Chapter 60
As always, thank you so much for your continued support. The writer's block still lingers, but I'm fighting through it. I want to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a wonderful holiday season, no matter what you celebrate. For me, it's Merry Christmas! This story has meant so much for me, so to hear that you have also enjoyed it warms my heart. On a serious note, if you take anything from this story, it's early detection saves lives. My aunt is still alive and well, and I thank God for that. She's one of my favorite people on this Earth. If you like it or you don't, let me know.
June had come, and with it graduations to attend for both Sue and Anita. Anita had graduated third in her class and had full scholarships offered to her from a long list of colleges and universities across the United States. In the end, she decided on Brown University. Sue also had commencement ceremonies to speak at, bringing forth a strong message of anti-bullying and inner strength.
Sue's schedule had slowed some for the summer session. A small portion of her down time was spent at the office helping with some open cases, but the rest was spent at the house. Her vegetable garden was going strong, as was her flower garden. Sue found little projects to do around the house. She painted rooms, hung pictures that hadn't quite made it up yet. Scrap books and photo albums were created. Sue had even enlisted Tara's help to make an electric photo album to be displayed in one of their wedding gifts. Even with helping Mitch with the children, she was finding it harder and harder to keep herself busy. Her mind drifted to a family. Her family. Her and Jack's family.
Jack made his way home after a very long week to find Sue busy in one of the spare bedrooms. As he pushed the door open, he saw her kneeling at the base of the far wall. His mouth fell open. Levi pawed at his mistress to let her know that her husband was standing behind her.
Sue got up, clumsily wiping a stray hair from her face with a paint covered glove. "So, what do you think?" She asked tentatively.
"Wow!" Jack said looking around, taking in the amazing job she'd done. The ceiling was painted shades of light blue with wispy clouds and streaks of sunlight. A multitude of birds graced the skies as the tree tops reached for the warmth of the sun. The scene was that of an ocean, complete with lapping waves, brown wet sand and soft, warm, welcoming white sands. A sand castle nearly complete was in the far corner. A pier stretched far out into the water on one wall, and a jetty did the same on the opposite one. Sue's canvas was nearly covered, only the last finishing touches were left to be placed.
Jack's eyes were glued to the walls and ceiling, but he couldn't look at just one thing.
"You've been busy…" He said.
"Do you like it?" Sue asked.
"Yes. I love it." He walked to her side and took her in his arms. He kissed her softly and smiled whispering… "Is there something you have to tell me?"
"I'm…" His eyes got wide, his brows rose to nearly his hair line. "I'm ready to add to our family, if you are."
He wrapped his arms tight around her waist and began to twirl her around. He kissed her deeply scooping her into his arms.
"Jack!" Sue squealed. "I'm covered in paint!"
"Oh, yeah…" He reached for her gloves and pulling them off one at a time, he let them fall to the drop cloth. "Oh, and must do something about this…" he said running his finger up and down her old flannel shirt. He reached forward and unbuttoned it, leaving the soft material shirt on the floor next to the gloves. Sue smiled shyly.
"Am I presentable now?" She teased.
"Nope." He said matter-of-factly. "These… oh, these are just a mess! We can't be trapesing across brand new carpet wearing these." He commented as he feigned disgust. He unbuttoned her jeans followed by the zipper. He pushed them over her hips and let them fall into the growing pile of clothing. He helped her step out of them and pulled her into his arms. His lips landed on her quickly, full of want and desire. Sue slipped his jacket off his shoulders, letting it fall onto the carpet. It wasn't long before the two were disrobed and entangled with the other's bodies.
"Jack…" Sue whispered as she bathed his shoulder in lustful caresses.
"Hmm?" He answered back, concentrating on finding just the right spot to send her over the edge.
"Are we really going to make love in our future child's room?" She asked with a giggle.
"Yes." He answered, his voice husky with lust. "Yes, we are." He laughed as his lips moved over her body.
XOXOXOX
School had started up once again and Sue's schedule increased. She'd grown very popular on the speaking circuit and was in high demand. The kids found her inspiring and the adults were in awe of the fact that she was technically handicapped, even though she didn't consider herself to be in that category.
Sue was sitting on the couch catching up on some emails when her phone vibrated. She didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway. It was Rose, Angie's daughter.
"Hi." Sue said tentatively. "You're Angie's daughter, right?" Sue asked smiling.
"Yes. It's nice to finally meet you Sue." She said. "May I come in?"
"Of course, I'm sorry. Can I get you some coffee?" She asked.
"Thank you." A few minutes later Sue returned with two cups of steaming coffee.
"What brings you here? How's your mom?" Sue asked sipping her drink.
"She's actually the reason I'm here." She paused. The look of enormous pain and sadness came over Rose's face.
"Rose? What is it?"
