Patterns of eternity
Author's note: Whoa…I only uploaded one chapter and I already have five reviews! I feel blessed to have made the choice to go back into writing as I've read through every review each of you 5 wonderful people sent me. To all of you: I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My Dad is looking down at me and is cheering on me as I travel through life without him.
The world has changed
I, Piper Halliwell, mother of three gorgeous kids, two boys Wyatt and Christopher and one girl Prudence Melinda who goes by her middle name. Finally, I am the wife of the most handsome husband Leo, was diagnosed with cancer on December 7th 2023 at 09:09am and since then life just changed. Leo needs all the support he can get as he will be running the restaurant during my absence. I made the decision to go on leave after receiving the news at the hospital. It is not yet known how bad it is until December 14th and it scares me half to death. I spent all day at the hospital where they performed a CT scan to be able to see every blood vessel to check the stage of cancer. I've always been strong but this is something I can't handle. I sent Leo to call the kids while more tests were done. He wanted to hold off with it while I wanted them to know what was going on. They are aware that I have been going for tests and they have known for a while that something is wrong so I don't see why we shouldn't tell them. We're a family and it's important to stick together in a time like this. Leo was never able to break it to our kids. He couldn't get himself to say the word out loud – cancer; he just couldn't. I understand him completely. How do I break it to my kids that they might not have me in their lives in adulthood? How are they going to get through life without me when they've always come to me for help and words of advice if I die?
Chris later told me that he had been on his way to school when he was told; the train was just pulling up when he received the phone call from his Dad. Chris had already called the restaurant and found out both me and Leo had gone to the hospital which had worried him quite a bit and even more so when he learned the reason behind the trip to San Francisco Memorial. He had figured it out on his own by then – that I have cancer. My sweet boy canceled everything on his busy schedule to come stay with me and his siblings during this difficult time of our lives. So did my other kids. I had never imagined it would hit me...it always happens to the neighbor, right? I don't want to leave my kids behind while they're still young. Wyatt is 20 and Chris 19. My Melinda is only 16 years old.
Every acquaintance, every friend, every person who has a place in your heart; it's the time with them that really means something. Nothing else matters. So suddenly, everything became much clearer to me of where I need to leave foot prints in this life so I won't be forgotten when I leave this world behind forever. No matter what happens next.
FLASH-BACK
Melinda then aged four laughed loudly as she held onto her mother's leg, hiding from Tyler who was like a third big brother – the blond firestarter had since his first encounter with the Charmed Ones grown into a handsome man by now and he had kept in touch with Piper ever since she and her sisters saved him from becoming the source's right hand. He had willingly agreed to play hide and seek with the youngest member of the Wyatt family just for a little while. It had always been of importance to Piper that her kids had as much of a normal life as possible especially during their childhood. Hide and seek was Melinda's favorite game at the moment and as she loved spending time with everyone, she was on cloud number nine. "Don't worry, Mellie, I'll find you" Tyler sing-songed as he came bursting into the kitchen. He spotted Melinda behind Piper right away, but pretended not to have seen her. "I wonder where she is. Piper, you haven't by any chance seen Mellie, have you?" Piper shook her head no "Oh, I'll just have to keep looking then" he said as he looked around. Melinda giggled and let go of her mother, running towards Tyler "Booooo!" the girl screamed as Tyler turned around, she hugged him tightly as the 23 year old scooped her up in his arms with ease. "Again! Do it again, Tyler" Melinda cried enthusiastically, and waited for her friend to accept, only he didn't.
"No, Mel, I gotta relax. I'll play with you later, deal?" Mel's face fell and she looked sad "But I wanted to play with you now" Tyler shrugged and let go of Melinda gently "Well I'm tired" and when Melinda spoke up again, she was stopped by their mother, who stepped in to give Tyler a break from another round of 'hide and seek'. "Melinda, don't bug Tyler. He needs a break sometimes. You can play on your own for a little while" Piper gently reminded her daughter and smiled at her, she stood by the sink and peeled the skin off an apple and handed it to Melinda. "Thanks" Melinda mumbled and instantly took a bite of the apple. Tyler made his way to the fridge and pulled out some milk and drank out of the carton. "Could you please refrain from doing that?" Piper asked as she walked to Tyler, taking the carton from him "My daughter is watching your every move. If you do it, she will want to do it" She scolded and put the carton back in the fridge. "I thought you knew better than that, you're 23 years old" Piper continued, rolling her eyes. Tyler just shrugged "Well it's easier drinking milk like that, but okay, I won't do it. I'll be in my room" he said as he walked off. Melinda looked at Piper "Mommy" she whispered as if no one else was supposed to hear what she wanted to say. "What is it sweetie?" "Don't be so hard on Tyler" Piper put the knife down and looked at her four year old; she wondered what to answer her. "I won't. Don't worry. Go play, sweetie"
