Weeks had passed as Frances was recovering. Fred had gone back to work in Dubuque. He hated to leave her there, but she had told him these things happen….and you do what you need to do.
"Besides, I'll be walking out of this hospital with you by my side in two weeks…" Fred thought of her words she left him with. He had finished his work and so he headed home. Fred wanted to get some of his things and travel to Burr Oak to see his wife. He spent a little time packing a few pieces of clothing, when the door opened.
"Hey Papa! Going somewhere?" Helen asked.
"Uh…I didn't know you'd be back from college, Helen….and who's this?" Fred asked, motioning to the young man with her.
"My boyfriend, Papa….Clay…..I wanted you to meet him. Mama too…..Where is she?"
"Just about ready to go get her….." He coughed.
"Where is she?" Helen asked, starting to get irritated.
"At the hospital in Burr Oak…."
"What?" Helen stammered, confused. "What's she doing there?...What's wrong?" She asked, worriedly. And started thinking the facts through….."Never mind,…just tell me when we get there! I'm coming with you….You don't mind, Clay, do you?" Helen asked, turning to him.
"Nah, I'll come too if you don't mind." He said. And so the three left together and started off to Burr Oak, Iowa.
"You still won't tell me!" Helen spat, madder than a hornet. "How can you be so quiet, Papa?"
"Just calm down….please….."
"I will not calm down!" She raised her voice. "Not when you won't tell me what's happening with my mother!"
"Helen…this is a public setting." Fred said, mentioning that they were seated in a train.
"I don't care if they hear me all the way in China!...Just tell me, Papa!" She cried, tearing up….worried….and hating that she didn't know what was going on.
"Your mother's recovering….from cancer." He said finally.
"Cancer…." Helen choked out, tearing up even more. "No!" She started crying, and Clay wrapped an arm around her. He felt a little akward seeing her cry. "I don't believe it!...I can't believe it….It can't be true." Helen cried.
"It is true, Helen…." Fred said quietly. "But she's getting better….She's nearly well now and wants to come home to recover the rest of the way."
"WHY didn't you tell me this before? Why didn't you tell me she was sick?"
"She didn't want to worry you." Fred told her. "Now I want you to calm down….we're almost here."
"How can I calm down?" She cried. "This is my mother we're talking about here!"
"Just calm down." Fred said gently and held her hand. "Your Mama's getting better….trust me."
They made it to the hospital and Helen and the others found Frances' room. Helen walked right in and nearly burst into tears. "Mama!..." She cried and sat down on her bed. "Mama, you look so frail."
"Now, stop the tears, little miss dramatic…" Frances smiled and wiped away the tears streaming on her daughter's cheeks. "I'm fine." She whispered.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Helen cried. "I would've been there to help you! I could've come home."
"Now, I wouldn't want you to do that….You finish college!"
"I will….But family means more to me than that. You, Papa…and even Freddy come first in my life." She sniffled, laughing a little.
"I told you to stop the tears, little girl." Frances smiled, reaching her hand up and wiped away a tear with her thumb. "I told you…I'm better. I'm coming home today!"
"I'm so glad to hear that…..I just wish you would've told me. Does Freddy even know?"
Frances shook her head. "No, he doesn't know. Well, as far as I know, he doesn't…Helen, he has his own life now. We haven't seen him since October."
"It doesn't mean he doesn't care! Mama, why didn't you tell us?"
"I didn't want to worry you….And its personal."
"It makes me angry!...We would've been there for you!" Helen said. "Don' t think we wouldn't have."
"I'm sorry I've made you angry." Frances said softly and hugged her daughter. "I just didn't want you to worry about me….If I were to die."
"It would kill me if you died and I didn't know you were so sick…..It would be so terrible!"
"Well don't even think it….Because I plan on living for quite a while now!" She grinned. Frances then looked at Clay, who was sitting in one of the chairs. "Now who's this nice looking young man?"
Helen looked at him and grinned, then looked at her mother again. "Mama, this is Clay Ballard. My boyfriend."
"Boyfriend!" Frances smiled. "Wonderful!...And he sure seems like a good one since he came all this way with you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Lay." Clay smiled a little.
"Your first boyfriend!" Frances smiled. "Exciting, isn't it?"
"Well….yeah…." Helen grinned. "Do you remember your first boyfriend, Mama?" She asked. Helen could never recall her mother telling her about any boyfriends she had.
"Of course I do!" She smiled…."Strong, handsome….funny….charming…not very tall though." She laughed. "Neither am I though!" Frances laughed a little more.
"Whatever happened? You broke up with him probably…"
"Oh no! No." She grinned, shaking her head. "I married him!" Frances smiled, looking up at her husband. "But don't get your hopes up….It doesn't always work that way."
"Papa was your only boyfriend?"
Frances nodded. "He was the only one who asked me, really. Things went fast, I'll admit….It certainly doesn't always work out the way it did for your Papa and me. Sometimes, you get the wrong guy that way. You best be careful."
"Mama…." Helen whispered. "I don't think I'll marry Clay….not yet anyway." She laughed a little.
"Like I said, don't get your hopes up. Life is…unpredictable."
"But that's what so fun about it." Fred grinned.
"So true." Frances chuckled. "Well, I'm ready to go home, I think!"
"Me too!" Fred said. "It's been a time!...But I don't think mine has been as crazy as yours." He laughed a little and looked at his wife.
"What?" Frances laughed. "What do you mean by that?"
"You…..singing that old Civil War song." Fred laughed. "Now I know how silly you get under anesthesia."
"What?" She laughed. "I didn't!"
