Chapter Fourteen

Delinda quietly walked in to Jillian's room. "Mom?"

Jillian turned and looked at her daughter and gave her a soft smile, "Hey, honey, come on in."

Delinda walked in carefully and sat down and took her hand, softly, "Dad's a mess."

Her mother nodded and sighed, "I know. Where is he?"

"He's out in the waiting room, talking to Sam."

Jillian looked at her daughter curiously, "Sam Marquez?"

Delinda nodded, "Yeah."

The elder blonde bit her bottom lip a little, softly, "Delinda, does your dad like her?"

Her daughter sat up straight, "Mom, it's not like that, Daddy is totally devoted to you."

Jillian waved her hand, "No, no, I know, I know, but do they appear to be friends?"

Delinda shrugged her shoulder a little, "Yeah, I guess, why?"

Her mother shrugged a little, "No reason."

The daughter sighed deeply as she gave her mom a smile. "You are going to beat this mom. You are way too strong to get taken by something as wimpy as cancer."

Jillian laughed quietly, "Delinda, this isn't wimpy. Honey, the doctor's prognosis isn't good. 80% of the women who have the advanced cancer that I do die."

Delinda closed her eyes and sighed softly, a tear falling. Squeezing her mother's hand, she gave her a weak smile, "But 20% live. Mom, you could easily be one of the 20% who beat this."

"Delinda, listen to me for a second, okay?" Jillian sat up and looked at her daughter, "I know that this may sound weird, and I would never say this to your father, but... I think this is what my plan was from the beginning. My destiny, so to speak. I think this is what was supposed to have happened all along. Me survive that accident and help your dad raise you and then go and raise my son. Delinda, I don't know what you believe when it comes to death, but, honey, I believe that when we die, we stay the age we died. I believe that Brandon is still the same ornery two year old that he was when he was alive."

"But, mom, what about me and dad?"

Jillian's thumb ran over the top of her daughter's hand, "You and dad can take care of yourselves and each other. Dad has the hotel, his friends... Delinda, I'm not saying that I'm looking forward to what's going to happen. I'm not. I'm scared. I'm horrified at what awaits me. But I understand why it is happening to me. I've had thirty years with the love of my life. I gave birth to two of the most amazing children ever conceived. Do you have any idea how many women struggle just to find that perfect man? Some women go through men like socks. This is just God's way of telling me that my time is about up."

Delinda's eyes remained fixed on her mother, whispering softly, "You really believe that, don't you?"

Her mother nodded, softly, "I do."

Before either could say anymore, Ed poked his head in the room again. "Can I come in?"

Jillian nodded as she smiled softly. Delinda stood up and stepped out of the way for her father to join them. Jillian looked at her husband and daughter, "Sit down, both of you. I want to say a few things."

Father and daughter looked at each other and then sat down without a word. Jillian sighed softly and looked at her husband, "You've given me thirty years. That's thirty years more than I deserved. You've helped me create two beautiful children and a beautiful life which I adore. Ed, I know I'm not going to live through this. I would appreciate it if you guys didn't act as though this isn't stage four. We need to start making plans, Ed. I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to take that trip to Hawaii."

Ed nodded, softly, "As soon as you are well enough to travel, we'll go, I promise."

Jillian quietly smiled and nodded, "There's something else, Ed."

He looked at her, his brows arched, waiting. His wife took in a deep breath, "If the time should come and you meet a woman..."

"Jillian..."

She rose her hand up to cut him off, "If the time should come and you meet a woman and fall in love with her, I want you to marry her if you want to. I don't want you to harbor guilt over it."

Ed sighed deeply as he took her hands in his, "There won't ever be another woman so you don't have to worry about that."

She smiled softly at her husband, her voice was quiet, "Please promise me, Eddie."

Ed sighed softly. In a moment to satisfy his wife, he nodded, softly, "Okay, I promise."

Jillian gave her husband another smile. Delinda stood in the corner of the room, observing her parents. As she watched them speak quietly to each other, it struck her at how prepared her mother seemed to be. To Delinda, Jillian appeared to be completely at ease with what is going on. Almost calm like. Delinda's hands ran up her arms as she felt the goose bumps form. How can somebody who was just delivered the news her mother was given, be totally okay with what was going on, even to the point where she would tell her husband that she wanted him to remarry, should he choose to fall in love again?

"What's going on with the Cline kid?"

Sam turned and looked at Danny and sighed. "Metro has been unable to locate her parents. Luis is issuing a warrant against them for child abandonment."

Mary leaned in, listening quietly, "Is she going into foster care?"

Samantha nodded, softly, "I'm taking her in. She trusts me and she's really a sweet kid. I've grown attached to her. In fact, Luis is contacting children's services to see if I can't be Jasmine's foster mother until I'm able to take the courses."

Danny blinked in surprise, "Whoa... You as a mother. Kind of scary."

Sam slugged him in the shoulder, "No more scarier than you being a father."

Danny chuckled quietly, "True. You talk to Ed about this?"

The brunette nodded, "Yeah, he's all for it. He's given me his support, which is great, because I can use all the support I can get. He's also told me that he'd help me out if I needed anything at all. Which, again, is great."

The trio nodded and then something dawned on Mary. Glancing around, she asked, "Where's Ness?"

Sam and Danny immediately scanned the room as well. Nobody had seen the woman for quite some time now. "She didn't go in with Ed and Delinda?"

Sam stood up, softly, "No, it was just Ed and D. I saw them myself. I'm going to go and see if I can't find her.'

Sam made her way down the hall in search for her friend. Danny sighed quietly, "I'm gonna go find a pay phone and fill Mike in on what's going on."

Mary nodded quietly as she sat back and watched her friends, one by one, filter away.

"What's that?"

"It's a security camera."

"What's it for?"

"Watching things."

"What do you watch it on?"

"Monitors."

"Huh?"

Mike sighed quietly in annoyance. He'd been playing the twenty questions game with Jasmine for well over an hour. Looking at her, he gave her a soft smile, "You want to color or something?"

Jasmine shook her head no and yawned a little and suddenly Mike got an idea. "How about I find you a place and you can lay down and have a little doze?"

Jasmine nodded, "Okay."

Mike stood up and smiled at her and extended his hand out to her. "You can sleep on the couch in here, but do not touch a thing in this office, you got it? A very important man works in here."

The little girl looked up at him curiously, "Who?"

Without thinking, Mike blurted out, "The President. Now here, lay down right here on this couch. Here's a blanket." Reaching for a throw on the back of the couch, Mike spread it over the little girl. "Sweet dreams, kid."

As he walked out, Jasmine stood up and looked around, softly, "Whoa... the President's office." Throwing the blanket back, Jasmine got off the couch and went to explore in Ed's office.