Chapter 2
Several hours later, Fran and Max sat awaiting word from the doctors. By now it was early morning, and Max had hardly left Fran's side, except to call Niles. The butler had been pretty shocked. He was fond of Sylvia, as were the children. Her constant presence in the house was something they had all grown used to, without anyone's realizing it.
Max could tell Fran was worried; he did his best to comfort her. "I'm sure your mother will be fine, she's getting the very best care money can buy," he said. He tried his best to sound convincing, but the truth was he wasn't so sure. He couldn't help thinking back to that terrible night when he got the phone call from the hospital. He could still hear it: "Your wife has been in a car accident. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Mr. Sheffield, but she didn't make it." That was the worst moment of Maxwell's life. His and his children's world ended that night. For a time, it had seemed like part of him had died as well. He threw himself into his work, neglecting his children. Things might have gone on like that forever, if Fran hadn't shown up on their doorstep trying to sell cosmetics.
Maxwell knew he would do anything if he could prevent Fran from having to experience a loss like that. He was amazed at how strong she was. Her mother was in surgery, hanging on to life, and here she sat, calmly reading a magazine, awaiting news on her condition. 'If I were in her shoes, I would be going crazy,' Max thought. He knew that underneath that tough outer shell, she must be worried sick.
Fran wasn't really reading the magazine. It was a prop, just somewhere to put her hands. She'd been looking at the same article for hours, yet she didn't have the slightest idea what it was about. Instead, she kept thinking back to all the times she'd been angry with her mother. She recalled every fight they had had over the past, ahem, twenty-nine years. How could I have said those things to my own mother, the woman who gave me life, she wondered. Of course, deep down, she understood that she couldn't have known this would happen and that every woman fights with her mother at one time or another. But that didn't make her feel any less guilty. She looked over at Maxwell. 'It's just not fair, she thought. I'm sitting here next to this handsome, available guy while my mother's in some operating room fighting for her life.'
Just then, Maxwell's cell phone rang. "Maxwell Sheffield," he answered, in his businesslike way.
"Daddy, it's Maggie," said the voice on the other end. "Is there any word on Sylvia?"
"No, sweetheart. She's still in surgery."
"How's Fran taking it?" Maggie asked.
Max looked over at her. "Oh pretty well, I guess. Want to talk to her?" "Sure," Maggie replied. "It's Margaret, she wants to talk to you," Max said to Fran, handing her the phone.
Fran took it eagerly, glad to be brought out of her thoughts. "Hi, sweetheart!" she said as brightly as she could. "Are you kids behaving yourselves?" Fran asked.
"We're all worried sick about your mother." Maggie replied bluntly.
"Oh, honey, don't you worry about my mother! She's survived a hysterectomy, 24 hours of labor, and over 30 years of marriage to my father. No little heart attack is going to kill her!" 'Maybe if I say that with enough conviction, it'll actually be true,' she thought.
Maggie could tell Fran wasn't exactly telling the truth. "Do you want us to come down there? I can have Niles drive us," she said.
"Oh, that's so sweet of you," Fran replied. "But you kids don't need to come here. Your father and I have things under control here. We'll call as soon as we hear anything."
"OK, Fran," Maggie said. "I love you."
"I love you too," Fran replied and they hung up.
Just then a doctor came towards them. Fran walked over to him. "Miss Fine, your mother is out of surgery. She's still sedated, but we think she's going to be OK. You should be able to see her soon."
Max joined them. "Thank you very much, Doctor," he said, holding out his hand.
"Don't mention it. I'm just doing my job," the doctor said, shaking it. Then the doctor continued walking.
Turning to Fran, Max said, "Well Miss Fine, you must be very relieved."
"Oh, I am," Fran said, grinning. "I have to go call my father."
Maxwell took his phone out of his suit pocket. "Here, use this," he said.
Quickly Fran dialed her parents' number. "Dad, it's me. The doctor says Ma's out of surgery and she's going to be OK! Why don't you get a cab and come down here?" she suggested. "OK, I'll see you then," she said after a pause. She hung up and gave Maxwell back his phone. "Thanks," she said.
"No problem. Let me call Niles now." He dialed home. "Niles, old man, the doctor just told us Sylvia is going to be fine."
"That's wonderful, sir," Niles replied. "Shall I tell the children?" he asked.
"Of course," Max said, "And why don't you bring them down here?"
"Yes, sir. Shall I pick up Miss Toriello on the way?" Niles asked.
Max covered the receiver and said to Fran, "Niles wants to know if he should bring Val along with the children."
Fran thought for a moment. "Sure, why not? The more the merrier," she said, still obviously glowing. "I'll call her when you're done."
Max nodded his acknowledgment, then returned to Niles. "She says yes."
"All right, sir. I'll be there in half an hour." Maxwell and Niles hung up.
Fran took the phone back to call Val. She still couldn't stop smiling. Max couldn't help thinking he liked seeing her like this. Max handed Fran the phone, and she frantically dialed Val's number.
"Val? It's me Fran. My mother's going to be fine. Niles is on his way over to pick you up," Fran said.
"That's great, Fran!" Val said excitedly. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Fran and Val hung up quickly, and Fran gave Maxwell back his phone.
