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 Thirty-two

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

It had been a very hectic week. On the home front, Trixie had been running around getting ready for Lizzie’s birthday party. Thank goodness Moms had helped last weekend by getting the invitations written and addressed as well as helping Lizzie choose a theme for the party.

Lizzie had insisted on a princess party, but along with a princess, she wanted a prince. That prince was Dan. Fortunately, Dan had been genuinely enthusiastic when Trixie had approached him about it. So Dan and ten first graders would be having a princess party. Hallie had volunteered to come and help with the party. In true Bob-White fashion, Honey had volunteered to watch Jenny, and Diana and Mart offered to take Matt, Mickey, Alex, and Tommy roller skating.

By Wednesday, Trixie wondered if she would make it. Work had been hectic. Now that Dan had accepted the partnership and handed in his resignation to Captain Molinson, she felt that they had to find a place to relocate as soon as possible. Since she didn’t want to start any heavy duty investigation with her chemotherapy looming the next week, it was a good task for her to do. She treated the task as if she was tracking down a hardened criminal and she left no stone, or empty office space, unturned.

When she walked into the house on Thursday evening, she could hardly keep her eyes open. She had visited four potential office spaces, helped Honey do some internet research on a case, met with Captain Molinson, Dan, and Honey to go over their final report on the McDaniels’ case, and then gone grocery shopping before picking Jenny up at the daycare.

Jim was home by the time Trixie walked in the door. One look at his exhausted wife, and he took the bag of groceries out of her arms, placed it on the table, and helped Jenny get out of her coat.

“You look exhausted,” he said enveloping her in his arms and placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Why don’t you go and lie down while I get the groceries put away and dinner on the table?”

Trixie reached up, placed a kiss on Jim’s lips and said a heartfelt, “thanks” before dropping her coat on the floor and heading to the den.

Jim chuckled at Trixie dropping her coat on the floor. He bent down, picked it up and hung it in the closet. Then he went about putting the groceries away and preparing dinner.

An hour later the phone rang and Trixie started to stir just as Jim came into the den. “Your brother’s on the phone,” he said after handing it to her.

Immediately, Trixie knew it was Brian. He had this uncanny ability to know when she was not feeling well or was wearing herself out. Or maybe he had a wife who put her well-honed observation skills to work. “Hi, Brian. There’s no need for you to worry. I’m doing fine,” she said stifling a yawn.

“This is not your brother, Brian,” the other end of the phone replied.

“Bobby!” Trixie said, intentionally calling him by the name he went by for years.

“I’m sorry but there is no Bobby at this household… yet” said Bob. Trixie could almost see the twinkle in her youngest brother’s eyes.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” she said with a smile in her voice. “Because if you are, you’re going to have to spell it out for me because I’m exhausted and don’t have the strength to try to figure anything out.”

Taking her literally, Bob started to spell, “W-e...a-r-e...a-t..”

“Oh, cut it out, Bobby,” she insisted. “And just tell me what’s going on. Is everything okay with Tanya?” She had finally completely woken up and her well-known curiosity and impatience were in high gear.

Bob laughed and said, “I guess everything is okay for now. The doctor just gave Tanya some fentanyl so she’s feeling no pain.”

It didn’t take Trixie two seconds to figure out what Bob was telling her. Fentanyl had become her best friend when she had been in labor with all three of her kids. It was particularly a lifesaver with Lizzie as she had had very bad back labor. With Lizzie’s skull partially fused it made getting through the birth canal extremely painful. “You’re having a baby,” she said.

Bob laughed again, “Well, I suppose you could say that but I would guess Tanya would argue that she’s the one that is having it. We’ve been here for about two hours.”

“How are you doing?” she asked. “Do you want me to come over and sit with you?”

“No, we really don’t want anyone here right now,” Bobby said truthfully. “Tanya’s mom kept insisting that she be here for her ‘little girl’. She was almost hysterical when she hung up the phone after telling her mother we were heading to the hospital. Gladys kept insisting that she needed to be in the room when the baby was born.”

“I’m so proud of Tanya,” he continued. “She stuck to her guns. Dr. Jackman has run into this situation before. He gave orders for no visitors except me until after the birth.”

