Chapter Four: Put Your Game Face On!
October was Serena's busiest time. Her annual Cancer Gala would help a lot of patients who needed care and couldn't afford it. The annual Gala helped her raise millions for the cause and she was determined to make this one the best one yet. Cancer affected a lot of people especially those closest to her. She shut her eyes and immediately recalled the smiling face of her grandmother CeCe. Her mother had also gone through a scare and there was a part of Serena that knew that she might contract the disease. The thought of it scared her. She loved her family and she was determined to see her daughters reach every milestone, but she couldn't help the little voice in her head that said she may be next to get the awful disease. Serena shook it off and motioned for her assistant to join her. Cassidy was a sweet girl with curly brown hair that she held back in a neat ponytail Her wire-rimmed glasses gave her the air of seriousness, but she was a bubbly girl that liked to hide under conservative clothes.
"Has everyone RSVP'd?"Serena asked.
Cassidy moved her glasses to the bridge of her nose and said, "Everyone except for Anne Archibald."
Serena made a face. It was just like Nate's mother to leave it to the last minute and expect for everyone to accommodate her. "Set an extra spot at her usual table. It's just her usual posturing."
"Why do we invite her every year?"Cassidy asks. She never liked the woman. Anne Archibald was as snobby as they could get and while working for Serena Humphrey she'd met many of those types. "Because she is an important person in this world. She is Vanderbilt and that name holds a lot of sway. I'll speak to Nate and he'll deal with his mother."
"I don't know how Jenny deals with such an awful mother-in-law," Cassidy said with a frown. Serena held the pen in her hand and smiled. "Jenny is a strong woman and I think she's about the only person that Anne is afraid of."
"Have you chosen a dress for the gala, Cassidy?" Serena asked. She was determined to give the girl a few tips even if she didn't want them.
Cassidy shook her head. "You know I never go to the Gala."
"You're going and that's that," Serena said as she hands her a card. "That's the name of my hair dresser. I've already made an appointment for you and I'll have a dress sent over for you. Oh and one more thing. Either get contacts or buy a new pair of glasses dear. Your face is too beautiful to hide behind those atrocious things."
Cassidy looked at her boss and gritted her teeth. She loved working with her because she enjoyed details. But, she had the social charisma of a snail. Large events made her uncomfortable. The glamor of the UES both fascinated and scared her. She'd grown up in upstate New York and came to the city to study business. She knew she was made to work with numbers and the fine details that busier people often over-looked. But, she couldn't disappoint Serena. This was the first job she got straight out of school and Cassidy couldn't ask for her a better boss.
Celia was sitting at her living room table with Dominic as they puzzled over their math homework. He zipped through the exercises as she struggled through them. "You can't be done already?"
Dominic shrugged and said, "Not my fault that you're slow."
She glared at him and threw one of the raisins she had been eating at him. He grabbed a handful and walked around the table and stuffed it down her shirt. "You are a dead man Dom," she said as she took an apple and threw it at him. He ran around avoiding the various fruits she threw at him. "Missed again."
"I'm going to get you," she said as she ran up behind him and stuffed several ice cubes down his shirt. He grabbed her before she had a chance to run away and they looked into each other eyes with a heat neither of them were used to before she slipped from his grasp and ran back towards the table. "I told you I'd get you back," she giggled.
Celia was determined to avoid the tension in the air. She didn't know what was going on, but her feelings for Dominic were changing and she wasn't sure she could handle it. He was her best friend and things had gotten weird enough. Celia looked around at the mess they made and sighed. "We really should clean up before my dad comes back. He's going to kill me," Celia said.
Dominic smiled at her from across the room and immediately started helping her clean up. They were together side-by-side and he couldn't help, but sneak little looks at her. She was beautiful and they'd had a moment, but in typical Celia style she changed the topic. His hand grazed hers as he went to the skin to rinse out the rag he was using. She looked up at him and all he wanted to do was kiss her.
It's now or never Dom
Dominic leaned over to kiss her when her sister came through the door with a bubbly red-head. Dominic and Celia jumped apart as Daisy looked at them curiously. Daisy and Caroline were armed with a handful of shopping bags and ushered Celia upstairs. "See ya later, Dom" Celia said from the top of the stairs. He looked up at her and smiled.
"I need to speak with my sister, Caroline" Daisy said as she grabbed Celia's hand and led her into the hall. "What was that all about?"
Celia flipped her hair and said, "Nothing."
"If it's nothing what's with the goofy smile?" Daisy insisted. Celia patted her sister on the head and said, "You're over-reacting Daisy."
Daisy looked at her wearily. She'd tell her when she was ready, but something was definitely going on with her and Dominic. It was obvious that he liked her by the way he looked at her. The girls went back to Daisy's bedroom and they looked through the clothes that Daisy and Caroline had bought.