"Yeah, you did…" He chuckled. "I heard everything that went on. "
"Oh….just wonderful." She sighed. "And I barely remember a thing about it."
"Well…lets go home." Fred chuckled.
"Yes. Let's go home!" Frances smiled. "And we can all have supper together."
"I'll cook!" Helen grinned. "I'll do everything."
(
That year had passed. Helen thought it was a good year all around. Things were going well with her studies and she'd hope she would graduate early. She was about to turn 20, and would no longer be a teenager. So that was exciting for her….Helen had to give up her job giving guitar lessons. It just wasn't working out. But, she recently sent in an application for a different job, cleaning a gymnasium. She figured it was promising….Things were going well with her and Clay, she thought. It was Valentine's Day and he had given her a heart shaped necklace. She was admiring it while she was in class one morning.
"Oh, that's a pretty necklace." A girl next to her whispered. "Who gave it to you?"
"My boyfriend." Helen smiled.
"For Valentine's Day…how sweet!" She smiled and held out her hand in front of her. "My boyfriend Clay gave me this ring."
"Oh…..that's nice." Helen said. "Pretty."
"Gee, thanks!" She beamed. "Clay Ballard is the sweetest guy ever!"
"Clay Ballard, huh?" Helen muttered. This wasn't adding up to her.
"Yes…" The girl said happily. "We've been dating for three months now."
"Oh really…..Three months."
"Um….Is something wrong?" The girl looked at her. Helen had a look on her face that you could tell she wasn't in the brightest mood!
"No….No, not at all." Helen muttered, glaring. She turned her attention back to her schoolwork, and couldn't wait for her class to be over so she could have a word with Clay.
Helen walked down the hall as soon as she finished her class. She picked up speed as she walked into the lounge of the college, her shoes hitting the hardwood floor rapidly as she walked over to Clay. He was standing there, talking with his friends.
"I need to talk to you!" She yanked his arm, so he would face her.
"Give me a minute, baby…." Clay glared a little, but grinned at her. He was a little bit ticked off since she had interrupted him and his buddies.
"No….Right now…" She grabbed his hand and walked off with him into a hallway.
"So. What is it?" He asked.
"Tell me something."
"Anything…."
"Are you cheating on me…or not?" Helen asked.
"Cheating?...What makes you think that?"
"Answer me." Helen glared at him.
"What makes you think that I'm cheating?" He smirked.
"Anna Peterson…."
"What?"
"Don't you dare deny it Clay! You're dating her! She told me so!" Helen raised her voice, almost beginning to cry. "You two have been dating for three months. She said so…You're cheating on me, Clay!"
"Maybe I am…..and maybe I'm not." Clay said, still smirking. "It's all in how you look at it."
"How can you even say that?" She looked at him in disbelief, but then her attitude changed…."Well…I see it as cheating….and I won't stand for a cheater!" She said, ripping off her necklace. "Here!" Helen felt like throwing it at him, but she just let it fall into his hand.
"Fine….We were coming to a close anyway. I was going to break up with you in a few weeks."
"Yeah, well I've saved you the time." Helen spat at him. She walked away from him and just wanted to go to her dorm room and unleash everything. Clay's words hurt her. She was angry at him for doing this to her, yet sad about breaking up with him. She was crying a little now and nearly made it to the stairs, except she ran into someone instead.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's the hurry?"
Helen looked up, and it was Edward. "I need to get to my dorm." She said, tears streaking her face.
"Hold it a minute." Edward said, his hands on her shoulders. "You're crying….What's up?"
"I'd really like to get to my dorm, Edward." Helen sniffled. She covered her mouth, in case she started crying there. She didn't want him to see her cry.
"Enough with the 'Edward'!" He grinned a little. "Call me Eddie!"
"Eddie." She smiled a little.
"Now what's the matter? You look like you need someone to talk to. That's what friends do…..We are friends, right?" He smiled as she nodded slightly. "Now, what's going on with you, Helen? Hey, you can tell me." He said, gently putting an arm on her shoulder.
"I…I just broke up with my boyfriend." She said softly, fearing the tears would start again.
"I'm sorry…." He said. "….what happened?"
"Why do you care?" She turned away from him and bit her bottom lip to try and keep from crying.
"You're my friend." Eddie said. "And I'd like to help you." Helen looked at him again. "So, what happened? Did he break up with you?"
"No….I did." Helen said, tears streaming her face.
"Is he seeing another girl?"
Helen nodded. "How did you know that?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Just a guess. Hey….I'm sorry….."
"I'm the one who called it off…..He cheated on me. I just won't take cheating."
"Good. You stood up for what you believe in. I'd be proud of yourself I were you." He said.
"Breaking up still hurts." She said softly.
"I know." He said and pulled her a little bit closer. "Things'll shape up soon. It'll be alright."
Helen smiled a little, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Thank you." She whispered.
"Don't mention it." Eddie grinned. "Walk you to your dorm?"
"Um…Can you really do that?"
"I like breaking the rules." He grinned. Helen raised her eyebrows and gave him a surprised look. "I'm kidding!" He laughed. "I've got a visitor's pass!"
"Well, thanks, Edward…..Eddie." She corrected herself, smiling at him a little. "But….but I think I can make it to my dorm by myself."
"Well, alright then." He said, and turn around to leave, and looked back at her. "We're friends." Eddie smiled. "If you still need somebody to talk to….I'm your guy."
Helen nodded, smiling slightly and walked up the stairs and to her dorm room.
A/N: Been a long while since I've written. I'm sorry….Things happened and I've not been able to write. Glad to get back into it! :)
