On the plane back to Chicago, Maria seemed to be staying in her good mood.
She was sleeping off and on. When she woke up and saw Elaina curled up with
Frank she got up and went over to them.
"Lainie, can we talk for a while? Privately?"
"Sure what do you want to talk about?" Elaina asked as they walked back to Maria's seat.
"Do you think Jake would talk to me?"
"I think he would. What do you want to tell him?"
"That I'm sorry for hurting him. It was never my intention. It's whatever that's wrong with me. Do you know what the doctors found out exactly?"
"Yes I know. I wish I didn't have to tell you and I really don't want to tell you right now."
"Why? Is it that bad? Please tell me I need to know," Maria begged her cousin.
"You have a tumor in the part of your brain that controls your personality. It has been altering your behavior. They want to try medication before they do surgery." Elaina waited for her to say something.
"Cancer?" Maria asked.
"They're not sure they need you for more test. I'll be there with you, if that's what you want." Elaina held her.
"Can we call Jake before I turn into my Miss Hyde personality again? I really want to talk to him."
"Sure." Elaina went over and got the cell phone and called Jake. "Hello, Jake. It's Elaina. Did I wake you?"
"No, I had another call that did that. I heard you found Maria."
"Yes, she's right here. She wants to talk to you, if you would?"
"Is she ok?" Jake was hesitant.
"Right now, yes. She wants to apologize to you while she can."
"Put her on, I'll hang up if anything happens, is that ok?"
"Yes. Here she is." Elaina handed her the phone.
"Jake, Elaina told me I have a tumor. I guess you know that by now?"
"Yeah I know. Are you feeling ok?"
"I've been having headaches and not eating well. I now know why that was happening. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I really like you, Jake. I really wish I could take back everything I said and did. I know you must hate me and I don't blame you at all."
"I don't hate you. I need to apologize to you for what I said the last time we were together. I didn't mean it. I was never using you then or ever."
Maria was starting to cry. "I can't talk anymore, I accept your apology." She handed Elaina the phone. Elaina walked away from her to talk to Jake. Frank came over to sit with Maria.
"Jake she'd a little emotional right now. Can you be at the airport in an hour? It would mean a lot to her, to see you there."
"Sure I can be there. I know Mom is going to be at the hospital when you get there."
"Yeah, I called her earlier. Thank you Jake. We'll see you in a while."
They said their goodbyes and Elaina walked back over to Maria and Frank. "Cousin, would you like the grand tour of the plane?"
"That's right this is the first time. I forgot it was new," Maria said getting up to walk with her.
"Well as you can see it is slightly bigger than the last one. I wanted it to be comfortable so I had an overstuffed sofa and chairs added. I didn't spare any expense, which made Frank cringe at the time, but he realized that I was using it for business too so he got over it. There's a sleeping compartment, that's very comfy, believe me."
"I bet you tried it out on the trip out, didn't you?"
"You know me all too well, cousin." Elaina smiled. "Maria, I don't want to upset you or anything but I'm really curious about something you said at my bridal shower. You mentioned a baby."
"I said what? I don't remember a lot about that night."
"You told us you left a baby at a church with a note saying you didn't want it."
"Oh no! I didn't. It was an orphanage run by a church in Virginia. I didn't just leave him. I couldn't keep him, Lainie. I was too career oriented and the baby belonged to Aaron I couldn't look at the baby without seeing him. It hurt too much not having Aaron there to help raise our child. I'm not a bad person. I just know my abilities, I couldn't handle a baby not then," Maria explained.
"I understand. I just wish you'd told Mom or me about it, instead of going through it alone. Why did you keep the baby things?"
"I had that room set up when I first found out I was pregnant. I thought I could handle it and keep him but things changed. That was the first time I had been back to the house since I gave up the baby. I just kept away from that room while I was there."
"I was really worried about how you really felt about the baby. I thought maybe you were wanting to get him back or something."
