Continuation of my Years series. Please review! It will take place five years after 'Too Many Years.' Please don't judge my lack of originality picking out titles.
Years Later
Chapter 1
Mike smiled as he watched Matty and his brand-new wife, Sarah walk back down the aisle after saying their vows to each other. Matty's limp was very faint and barely noticeable with the prosthetic. Polly had officiated and she came off the stage and gave Mike a kiss.
Matty had recovered from his brain injury and leg amputation, went to college and become a high school football coach and history teacher. He had met Sarah two years before and fell madly in love. She was a high school art teacher and a perfect match for Matty. She was also a perfect fit into their family. They had bought a house in Grace and Hannah's neighborhood and wanted to start their family immediately.
Grace, Ryan and their five kids were doing well. Ryan had successfully run for sheriff when Kirk retired, and Grace had become a stay-at-home-mom. Mikey was now eleven, and still Mike's buddy. Hope was nine, Andrew and Christa were eight, and McKinley was five. Grace had her hands full but was handling it well.
Hannah and Sam had a baby girl three months before. Riley was so much like Hannah that Mike couldn't wait for the baby girl to grow. Sam had taken over the small-town practice and Hannah helped some there, but raised Jed and Riley, often partnering with Grace for play dates. All of her leukemia tests were still coming up negative. Unfortunately, their adopted son, Henry had died the year before from AIDS, but Hannah handled it as well as she handled everything.
Max had brought a girl home with him from the Academy. She was also attending. Mike and Polly both liked her. She had dreams of being an attorney, while Max only wanted to a career sailor. Mike wasn't so sure how well the relationship would turn out, but he did like Addison. Polly had some misgivings but had agreed to just keep them quiet.
Gabby had just started college and was wanting to be a nurse. She also worked part-time with Sam. Gabby was completely focused on her studies and didn't have time for relationships. That was perfectly fine with Mike.
The twins, Tommy and Rebecca had just graduated high school and would be attending a local college in the fall. They were both good students and wanted to drive back and forth.
Charlotte was now nine, and doing extremely well. You had to know she had Down's Syndrome. She was on the honor roll and was excelling in her art class.
Best of all, Mike and Polly were doing better then ever. They thoroughly enjoyed having older kids, and Charlotte was such an easy child that any of the older kids never hesitated to take her if Mike and Polly wanted to go out.
Mike escorted Polly downstairs and watched Matty and Sarah dance their first dance as a couple. Soon, they were able to dance and then Mike danced with Sarah as Polly danced with Matty. Sarah had been raised in the foster care system and so Mike and Polly had become surrogate parents for her, not that they minded. Mike would have given her away, but Sarah was independent. They had helped her buy the wedding gown and Polly had helped her plan her wedding day.
Mike talked to a few of the guests and sat down with the grandkids to make them eat, while their parents enjoyed dancing. Riley was in his lap looking at the twinkly lights. Her large brown eyes took everything in, and she was full of smiles. Polly brought her own plate over and sat down next to Mike.
"Sarah is nervous about her wedding night." Polly said quietly.
"Surely they've…" Mike started and then remembered that their grandkids were all around them.
"No. I had to give her some motherly advice earlier. Interesting for the pastor and mother-in-law." Polly said with a laugh.
"Better than her father-in-law giving her that advice." Mike commented.
"True. What advice did you give Matty while you helped him with his cuff links?" Polly asked.
"To just always acknowledge when the wife is right." Mike said. He also had some other advice for Matty but didn't want to get into all that with Polly.
"And she's always right, right?" Polly teased.
"Yep." Mike agreed.
"There you go. I'll take Riley. I think Grace was hoping for a dance." Polly said as she took Riley from Mike.
"With me or her husband?" Mike asked.
"She's had a dance with her husband, but it wouldn't hurt for her to dance with her dad." Polly remarked. Grace was almost forty years old, and while she and Mike had struggled with their relationship, Mike adored his oldest. They had gone through some intense counseling in the past five years. It had helped a lot. Mike stood up and walked over to her, immediately pulling her out of her chair for a dance.
"How's Matty's other mom doing with him being a married man now?" Mike asked, referring to Grace having raised Matty until he was almost six. She was fiercely protective of him.
"It's odd, but Sarah is a really nice girl." Grace said as Mike guided her across the dance floor.
"She is." Mike agreed.
"Dad, is Polly alright? She's been really quiet all day." Grace asked. Mike snuck a look at his wife and then looked back at Grace.
"I don't know. I don't think I've done anything to upset her. Maybe just overwhelmed." Mike said.
"I can take Charlotte home with me if you want to take her out for dinner or something." Grace said.
"Thanks, sweetie. I'll see." Mike said. The song ended and Mike went back to his seat. He kept a closer eye on Polly and noticed the same thing Grace had noticed.
Matty and Sarah went on their way, the church was cleaned up, and the presents were loaded up for Mike to take to the new couple when they got home from their short honeymoon. Mike had suggested taking Polly out for dinner, but she rejected the idea, stating they needed to eat at home, so he grilled steaks.
Finally, as they got ready for bed that night, Mike decided to address it. He couldn't get a read on Polly, other than something was definitely bothering her.
"So, you've been quiet all day? Did I do something wrong?" Mike asked. Polly was reading her Bible in their bed, as Mike crawled in next to her.
"No." Polly answered. Mike gently took the Bible out of her hands and sat it on his bedside table so she would concentrate on him. Instead, she leaned over and grabbed her lotion.
"Polly, please? I can tell something is wrong and I only want to help." Mike said.
"You know how I went for my yearly exam on Tuesday?" Polly asked. She had had both a pap smear and a mammogram on Tuesday, so Mike instantly got worried.
"Yeah? Is something wrong?" Mike asked.
"They found a mass, deep within my chest wall. I go in Monday for additional tests and they are talking about a radical mastectomy." Polly answered.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Mike asked.
"Because I didn't want to overshadow Matty and Sarah's day and I want to keep this quiet until we have a diagnosis." Polly answered.
"What are they thinking?" Mike asked as he wrapped his arms around Polly.
"They think its spread. The results from the pap came back odd too." Polly said.
"Okay. So, we get the tests and go from there. We can wait to tell the kids, but Grace already got a feel something was off." Mike answered. He pulled Polly onto his chest and ran his hand through her hair.
"Mike; they are talking about the radical mastectomy and a hysterectomy. Everything that makes me a woman, a mother…will be gone. No thyroid, no breasts, nothing." Polly said.
"That isn't what makes you a wife or a mother. What makes you so amazing is your heart. That's what I love about you. That is what our kids love about you. People from the church, everybody. We will get through this." Mike told her. He could feel and hear Polly cry into his chest and all he could do was hold her.
In no time she fell asleep in Mike's arms. He carefully reached over and shut both lamps off and settled down. He tried not to imagine a life without Polly in it. It was the stuff of nightmares.