"Hey is Stacy there?" Spike answered.
"Yea Spike, she's here." Jeff said.
I handed Liz to Matt and walked to the phone.
"We're going to take Liz out for ice cream. You have to tell Spike." Jeff said.
I nodded and took the phone as Matt and Jeff took Liz and left.
"Hey baby" I answered.
"Hey, how's my beautiful wife?"
"Not too good."
"Why not?"
"There is something I have been keeping from you. Well actually 2 things."
"Oh?"
"The first thing is I've been drinking again."
"WHAT?!? WHY WOULD YOU START DRINKING AGAIN?" Spike yelled.
"Because I am scared of dying and I thought drinking would take away the fear."
"Why would you think you are dying?"
"Well you see that's the second thing I have been keeping from you. I have breast cancer. Tomorrow I am having surgery at 1 pm and then I start chemotherapy."
"What? Oh my God!" (No offense to anyone)
"I didn't tell you cuz I didn't wanna worry you. Please forgive me," I cried.
"Baby, you shouldn't go through this alone. I'm going to ask for some time off and be with you when you go to surgery tomorrow."
"Okay. Spike?"
"Yea baby?"
"I love you."
"I love you too baby. I love you so much."
"Nite"
"Nite baby."
We hung up and I wiped my tears. I went upstairs and packed a bag. On the dresser I saw a photo album. I picked it up and sat on the bed. I started to look through the photos. I saw pictures of my mom and me, my dad and me, my brothers and me. Then I looked at the back and saw pictures of Spike, Liz and me. I put the photo album back on the dresser and a picture fell out and it was of my brothers, my dad, mom and me. I went back to the bed and looked at it.
"Brings back memories huh?" Jeff said from the doorway.
I gave him a small smile.
"Yea, I miss her Jeff. I miss her so much." I cried.
Jeff came to my side and held me too him.
" I know you do. We all do."
"I'm so scared Jeff. I don't wanna die like momma." I cried.
"Shh....you're not going to die babygurl. You're not. You are strong and you are going to make it. You hear me?"
"Liz is so young. I wanna be there to watch her go on her first date, graduate high school, and get married." I cried harder.
"And you will. Look at me Stacy."
I looked at his face and he wiped off my tears.
"You gotta believe me. You will be healthy and happy after this. You won't die."
I looked in Jeff's eyes and there were tears. I hugged him tightly.
"I believe you Jeff."
We dried our tears and went out into the living room where we saw Matt and Liz sitting by the TV watching Blue's Clues.
"A CLUE!" Liz yelled and bounced.
Jeff and I laughed. Matt turned around at us and smiled.
"Liz is getting very smart. You have been giving her Ovaltene or something?" Matt joked.
"Why? Do you want some?" I joked back.
"Oh you think that is funny?" Matt asked.
"I don't think, I know." I smiled.
Matt got up and walked to me. He had on the smile of a devil. I knew what was coming. He started to tickle me.
"Give up?"
"NEVER" I laughed out.
"I'm not going to stop til you give up."
"OK, OK! I GIVE UP!"
"That's what I thought," Matt laughed as he stopped tickling me.
"Why are you always the mean brother?" I asked.
"Just lucky I guess." Matt smiled.
Matt picked me up and sat me in his lap on the couch.
"Did you tell Spike?" Matt asked.
"Yea I did."
"What did he say?"
"He was pretty mad about the drinking."
"We all are. You know you are too young to drink and you also know what it does to you."
"I know." I said and then with after a pause I said, "Spike said he is getting off so he can come be with me tomorrow."
"And you know we will be there." Matt said as he kissed my forehead.
"I know." I smiled.
"You know you should tell dad." Jeff said.
"I can't tell any more people. I can't handle anymore." I said teary eyed.
"Well he has to know. Do you want us to tell him?" Matt asked.
"You would do that for me?" I asked.
"Of course babygurl." Jeff said.
"Thank you. Both of you." I said.
"Uncle Jeffy, Uncle Matt?" Liz said.
