"Oh dad!" Zoe cried. "I'm so sorry. What kind of cancer? How advanced is it, are you having treatment?"
"Woah, slow down Zoe, don't be getting all doctor on me, I've seen enough of them lately!" Richard said.
"Sorry, I can't help it, it's quite the bombshell." Zoe replied.
"I know sweetheart, I thought now was the time to tell you."
"How long have you known?" Zoe asked.
"A couple of months, we didn't want to worry you, we know how busy you are, we wanted to see how it was before we said anything." Richard explained.
"I'm your daughter, did you not think I deserved to know?!" Zoe asked.
"I wanted to tell you in person Zoe, it's not an easy phone call to make, I suppose I just kept putting it off. It's lung cancer, I've been having chemotherapy but they've said its spread. They've give me 12 months at a maximum." Richard had tears in his eyes, it was breaking his heart having to tell his beloved daughter he was dying.
"I need a cigarette." Zoe got up from her seat and headed outside.
"Zoe!" Anne shouted.
"I'll go." said Max giving them a comforting smile.
Max went outside, Zoe was stood in the rain, smoking. She looked at him.
"I probably should give up with that news." She pointed at her cigarette.
"Zo, are you alright?" Max asked.
"I don't know. I don't know how I'm
supposed to react, I'm a doctor, I hear bad news all the time, I give bad news all the time, I just never thought it'd happen to me. I'm supposed to make people better and yet I can't do anything." Zoe answered.
"Come here." Max pulled her into a hug. "You can be there for him and support him. We can get married as soon as you want, give him a day to remember?"
"Really?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah, anything you want." Max kissed the top of her head.
"Thank you Max. We'd better go back in." Zoe said.
They headed back inside, Zoe's parents still sat at the table, Richard had his head in his hands whilst Anne had her arms around him. "It'll be alright." she was saying to him.
"So," Zoe said as she approached the table, "how about a summer wedding?"
Her parents looked up. Richard beamed. "That would be wonderful." He stood up and held his only child close to him. "Thank you." He whispered.
"You will be there" Zoe said sternly. "I'm not walking down that aisle without you."
"And you won't, I promise." Richard said.
"Who's for dessert?" Max asked, trying to lighten the mood, he hated seeing Zoe sad, it broke his heart.
"Now you're talking! Man after my own heart!" Anne said.
"Mother! If I didn't know better I'd think you were after my handsome porter!" Zoe laughed.
"Porter?!" Anne and Richard said simultaneously.
Max looked at Zoe and they both laughed.
"Oh yeah, did I not mention that?!" Max asked.
"What does it matter, life's too short to worry about money, status, anything!" Richard said.
"Tell Zoe that!" Max said "she was terrified of people finding out she was with a lowly porter!"
"I was not!" Zoe punched his arm playfully. "It wasn't that, it was, oh, you know what, never mind!" She gave up.
After eating dessert and paying the bill, they left the restaurant.
"Shall we get you kids home? We'll have to head back now." Richard asked.
"Actually dad, I think we might walk if that's ok?" Zoe told him. "I need the fresh air."
"Ok sweetheart if you're sure." He gave her a hug. "It's been lovely to see you, I'm sorry about the bad news but let's not dwell on it, let's focus on the wedding, only think of the happy things." Richard said.
"Ok Dad, anything for you." Zoe told him.
"Max, it's been great to meet you, I can see how much you adore Zoe and I couldn't ask for anything more from a son in law." Richard held out his hand, Max shook it.
"It's been great to finally meet you both, you can see where Zoe gets her looks from!" Max said, winking at her
mother.
"Oh Max! You are a charmer!" Anne grinned.
"I've been told! I only have eyes for this one though!" Max winked at his fiancée.
"Bye Mum." Zoe embraced her mother, kissing her cheek. "See you soon."
They said their goodbyes and Max and Zoe started the walk home.
"Regretting those heels yet?!" Max asked.
"Not at all!" Zoe replied. "These are part of who I am, I can't give into them!"
"Women! I'll never understand them!" Max laughed.
"You can talk!" Zoe jabbed Max in the ribs, "what's with the outfit today?!"
Max gave her a shy smile. "I didn't want your parents to think I was a scruffy student type, I wanted to make a good impression. It was important for them to like me, I wanted to make you proud."
"Oh Max, you didn't have to dress up for them, they love you for you, like I do, not for what you're wearing!" Zoe told him. "Thank you for inviting them
today, I've had a lovely day, despite everything, I really don't see them as much as I should."
"It was lovely to meet them, they're great people." Max told her.
"They are, I just hope dads going to make the wedding Max." Zoe said.
"Hey, he will. He said so didn't he?" Max assured her.
"I know, I know but.." Zoe started.
"Zoe, he told you, focus on the wedding, nothing else matters for now! It'll be hard not to think about the cancer but we're going to make this the best wedding ever!" Max to her.
"You're right, let's get it sorted, I can't wait to be your wife." Zoe said.
"You don't know how much I love the sound of that!" Max told her.
"It is pretty amazing isn't it?" Zoe asked.
They arrived home soon after. Zoe took off her shoes "aahh that feels so good!" she said.
"I thought you didn't suffer?!" Max teased.
"I'm not!" Zoe claimed.
"Whatever you say!" Max said. "Go sit down, I'll make you a coffee."
Zoe did as she was told. Max went into the kitchen, still slightly unsure how to properly use this fancy coffee machine Zoe had insisted on, he didn't know what was wrong with the stuff out of a jar!
He muddled his way through the process and took Zoe's into the living room. He smiled when he got there, she was fast asleep on the sofa. She was so beautiful. He went to find a blanket and covered her with it. "I love you Mrs Walker." He whispered.
He loved the sound of it, he couldn't wait until she had his name.