"That dress is going to look fabulous on you Daisy," Caroline said. The girls had both bought their dresses for the gala including accessories like shoes, but Serena was planning on taking them shopping for jewelry. Celia had bought her dress a few days earlier. It was a show stop number in dazzling blue. She knew it would turn more than a few heads and send her dad into an early grave, but it would be well worth it. She loved this gala; it was her favorite event of the year. Celia and Daisy had been going since they were ten much to the chagrin of older society matrons who found it inappropriate for children to attend such events.
It was the morning of the gala and Serena had just gotten out of the shower. She wiped the steam from the mirror and took a deep breath. "It's now or never Serena," she mumbled to herself. She lifted her right breast and did a self-examination and then moved to her left breast. The pain was still there. Her biggest fear was coming true. She sank to the floor and started crying. She was forty-seven years old and might have cancer. The chance was always something looming in the background. Serena thought if she just lived her life and focused on being positive that it wouldn't happen to her like it had happened to her mother and her grandmother. Serena must have been lying on the bathroom floor for a long time because before she knew it Dan had come in and lifted her off the floor and carried her to their bed. "Baby, what's wrong. Serena, you're scaring me," he said.
Serena clung to him and cried. She was scared and afraid of saying the words that were bound to rip their world apart. "Talk to me, S."
Once Serena was all cried out she got up, pulled on one of Dan's t-shirts' and sat beside him on the bed. "I found a lump Dan or at least I think it's a lump," she said as she looked at him. He blinked twice and squeezed her hand. "Call the doctor," he said.
She knew he was trying to be strong for her, but he was unraveling on the inside. She could see the fear in his eyes. Dan always tried to be strong for everyone, but he was more fragile than people realized. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "You're going to be okay,"he whispered.
She had to be.
Dan pulled Serena on to his lap and held her so tightly that she wasn't sure if he'd ever let her go. She wanted to know what he was thinking, but she knew he'd tell her in time. They sat there with Serena in his lap when Daisy came tumbling into their room. "Mom, Dad where are you guys?"
The sight she saw scared her. Her parents had been crying. They were always such happy people that seeing them so sad broke a piece of her heart. "What happened? Why are you guys crying?"she said. Serena reached for Daisy and pulled her into a hug and Dan reached around his wife to wrap his arm around Daisy. The moment was somber that it kicked Daisy's paranoia into gear. Something was very very wrong.
"I'm going to meet Audrey before our hair appointment. See ya later,"Daisy said as she scurried out of the room. Daisy had an awful feeling that something horrible was about to happen so she called the one person she knew who could tell her what was wrong. "Aunt J. Something is wrong. Mom and Dad are crying and I don't know what to do."
"I'll be right there Dais,"Jenny said. She turned off her sewing machine grabbed her purse and ran out of her home like a bat out of hell. She had arrived at her brothers house in under ten minutes. Daisy was waiting for her at the door. "Where are they?"
"Upstairs in their room,"she said. Jenny took the steps two at a time. She found her brother and his wife wrapped around each other like the world was going to end. She placed her purse on the dresser and walked over to them. "What's going on? You're scaring the girls."
Serena got off Dan's lap and headed to the bathroom and locked the door. Dan looked over at her and started to get up but Jenny pushed him back on the bed. "You're going to tell me what's wrong. A frantic Daisy called me. What's going on Dan?"
He wiped another tear from his face and said, "She's sick J." Jenny swallowed a hard lump. Dan needed her and after all the times he had been there for her, this was her time to do what needed to be done. They both knew what it was like to lose someone. "Is it Cancer."
"She thinks so. She found a lump," he said as he wept into his hands. Jenny took a deep breath and went into work mode. "This is what's going to happen. You're going to stop wallowing. Snap out of it Dan. Your wife and your daughters need you. I know you are hurting, but they need you; she needs you. So, you're going to go downstairs whip up a batch of your delicious waffles and you're going to feed your daughters, drop them off at Blair's. Then you're going to get a damn haircut, pick up your tux and get ready for the gala. You are not going to breakdown. Do you hear me Dan?"
Dan nodded. He knew his sister was right. He needed to get his shit together for the sake of his family. He made his way downstairs and started getting out his ingredients. Meanwhile Jenny had called Blair and asked her to come over. Someone needed to deal with Serena and since Dan was not in the shape to do so, Blair was the only other person who could. Blair marched into the townhouse and marched up the steps. "Where is she?"
"She's in the bathroom,"Jenny said. She left Blair to deal with Serena and made her way downstairs. Blair knocked on the bathroom and said, "Let me in S, it's me Blair."