Max took Fran by the arm and led her over to less-crowded corner of the waiting room. "Look, Miss Fine, I just want to tell you that I'm glad Sylvia is going to be OK. If anything happened to her, I know the children would be devastated. They are quite fond of her, you know," he said.
"Yeah, sure. The children," Fran said with a smile.
Max sighed. "Last night, while you were asleep, I did some thinking. I thought about the night Sara died." Fran opened her mouth to say something. "No, let me finish," Max said. "Ever since that horrible night, it was like there was a cloud over our family. I worked night and day just to forget. I spent more time with C.C. than I did with my own bloody children! Fortunately, you changed all that. I just want to thank you for bringing life back into our house again."
"Oh, Mr. Sheffield, that's about the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me!" Fran exclaimed, on the verge of tears.
"It's just that what happened to Sylvia made me think," Maxwell said. "Life is short. You can't hold your feelings back." At that moment, Max and Fran's eyes met. Slowly they leaned in to kiss each other.
Just as their lips were about to meet, Max's cell phone rang. He answered it.
"Maxwell…" C.C. began, flirtatiously.
Max spoke breathlessly. "Look, C.C., whatever it is, just handle it yourself. I'm a little busy right now!" With that, Max hung up on his business partner. Turning his attention back to Fran, he said, "Now, where was I?"
"I believe you were saying something about not holding your feelings back…" Fran said, anxious to pick up where they'd left off.
"Oh, right," Maxwell chuckled. They resumed their kissing, but yet again, fate intervened.
A doctor approached. "Miss Fine, your mother's awake, and she'd like to see you," he said.
Fran sighed. "I guess we better go in and see her."
Max nodded his agreement. "Thanks," he said, turning to the doctor.
"Don't mention it. You can go right in," the doctor said.
Together, Fran and Max entered Sylvia's room. "Hi, Ma," Fran said. "How are you?"
Sylvia shrugged. "Eh, I could go for a piece of cake," she replied.
Max chuckled. "Well, it's nice to see you're back to your old self!"
Just at that moment, Niles arrived along with Val and the kids. "Can we come in?" Maggie asked.
"Oh, sure, kids," Fran said, hugging each of them as they entered the room.
Sylvia looked at the Sheffields and said, "You came all the way from Manhattan just to see me?!"
Max nodded. "Of course we did, Sylvia! You're like family."
Sylvia smiled. "You're like a son to me, too." Then she motioned for him to come closer. He leaned down so he could hear her. "Now would you marry my daughter and make it official already?!" Max chuckled nervously.
Several hours later, Fran and Max sat awaiting word from the doctors. By now it was early morning, and Max had hardly left Fran's side, except to call Niles. The butler had been pretty shocked. He was fond of Sylvia, as were the children. Her constant presence in the house was something they had all grown used to, without anyone's realizing it.
Max could tell Fran was worried; he did his best to comfort her. "I'm sure your mother will be fine, she's getting the very best care money can buy," he said. He tried his best to sound convincing, but the truth was he wasn't so sure. He couldn't help thinking back to that terrible night when he got the phone call from the hospital. He could still hear it: "Your wife has been in a car accident. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Mr. Sheffield, but she didn't make it." That was the worst moment of Maxwell's life. His and his children's world ended that night. For a time, it had seemed like part of him had died as well. He threw himself into his work, neglecting his children. Things might have gone on like that forever, if Fran hadn't shown up on their doorstep trying to sell cosmetics.
Maxwell knew he would do anything if he could prevent Fran from having to experience a loss like that. He was amazed at how strong she was. Her mother was in surgery, hanging on to life, and here she sat, calmly reading a magazine, awaiting news on her condition. 'If I were in her shoes, I would be going crazy,' Max thought. He knew that underneath that tough outer shell, she must be worried sick.
Fran wasn't really reading the magazine. It was a prop, just somewhere to put her hands. She'd been looking at the same article for hours, yet she didn't have the slightest idea what it was about. Instead, she kept thinking back to all the times she'd been angry with her mother. She recalled every fight they had had over the past, ahem, twenty-nine years. How could I have said those things to my own mother, the woman who gave me life, she wondered. Of course, deep down, she understood that she couldn't have known this would happen and that every woman fights with her mother at one time or another. But that didn't make her feel any less guilty. She looked over at Maxwell. 'It's just not fair, she thought. I'm sitting here next to this handsome, available guy while my mother's in some operating room fighting for her life.'
Just then, Maxwell's cell phone rang. "Maxwell Sheffield," he answered, in his businesslike way.
"Daddy, it's Maggie," said the voice on the other end. "Is there any word on Sylvia?"
"No, sweetheart. She's still in surgery."
"How's Fran taking it?" Maggie asked.
Max looked over at her. "Oh pretty well, I guess. Want to talk to her?" "Sure," Maggie replied. "It's Margaret, she wants to talk to you," Max said to Fran, handing her the phone.
Fran took it eagerly, glad to be brought out of her thoughts. "Hi, sweetheart!" she said as brightly as she could. "Are you kids behaving yourselves?" Fran asked.
