A Holiday to Remember
Chapter 4
A/N: I am in no way a doctor. I searched the Internet for all of my information. I hope everyone can understand exactly what PCOS is. My best friend has just recently found out that she has it. That's why I chose it for this story. I hope I've explained it well. :)
"See, all she needed was her big brother's touch." Gloria had followed Chad down the hall. It had only taken her a few extra seconds to get there. Smiling, she walked up behind her son and daughter.
Less than a month old, Lucy already had her big brother wrapped around her chubby little finger.
"She's beautiful, isn't she Chad?"
"Yeah, ma, she is."
Thinking back to when it all started, Gloria couldn't help but smile. A small smile, but still a smile.
Flashback
Nearly a year ago Gloria had met a man. Someone she thought she would be spending the rest of her life with. Tony Williams. They had met one day while waiting in line at the bank. Looking back, Gloria could see where she had made her mistake. She had trusted him completely. With her heart and her body. They had only been dating officially for a month when she had slept with him. It had been such a spur of the moment thing that neither of them had remembered protection.
Gloria never imagined at her age she would become pregnant again. But at the age of forty-five years old and three months along, she had gone to her doctor and left with the surprise of a lifetime. She was pregnant. If she thought that would be the only shock she would be receiving she soon found out she was oh so very wrong. At one of her baby doctor appointments, she was informed that it might be a smart idea to make an appointment with an oncologist.
A week later it was confirmed. Not only was she 45 and pregnant, but her cancer was back as well. Her first thought was of her unborn baby. She was terrified. So, with the help of her doctors Gloria had been admitted to the hospital for the last three months of her pregnancy. They wanted to keep as close an eye on her as possible. Her cancer was spreading at an alarming rate.
Gloria had PCOS, which breaks down into Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. What that meant for Gloria was a higher chance for a miscarriage, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and premature delivery in women with PCOS. Women with PCOS have greater chances of developing several serious, life-threatening diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer.
When Gloria was only eight months pregnant her water broke. After 36 difficult hours of labor, Gloria gave birth to a healthy 6 lbs. and 8 ounces baby girl. Taking one look at her she decided on Lucy.
"Hello there my little Lucy. Mommy loves you very much."
Once the doctors let Chad into his mothers room, he was so taken with his new little sister it took two nurses and the doctor to get her away from him. Once they had wheeled her down to the nursery, Gloria spoke to her son.
"Chad, I know you don't want to talk about this now, but this is the reality of it. I'm going to die. I won't be here to take care of your sister. Honey, I know you're still so young, but I need you to take care of her. Can you do that for me?"
Chad sat silently crying in his chair. He knew his mother wasn't going to make it through the cancer this time. It just never hit him that he would be left alone to raise a baby.
"Mom, how am I going to take care of a baby? I'm just 18. I don't know anything about taking care of a baby!"
"Baby, listen to me for a minute. Now, I want to you really listen to me ok?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Chad when I told Tom about the baby, he was less than thrilled, you know that. When he found out I was keeping her and that my cancer was back, baby, that's the reason he left. He didn't want to stick around for any of it. But I was smart for once. I knew if he left I'd never see him again. So, before he had time to leave town, I had a lawyer friend of mine draw up papers on the baby. Tom signed all of his rights away. He also, after much urging from my layer, opened a bank account with money for her. Chad, sweetheart, what I'm telling you is that there is enough money there for you to take care of your baby sister after I'm gone. You won't have to worry about money. The two of you are set for life."
"Are you serious?"
"That was another thing he forgot to mention to me. He was filthy rich. Only after hiring a lawyer did I find out."
"How much are we talking here, mom?"
"Enough to keep you and Lucy in food, clothing, housing and anything else you will be needing for the rest of your lives. If you don't want to work, you won't have too. You'll have all you need. The only thing you have to do is promise me one thing. Just one thing before I die."
"Oh God, mom, don't talk like that!"
"But its true, Chad. I am going to die and you need to be ready for it. You have to promise me that you will raise your sister. Once I'm gone I can't stop you from doing anything, but please Chad, don't give my baby girl away. She needs her big brother."
"Give her away? Mom, what do you take me for? I would never do something like that! I know she hasn't been in this world for very long, but I already love her more than I thought possible."
Smiling, Gloria motioned for Chad to come sit on the bed with her.
"Sweetheart, I am so proud of you. You've grown into a wonderful young man. Any man out there would be lucky to have you in his life."
Suddenly realizing what his mother had just said, Chad snapped his head around to look at her.
"Wh..what did you just say?" Wide eyed, Chad was shocked.
"You don't have to hide it anymore. Chad, darling, I know you fancy men over women. Its ok with me. As long as you're happy I don't care what their gender is."
"How long have you known?"
"I'm thinking since a few months ago when all you could talk about was this Ryan fellow. I'm right, aren't I?"
Blushing, Chad answered.
"Uh, yeah. You're right. Are you really ok with it?"
Pulling her son into a hug, she kissed the top of his head.
"If Ryan makes you happy, then yes, I'm fine with it. Although I would love to meet him before I..."
"Please, mom, don't say it."
"Anything for you, baby. Anything at all."
End Flashback
And for the last month Chad had been learning all he could about how to care for a newborn. While his mother no longer had the energy to take care of her like she had the first week of her baby girl's life, Chad had stepped up and taken over.
He would get up with her when she woke up during the middle of the night. He was the one who changed her diaper and gave her baths. He would dress her in little pink outfits and just let his mother hold her while she still could.
"I think we're gonna be ok mom. Me and Lucy, well, we are going to be just fine."
"I know you are baby. I know." Making her way out of Chad's room, she could have sworn she heard her son singing to his baby sister.
"...breaking free. we're soaring, flying, there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach..."
She smiled.
It wasn't like she was happy about leaving her babies behind but she knew they would be ok. Chad would take care of Lucy and if Gloria was right, Chad had some pretty amazing friends in his life and she could almost promise they would be there for him every step of the way.
And that is what made her smile.
A/N: Chapter 4 done. I hope everyone is enjoying this fic so far. I know it's sad, but I promise there will be happy moments. I'll have the next chapter up soon. Until then, Tootles:)
