Jill sat in the passenger seat of the car a beat longer than was necessary. She had no desire to get out and head up the drive to the familiar and beloved lake house. She had no desire to look Eddie Ryker in the eye and tell him . . .
"Babe?" Mike stood just outside the open car door, waiting. She met his eyes and knew she couldn't show how upset she was. Mike was hanging on by a thread as it was. She had to be strong. She climbed slowly out of the car.
They found him around back in his workshop. He was always building something.
"Well, hello! Where are the girls?" He asked, looking around. "Don't tell me you escaped without them?"
"A miracle." Mike said with a grin. "What are you building now? LIzzie hasn't conned you into another doll house, has she?"
"No." He said with a grin. "I promised Amy I'd build her a shelf for her trophies."
"Eddie, you don't have to make every little thing they ask." Jill said quietly. "They are so spoiled."
"Oh, I like building and it is good to have a reason to make something." He set aside the sand paper he'd been using, and looked at their faces. "Why are you here?"
"Time to talk now." Mike said simply.
"Yeah?" Eddie asked. "Okay. Come on, it's not too cold to sit out on the deck. Whatever it is, we can at least have a pretty view." He led them around back to the deck, and sat down in his favorite chair. Jill sat across from him on the loveseat he'd built years ago for his beloved Mary Kate. Mike stood between them hovering anxiously.
"It can't be good, but if you tell me you two are splitting up, I swear I'll lock you inside that house until you work it out." He said trying to lighten the mood.
"It'd almost be worth it to fake a fight, huh, Babe." Mike said with a grin, but Jill said nothing.
Eddie turned to her. "You look scared. Why are you scared?" He moved and sat beside her. "I'm tougher than I look. You know that. I've endured the worst, so go ahead. I can take it."
He reached for her hand, and her eyes filled with tears. She didn't look up at him, but rather at his hand, holding it with both of her own.
She drew in a deep breath. "You know how much I love you, Eddie. I can't . . .seems like our lives got tangled up somehow. I would give anything to keep pain away from you. You've suffered enough. I don't want to cause you any hurt." She looked up at him then, her eyes bright with tears.
"Honey, you don't have to protect me. I understand how dangerous love is." He paused considering her thoughtfully. "I understand it better than you." He looked up at Mike who was silently crying. "Oh, God." He said shocked. "This is bad?"
"Yeah," Jill said trying to stifle down a sob. "It's pretty bad."
"Okay." He said. "Okay, then. We'll manage it together. We're family. It's what we do. It's has to be you." He said looking at Jill. He threw a thumb in Mike's direction. "He'd never cry for himself. And it isn't the girls because you are still able to stand. There's something wrong with you."
"I'm sick." She began gently and then drawing in a deep breath she said it at last, "It's cancer."
Eddie Ryker sat back against the seat and looked over at Mike who nodded his head. Shaking his head he turned to Jill. "Cancer?"
"Yes. Breast cancer." She drew in a breath. "I start treatment on Tuesday. We're going to tell the girls tonight. But they caught it fairly early, and the statistics are pretty good. I don't want you upset. I don't want you worrying." She said, her voice gaining strength.
"You don't want me upset? You don't want me worrying? That's kind of a lot to ask, Jill." He said looking at her. He stood up and walked away from her, standing at the porch rail and gazing out at the vast expanse of sky and mountains. "You don't understand how much you changed things. This house - this land - it is all yours." He turned back to them.
Jill shook her head, "I don't understand . . ."
"I left everything to you and Mike. The day after Kate was born. I wrote up a will."
They stared at him shocked. Jill turned to Mike with wide eyes.
"You are my family." He hit each word with great intensity. "It's not just words. It is true. I was thinking of leaving everything to you, long before Kate, but hadn't got around to it. When Mike got burned by that car bomb - remember? I first thought about doing it then, but I kept putting it off." He sighed and crossed back to where she sat. Kneeling in front of her, he took her hand in his. "So don't tell me not to be upset. Don't tell me not to worry."
She said nothing, dropping her head and crying silent tears. She held tightly to his hand with both of hers, and he moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Don't tell me not to be upset when my only daughter tells me she's sick." He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes resting his head against hers.
"You're gonna tell the girls tonight? Do you want me to come over? We can tell them together." He said.
"Jill?" Mike asked, unsure.
"You don't have to, Eddie. It won't be . . ." She sat up and looked at him, and completely changed her track. "Would you? That would so helpful."
"Sure. I'd do anything for you. You know that." He said. "Who knows?"
"Uh, just family." Mike said. "You and Terry and Beth. My mom's too forgetful these days so we don't think it will do any good. We'd just have to tell her over and over."
"Amanda?" Eddie asked.
"I talked to her this morning." Jill said wiping her eyes. "So just family."
"You ask for leave?" He asked turning to Mike.
"Just took a bunch of overtime days." Mike said. "I wanted to wait until the family knew. Once we talk about it at work, it'll spread like crazy."
The three of them sat together silently, watching the late afternoon sun as it began to fade. The lake was quiet with only the sound of the whippoorwills and the rustling of leaves.
"You want a drink?" Eddie asked Mike. "I bet you could use a drink."
"I could drink my way to oblivion and it wouldn't be enough." Mike said bitterly. "No, thanks."
"Yeah." He turned to Jill. "What about you? You want a shot of whisky?"
"No." She said laughing. "You should've been a doctor. You got a real good way of solving problems. Don't offer the girls any liquor, okay?"
"I don't know. I bet Lizzie would be pretty entertaining after a couple of beers." Ryker said with a laugh.
"She's entertaining enough." Jill said laughing.
"What do you need, honey?" Eddie asked suddenly serious. "What can I do?"
"This." She said holding onto his hand. "And promise you'll keep an eye on him." She nodded toward Mike who rolled his eyes at her. "He just pretends to be a tough guy. He's keeping it together for my sake." She said quietly.
"We all are." Ryker said. "Terry and Beth have the girls?"
"Yeah. Babe, it's nearly seven. We should go get them. Lizzie gets so cranky if she's up late." Mike said gently.
"I'll meet you at the house, okay?" Eddie said as she rose slowly.
"Thanks." She said wrapping her arms around him, and burying her face in his shoulder. "Thanks for everything, Dad."
She had never said the last word to him. She had wanted to for years. When Kate was first born they always called him Grandpa Eddie, but over time, they'd dropped the Eddie and he took on the name that fit him well: Grandpa. In her heart, she thought of him as a second father - so loving, steady and kind, but she'd never dared to call him that. But fear of death, had stripped all other fears away.
He kissed her cheek and said, "I'll see you later."
Mike turned to go, but Ryker caught his arm, and pulled the taller man close to him, reaching a hand up to hold him by his neck. He squeezed gently. "Listen, you hang in there. She'll be okay. Ain't nobody we know tougher than her."
"Yeah." Mike agreed huskily. "Nobody more stubborn, either."
"That's for damn sure!" Ryker agreed. He gave Mike's neck another gentle squeeze and then released him. He stood at the end of the drive for a long, long time after they'd driven away.