"No! I know he's with a good family. I met them. He's in good hands." Maria had tears in her eyes. "I don't want to say anymore, ok?"
"Ok, if you ever want to talk to me about anything, I want you to know I'll always be here."
"Thanks, Lainie. We better go back up with Frank. He's probably having withdrawal, not having you next to him," Maria joked.
"I don't doubt that." They both laughed as they walked back.
*******
When they landed at the airport Jake met them with Andy. Maria saw Jake immediately and ran over to see him. "Jake I'm so glad you came here." Maria hugged him and Jake gave her a kiss. Jake held her as Elaina walked up to them.
"Hi Jake. We're ready to take Maria to the hospital. Are you going too?"
"If Maria wants me to, I will."
"Yes! I want you to." Maria hugged him again. "There's just one thing Lainie. I want to let Allison make any decisions on my treatment. I don't want to burden you with that."
"I'm not sure she'll want to do that. I can do it, Maria. You're not a burden."
"I trust Jake's mom and I want her to take care of it," Maria insisted.
"Mom will do it, Elaina. Don't worry," Jake said and Elaina agreed.
"She seems to being doing ok. Has she turned against you since you found her?" Andy asked Frank as they walked toward them.
"No, which I find amazing. I was sure she would've when Elaina questioned her but she's done really well." They walked to the cars. Maria and Jake were walking ahead of Elaina.
Maria and Jake were laughing about something and Maria started playfully punching at Jake, when she landed a heavy punch to his jaw, Elaina ran up to them. "Maria why did you do that?"
"He didn't think I would do it," Maria said with an evil smile. Elaina thought she was changing.
"Jake, you started this?" Elaina was confused.
"Don't worry, cousin. I haven't lost my bearing again, yet. We were only playing around."
"I didn't think she'd punch me so hard. Good thing we're going to the hospital," Jake said rubbing his jaw.
"Sorry but you shouldn't have bet me." Maria said as Andy let her in the car.
"I'll ride with Jake. You and Andy can take Maria," Frank told Elaina.
"See you there, Love."
"Lainie, can we talk for a while? Privately?"
"Sure what do you want to talk about?" Elaina asked as they walked back to Maria's seat.
"Do you think Jake would talk to me?"
"I think he would. What do you want to tell him?"
"That I'm sorry for hurting him. It was never my intention. It's whatever that's wrong with me. Do you know what the doctors found out exactly?"
"Yes I know. I wish I didn't have to tell you and I really don't want to tell you right now."
"Why? Is it that bad? Please tell me I need to know," Maria begged her cousin.
"You have a tumor in the part of your brain that controls your personality. It has been altering your behavior. They want to try medication before they do surgery." Elaina waited for her to say something.
"Cancer?" Maria asked.
"They're not sure they need you for more test. I'll be there with you, if that's what you want." Elaina held her.
"Can we call Jake before I turn into my Miss Hyde personality again? I really want to talk to him."
"Sure." Elaina went over and got the cell phone and called Jake. "Hello, Jake. It's Elaina. Did I wake you?"
"No, I had another call that did that. I heard you found Maria."
"Yes, she's right here. She wants to talk to you, if you would?"
"Is she ok?" Jake was hesitant.
"Right now, yes. She wants to apologize to you while she can."
"Put her on, I'll hang up if anything happens, is that ok?"
"Yes. Here she is." Elaina handed her the phone.
"Jake, Elaina told me I have a tumor. I guess you know that by now?"
"Yeah I know. Are you feeling ok?"
"I've been having headaches and not eating well. I now know why that was happening. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I really like you, Jake. I really wish I could take back everything I said and did. I know you must hate me and I don't blame you at all."
"I don't hate you. I need to apologize to you for what I said the last time we were together. I didn't mean it. I was never using you then or ever."
Maria was starting to cry. "I can't talk anymore, I accept your apology." She handed Elaina the phone. Elaina walked away from her to talk to Jake. Frank came over to sit with Maria.