"Yea sweetie." Matt answered.
"Yea Spike, she's here." Jeff said.
I handed Liz to Matt and walked to the phone.
"We're going to take Liz out for ice cream. You have to tell Spike." Jeff said.
I nodded and took the phone as Matt and Jeff took Liz and left.
"Hey baby" I answered.
"Hey, how's my beautiful wife?"
"Not too good."
"Why not?"
"There is something I have been keeping from you. Well actually 2 things."
"Oh?"
"The first thing is I've been drinking again."
"WHAT?!? WHY WOULD YOU START DRINKING AGAIN?" Spike yelled.
"Because I am scared of dying and I thought drinking would take away the fear."
"Why would you think you are dying?"
"Well you see that's the second thing I have been keeping from you. I have breast cancer. Tomorrow I am having surgery at 1 pm and then I start chemotherapy."
"What? Oh my God!" (No offense to anyone)
"I didn't tell you cuz I didn't wanna worry you. Please forgive me," I cried.
"Baby, you shouldn't go through this alone. I'm going to ask for some time off and be with you when you go to surgery tomorrow."
"Okay. Spike?"
"Yea baby?"
"I love you."
"I love you too baby. I love you so much."
"Nite"
"Nite baby."
We hung up and I wiped my tears. I went upstairs and packed a bag. On the dresser I saw a photo album. I picked it up and sat on the bed. I started to look through the photos. I saw pictures of my mom and me, my dad and me, my brothers and me. Then I looked at the back and saw pictures of Spike, Liz and me. I put the photo album back on the dresser and a picture fell out and it was of my brothers, my dad, mom and me. I went back to the bed and looked at it.
"Brings back memories huh?" Jeff said from the doorway.
I gave him a small smile.
"Yea, I miss her Jeff. I miss her so much." I cried.
Jeff came to my side and held me too him.
" I know you do. We all do."
"I'm so scared Jeff. I don't wanna die like momma." I cried.
"Shh....you're not going to die babygurl. You're not. You are strong and you are going to make it. You hear me?"
"Liz is so young. I wanna be there to watch her go on her first date, graduate high school, and get married." I cried harder.
"And you will. Look at me Stacy."
I looked at his face and he wiped off my tears.
"You gotta believe me. You will be healthy and happy after this. You won't die."
I looked in Jeff's eyes and there were tears. I hugged him tightly.
"I believe you Jeff."
We dried our tears and went out into the living room where we saw Matt and Liz sitting by the TV watching Blue's Clues.
"A CLUE!" Liz yelled and bounced.
Jeff and I laughed. Matt turned around at us and smiled.
"Liz is getting very smart. You have been giving her Ovaltene or something?" Matt joked.
"Why? Do you want some?" I joked back.
"Oh you think that is funny?" Matt asked.
"I don't think, I know." I smiled.
Matt got up and walked to me. He had on the smile of a devil. I knew what was coming. He started to tickle me.
"Give up?"
"NEVER" I laughed out.
"I'm not going to stop til you give up."
"OK, OK! I GIVE UP!"
"That's what I thought," Matt laughed as he stopped tickling me.
"Why are you always the mean brother?" I asked.
"Just lucky I guess." Matt smiled.
Matt picked me up and sat me in his lap on the couch.
"Did you tell Spike?" Matt asked.
"Yea I did."
"What did he say?"
"He was pretty mad about the drinking."
"We all are. You know you are too young to drink and you also know what it does to you."
"I know." I said and then with after a pause I said, "Spike said he is getting off so he can come be with me tomorrow."
"And you know we will be there." Matt said as he kissed my forehead.
"I know." I smiled.
"You know you should tell dad." Jeff said.
"I can't tell any more people. I can't handle anymore." I said teary eyed.
"Well he has to know. Do you want us to tell him?" Matt asked.
"You would do that for me?" I asked.
"Of course babygurl." Jeff said.
"Thank you. Both of you." I said.
"Uncle Jeffy, Uncle Matt?" Liz said.
"Yea sweetie." Matt answered.