"Mom passed last night. She wanted me to come here and tell you in person, she didn't want you to read it in the paper." She said softly as a tear slipped down her cheek. Sue covered her mouth with her hand and broke into tears.
"Oh, no… She was my inspiration. She made me believe I could beat the cancer." Sue said midst the tears. Sue took a deep breath, trying desperately to control her tears. "I-I didn't know she was sick again. I spoke with her a couple of weeks ago, she didn't mention anything…"
"Oh, Sue… she didn't have her cancer back. It had gone into remission again. The doctors told her that it would probably reoccur but it hadn't. She passed from a weak heart, the old ticker just gave out on her." She said with a giggle. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh about it, but my mom was a wonderful woman who gave her all to everything she did and everyone she knew."
"Oh. I don't know why, but that makes me feel better." Sue said.
"Probably because it's easier to know she was an old woman who loved and lived life to its fullest, and died from being old, and not cut down in her prime from a horrific disease." Rose said with a big smile.
"So true. She was a wonderful woman. I didn't know her very long, but loved her like she'd been my friend from childhood." Sue said. "I will miss her- a lot."
"Me too." Rose whispered as she wiped her tears away. "I have to go. I have to go by the hospital and see Anne yet. Services will be in a few days… I'll call you?" She said as she pushed herself from the table.
"Yes, please." Sue paused. "Please tell Anne I said hello, she was a God send when Angie and I were in together."
"I will. Take care Sue."
"Let me know if you need anything, if there's anything I can do."
"Thank you."
Sue balled herself up on the couch unconsciously patting Levi on the head, tears streamed down her cheeks. Jack came home, putting his brief case and coat on the chair near the door. It was then that he noticed his wife was sobbing on the couch.
"Sue? What's wrong?" He asked before even getting her attention. He touched her arm and repeated his question.
"Rose was here…" She sniffled.
"Rose?"
"Angie's daughter." Sue explained.
"Oh. And?"
"She passed away last night." Sue said and broke into tears once again.
"Oh, Sue… I'm sorry." He said taking her into his arms. A few minutes passed before he released her from his grip. "You OK?"
Sue shook her head. "Yes, but upset that I've lost a friend. If she hadn't been there during the cancer I don't know that I would have made it through. I'm going to miss her."
"I understand that." Jack said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissing her temple.
Jack got up and got a beer from the refrigerator. "Want something?"
"Yeah, I'll take one of those…" She said nodding toward his drink.
"You want a beer?" He asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, please. I do like a beer every now and then." She said matter-of-factly.
"Well, then… since I've known you, you've barely had a glass of wine, never mind a beer." Jack teased.
He opened her beer and handed it to her. He hoisted his between them.
"To good friends…" He said tapping her bottle with his.
"To Angie." She took a long sip and pulled herself into a ball once more. She looked suddenly shocked.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"I didn't make dinner… we don't have anything to eat." She said slightly embarrassed.
"Honey, that's why they made pizza delivery." He said waving his phone in the air. He ordered their pizza and got two more beers for them. The night passed with them finishing off the pizza and the six pack. They talked about how much of a pillar of strength Angie had been, and what a role model she'd been.
"She was the epitome of what a cancer survivor should be. She gave me hope." Sue paused, choking back tears. "I hope she's found the peace she so rightly deserves."
"I'm sure she has." They sat quietly just enjoying each other's company until Jack placed his half empty brew on the coffee table. He took Sue's long neck from her hand and placed it next to his. He took her by the hand and lifted her from the couch. He smiled sexily at her as he took her by the finger tips and led her down the hall to their bedroom.
As Sue entered the room, Jack pushed her against the door and kissed her deeply. Sue gave in to her desires rather quickly, pushing his shirt above his head and unbuckling his belt nearly at the same time. Jack slowly, torturously unbuttoned Sue's blouse. His hands caressed her body, working their way under the material of her clothing to her bare skin. Her blouse and pants landed on the floor next to his own. His fingers stroked the tender skin beneath the lacy panties she wore. Jack's strong hands lifted Sue off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He couldn't stop himself from smiling into their kiss. He slowly laid Sue on the bed and followed each curve of her supple body with his lips.
It wasn't long before both were covered in sweat, hearts beating rapidly and completely wrapped in one another.
"Oh my God!" Jack gasped. "That… that my love, was incredible!" He said laughing.
"Yeah, that's a good word…" Sue agreed giggling. "Maybe it was the beer!" She giggled again.
"Yeah… maybe." He smiled. Jack rolled over, kissing Sue again. The kiss turned passionate rather quickly. Sue spun from under his body weight and snuggled in his arms.
"I love you." She said as she lost her battle with sleep.
