Chapter 8-Good News, Bad News
The spring air hit Delphine's face the moment she opened the door. She could smell the blooming flowers, the fresh cut grass, and the kiss of sunshine that shone down from a freshly risen sun. She stepped outside and closed the door, having a look around the quiet street. It had been a few days since she'd run, and felt it necessary to clear her mind after the intensity of last night's family meeting.
She stepped off the porch and started jogging down the street, her mind on the eight year old and the love of her life tucked safely in to the same bed, snuggled together and still fast asleep. Her brain was putting together a treatment plan when she passed Mrs. Levinworth, whom she'd made fast friends with after Cosima's accident. The woman waited for her every morning on her porch.
She ran up to the porch, smiling "Bonne matinée Mrs. Levinworth" she beamed.
"Delphine! I have missed you these past couple of days. No running?" the older woman asked.
"Things have been a little hectic at home" Delphine told her as she ran in place.
"Is everything with your little one alright?" Mrs. Levinworth inquired.
Delphine debated telling her the truth as her mind immediately went to last night in the bathroom. But her brain stepped up "Yes. She's starting school Monday."
"Well that's fantastic. And that wife of yours?" the older woman asked.
Delphine sighed "She's made a full recovery but is still pretty sick."
Mrs. Levinworth nodded and shook her head "It's such a shame for someone so young. Well you go ahead and enjoy your run, young lady."
Delphine chuckled "See you soon Mrs. Levinworth" she called out.
The older woman waved at her as she went in to her house and Delphine jogged away.
Delphine felt the pangs of that reminder: Cosima and Charlotte were sick. She made it to the edge of the tree lined park before she stopped, doubling over as the sobs took over.
Her family was dying.
Cosima was right, she probably wouldn't make it the 9 months; not the way she was going right now. Cosima was going to die. Nothing terrified Delphine more, except the idea that Charlotte would follow. She couldn't let that happen. No, she would make sure that her daughter would have a full, happy life. But Delphine's heart strained with the knowledge that she had less than 9 months left with Cosima.
She'd been without the woman before, but that had been different. There would be no Cosima left in the world; she would just be gone. Times like this she wished that she had some form of religious affiliation, something to at least comfort her and tell her that Cosima would exist somewhere out there.
But she didn't believe that. Cosima would simply cease to exist. Delphine vomited in to the bushes and wiped her mouth. She took a couple of deep breaths until she heard her name being called.
"Delphine?" came the familiar voice from a distance.
The French woman turned around to see Cal running towards her, clearly outfitted in running gear himself.
"Cal?" she asked, wiping her tears.
He ran towards her and smiled "I got in a few hours ago. I didn't know you ran. Are you okay?" he asked.
Delphine bit her bottom lip, unable to answer. Cal pulled her in to a big hug
"Is it Cosima?" the lumberjack asked.
Delphine nodded, hugging him back.
"Delphine, I'm so sorry" he told her.
She patted his back and let go, continuing to wipe her tears "I thought a run would help me forget for a moment but…"
It was Cal's turn to nod "I get it."
Delphine took a deep breath. She shoved down the emotions for later, eager to change the subject "So, you sold the house in Iceland?" she asked
"Not exactly. I'm renting it out. I got tired of being away from my family and figured it might be nice to have it just in case" Cal explained.
"Yes. That is smart. Are you living with Mrs. S. right now?" she asked.
"That I am, but we are looking to buy in Scarborough. The school board gave us 60 days to find residence there. Shouldn't be too hard" he replied.
Delphine chuckled "I find it very hard to believe Sarah will be a suburban resident."
"Yeah, that took some convincing, but with Kira was the decider. I hear Charlotte's going to the big BD too. How'd you swing that one?" the taller man asked.
"You are looking at Bailey-Downs' newest French teacher" she told him.
"Nice! I like it. I think teaching will suit you" Cal complimented. "I know you guys just got settled and all but, you should really consider moving out to Scarborough as well. It would be nice to be in the same neighbourhood; get these kids playing outside together."
"It would be nice, but Allison, Sarah, and Helena in the same neighbourhood? Imagine the scandal" Delphine reminded him.
Cal chuckled "Quadruplets?"
"From different regions?" the blonde asked.
