Chapter 4

Pine Valley

The park was just coming alive as he got there, crowds of people making there way, listening to carolers, admiring the tall pine trees with different ornaments and lines of lights that would illuminate their surroundings in just a few short minutes.

David caught Maggie and she waved him over to where Greenlee and Trey were standing.

"You made it." Maggie smiled, pulling him into the circle they had made to talk.

"I promised you didn't I?" He smiled back. He turned to Greenlee. "Where's Leo? I've been trying to get a hold of him since yesterday."

At his questions, Greenlee stiffened, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"He uhh…said something about going to New York to pick up a last minute Christmas present for me." She lied, accepting David's hug. "He should be here by now." She said as an after thought.

"Sounds like Leo." David rolled his eyes, the attention he gave his wife was something to be admired, and he wished he had possessed the same quality.

"How was the clinic?" Trey asked. "Are you coming by my place after this?"

"The clinic was chaotic as usual and I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop by tonight…"

"David." Maggie eyed him, wondering why he was trying so hard to distance himself. "It's Christmas Eve. You shouldn't be alone on Christmas Eve."

"Yeah David at least come for a cup of eggnog." Trey suggested.

"Aright, alright." He smirked at the irony of it all. He had wanted this family to pull together so badly and now… "Maybe just for one cup."

The Outskirts of Pine Valley

"Man I thought we would never land."

"No kidding." She replied, watching the road curve around as they drove back into town from the airport. "If the snow hadn't shown up we wouldn't have had to circle the runway."

"We'll we're the idiots who decided to fly on one of the busiest days of the year. What does that say about us?"

She laughed, the sound both shaky and nervous. The closer they were to Pine Valley, the harder it was for her to keep her heart from beating out of her chest.

"You nervous?' Leo asked her, catching the hitch in her laugh just a moment ago.

"Yeah." She replied, not bothering to try and hide it. "I am. I don't know what he's going to say once he sees me…what if…?"

"He's going to love seeing you Anna." He reassures. "Don't worry."

"What way are you taking?" She asked, watching as he turned the car left instead of going straight. "The cabin is the other way…"

"We're not going to the cabin. Greenlee called me from car and told me Maggie convinced David into going to the tree lighting ceremony in the park tonight. We'll meet up with him there. It should be almost over by now."

Pine Valley Memorial Park

He stood next to Maggie as the ceremony was almost at its end. After speeches from Jackson and the Mayor, it would be time for all the trees that lined the park to be lit. David turned, catching sight of Maggie's excited smile and instantly was glad he came, for that one moment at least.

As the trees were lit, the crowd was cast in a glow of reds and yellows and greens. It was quite a sight, and people then moved along each tree, inspecting the ornaments, admiring how beautiful everything all looked.

The four of them agreed to leave the main area of the park so others could look at the trees. Once they headed to a lesser-lit area, David had to again press a hand to his head, steadying himself from the dizzying affects of all the lights.

Again Maggie noticed that he was in pain, and looped an arm around him for support.

"David what's wrong?" She asked, Trey and Greenlee now turning around to see what was going on. "Do you still have that headache from earlier?"

"No…the lights…" He tried to make out. "They just hurt my eyes, that's all."

Greenlee had tried, very hard in fact, to keep her mouth shut but the thought of David lying now to Maggie as he had done to Leo had taken its toll on her. Having to watch Leo stand by as David kept everyone in the dark infuriated her in a way. She thought it was selfish and couldn't understand why he just wouldn't accept help from them.

"David…" She eyed him sternly. "We both know that's not all it is. Why don't you tell her the truth?"

"Tell me the truth about what?"

"You know?" He asked back incredulously. "He told you?"

"He's my husband!" She exclaimed. "Of course he told me."

"David what's going on?" Trey asked, trying to get an answer from someone.

"Nothing." He said again, this time looking Greenlee square in the eye as if to say 'let it go'. "I'm fine. Really."

"If you don't tell them I will." Greenlee insisted. "They're a part of this family too. They have a right to know."

"Know what?" Maggie asked, this time louder, wanting a straight answer.

David was reeling, furious at Greenlee for making him do this. On Christmas Eve no less. Still, he didn't have a choice now.

"Ok. Ok." He paused. "I guess I don't really have much of a choice." He took one of Maggie's mittened hands. "Mags, I'm sick. Really sick." He sighed. "And I'm not going to get any better."

"You mean you *won't* get better." Greenlee mumbled.

"Can I just do this please?" He turned, before trying to explain. "Two months ago I was having some headaches that weren't going away so…I got them checked out. But when the results came back, they found a tumor, already growing inside of my head."

"No…David…" Maggie whispered, her words hoarse from tears that were about to make their presence known.

"It's true." He nodded, his voice calming at the sight of her tears. "And they might be able to do surgery but it has a very low success rate. Which is why I've opted out of the procedure."

"It's terminal?" Trey asked, trying to process this all himself.

"Yes. They've given me a few months but I've already started having blackouts and sometimes I lose feeling in my hands or feet. It could be more like weeks now…"

"But just because the operation has a low success rate doesn't mean it won't work." Maggie told him, her words hopeful. "With the right surgeon…"

"Only a few doctors even perform this surgery darlin'." He tried to make her see. "And even if I did do it, there are only a handful of cases where the surgery was successful, which meant paralysis, lost of sight, of hearing, of memory even. It's not worth the risk."

"It's worth it to me!" She cried back, pulling her hand away from him. "I don't want you to die!"

"Maggie…"

"I think I need to be alone." She shook her head, running back into the crowds of people that were still admiring the lights.

"Why did you even say anything?"" He turned back to Greenlee, visibly angry this time. "She's only twenty years old, this is really scary for her…"

"I'm sorry but I hated the fact that you were lying to her David." She shot back. "That isn't fair to her either."

"No you just don't like the fact that I'm trying to deal with this on my own terms." He pointed to her. "I *don't* want the surgery."

"We just want you to have a fighting chance David, that's all." Came Leo's voice behind him. He turned, catching sight of his brother standing in front of the three of them now.

"Leo…it doesn't matter." He replied back, half exasperated. "Whether I die at home in bed or on an operating room table. It *doesn't* matter…"

"It does matter." Leo nodded defiantly. "It matters to me. And…and it matters to her."

David watched as his brother took a step aside, Anna's form now replacing his. Seeing her there, just mere feet away didn't seem real, but more like a dream suddenly coming to life. He felt himself intake a sharp breath at the vision standing before him. Half of him wondered what she was doing here while the other half didn't even care. She was by far the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, more beautiful than any one light that sparkled along the trees in the park.

He felt himself continue to stare at her, his body useless as he looked at her before she finally spoke.

"It matters." She replied, her eyes equally focused on him. "It matters."