XOXOX
The days passed and the couple attended the services and said goodbye to Sue's friend Angie. She met up with another rock in her darkest hour, Anne. Even though it was a dark day, it was good for Sue's soul to catch up with her dear friend. They caught up and promised to keep in touch before parting ways. Jack wrapped his arms around Sue, holding her tight as they left the church. He knew this loss was a hard one for Sue, but he also knew she would pull through as long as she had her family and friends close by to lean on.
XOXOX
A couple weeks more passed and Sue was getting used to her lighter schedule. She had spent time with her friends from the bureau, and some new ones she'd made on the speech circuit. Sue had taken the kids to the beach, but had to share Vinny's time with his new girlfriend. Anita had made some friends, including a handsome young man named Jason. Things were going great for Sue.
It was time once again for Sue to go for her blood work to monitor for any signs her cancer had returned. Her mammogram was scheduled for two days later. She hated to dwell on it, but it was difficult not to think of just how serious this was. Her past year and a half always crept up on her, and if she was honest with herself, scared the daylights out of her. Levi tried to comfort Sue as she waited in the lab's waiting area for her turn. He gently placed his paw on her leg gaining her attention. It was quick and simple. A few small vials of blood were taken and she was on her way once more.
The following morning Sue's phone vibrated.
"Dr. Kerswell…" She said reaching for the phone. Butterflies instantly filled her stomach especially since she didn't have her mammogram until the following day.
"Dr. Kerswell, what's wrong?" Sue asked before thinking. She read her screen.
"Good morning Sue. This is Margie. The doctor would like you to come in this afternoon. Can you make it for 1:00?" She asked.
"Yes, of course." Sue said nervously.
"Good, see you then."
Sue pressed end on the phone and a lone tear snuck out and leaked down her cheek. She blew out a nervous breath and put her feet on the cold wooden floor of her bedroom. Just then, Jack made his way back into the bedroom.
"Honey, have you seen…" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the look on her face. "What's wrong?" he spotted her phone on the bed. "Sue?" He asked, waving his hand in her direction.
"Sorry. What?" She asked.
"Everything OK?"
"Uhh, that was Dr. Kerswell's office. They want to see me this afternoon." She said unable to hide the trepidation in her voice.
"Why?" He asked, not wanting to say much more as he was afraid his face would betray him.
"I- I don't know. Maybe something came back in the blood work…" She said anxiously.
"And, maybe not." Jack said, trying to comfort her. "What time?"
"One."
"I'll go with you."
"It's OK, Jack. I can go alone."
"No. I'm your husband, and I'm going with you." He said as he grabbed his phone and called D explaining to him.
A few short hours later, the couple appeared at the check in window of Dr. Kerswell's office.
"Sue?" Came the nurse's voice. "Come on in." She said. "Before you go in, we're going to just get your blood pressure, temp, and weight." She said. Sue emptied her pockets and took off her jacket before stepping on the scale. Jack chuckled.
"Not a word." She threatened. He held up a hand waving off the thought he would be that silly.
After the tests were completed, she was shown into the exam room.
"Marion will be right in." She said closing the door behind her.
A few minutes went by and there was a soft knock on the door.
"Sue!" She called out, giving her a quick hug.
"Dr. Kerswell. This is my husband Jack." She said.
"Nice to finally meet you." He said taking his hand. "Please, both of you, sit down." Sue sat on the table, Jack stood beside her, entwining his fingers with hers. "Now, Sue, there is something I need to discuss with you. This is a private medical matter. Is it alright to speak freely in front of your husband?"
"Yes, of course." Sue said, her voice beginning to betray her.
Dr. Kerswell noticed. "Sue, please, don't be nervous. This is life altering, but… not exactly the way you think." Both Sue and Jack looked at her nervously. "We got your blood work back last night, and I needed to speak with you about the findings before your mammogram tomorrow."
"Is there something wrong with the blood work?" Sue asked.
"No. You are going to have to cancel your appointment for tomorrow, or at least postpone it until May." She smiled at the still confused pair. "You're going to be parents." She said with a big smile.
"I- we're… wh?" Sue asked.
"We're pregnant?" Jack asked.
"Well, technically Sue is, but yes. You're pregnant." The doctor confirmed.
"When… when will the baby arrive?" Jack asked.
"I think sometime in April, but we'll have to go over specific dates to determine an exact due date." Marion explained. "I'll have Joyce cancel the appointment for tomorrow. I want to continue with physical exams throughout this pregnancy."
The doctor left the room so the two could absorb the news, and celebrate.
"We're having a baby…" Jack said.
"We're having a baby!" Sue shrieked and launched herself into Jack arms. As they pulled away from their embrace Jack leaned into his wife and kissed her deeply and passionately. His hands traveled to her belly. He knelt in front of his wife and kissed her stomach.
"Welcome to our family little one." Jack said as he kissed her belly again.
THE END!