"They were all adopted" Cal suggested.
Delphine sighed, defeated "I'll think about it and talk it over with Charlotte and Cosima."
"I'm just saying that it would be nice to have a sane family member close and I'm sure Charlotte and Kira would love to stay walking distance apart" he informed her.
She nodded "Yeah, best friends."
He nodded "Well, care if I join you for the rest of your run? I'm kind of oblivious to the geography of this place right now."
Delphine gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder "Sure, buddy."
He smiled "Thanks."
Delphine smiled back at him and tossed her head slightly sideways to tell him that she was going to start up again.
And they were off.
"So, Sarah texted me that you and Cosima are going to have a baby" Cal mentioned as they ran side by side through the park.
Delphine couldn't help a beam of sunshine spread across the face "Yes. As soon as the lab is finished we are going to start trying."
"Congratulations, that's huge. I'm sure Charlotte is eager to have a little sister" Cal added.
"Bien sûr. And honestly, I am very excited to be pregnant" she confessed to him. It felt good to have a friend. Sure, she had Cosima and Charlotte but to have a friend outside of her immediately family was something that she hadn't had since she left France. It was refreshing.
"I can see that. You're already a knock out, I can only imagine the folks who will fall at your feet while you're pregnant and glowing" the lumberjack complimented.
Delphine laughed "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious. I know Sarah's got a bit of a thing for you. She tries to hide it but I honestly think it's at least a little bit of the reason she's so distant with you" Cal noted.
"That would actually explain a lot. You know we kissed once? She came to a DYAD event as Cosima" the Frenchwoman explained.
Cal laughed so hard he had to stop running for a moment, then eventually caught up "You're kidding."
"I wish I was" Delphine informed him.
"Oh, I can't wait to tease her about that. I thought I had enough fire power with the crush on you, but THIS I can't wait to pull out of my belt" he stated.
"Go easy on her. I'm sure it's not easy, not being able to have me" Delphine joked cockily.
"I'll do my best" he assured her.
They continued their run, the whole while lightly teasing each other until they parted ways to head home. Delphine stretched in the front yard as she always did, and then went in for her shower.
She walked in to the room to Cosima cradling a whimpering young clone in her arms. Cosima's head lifted to her.
"She's got a pretty bad fever" Cosima's voice cracked with grogginess.
Delphine walked over to the bed and took a seat, leaning an arm on the bed over both of them to hold herself up. She put a hand to the back of Charlotte's head. She was burning hot. The young girl shook with chills as her body sweat. Delphine smoothed back her hair.
"Mon petit, tourne-toi sur ton dos pour que je puisse t'examiner. My little one, turn onto your back so I can examine you." Delphine told her.
Charlotte nodded and received a kiss on the forehead from mummy before she rolled over and looked up at maman.
Delphine started by checking her lymph nodes and then looked up to her kid "Can I lift your shirt?" she asked.
Charlotte nodded and the doctor gently lifted the t-shirt Charlotte was wearing to reveal her tummy.
The mother gently palpated the tiny stomach "Does this hurt?" Delphine asked.
Charlotte shook her head.
Delphine put her shirt back down and leaned in, kissing Charlotte's cheek "I am going to get you some medicine, shower, then take some blood to run labs. For now, you snuggle with mummy, d'accord, ma petite chouette?"
Charlotte nodded and curled back in to mummy, who kissed her face and wrapped her arms around her tightly. She buried her face into her chest and moaned in pain.
Delphine closed her eyes as her heart broke. She looked to Cosima "How are you feeling?"
Cosima gave Delphine a look of despair and didn't say a word. She swallowed hard and laid her head back down on the pillow.
Delphine sniffled back the tears and nodded, gently rubbing Cosima's hip through the blanket "I will be right back."
Cosima nodded, whispering to Charlotte that everything would be okay.
The French doctor stood up and headed in to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, the blonde was back in the bedroom, showered, dressed, and medical bag in hand.
"Cosima, I'm going to run yours as well" Delphine told her as sat down on the edge of Cosima's side of the bed. She put her supplies down and started rifling through her bag, finding what she needed.
"Yeah. Probably smart" Cosima mentioned, then turned to her daughter "Hey Char, do you want me to go first?"
