kind-hearted person. It was that mix of personality that made her perfect for the job she did.

Jim, Mart, Di and Brenda spent the next couple hours making arrangements and discussing how they would handle tomorrow’s activities. They made arrangements for the staff meeting and assembly tomorrow as well as contacted the school psychologist. When Jim looked at his watch he was surprised to see it was 3:15.

“Oh, look at the time. I’ve gotta get home and meet Matt and Lizzie. Brenda, I’ll see you tomorrow morning at 6:45 and I’ll see you two in a little bit down at the farm.” Jim grabbed his coat and left.

Chapter Seven

When Trixie arrived at Crabapple farm, Moms was just sitting down with Jenny to eat lunch. Moms stopped what she was doing and just wrapped her arms around her daughter. If she had the power, Moms would take on the burden that had been placed on Trixie’s shoulders. Moms’ eyes sparkled a little with unshed tears. She quickly brushed them away.

Trixie felt a tug at her pant leg, “Mommy, I missed you.” Jenny said. Her blue eyes peeking up through russet curls matched the two sets of blue eyes looking down on her.

Trixie bent down and picked up Jenny and gave her a bear hug. “I missed you, too. Have you been having fun with Grandmoms today?”

Over lunch, Jenny told her mom about helping her grandma get the hamburgers ready and making chocolate cake for tonight. She told how she helped dry the dishes and pick up the toys that she had taken out.

“Did she holp like Bobby used to do, Moms?” Trixie’s eyes twinkled at the remembrance of how often Bobby’s “holping” made twice as much work for everyone involved.

“No, Jenny really is a great help. It must be the Frayne gene.” Moms winked at Trixie.

After some cajoling Trixie convinced Jenny she should take a nap. Then she sat down with Moms and explained all that had happened over the last day. They both tried to put up a good front for the other one, but when Trixie started to talk about the care plan her resolve faltered along with Moms’. So they talked, consoled, cried, and even shouted words of anger at no one in particular. When they were done they both felt ready to fight this nightmare head on.

“Moms, I’m going upstairs to lie down for a little bit. I’m so exhausted and I know I’m going to need my wits about me this evening. I’m worried about how Bob’s going to take this.”

Moms walked with Trixie to the stairs. “Don’t sell Bob short. You still think of him as a six-year old and he will be twenty-nine this year. You rest and I’ll come wake you around 3:30. That will give you time to run to the bus stop to meet Matt and Lizzie if you want.”

Feeling the need to be close to a loved one Trixie went up to her old bedroom and climbed into the bed next to Jenny. It didn’t take long for Trixie to fall asleep. While Trixie loved the home that she and Jim built, there was no place like Crabapple Farm. In her old bedroom, Trixie felt safe, just as she had all those years ago. Whenever she and Honey, along with the rest of the Bob-Whites, returned from one of their adventures it wasn’t until she was back in her own bed that she truly felt she was safe.

Trixie slept until she felt a little hand patting her hair. “Mommy, I have to go potty.”

Slowly Trixie woke up and it registered what Jenny was saying. She and Jim, along with the daycare, had been trying to potty train Jenny for a couple of weeks. “Well, let’s go then.” Jenny jumped off the bed and Trixie went to stand up. Unfortunately her leg had fallen asleep and as she stood it gave out. With her usual grace, she went crashing to the floor.

“Jenny, can you get to the potty by yourself? Mommy’s legs are still asleep.”

Trixie heard what sounded like a herd of horses coming up the stairs. She knew it couldn’t be Moms because no matter what the emergency she never made that much noise on the stairs. The door flew open and Jim was standing in the doorway. He rushed over to Trixie and bent down to rescue her. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

“Oh, my foot fell asleep and I tried to stand without waking it up. Jenny told me she needed to go potty,” Trixie replied. Jim suddenly realized the importance of that statement. “Could you please help her while I get my sorry butt off the floor?” she continued.

Jim scooped Jenny off the floor and carried her to the bathroom to do her duty. He was careful not to tickle her like he normally would. After Jenny was done he exchanged her pull-up for her brand-new Dora the Explorer underpants. Jenny took off downstairs to see her brother and sister while Jim went to check on Trixie.

He found Trixie just about where he had left her. She was still on the floor but she had swung around and had her back leaning against the bed. Her head was flung back against the mattress and her eyes were closed. Jim quietly sat down next to her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he said.

“I was just thinking about how much growing up Jenny will do in the next year. For that matter, Matt and Lizzie as well. I hope I will be able to remember the important events at least. I’m afraid while I go through all of this I won’t be in any shape to enjoy all of those milestones.”