"Jake she'd a little emotional right now. Can you be at the airport in an hour? It would mean a lot to her, to see you there."
"Sure I can be there. I know Mom is going to be at the hospital when you get there."
"Yeah, I called her earlier. Thank you Jake. We'll see you in a while."
They said their goodbyes and Elaina walked back over to Maria and Frank. "Cousin, would you like the grand tour of the plane?"
"That's right this is the first time. I forgot it was new," Maria said getting up to walk with her.
"Well as you can see it is slightly bigger than the last one. I wanted it to be comfortable so I had an overstuffed sofa and chairs added. I didn't spare any expense, which made Frank cringe at the time, but he realized that I was using it for business too so he got over it. There's a sleeping compartment, that's very comfy, believe me."
"I bet you tried it out on the trip out, didn't you?"
"You know me all too well, cousin." Elaina smiled. "Maria, I don't want to upset you or anything but I'm really curious about something you said at my bridal shower. You mentioned a baby."
"I said what? I don't remember a lot about that night."
"You told us you left a baby at a church with a note saying you didn't want it."
"Oh no! I didn't. It was an orphanage run by a church in Virginia. I didn't just leave him. I couldn't keep him, Lainie. I was too career oriented and the baby belonged to Aaron I couldn't look at the baby without seeing him. It hurt too much not having Aaron there to help raise our child. I'm not a bad person. I just know my abilities, I couldn't handle a baby not then," Maria explained.
"I understand. I just wish you'd told Mom or me about it, instead of going through it alone. Why did you keep the baby things?"
"I had that room set up when I first found out I was pregnant. I thought I could handle it and keep him but things changed. That was the first time I had been back to the house since I gave up the baby. I just kept away from that room while I was there."
"I was really worried about how you really felt about the baby. I thought maybe you were wanting to get him back or something."
"No! I know he's with a good family. I met them. He's in good hands." Maria had tears in her eyes. "I don't want to say anymore, ok?"
"Ok, if you ever want to talk to me about anything, I want you to know I'll always be here."
"Thanks, Lainie. We better go back up with Frank. He's probably having withdrawal, not having you next to him," Maria joked.
"I don't doubt that." They both laughed as they walked back.
*******
When they landed at the airport Jake met them with Andy. Maria saw Jake immediately and ran over to see him. "Jake I'm so glad you came here." Maria hugged him and Jake gave her a kiss. Jake held her as Elaina walked up to them.
"Hi Jake. We're ready to take Maria to the hospital. Are you going too?"
"If Maria wants me to, I will."
"Yes! I want you to." Maria hugged him again. "There's just one thing Lainie. I want to let Allison make any decisions on my treatment. I don't want to burden you with that."
"I'm not sure she'll want to do that. I can do it, Maria. You're not a burden."
"I trust Jake's mom and I want her to take care of it," Maria insisted.
"Mom will do it, Elaina. Don't worry," Jake said and Elaina agreed.
"She seems to being doing ok. Has she turned against you since you found her?" Andy asked Frank as they walked toward them.
"No, which I find amazing. I was sure she would've when Elaina questioned her but she's done really well." They walked to the cars. Maria and Jake were walking ahead of Elaina.
Maria and Jake were laughing about something and Maria started playfully punching at Jake, when she landed a heavy punch to his jaw, Elaina ran up to them. "Maria why did you do that?"
"He didn't think I would do it," Maria said with an evil smile. Elaina thought she was changing.
"Jake, you started this?" Elaina was confused.
"Don't worry, cousin. I haven't lost my bearing again, yet. We were only playing around."
"I didn't think she'd punch me so hard. Good thing we're going to the hospital," Jake said rubbing his jaw.
"Sorry but you shouldn't have bet me." Maria said as Andy let her in the car.
"I'll ride with Jake. You and Andy can take Maria," Frank told Elaina.
"See you there, Love."