Charlotte nodded and whispered to mummy "I don't like needles."
The dreaded woman frowned "I don't either. Maman's super gentle though and if you look at her face or concentrate on how warm she is, it's not so bad. You almost forget" she instructed.
Delphine smirked as she laid her items out and pulled the sharps box out from its spot inside of Cosima's nightstand. The blonde's hands then placed themselves lovingly on her partner, helping her sit up.
"I saw Cal this morning on my run" Delphine told Cosima, trying to distract her as she put the tourniquet on and prepped the area.
"When did he get in?" Cosima asked, her voice cracking again.
"This morning, early" the French woman informed her fiancée as she slowly slid in the needle.
Cosima grit her teeth as she felt the familiar sensation of the needle pierce through and slide in to her flesh.
"Apparemment, they are moving to Scarborough, in to the same neighbourhood as Allison" Delphine relayed. "He suggested we look in to it."
"But we just got this place" Cosima told her, stroking Charlotte's hair with her free hand as the girl curled into her lap.
"I know, but it would be nice to live all together. We could put the new lab in the basement. You would not need to use the University. We'd have lots of room for our family to grow" Delphine mentioned with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Cosima closed her eyes and shook her head before opening them up again and biting her bottom lip.
Delphine knew what she was thinking "Cosima…" she looked up, stopping what she was doing to search her fiancée's face.
Cosima swallowed hard and took a deep breath "Yeah. You're right; living close would be nice."
The doctor smiled and turned back to her work, drawing up another tube. The dreaded woman looked down to the child in her lap.
"Hey, kiddo. Are you hungry at all?" she asked.
Charlotte shook her head. Cosima looked up at Delphine again, concerned painted all over her face.
The doctor finished and pulled the needle out. She then disposed of the sharp and the gloves, handing Cosima a cotton ball. The brunette laid back down, pulling Charlotte to her.
"See, it's not that bad" she relayed to her daughter.
All Charlotte felt was the fear that had a vice grip on her. The only thing making her feel okay was being held by mummy. A moment later, she felt Maman lie down on the other side of her and gently rub her back. She felt her scoot closer as Maman wrapped her tall body completely around her small frame, kissing her temple. The young clone kept her eyes closed, letting this warmth slowly melt her fear.
"Je sais que c'est épeurant, et on peut rester ici pour toute la journée si tu veux. Dites-moi quand tu es prête, ma grande. Mais, pour le moment, nous vous tenons. I know this is scary, and we can stay here all day if you'd like. Tell me when you're ready, my eldest. But, for the moment, we've got you." Delphine whispered to her, sealing the statement with another soft kiss to her temple.
Cosima ran her hand once again through Charlotte's hair "I don't know exactly what Maman just told you, but we're both right here, honey."
Delphine reached out, rubbing a hand down Cosima's arm, and bringing it down to settle on her waist; hugging both of her girls at once "Je t'aime tous les deux. Vous êtes chaque chanson que mon cœur chante. I love you, both of you. You are every song that my heart sings."
Charlotte let go of mummy and turned to face Maman, nodding.
Delphine gave her daughter a smile through all of the sadness "Ok. I am going to let you stay all wrapped up in mummy while I do this, okay?"
The little girl nodded as Delphine helped Cosima sit up against the headboard. She opened her legs so that Delphine could position Charlotte between them. Charlotte collapsed against mummy, feeling so lethargic. Maman pushed the drenched hair out of her face and frowned.
"Oh mon petit, this won't take long" Delphine assured as she pulled over the second set of equipment.
Cosima wrapped both arms around Charlotte's shoulders and hugged her close, leaning in to whisper in her ear "Maman's gonna take such good care of you. Trust me, she's the most gentle doctor ever."
Charlotte nodded as she let Maman have her arm. The tourniquet felt so tight and she winced.
"I know, little one. It won't be for long" she reassured, rubbing Charlotte's palm with her gloved thumb.
Delphine made eye contact with her fiancée, nodding.
Cosima intook a breath "So, we're thinking of moving to Bailey-Downs maybe even being neighbours with Kira, Gemma, and Oscar. Would you like that?"
Charlotte nodded.
"What would you want our house to be like?" Cosima asked.
Charlotte shrugged, jumping slightly as the needle slid in to her arm.
