15
Well, it was finally over.
I knew it had to end sooner or later. I just wished it were later. I was going to miss Willow more than I had expected. She had found her way into my heart and I knew that a part of her would always be with me.
Ah, maybe I was just getting sentimental.
I don't know.
What I do know is that she has taught me how important life is when I was ready to give up on it. Before I met her, I wasn't going to do anything about my cancer. I was just going to let it run its course and I figured that would be the end of it.
But the end was not as near as I thought.
Willow and I had a good long talk about my condition and I was amazed at how smart she really was. She convinced me to call Susan and so I did. I told her about it and she left from Philadelphia earlier than expected to be with me. The next day when she arrived and put her head together with Willow's, I knew I was in for it. Hawk told me I was now in for a world of hurt.
He was probably right.
But I reminded him that I was a much bigger man than he was and so I could take it.
Susan, Willow, and I talked at great length. The bottom line was they reassured me that I had their full support. They also reminded me they weren't the only supporters I had. There were Hawk, Giles, Xander, and Angel. And there were also Martin Quirk and Frank Belsen. So on the basis, I made the biggest decision of my life and I chose to go through with chemotherapy.
I called good ole' Les Cloutier and we made some appointments. We got the wheels turning.
Willow herself was leaving the following day, so we planned a big dinner for that evening.
Susan thought there was something wrong with Angel. I told her that he had a skin condition and broke out into hives if he went out into the sun. I don't think she believed me.
But dinner was in the making.
Since Susan and I were going to have a full house, I decided to really outdo myself, Master Chef that I am. I cooked up a pot roast with baked potatoes and boiled veggies for the meat and potatoes lover. To spice things up for those who lived dangerously, I steamed up some shrimp and mussels, boiled Penne spaghetti, and spiced up the sauce for a taste of a dish known as Seafood Fra Diavlo. If I gave a taste of that, maybe they would never leave.
For desert, I had planned on heating chocolate sauce for dipping strawberries, which would go nicely with a glass of Chardonnay. I had extra strawberries so Susan and Willow made a cheesecake. I had to warn Willow that Susan required a lot of supervision when it came to baking, or cooking...or anything domestic. Willow, however, had it under control.
We had dinner.
We had laughs.
We had desert.
Hawk was sipping his coffee, and somehow, he seemed to have gotten himself into a contest with Willow. They were staring at each other very closely.
Hawk carefully set down his coffee onto the table. "You afraid of me?" he asked Willow.
Willow was good. She kept a straight face. "Nope. Should I be?"
"I'm very scary. I'm so very scary, my own shadow hides from me."
Willow shrugged. "I'm sorry, Hawk. I'm just not afraid of you."
"How 'bout when I do this?" He flashed his teeth.
She shook her head. "Nope. Not even when you do that."
"Not even when I growl?" He growled.
"No."
They stared at each other.
"Hawk..." Willow began.
Hawk regarded her. "Uh huh?"
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Should I be?"
She nodded and gave him the look. "Oh, yes. You should be very afraid."
Hawk paused as he looked at her. He tried to maintain a fierce scowl on his face, yet he just couldn't do it. He sat back and laughed a good, belly laugh. We all joined in.
Afterward, I had a little help from Willow with the dishes. Susan went away to entertain the guests so I could have some quality time with the one girl who was braver than most.
"You remember everything?" I asked her.
Willow shook her head. "I-I remember my life, Spenser. But that's all. I don't know what happened...you know. Uh, those three days, I-I can't remember." She looked frightened at the thought of what could have happened in those three days.
I gave her a hug. "I hope you don't remember," I said softly. I kissed the top of her head and once again wished she were my own daughter. But she wasn't my daughter. She belonged to Ira Rosenberg, and I thought that Ira was a lucky man to have such a wonderful daughter.
"But I will remember..." she said softly. Then she looked up at me fearfully. "Won't I?"
I nodded. "It is possible, Willow. But you won't be alone. You will always have Xander, Giles, and Angel there to see you through it."
"Well, uh, what-what about you?"
I smiled at her. "I'm a phone call away. You call me any time of the day or night, and I'll come to you. Okay?" I actually felt myself choking up with emotion. "Whenever you need me, Willow, I'm here for you."
She hugged me.
When we finished the dishes, Willow went to join the others and Susan came to me, wrapping her arms around me. She looked into my eyes and I saw she was trying to keep herself from crying. At first, I was puzzled.
"I'm sorry," she finally said.
I looked at her. "For what?"
"For denying you of a child of your own." She hesitated. "I saw you with Willow, and I know that you would make a wonderful father, but I--"
I kissed her. I kissed her long and hard, because I loved her more than anything and I was glad she was home. She returned the kiss and with the same passion as mine.
When we came up for air, she looked at me and smiled. "Not that I'm complaining, but...what was that for?"
"I love you, Susan."
She looked into my eyes. "I love you, too."
"What happened last year is gone. Those were different circumstances."
"I know. But--"
"But we live for today. I had the chance to be there for Willow, and I'm glad I was. She was there for me, too. Now, she has to go home to her folks and live the life she is meant to live. You and I also have to live the life we are meant for. No regrets. Just us looking forward." I smiled at her. "Okay?"
She smiled wryly. "Okay. But, can I have another one of those sensuous kisses?"
"Okay. But just one. I've got a whole bag of them in the bedroom for later."
"I'll hold you to that."
"I was hoping you would."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TO BE CONTINUED-- The Epilogue
____
Vampires.
You thought they were bad?
Think again.
THE BROTHERHOOD
Coming Soon.