Serena slowly opened the door and Blair immediately joined her on the floor. She was still wearing Dan's Black Keys tshirt and her hair was a mess. Blair wrapped her arm around Serena and held her as she cried. A few minutes later she help her into the shower making sure to remove the t-shirt. "I'm going to lay some clothes out for you. Then we're going to your scheduled appointment with Jean-Michel. You're going to put on that fake-smile of yours and focus on the gala. Then tomorrow we'll deal with your doctor's appointments."
Serena was relieved to have Blair here. She needed someone to help her recover from the shock and to help her gather her wits. Blair made her way downstair just as Dan was putting a plate of waffles in front of the girls. "Humphrey you realize that waffles aren't the answer for everything."
He looked up at her with sad eyes and said, "I know."
The sadness in his eyes was heartbreaking. Blair pulled him aside and said, "Be strong for her. She needs you now more than ever."
Dan nodded his head and went into daddy mode. He placed a big pile of food in front of each girl and said, "Eat."
"Daddy what's wrong?" Celia asked. He smiled at her and said, "Everything is going to be fine baby girl."
Blair watched them quietly before heading back upstairs to help Serena get dressed, but she had already slipped into a pair of jeans and a blouse. Serena looked up at Blair and smiled. "Freak out over. We've got a ton of stuff to do Blair. Can you drop the girls off at the salon? I have to speak to Cassidy before I go to my appointment."
Blair hugged her friend and said, "Of course. Your husband seems to think he can cure the world with his waffles."
Serena smiled and said, "That's Dan for you."
"You're going to be okay. This world couldn't' survive without you."
Serena held tightly to her friend and made her way downstairs. She kissed Dan and said, "It's going to be fine. I'll be fine." He smiled at her and said, "Want some waffles?" She laughed and said, "I've got to run. It's going to be a busy day."
Serena called Cassidy and told her to meet her at the venue. They immediately went into work mode. Serena needed to keep her mind off of her health. She wouldn't know the truth until she saw her doctor and had some tests run, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer. Cassidy was busy giving the caterers some last minute instructions when she noticed the drawn look on her bosses face. Something was bothering her, but she didn't want to pry.
"Cassidy, I'm going to my hair appointment. If you need anything just call me,"Serena said as she left the Hotel and got into a cab and headed to the salon. When she got their the girls were already under the dryers. They looked up at their mother and smiled and then turned to face each other. Daisy and Celia were worried. They knew there was something that their parents were keeping from them and they had no idea what it was. If they didn't know any better they'd think someone died. Later they were sitting side by side waiting for the stylist to finish working on their mother. Celia was half-heartedly flipping through a magazine while Daisy was trying to figure out what was going on. "What do you think happened Celia?"Daisy asked. Celia shrugged. "They'll tell us when they're ready."
That wasn't enough for Daisy she needed to know now. "Don't you think its strange that mom and dad were freaking out and then Aunt Blair came after I called Auntie J."
"I still think you were over-reacting Daisy."
"You didn't see them Celia. They were holding each other and crying. I've never seen them like that?"
Celia put down her magazine and looked at her sister. She really didn't think it was their place to meddle in whatever was going on. "You might be right, but maybe we should let them tell us. It might not be any of our business?"
"What if? What if mom is sick?"Daisy said. She didn't want to think about it. But, she knew that their great-grandma died from cancer and that the disease ran in their family. The only thing that could make her Aunt Blair run over like that is if something bad was going on with their mom. "Take it back!"Celia said.
"shh keep your voice down."
"I will not. Don't say that. She's not sick,"Celia insisted.
Celia looked up to see their mother looking down at them. "Girls I think it's time we talked. Come on, I'll treat you to your favorite dessert at Serendipity" The girls looked at each other and then nodded their heads.
Serena was twisting her napkin as her daughters dug into their frozen hot chocolates. She smiled a little. Looking at them made her think of what could have been if her father hadn't been so awful. Dan was able to give their girls what she never had—a happy childhood and the knowledge that they'd always be loved. They looked so much like her, but she saw so much of their father in them as well. They had his fire, tenacity and intelligence. But, they were their own people. Her eyes started to well up when she thought that she might not be here to see them find love.
"Mom, why are you sad?"
Serena pursed her lips and said, "I found something today. I don't know if I'm even sick, but I might be."
"Is it Cancer?"Daisy asked matter-of-factly. Celia elbowed her in the side. "It's okay Celia. It might be. I just don't know yet and I didn't want to ruin your night. It could be nothing. But, as soon as I know what's going to happen, I'll tell you. But, for now I want you girls to enjoy the gala. You're young have fun."
The girls got out of their sweet and wrapped their arms around their mother. "We love you, mom."
"And I love you too. You'll always be my sweet angels,"Serena said as she kissed them.
A/N: I know this chapter packed an emotional punch. The next chapter will have just as many highs and lows as this chapter. We'll get to enjoy all the magic and drama that a UES event can bring. Also more on Serena's health.