"Okay, okay. How about a pool? Would you like a pool?" the older clone asked.
A nod from the girl as she whimpered.
"You're doing so well Charlotte, almost done" the blonde told the girl.
"I want a big window in my room" Charlotte whispered "And a playroom."
Cosima smiled "I'm sure we can find that. What about your own lab? Eh? Maybe a mass spec?" Cosima asked.
"That would be nice" Charlotte responded her voice barely above a whisper.
"All done" the doctor explained, putting a band-aid on the site and kissing it.
Charlotte took her arm back and rubbed her eyes. Delphine started cleaning up, being careful with the samples.
"I am going to bring these to the lab and have them put a rush on them" she told Cosima. "You two should stay in bed. I'll bring up some breakfast before I leave."
"Delphine, I need to pee" Cosima told her.
The doctor nodded, walking over "Charlotte, I'll bring her right back" she promised, getting to Cosima's side.
Charlotte slid down on to Maman's side of the bed as she watched her help mummy to her feet.
Cosima held tightly to Delphine, wavering as she walked. Her legs refused to keep her upright. Delphine caught her every time, finally getting her safely on the toilet.
There was this unberable tightness in the oldest clone's chest. She tried her best to breathe "Delphine" she panicked, trying to suck in breath.
"Stay here!" Delphine instructed, running out of the room.
She flew across the bedroom, to the closet. She took the oxygen tank out of the closet and rolled it to the bathroom.
Cosima immediately started shaking her head "No, please no, Delphine" she pleaded, still trying to suck in breath.
The doctor crouched in front of her, putting a hand to her chest. She could feel the harsh rasp of her partner's lungs trying their best to pull air in to her body and having a very hard time of it. "I know, Cosima. But you must. Please."
Cosima nodded reluctantly and Delphine's hands flew to attach the cannula. She carefully looped it around Cosima's head and hooked it on to each of her ears, slowly inserting the nose tubes.
The dread head took a deep breath, finally able to breathe properly. She calmed down.
"Thanks" the brunette whispered "Super sexy, right?" said insecurely, gesturing with a hand to her face.
The blonde's eyebrows knit together as she held Cosima's chin in her hand, lifting it to meet her eyes. She looked in to them sincerely.
"Always."
A smile spread across Cosima's face, her cheeks turning a rosy red colour just as they were each kissed by Delphine. The blonde's arms flew across Cosima's shoulders as she rested her head on the brunette's chest.
"I hate this" Delphine whispered.
The clone sighed, wrapping her own arms around her partner "I'm sorry that you have to play doctor for us."
"I just want to be Maman and your wife. I love taking care of both of you but…I hate that I have to" Delphine felt the tears "And Charlotte…mon Dieu, Cosima…."
"Hey, hey…I know" Cosima whispered, stroking the back of Delphine's head as she held her to her chest, kissing the top of it. "You don't have to hold it together for me. It's okay."
Delphine nodded in to her and sobbed, clutching at the solid form of the woman she loved. She used that to remind her that she was still here. She wasn't gone yet. Her hands clutched at skin and muscle and bone; she listened to organs and the steady sound of Cosima's raspy breathing; and she felt warm, soft, slightly wet lips press to the bare skin on her forehead as she sobbed in to her partner.
"What do you need?" Cosima asked, gently running her finger tips under Delphine's shirt to stroke her back.
Delphine's sobs stopped for a moment and she sniffled, staying close to Cosima's body "I need to know what is happening with Charlotte."
"Then go get those labs done. We'll be okay. I'll keep an eye on her" Cosima told her.
The French woman nodded, wiping her own tears.
"Hey" Cosima called.
The blonde slowly craned her neck up, Cosima's hands immediately on her cheeks, wiping away the tears.
"You don't have to do this alone. Talk to me, talk to Cal, talk to whomever. Please don't hold it all in" Cosima asked of her.
Delphine nodded.
"I love you" the brunette whispered.
"Je t'aime aussi, Cosima" the blonde replied.
Cosima leaned in halfway. Delphine met her in the middle, kissing her softly, letting their lips dance across each other as they drunk from the wells of warm safety that was the energy that flowed between them. They slowly pulled away as each pair of eyes fluttered open. Words could only do so much. That kiss filled in the rest.