Well, it was finally over.
I knew it had to end sooner or later. I just wished it were later. I was going to miss Willow more than I had expected. She had found her way into my heart and I knew that a part of her would always be with me.
Ah, maybe I was just getting sentimental.
I don't know.
What I do know is that she has taught me how important life is when I was ready to give up on it. Before I met her, I wasn't going to do anything about my cancer. I was just going to let it run its course and I figured that would be the end of it.
But the end was not as near as I thought.
Willow and I had a good long talk about my condition and I was amazed at how smart she really was. She convinced me to call Susan and so I did. I told her about it and she left from Philadelphia earlier than expected to be with me. The next day when she arrived and put her head together with Willow's, I knew I was in for it. Hawk told me I was now in for a world of hurt.
He was probably right.
But I reminded him that I was a much bigger man than he was and so I could take it.
Susan, Willow, and I talked at great length. The bottom line was they reassured me that I had their full support. They also reminded me they weren't the only supporters I had. There were Hawk, Giles, Xander, and Angel. And there were also Martin Quirk and Frank Belsen. So on the basis, I made the biggest decision of my life and I chose to go through with chemotherapy.
I called good ole' Les Cloutier and we made some appointments. We got the wheels turning.
Willow herself was leaving the following day, so we planned a big dinner for that evening.
Susan thought there was something wrong with Angel. I told her that he had a skin condition and broke out into hives if he went out into the sun. I don't think she believed me.
But dinner was in the making.
Since Susan and I were going to have a full house, I decided to really outdo myself, Master Chef that I am. I cooked up a pot roast with baked potatoes and boiled veggies for the meat and potatoes lover. To spice things up for those who lived dangerously, I steamed up some shrimp and mussels, boiled Penne spaghetti, and spiced up the sauce for a taste of a dish known as Seafood Fra Diavlo. If I gave a taste of that, maybe they would never leave.
For desert, I had planned on heating chocolate sauce for dipping strawberries, which would go nicely with a glass of Chardonnay. I had extra strawberries so Susan and Willow made a cheesecake. I had to warn Willow that Susan required a lot of supervision when it came to baking, or cooking...or anything domestic. Willow, however, had it under control.
We had dinner.
We had laughs.
We had desert.
Hawk was sipping his coffee, and somehow, he seemed to have gotten himself into a contest with Willow. They were staring at each other very closely.
Hawk carefully set down his coffee onto the table. "You afraid of me?" he asked Willow.
Willow was good. She kept a straight face. "Nope. Should I be?"
"I'm very scary. I'm so very scary, my own shadow hides from me."
Willow shrugged. "I'm sorry, Hawk. I'm just not afraid of you."
"How 'bout when I do this?" He flashed his teeth.
She shook her head. "Nope. Not even when you do that."
"Not even when I growl?" He growled.
"No."
They stared at each other.
"Hawk..." Willow began.
Hawk regarded her. "Uh huh?"
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Should I be?"
She nodded and gave him the look. "Oh, yes. You should be very afraid."
Hawk paused as he looked at her. He tried to maintain a fierce scowl on his face, yet he just couldn't do it. He sat back and laughed a good, belly laugh. We all joined in.
Afterward, I had a little help from Willow with the dishes. Susan went away to entertain the guests so I could have some quality time with the one girl who was braver than most.
"You remember everything?" I asked her.
Willow shook her head. "I-I remember my life, Spenser. But that's all. I don't know what happened...you know. Uh, those three days, I-I can't remember." She looked frightened at the thought of what could have happened in those three days.
I gave her a hug. "I hope you don't remember," I said softly. I kissed the top of her head and once again wished she were my own daughter. But she wasn't my daughter. She belonged to Ira Rosenberg, and I thought that Ira was a lucky man to have such a wonderful daughter.
"But I will remember..." she said softly. Then she looked up at me fearfully. "Won't I?"
I nodded. "It is possible, Willow. But you won't be alone. You will always have Xander, Giles, and Angel there to see you through it."
"Well, uh, what-what about you?"
I smiled at her. "I'm a phone call away. You call me any time of the day or night, and I'll come to you. Okay?" I actually felt myself choking up with emotion. "Whenever you need me, Willow, I'm here for you."
She hugged me.
When we finished the dishes, Willow went to join the others and Susan came to me, wrapping her arms around me. She looked into my eyes and I saw she was trying to keep herself from crying. At first, I was puzzled.
"I'm sorry," she finally said.
I looked at her. "For what?"
"For denying you of a child of your own." She hesitated. "I saw you with Willow, and I know that you would make a wonderful father, but I--"
I kissed her. I kissed her long and hard, because I loved her more than anything and I was glad she was home. She returned the kiss and with the same passion as mine.
When we came up for air, she looked at me and smiled. "Not that I'm complaining, but...what was that for?"
"I love you, Susan."
She looked into my eyes. "I love you, too."
"What happened last year is gone. Those were different circumstances."
"I know. But--"
"But we live for today. I had the chance to be there for Willow, and I'm glad I was. She was there for me, too. Now, she has to go home to her folks and live the life she is meant to live. You and I also have to live the life we are meant for. No regrets. Just us looking forward." I smiled at her. "Okay?"
She smiled wryly. "Okay. But, can I have another one of those sensuous kisses?"
"Okay. But just one. I've got a whole bag of them in the bedroom for later."
"I'll hold you to that."
"I was hoping you would."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TO BE CONTINUED-- The Epilogue
____
Vampires.
You thought they were bad?
Think again.
THE BROTHERHOOD
Coming Soon.