“If it’s important to you we will find a way to preserve those memories so you can add them at a later date.”

Trixie just sat there for awhile. Then it suddenly dawned on her. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you still be up at the Academy?”

“My meeting with Mart, Di, and Brenda got done in time for me to meet Matt and Lizzie at the bus stop. I called Moms to see how things were going. She said you were sleeping soundly so I told her not to wake you up.” Jim reached over and tugged at his favorite curl.

“So where are the kids now? It’s much too quiet.”

“I told Matt and Lizzie they needed to finish their homework right away. When they heard that not only Mickey and Stella would be here today, but Alex, Tommy, Jill and Jody as well I didn’t get much argument.”

Alex, Tommy, Jill and Jody were Mart and Di’s kids. Alex was the oldest of the Belden grandchildren. He was a year ahead of Matt and Mickey in school. Tommy was a couple of months older than Matt and was in the same class. The twins, Jill and Jody, were a month older than Lizzie.

Just then they heard Matt cry out. “Jenny, give me back my book. I need to get this finished.” When it came to homework, Matt took after both his dad and his uncle Brian. He was always quick to get it done without any complaints and usually without any mistakes.

Lizzie on the other hand was more like her mother. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the work. It was that she just didn’t want to sit down and do it. No amount of reasoning would convince Lizzie that if she just took the time to do it right the first time, without all the moaning and whining, she would have much more time to play. There were many days that Trixie’s patience was stretched to the max. On those days Jim usually had to leave the room for fear that Trixie would see the gleam in his eye. In Jim’s mind, it was just reward for all of the frustration he had gone through trying to help Trixie with her schoolwork in high school.

“It looks like we better go rescue Matt. I’d like to talk to them before everyone converges here and I want to hear about your meeting with Di, Mart and Brenda.”

When Jim and Trixie walked into the kitchen they saw that Moms had given Jenny the job of putting napkins on the table. Matt had just finished up with his homework. Lizzie was still finishing up her reading for the night.

Jim and Trixie took the three children into the family room and sat them down. They carefully explained that their mother would be having surgery in the next couple of weeks. After that, she would start having a treatment that might make her very sick. They explained that there might be times when Mommy wouldn’t be able to attend school functions or play outside but it wasn’t that she didn’t want to participate. Lizzie and Matt asked a few thoughtful questions that were answered as well as their parents knew how.

Jim and Trixie were just walking into the kitchen when Bob and Tanya walked in. Bob had picked up his goddaughter Jenny and was attacking her neck with kisses sending Jenny into a fit of the giggles. Jenny had two godfathers, Bob and Dan, as well as Hallie for a godmother.

Bob, not knowing all that had transpired in the last twenty four hours, teased Trixie. “So what’s the big reason for the family meeting? Did your detective agency find another arms smuggling ring?”

“If only it were so simple. Come into the living room and I’ll explain it all to you. Jim, would you please bring Tanya up to date?” Trixie suddenly felt it was important to tell Bob herself. All of the years of taking care of Bob while her mother was busy with other chores had led them to encourage each other to pursue their dreams and had created a special bond between the youngest Belden siblings.

Trixie was coming to terms with her cancer, so it was much easier to explain to Bob everything without breaking down. Bob was in shock and didn’t know what to say. Trixie gave him a big hug and told him. “Knowing you are in my corner is enough. Just don’t ignore me, okay? If you don’t know what to say you can always pray.”

Trixie and Bob walked back into the kitchen arm in arm. Bob had grown into a handsome man who towered over all of his siblings. He kept his hair trimmed short, though not as short as the buzz cut Mart used to wear, to keep his curly hair under control.

Mart and Diana, with their four kids, had just entered the kitchen from the porch. When Matt and Lizzie saw Alex, Tommy, Jill, and Jody, bedlam reigned. Shortly after that, Honey and Brian arrived with Mickey and Stella in tow. Brian glanced over at Trixie to see how she was doing. The twinkle hadn’t returned completely to her eyes but there was a spark when Trixie grinned at him and winked.

Moms had just gotten the kids rounded up and all of the jackets put in her bedroom when Dan and Hallie walked in. Despite the issues the two of them had been dealing with lately there was no place either one of them wanted to be tonight but at Crabapple Farm with their family.

Hallie immediately walked over to Trixie and gave her a big hug.

“Trix, I’m so sorry. I’m here for you. Just let me know what I can do?”