Delphine carried that kiss with her as she waited at the lab. The results they'd told her would be a half an hour. Her knee bounced anxiously as she bit her nails, sitting in the waiting room. She received a text from Scott.
"So, are we implanting today?" he asked.
"Not yet. We still need some equipment. Scrap the current embryos and I will let you know when we are ready to make more" she replied.
"Copy that" Scott ended.
Just as she was about to put her phone away, it buzzed. An unknown number came up on the screen with a picture of a house.
"I just bought this. Cool, eh? By the way, it's Cal" it read.
Delphine smiled "Very cool" she texted back.
Another picture of a house alerted her "The one two doors down is for sale. Would be perfect for you. Want to see it today?"
"I can't leave Cosima and Charlotte for long" she told him.
"I can send Sarah" he replied.
"Fine. I'll look. But no promises" she texted back.
"I'll e-mail you directions. See you soon" Cal sent.
Delphine sighed and called Cosima.
"Hey" she heard the familiar voice on the other line.
"Cosima, I am going to an open house with Cal. Sarah is on her way over to you. How are you?" Delphine asked.
Cosima sat up slightly and yawned, pulling her sweater around herself tighter "I'm okay. I think today might be a wright off though. Charlotte's sleeping through it and I think I might need to do the same."
"Good. Rest. You both need it. Did she eat?" Delphine asked.
"A couple sips of the nutritional shake, a bite of the granola bar. Not really" the brunette informed her partner, sighing as she watched her daughter sleep.
The blonde ran her hands through her hair "And you?"
"I took a couple hits and finished the shake" Cosima told her.
"We may have to get Charlotte some form of cannabis. If it's working so well for your appetite, it might help her too" Delphine suggested.
"I'll look in to it. We should be able to get a tincture or something" the eldest clone replied.
The lab tech called Delphine over.
"Cosima, I have to go. The results are back. I'll be home in an hour or so" Delphine told her.
"Okay. I love you. Have fun with Cal and tell him I say hi" Cosima replied.
"Je t'aime aussi, and I will. Enjoy your time with your sister" Delphine closed.
She hung up and stood, taking the results.
"Cos?" Sarah called out as she stepped in the door.
"Upstairs" Cosima yelled back, ensuring that the covers were tucked tightly around the shivering form of the small child next to her.
Sarah walked in and her face fell "Oh God, Cosima. Are you okay?" she asked, rushing forward, putting a hand to her sister's forehead.
Cosima removed the hand "Hey, I get enough of that from Delphine. I look like that much of a mess, huh?"
The Leda leader sighed and dropped her hand "Yeah, actually. Little scientist not feeling well either?" she asked motioning to Charlotte.
Cosima shook her head, turning to Charlotte, then back to her sister "It's bad" she tried keeping her voice low. "Delphine's out running labs on both of us and apparently looking at a place with Cal."
Sarah huffed "Yeah. Didjya hear? I'm moving to the bloody fucking suburbs. Hard to believe huh?" she asked, pulling up a chair and bracing her feet on the edge of the bed to lean back in it.
"Well, we might be neighbours apparently" the dreaded clone responded.
"Yeah, if we're not careful, we'll all turn in to Allison" Sarah joked.
They both chuckled, then went silent. Sarah leaned towards Cosima, worried.
"Are you two gonna be okay, Cos?" she asked.
The dreaded woman took a really deep breath, sighing heavily as she looked at her daughter "I don't think so. I'm just going to try to spend as much time with my family as possible."
The brunette put a hand on Charlotte's back as the girl slept. She felt a similar hand on her shoulder.
"Anything you need…" Sarah reminded her.
"I know" Cosima whispered.
"So it's a 5 bed, 4 bath 2 storey house. 3 beds 2 bath upstairs along with laundry; an open concept kitchen and family room with a half bath and one bed on the main level; and a 2 bed, 1 bath basement with a large open, unfinished space. The kitchen is all state-of-the-art, the master's ensuite features a whirlpool double sized tub, and there is an inground pool in the backyard" the real estate agent informed Delphine.
She looked around and smiled. It was large, but it felt very cozy. She turned to Cal.
"This is perfect" she told him.