"We're all worried sick about your mother." Maggie replied bluntly.
"Oh, honey, don't you worry about my mother! She's survived a hysterectomy, 24 hours of labor, and over 30 years of marriage to my father. No little heart attack is going to kill her!" 'Maybe if I say that with enough conviction, it'll actually be true,' she thought.
Maggie could tell Fran wasn't exactly telling the truth. "Do you want us to come down there? I can have Niles drive us," she said.
"Oh, that's so sweet of you," Fran replied. "But you kids don't need to come here. Your father and I have things under control here. We'll call as soon as we hear anything."
"OK, Fran," Maggie said. "I love you."
"I love you too," Fran replied and they hung up.
Just then a doctor came towards them. Fran walked over to him. "Miss Fine, your mother is out of surgery. She's still sedated, but we think she's going to be OK. You should be able to see her soon."
Max joined them. "Thank you very much, Doctor," he said, holding out his hand.
"Don't mention it. I'm just doing my job," the doctor said, shaking it. Then the doctor continued walking.
Turning to Fran, Max said, "Well Miss Fine, you must be very relieved."
"Oh, I am," Fran said, grinning. "I have to go call my father."
Maxwell took his phone out of his suit pocket. "Here, use this," he said.
Quickly Fran dialed her parents' number. "Dad, it's me. The doctor says Ma's out of surgery and she's going to be OK! Why don't you get a cab and come down here?" she suggested. "OK, I'll see you then," she said after a pause. She hung up and gave Maxwell back his phone. "Thanks," she said.
"No problem. Let me call Niles now." He dialed home. "Niles, old man, the doctor just told us Sylvia is going to be fine."
"That's wonderful, sir," Niles replied. "Shall I tell the children?" he asked.
"Of course," Max said, "And why don't you bring them down here?"
"Yes, sir. Shall I pick up Miss Toriello on the way?" Niles asked.
Max covered the receiver and said to Fran, "Niles wants to know if he should bring Val along with the children."
Fran thought for a moment. "Sure, why not? The more the merrier," she said, still obviously glowing. "I'll call her when you're done."
Max nodded his acknowledgment, then returned to Niles. "She says yes."
"All right, sir. I'll be there in half an hour." Maxwell and Niles hung up.
Fran took the phone back to call Val. She still couldn't stop smiling. Max couldn't help thinking he liked seeing her like this. Max handed Fran the phone, and she frantically dialed Val's number.
"Val? It's me Fran. My mother's going to be fine. Niles is on his way over to pick you up," Fran said.
"That's great, Fran!" Val said excitedly. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Fran and Val hung up quickly, and Fran gave Maxwell back his phone.
Max took Fran by the arm and led her over to less-crowded corner of the waiting room. "Look, Miss Fine, I just want to tell you that I'm glad Sylvia is going to be OK. If anything happened to her, I know the children would be devastated. They are quite fond of her, you know," he said.
"Yeah, sure. The children," Fran said with a smile.
Max sighed. "Last night, while you were asleep, I did some thinking. I thought about the night Sara died." Fran opened her mouth to say something. "No, let me finish," Max said. "Ever since that horrible night, it was like there was a cloud over our family. I worked night and day just to forget. I spent more time with C.C. than I did with my own bloody children! Fortunately, you changed all that. I just want to thank you for bringing life back into our house again."
"Oh, Mr. Sheffield, that's about the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me!" Fran exclaimed, on the verge of tears.
"It's just that what happened to Sylvia made me think," Maxwell said. "Life is short. You can't hold your feelings back." At that moment, Max and Fran's eyes met. Slowly they leaned in to kiss each other.
Just as their lips were about to meet, Max's cell phone rang. He answered it.
"Maxwell…" C.C. began, flirtatiously.
Max spoke breathlessly. "Look, C.C., whatever it is, just handle it yourself. I'm a little busy right now!" With that, Max hung up on his business partner. Turning his attention back to Fran, he said, "Now, where was I?"
"I believe you were saying something about not holding your feelings back…" Fran said, anxious to pick up where they'd left off.
"Oh, right," Maxwell chuckled. They resumed their kissing, but yet again, fate intervened.
A doctor approached. "Miss Fine, your mother's awake, and she'd like to see you," he said.
Fran sighed. "I guess we better go in and see her."
Max nodded his agreement. "Thanks," he said, turning to the doctor.
"Don't mention it. You can go right in," the doctor said.
Together, Fran and Max entered Sylvia's room. "Hi, Ma," Fran said. "How are you?"
Sylvia shrugged. "Eh, I could go for a piece of cake," she replied.
Max chuckled. "Well, it's nice to see you're back to your old self!"
Just at that moment, Niles arrived along with Val and the kids. "Can we come in?" Maggie asked.
"Oh, sure, kids," Fran said, hugging each of them as they entered the room.
Sylvia looked at the Sheffields and said, "You came all the way from Manhattan just to see me?!"
Max nodded. "Of course we did, Sylvia! You're like family."
Sylvia smiled. "You're like a son to me, too." Then she motioned for him to come closer. He leaned down so he could hear her. "Now would you marry my daughter and make it official already?!" Max chuckled nervously.