Dan stood right behind Hallie. As Trixie left Hallie’s embrace and walked into Dan’s she looked in his eyes and lost it again. Except for Honey, Dan had always been her biggest supporter. When they were growing up, Jim and Brian were always cautioning their wives about getting into trouble and giving them a hard time about their chosen careers. Dan was always the one who encouraged them to follow their dreams. It had taken a while, but both Jim and Brian had realized that their wives were very good at their chosen careers. The fact that most of the cases Trixie and Honey worked on were not as dangerous as some of the adventures that experienced in their youth helped also. Or maybe it was because two very competent and trained detectives ran the Frayne-Wheeler Detective Agency.

“It’s going to be okay,” Dan started. “We’ll all be here for you and the kids.”

Trixie drew strength from Dan’s encouragement. After a few minutes she stepped back and wiped her eyes. Moms started to shoo everyone out of the kitchen so she could make the final preparations for dinner. Peter Belden walked in the door. He put down his briefcase and went over to embrace Trixie. Everyone cleared out of the kitchen so that Trixie could have a private moment with her parents. She quickly brought her dad up to date so that later they could all discuss the details of Trixie’s treatment plan.

Peter looked Trixie in the eye and said, “You know that if there is anything I can do I’ll move mountains to do it.” Trixie nodded and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I don’t know about you but I am starved. What needs to be done, Moms?” asked Trixie.

Moms tried to push Trixie out of the kitchen but Trixie would hear nothing of that. “Moms, how many years have I helped you get dinner on the table? Don’t start mollycoddling me now.”

Like they had done for the past twenty plus years, the Bob-Whites and their families all helped get the meal on the table. Brian and Jim grabbed the hamburgers and hot dogs and headed to the patio to light the gas grill. Diana and Tanya went into the family room to keep the chaos of nine children under control. Honey put the finishing touches on the salad Moms had started earlier. Dan and Bob finished setting the tables and counted to make sure there were enough chairs. Trixie pulled the potato salad out of the refrigerator along with all of the condiments and Mart “guarded” the chocolate cake.

Anyone walking into the Belden kitchen at that time would never have suspected the trauma the family had experienced over the past day and a half. Everyone was talking and having a good time. The only difference between now and twenty years before is that Reddy, the Belden’s untrainable Irish setter, was no longer around to add to the chaos.

Everyone served themselves and found a place to sit down. The kids sat in the family room with their grandpa, using the TV trays. Trixie ended up sitting between Mart and Dan. All through dinner Mart kept trying to eat the food off of Trixie’s plate.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Trixie complained. “There’s plenty of food. Will you quit eating mine?” Trixie slapped Mart’s hand.

“Ouch, that hurt,” Mart complained.

“You’ll hurt even more if you don’t keep your dirty paws off of MY food,” Trixie warned.

Conversation was light hearted throughout the meal. Brian and Dan compared notes on the new Mustang convertible. Hallie and Honey were discussing the latest case the agency had been working on. Jim and Di discussed the upcoming play at the Academy. Mart pointed out the finer points of childbirth to Bob and Tanya. Trixie sat back and took it all in. The only thing that wasn’t discussed was Trixie’s cancer.

After the chocolate cake and coffee were served, the adults gathered in the living room. Diana and Tanya sat on the love seat with their spouses sitting on the arm next to them. Brian and Honey sat with his parents on the sofa. Dan pulled a chair in from the kitchen for him and for Hallie. Hallie elected to stand in the doorway so she could keep an eye on the kids and deal with any issues that arose. Trixie and Jim sat on the floor leaning against the sofa where Trixie always felt most comfortable.

Trixie brought everyone up to date on what had transpired today. Then bedlam broke out as everyone tried to speak at once. Some offered opinions, others had questions but no one could hear anyone else. Finally Jim put his fingers to his lips and whistled, bob, bob-white. The silence was immediate.

Trixie took control of the room once again. “Brian,” she began. “I know you have said that Dr. Weber is the best. What do you think about getting a second opinion?”

“Well, I know some doctors’ egos get in the way when someone asks for a second opinion but I don’t see any harm in asking for one. Just be careful that you are listening to what the doctors are telling you and not what you want to hear.”

“I really like Dr. Weber a lot. I just would feel more comfortable getting a second opinion. I know this isn’t your specialty, but where would you go for one?” Trixie leaned back against Jim’s chest needing to feel his physical support.

“Well, you remember my old med school roommate Paul Jacobs? He’s an oncologist on staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Not only does he treat various cancers, he is doing research on breast cancer treatments. Why don’t I give him a call and see if he can help out?”

“That sounds great but the thought of traveling halfway across the country for a second opinion seems a little bit much to me. I just don’t know if I’m up to dealing with airports and all of those travelers.”