"I thought that you'd like it" he replied.
She turned to the real-estate agent "Can we take a look around?" she asked.
"Be my guest" was the answer.
The doctor climbed the stairs, heading upstairs. She started snapping pictures with her phone to show Cosima and Charlotte. The master was very large, but nothing impressed like the bathroom. She stepped in and knew Cosima would fall in love with this tub. It was more than large enough to fit both of them. Her own mind wandered to how it would be the perfect birthing tub. The bathroom also had double sinks and a separate walk in shower.
Across the hall were the two other bedrooms, connected by a shared bathroom. She got to the second one and saw the wall-sized window that overlooked the driveway. She walked up to it and smiled. Just what Charlotte had wanted.
A short trip to the basement proved it to be a well-built space. There was no feeling of musky or dampness. It was nice and cool. Delphine looked around the large space and nodded, turning to Cal.
"This is the perfect size" she told him. "We'd have to knock out that wall, but once that's done, we could easily make this a lab."
"I charge in beer, pizza, and good company" he told her.
"You do contract work?" she asked, confused.
He raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself with both thumbs "Lumberjack."
The blonde laughed and nodded "How soon could we get this going?"
"Well, with a few sets of hands, I could have this basement finished and ready to be set up in 3 days tops."
She nodded "I have to talk this over with Cosima."
"She'll say yes" Cal noted.
"I hope so. This place feels like home" the doctor noted.
"Well, I guess we're gonna be neighbours" he nudged her.
"I guess we are, buddy" she nudged back.
Cosima was pulled from her nap by her phone dinging. She looked up to see Sarah had been woken from it as well, having fallen asleep in the chair.
She grabbed it and checked her notifications. Pictures from Delphine. She smiled when she saw them.
"That your woman?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah. Sarah, this house is incredible" she told her "Holy tub-ledo!"
Cosima showed her the picture.
"Hey, mine doesn't have one of those!" Sarah complained.
The last picture was a selfie of Delphine with Cal in the background in the basement with the caption: "Our new lab?"
"Those two really get along, huh?" Sarah asked.
Cosima smiled "Yeah. Like hardcore. You'd think they grew up together or something."
"Are you maybe a little jealous? I mean, Cal's well…Cal and Delphine's bi" Sarah noted.
The dreaded clone laughed "No. Not at all. Why? Are you?"
Sarah opened her mouth but hesitated.
Cosima patted her thigh "Don't worry, I've known for a while."
"Cosima…" Sarah started.
"Really Sarah, it's all good. She's sexy, isn't she? I don't blame you one bit" the older clone reassured her sister.
"It's not like that. I just…damnit Cos, you shouldn't be so cool about this" the Leda leader chastised.
Cosima shrugged "Can't control how you feel. Besides, Delphine wouldn't go there. So go ahead, crush out all you want."
"That thing she does, with her lip" Sarah mentions, leaning in.
Cosima smirked "Oh yeah, I know that thing."
Sarah sighed "I kissed her that one time and it was all I could think about for a while."
Cosima's jaw dropped "You kissed her?"
"Don't get your panties in a ruffle, I was undercover as you at DYAD" the English woman expressed.
The west coaster laughed "I can't wait to hear about this."
"You know I wouldn't do anything, right? It's just like…" Sarah started.
"Harmless little feelings, I know. I just catch you sometimes eyeing her when you think no one is watching" Cosima informed her sister. "It makes me giggle."
"Well I'm glad someone's having a good time with it" Sarah confessed.
"Allo? Cosima?" Delphine called out as she walked in the front door.
"Haven't moved" she called back.
"Not a word, Cos" Sarah warned.
Cosima laughed, shrugging.
"I swear, you tell, I'll tell her about that secret tickle spot" Sarah threatened.
Cosima shut up as Delphine and Cal walked in. The blonde let the lumberjack walk up to Cosima first.
"Hey there dreads" he told her.
"Oh, it's everyone's favourite flannel chest. Nice to see you Cal" she replied as he came in to give her a hug.
"It's great to finally be here. How ya feelin'?" Cal asked.
"I've got tubes up my nose" is all she said.
"Fair enough" the lumberjack answered, looking to Sarah and kissing her softly "Hey babe. You ready to go? I'm sure Kira's waiting"
"Yeah. Umm…" she turned to Cosima "You call me if you need anything, okay?"