“I completely understand, Bob,” Trixie said. “I didn’t want anyone but Jim and the medical staff in the delivery room either. It’s such a personal experience that should be shared with the two parents.”

“Well, I’ve gotta go. I need to call Brian and Mart yet. Tanya’s contractions are about four minutes apart. It could be a little while or it could be a long night,” Bob said.

“We’ll be praying for a quick and routine delivery,” Trixie said. “Lizzie will be happy for another cousin, but relieved she won’t have to share her birthday with the baby.”

Bobby chuckled. “That’s so Lizzie. Well, I’d better go. If I don’t, I’ll still be making calls when the baby comes out.”

Trixie hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen. Jim, Matt and Lizzie were just putting the food on the table for dinner. “Well, Bobby and Tanya are at the hospital getting ready to have a baby.”

Lizzie let out a squeal. “I’m gonna be a cousin! I’m gonna be a cousin!” she said. “Can we go to the hospital after supper to see the new baby?”

Jim placed his hands on Lizzie’s shoulders as if to keep her from bouncing off of the ceiling. “I don’t think they’ve had the baby yet, sweetie,” he said. “When Uncle Bob calls with the news, we can ask them when would be a good time to come and visit them. Having a baby is a lot of work.”

The evening seemed to drag on. Everyone in the Frayne household waited for news from the hospital. Lizzie and Matt finished up their homework while Jim cleaned up the kitchen and placed the dishes in the dishwasher. Trixie sat with Lizzie helping study her weekly spelling words.

Every few minutes, Lizzie would ask, “How many more hours until we know?”

Trixie displayed a patience that she hadn’t possessed in high school and gently repeated, “I have no idea when it will be. We’ll just have to wait until Uncle Bobby or Aunt Tanya calls.”

When all of the homework was done, the entire family retired to the den. Matt was reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, so he sat in the window seat and tuned out the rest of the family. Jenny and her father played with a set of sewing cards her aunt Honey had given her for Christmas. Trixie tried various ways to keep her impatient daughter occupied. They started out working on a jigsaw puzzle and then switched to putting together party favors for her birthday party. For a few minutes, Lizzie was able to take her mind off of her soon-to-be new cousin.

At eight o’clock Jim announced, “Come on kids, it’s time to get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a big day.” He bent down to pick up a squirmy Jenny and started to head toward the stairs.

“Do we have to go to bed right now?” Lizzie whined. “I want to wait until we hear from Uncle Bobby. Please, Mom, please.”

Trixie was inclined to let the kids stay up, but she knew that she would pay for it in the morning when Lizzie and Jenny would be difficult to get up and going. Matt was not a problem. He would probably try to read when he went to bed, but would not last for ten minutes. If he wasn’t engrossed in a book, he often would head to bed before he was told to.

“Sorry, kids,” she said, supporting her husband. “Tomorrow is a school day. And on Friday, you’ve got your birthday party after school. You don’t want to be crabby for that.” Trixie stood up and started to head for the stairs as well. She still was tired but felt it was important to tuck her children in at night.

Just as she started up the stairs, the phone rang. Lizzie started to run to answer it. “Elizabeth Helen Frayne,” her mother said in a firm but quiet voice. “I will answer the phone. You will go up stairs and get ready for bed.” Trixie pointed her finger toward the stairs as she headed toward the phone.

“Hello, Fraynes’,” Trixie said. She was just as excited as Lizzie was to find out how things were going at the hospital.

“Hey, Trixie,” Bob said. “Just wanted to let you know you are an aunt for the seventh time.”

“Congratulations!” Trixie exclaimed. She sat down on the chair next to the phone. “I want all of the details.”

Trixie could hear the excitement in his voice as he spoke. “Peter Robert Belden was born at 8:05 p.m. He’s twenty inches long and weighs seven pounds eight ounces.”

“I can’t believe little Bobby Belden is a dad,” Trixie said. “It seems like yesterday I was reading Peter Rabbit to you a bazillion times.”

“Oh, Trixie. I just can’t believe it. He’s so tiny. He has curly blond hair and bluish eyes but his mouth is heart-shaped like Tanya’s.” Bob went on to describe his newborn son’s ten fingers and ten toes and the wonder of cutting the umbilical cord.

Finally, Trixie interrupted him. “And how is the new mother doing?” she asked.