Melinda didn't need to hear that twice before running into the hallway as she caught up with Tyler and smiled as he took her hand "Can I play on your laptop?" the girl asked and was eager to come into his room. "Yeah, but only for a little while. I have some work to do on there" Tyler answered her as he walked into his room. "Let me just turn it on" Tyler turned on the laptop and put Melinda on his lap as the two waited for the laptop to load. When it had finished loading, Tyler put on a game for her and stood up, placing her back on the chair so she could play on her own. He sat on his bed and just watched the little girl playing. It had been so empty in the house when he was growing up with his foster parents. He couldn't have been happier when Piper called to tell him the news that she was expecting her 3rd child. It was around this time he started visiting Piper and Leo a lot more. 9 months passed and finally the day of the birth of the newest addition to the Wyatt family arrived. Tyler was the proudest when he sat cradling Melinda in his arms on April 12th, 2007. He had been 19 years old back then. It was tiring being a bonus big brother but he loved it and he wouldn't trade Melinda for the world. He adored her so much. "Know what I told mommy before?" Mel looked up from the computer. "What?" Tyler looked down at her "Told mommy not to be so hard on you" the girl beamed with pride and Tyler couldn't help but smile. "That's nice of you, Mellie but I can look out for myself"
The four-year-old nodded, she understood that but she just wanted to help out. She couldn't help but feel that sometimes Piper seemed too rough on him every once in a while and she didn't like that. She had always been a girl who understood a lot more than what people gave her credit for. "I don't know how to do this level..wanna help me?" Mel asked, she didn't really expect him to help her out but as he got off the bed, she knew he would and she was grateful. She was happy that he was her bonus brother and no one elses. At pre-school everyone talked about their horrible siblings and how they never seemed to get along. It wasn't at all like that for Melinda, who had always shared this special and good relationship with both of her brothers who were 3 and 4 years older and Tyler who was 19 years older but he wasn't her real brother. "There you go" the 23 year old said as he completed the level for her. Melinda cheered on him; she had two hands on his shoulder and peeked at the game.
END OF FLASH-BACK
It's little things like my kids being young that I remember most and have the happiest memories from. On December 14th – a week after the day I learned of my diagnosis that tore my life apart right then and there, I learned that my type of cancer is aggressive. The doctors have not given up on me and I am starting chemo therapy in two days to kill all cancer cells in my body.
I've accepted that I might not make it out alive – that I might die from this. This will be my destiny. What I haven't accepted is the fact that I know how much it will hurt my family if I leave everyone behind so soon. This has been hardest on Wyatt. Chris and Melinda have each other to lean on for support – Wyatt's always been with his friends and his roomie, Reid. He told me a few days after my diagnosis that he didn't feel the same anymore. He didn't feel like going out with any of his friends because he was different now. He couldn't relate to their topics of girlfriends, junk food, stupid teachers grading papers with the lowest grade. The more I try to talk to Wyatt about this, the more reserved he is, expressing his desire not to have any conversation about it whatsoever. I find it hard to recognize my Wyatt in all this. It's very hard to deal with my diagnosis and at the same time looking after my family like I always did.
I knocked on the door to the guest room which Wyatt was staying in at the moment but received no reply so I made the decision to just go in there. My house. My rules. Wyatt was on his bed listening to music when he noticed me and he quickly shut off every electrical device of his and sat up in his bed. "Hey Mom…what's up? If you don't mind. I'm kinda busy here, so" he made a motion to the door and politely added "Please close the door" I was a little unsure how to react to this rejection from my oldest. "With what? What exactly are you busy with, Wyatt? It doesn't look like homework to me" I started but already felt like the worst parent in the universe but decided to continue
"Wyatt, we need to talk. I have cancer, but shutting everyone out of your life is not going to solve anything" "I don't want to talk about it!" Wyatt snarled and I snarled back "And I said we have to!" I sat down in his chair and turned it around to face him. He looked like he had been slapped in the face. "Mom…can't we just deal with this another time?" I shook my head. "I'm sorry you have to deal with all of this right now, Wyatt, I'm so sorry" my tone was back to the same level of calmness that always seemed to calm my kids down. It worked. "I always try very hard not to think about it. If I don't think about it, it may be a nightmare that I'll wake up from any minute"
"I know sweetheart, but the truth is that it's a nightmare you'll never wake up from. No matter what you do and think about…the cancer will always be there. It's a part of our lives now along with the treatments. The nurses have told me that if you feel like coming with me to my treatments that it's perfectly fine with them. They say it may even be good for you. Everything might not seem so scary and unknown. It's your choice, sweetie" I look at Wyatt and I give him a reassuring smile then I stand up and move over to his bed and sit on the edge of his bed. "The hospital called me back this morning. They didn't have good news for me. My type of cancer is aggressive." It was hard to see how my son's face fell. His brown eyes looked at me in a worried manner and his reply was "So they can't do anything? I can't lose you, Mom" what a heartbreaking thing to have to tell your 20-year-old "I love you, Wyatt. I will stick with you until the very end. Do you hear me? I will fight until I take my very last breath." In the past, this would have brought at least a little comfort to Wyatt but not this time. I hugged my son and he held onto me for the life of me. The world has changed forever.
What d'ya think? If you like it there's that blue little "review" button to click. It means the world to read reviews and I hope you will want me to continue this story. In the upcoming chapters, I will be switching POV's between characters so there's something to look forward to :) I will also be talking of their magical heritage so keep tuning in. - Peanut4ever