"Definitely" she answered.
Sarah hugged her "I love you. Get better, Cos"
Cosima nodded and returned the squeeze "I'll do my best"
Everyone let Charlotte sleep in peace as they left. Delphine took her turn to walk up to the bed once the lumber couple was on their way out.
"Did you get the pictures?" the Frenchwoman asked.
Cosima smiled and nodded "I love it. Can we afford it though?"
Delphine sighed and nodded "Yeah. We can. We can even keep this house as a safe house. I forget that you haven't seen my bank accounts."
"Dr. Cormier, are you swimming in it?" Cosima asked
"Not quite, but we are fairly well off" she informed her wife.
"Does it have a pool?" Cosima wondered.
"Yes. Inground and beautiful" the blonde told her.
"Let's get it" the brunette countered.
"But Cosima, you haven't even seen it" Delphine logically justified.
"We need that lab sooner rather than later" Cosima noted.
"Alright. If you're sure, I'll call right now" Delphine said, pulling out her phone.
After having talked to the real estate agent and set up an appointment that night to go over the paperwork, Delphine pulled out the lab work ups she'd gotten earlier. She laid in bed next to her wife, handing Cosima her own as she read over Charlotte's.
"The good news is that she's a good candidate for the embryo treatment. The bad news is that she's declining quickly" Delphine noted, handing Cosima Charlotte's work up. "Kids are bouncy though."
"What do you mean?" the brunette asked, looking over her daughter's troubling numbers.
"They fall quickly but bounce back very quickly as well" Delphine explained.
Cosima gave up, sighing and handed the doctor her labs "I'm too tired to focus. Just tell me what it says?"
Delphine took the papers and carefully read them over. She set them aside, pulling Cosima to her.
"That bad?" she asked.
The doctor simply nodded, holding her close.
Cosima nodded "We should call a lawyer."
"For the house?" the blonde inquired.
"And my will" Cosima stated matter of factly.
"If that is what you wish" the French woman agreed.
"It is. Not having one would be a bad idea" Cosima noted. "How long do I have?"
"It is hard to say. Some people…" Delphine was cut off.
"How long, Delphine?" Cosima asked again, pleading with her fiancée to tell her the truth.
"Four months is my best estimate" the doctor informed her patient.
"Four months to live and a lifetime of things to do" the brunette noted, tears filling her eyes. "A lifetime of love to give you two in four months." Her bottom lip quivered as she didn't bother holding the tears back.
"They'll be great months" Delphine tried to assure her.
"I want to marry you, Delphine. Sonner rather than later. I don't need a big wedding, just something small with our family here, Papa, your Maman, in our new backyard." She shivered as the tears threatened to take complete control. "I just really want to be your wife before I die."
Delphine smiled and nodded "A life without having had you as my wife would be incomplete. We will put something together quickly. Next week" the blonde smiled, cradling her fiancée's cheek. "Next Friday night, you will finally be my wife."
Cosima nodded and sniffled back the tears, reaching for her phone "I think it's time I called my Papa. He…he has a right to know about everything."
Delphine nodded and pushed a stray dread behind her ear "I will take Charlotte, give you some privacy. We'll be just in her room. I should call Maman too."
Cosima nodded and bit her bottom lip.
Delphine leaned in, kissing her forehead before she stood up, going over and picking the sleeping, fevered child in to her arms. She grabbed her med bag and headed out of the room, shutting the door.
Cosima picked up her phone and dialed the number. She put a hand to her forehead as it rang. Finally, it stopped.
"Papa? It's Cosima. Do you have time to talk?" she asked her father.
Delphine laid on the bed, placing Charlotte to lay on her chest as she dialed her mother's phone number.
"Allo? Maman? Oui, c'est Delphine. J'ai des nouvelles. Hi? Maman? Yes, it's Delphine. I've got news."
A/N: Tough chapter. I really struggled with this one. Once again, I really appreciate all of you still reading and commenting. If you want to get a hold of me, a heads up that my username is spelt with a zero as the 'o' it's C0(zero)phinelives. You can find me on tumblr with it. Feel free to message me. I don't have much to say after this one.