“Tanya did wonderfully. She’s pretty exhausted, but she didn’t have to push very long. She sends her love.”

They spoke for a few more minutes when Trixie spotted Lizzie creeping down the steps. “I’ve gotta go,” she said. “Someone’s little ears are anxious to hear my news and I bet you have a few more phone calls to make before the night is over. I’ll call you tomorrow and see how things are going. I’d love to see little Peter sometime before Monday, but I’ll leave that up to you.”

The two siblings said their final good-byes and hung up. Lizzie had made her way down the stairs by the time Trixie stood up to head up to tuck the kids. “Why aren’t you in bed, Miss Lizzie?” she asked.

“Oh, Mom,” Lizzie wailed. “I’ll just die if I don’t find out what Uncle Bob and Aunt Tanya had!”

Trixie heard a chuckle and looked up to see Jim standing at the top of the stairs.

“If she isn’t her mother’s daughter,” he said.

“If you died every time you said you would,” Trixie said, imitating Moms. “You would have to be a cat with nine lives to make it through one day.”

Lizzie stomped her foot and started to march back up the stairs.

“Wait a minute,” her mother said as she grabbed at her daughters hand. “Let’s go find Matt and I’ll tell you the news.”

When Jim, Lizzie and Trixie got to Matt’s room his light was turned out and there was no visible sign of him anywhere except for a lump in his bed and a faint glow coming from under his covers. After turning the light on, Jim walked over and pulled the covers off of his son.

“How many times have I told you not to read under the covers? You have a reading light over your bed so you don’t have to get up and shut off the light,” Jim scolded.

“Sorry, Dad,” Matt replied. “It’s just when I get to a good part of a book, I like to read under the covers.”

Lizzie ran into the room and jumped on Matt’s bed. “Put down the book. Mom has some news,” she said. She started to bounce on the bed, but her father grabbed her and placed her on the floor.

“You know the rules about jumping on the bed,” he reminded her.

“But, Dad,” Lizzie whined again. “I’ll just…”

“I know, you’ll just die if you don’t find out the news,” her mother finished for her. “If you’ll sit still, I’ll tell all of you the news.”

Finally, Lizzie settled down and listened to what her mother had to say.

“Aunt Tanya and Uncle Bob had their baby,” Trixie said.

Lizzie started jump up and down again. “I’m a…,” she started to say. Then she looked at her dad. “What am I again?” she said.

“A dork,” Matt whispered under his breath. Jim glared at his son and Matt quickly took it back without any words exchanged between the father and son.

Patiently, Jim then replied, “You’re a cousin, Lizzie.”

“That’s right. I’m a cousin! I’m a cousin!” Lizzie shouted, running around the room.

Matt impatiently asked, “Would you PLEASE slow down Lizzie, so Mom can finish with the details?” He shut his book and placed it squarely on his nightstand equidistant from either side of the table as well as front to back.

Quickly, Trixie spoke hoping to finally get a word in edgewise, “Peter Robert Belden was born at a little after eight o’clock this evening. Mother and son are doing well.”

“Mom, why did they name the baby Peter Rabbit?” Lizzie asked.

Both Jim and Trixie tried to contain their laughter. “No, honey,” Jim explained. “Aunt Tanya and Uncle Bob named him Peter Robert.”

Lizzie nodded in apparent understanding. She thought for a few minutes and then said, “Well, can we still get him the Peter Rabbit books?”

Trixie exclaimed, “That’s a perfectly perfect idea, Lizzie! When Uncle Bob was about your age I used to have to read him those books all of the time.”

The four of them discussed the new baby for a few more minutes. It took a while for Jim to convince Lizzie that they couldn’t just drop everything and go see the new baby “right now”. Trixie promised she would check with Uncle Bob tomorrow and see when it would be best to come and visit.

Jim took Lizzie by the hand and tucked her into bed and Trixie headed toward their bedroom. She could barely keep her eyes open as she changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed. When Jim walked in five minutes later, she was sound asleep. He chuckled as he bent down and picked up the clothes that lay on the floor right where Trixie had stepped out of them. After he removed his clothes and neatly folded them before putting them in the hamper, he crawled in bed with her, gently kissed his wife and went to sleep.

 

 

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