Although Jim generally did not like to use his parent’s wealth, he turned to Trixie and said, “You know dad’s jet will be at your beck and call. He and Mother want to help out in any way they can. Remember he said he will do whatever you want him to do.”

“Let me talk to Paul. He may be able to just look at Trixie’s records and give an opinion. Why don’t I try and get a hold of him now?” Brian said. “He mentioned in his Christmas card that in February he was presenting a paper at an international conference on breast cancer research in Geneva, Switzerland. He’s planning on taking his wife and kids and making it a business pleasure trip.”

Brian went into the kitchen to place the necessary phone call. While he was away the rest worked out a plan that would least disrupt the Frayne children no matter what direction Trixie took in her care.

There was a discussion over who would take care of the kids. Jim had insisted that they should stay at home where they would be most comfortable and where he would be at night. Matt and Lizzie would be in school all day and Jenny would attend daycare. Knowing the trauma of Trixie being ill would take its toll on the children, Jim wanted the least amount of disruption to his children’s daily routine. Everyone else would pitch in to make sure someone was there to get the kids on the bus and meet them after school.

Someone had suggested setting up a schedule to bring food over to the house. Trixie hesitated because she didn’t want to put anybody out. “I can just buy a bunch of frozen dinners. It won’t be a problem,” she said.

Moms’s mouth dropped and then she said, “Trixie Frayne, you are not going to serve my grandchildren frozen meals for weeks on end!” Moms realized that with Trixie and Jim’s busy schedules they didn’t always have time to cook “from scratch”, but she put her foot down on this one. “Why don’t we have a meal prep day?”

“That’s a great idea, Moms” said Honey. “We could prepare a bunch of meals that can easily be frozen. That way they can be used when Trixie and Jim don’t feel like cooking.”

Within a few minutes the group had put the plan into action. Moms also had a private word with Honey about setting up a regular food schedule should Trixie and Jim need one.

By the time the project was organized, Brian had returned to the group. “Paul would be more than happy to look at your files but would really like to see you as well. He did say that he’s pretty booked next week and then he’s leaving for Switzerland. He had an opening for Thursday afternoon so I tentatively booked it for you.”

A call back to the Wheelers indicated that their plane would be available to leave the next afternoon and return to New York Thursday after their appointment was complete. Trixie wanted Brian and Honey to come along with her and Jim. Since his day off was Thursday, Brian thought he could re-arrange his appointments on Wednesday so they could leave in the early afternoon. That would give Trixie and Jim time to go over to the Academy in the morning and meet with the staff and the students. Trixie would call Dr. Weber first thing in the morning to make arrangements to get copies of her records to take with her. Moms and Dad would take Matt and Mickey, Lizzie would go to Mart and Di’s, Tanya would drive over and pick up Stella after work on Wednesday and Hallie volunteered to take care of Jenny.

With everything settled and a look at the clock that said it was almost nine o’clock, the group broke up and headed for their homes. Jim promised to keep everyone up to date. The group tentatively planned on meeting on Saturday to assemble the food.

After Jim and Trixie had gotten their kids into bed, Jim had figured Trixie would crash as well. That was not the case. She started running around the house pulling clothes out of her drawers. Then running into the kids’ rooms and pulling clothes out of their drawers. Jim finally pulled Trixie into his arms and said, “Slow down a minute. What are you trying to do?”

“Jim, let me go. I’ve got so much to get done before tomorrow morning. I need to get everyone’s clothes packed. Write notes to the teachers. Check my Outlook at work to see what’s on my calendar. Call your parents…”

“Whoa, there. Let’s just take a second to make a list of everything that needs to be done. Then I’ll help you so that we can get to bed at a reasonable hour,” suggested Jim.

Even after ten years of living with Trixie, Jim still had this need to make lists and be very organized no matter what he was doing. Normally, Trixie would give him a hard time about being so anal but tonight she recognized that it would help get everything done in a timely manner. With a list in hand and duties divided up the two of them made quick work of getting everything done so that the next day would run smoother. Within an hour they were in their bedroom suite getting ready for bed.

When Jim came out of the bathroom he spotted Trixie laying on the bed in the negligee she had worn on their wedding night. She took great pride in the fact that after ten years of marriage and three kids it still fit her. Every year on their anniversary in July she wore it. Jim clad in his boxers lay down next to her.

“What’s this all about?” he asked waggling his eyebrows.

“I need to feel alive. Will you please make love to me?”

No answer was needed as Jim took Trixie in his arms and tenderly made love to her.

 

 

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