Fran hurried through the hallways toward her room and ran into Niles, a basket of cleaning products in his hand.
"Hi, Niles. We're going out for a walk and then we'll be back. Thank you so much for breakfast. It really hit the spot." She reached over to hug him.
"Oh, it's really no trouble, Ms. Fine. And, if I may say, it's good to have you back. I've been- worried." Fran let go of him and looked at him. She took hold of his sleeve.
"I know, Niles, and I'm really sorry things have been weird, and strained. I appreciate you being patient and being so helpful. And not just with me. I promise I'll talk about things soon, with everyone. Okay?"
"I don't want to push at all. I know it's been hard. Everyone's imaginations are running wild. But we just love you and want you to be happy." Fran hugged him again.
"Thank you Niles. Don't make me cry, though. I'm going out with my boyfriend!"
"Oh gracious me! Don't let me keep you! But don't hesitate to ask for whatever you may need, alright?"
"I will, Niles. Thank you!" She let go of him and hurried to her room to retrieve her purse. Niles was still standing in the middle of the hall. His eyes were filling with tears, and he smiled from ear to ear. He cleared his throat and wiped the corners of his eyes.
"Boyfriend!" He squeaked. He headed toward the master bedroom with a noticeable bounce in his step.
Max was taking their coats out of the closet when Fran bounded down the front staircase toward him.
"Careful, darling! Even if you feel good you should still be careful!" Max rushed toward her and caught her at the bottom of the steps.
"Oh, I know, I'm sorry! I was just caught up in everything. I'll be more careful, I promise!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly before stepping off of the last step. She turned around for Max to help her on with her coat.
"Here you go, sweetheart." Fran slipped her arms in the sleeves and Max placed it around her shoulders. "Now, indulge me, because I want you to wear a scarf and your gloves, too." Fran turned around and Max wrapped the scarf around her neck. "Where are your gloves?" Fran pulled them out of the pockets of the coat and dangled them. Max smiled and began to button her up, glancing into her eyes after each button. Then he picked up his coat off the bannister and quickly put it on, letting his own scarf hang around his neck. Fran reached up and took it off, doubled it over, and re-wrapped it around him, tucking the ends through the new loop to hold it on snugly. Then she began buttoning his coat up. Max watched her hands as they worked their way up the buttons.
"You know, Max, if you keep looking at me like that, we might not make it out the front door…" He grinned, took her face in his hands, and kissed her. He took her hand and they headed out.
As they walked slowly up the block from the house, Max let go of Fran's hand and draped his arm over her shoulders, then she wrapped an arm around his waist and took hold of his hand at her shoulder with her other hand. They pulled each other close and smiled as they walked.
"It doesn't feel so cold in the sun," Fran said, looking around.
"No, it's not as bad out as I thought it might be. But I bet the shade might be bitterly cold, so I'll keep you on the sunny side of the street," he smiled down at her and she bumped him with her hip. They continued walking, slowly and quietly. There weren't too many other people out walking on Park Avenue, so it was much easier to enjoy each other's company.
"Max?"
"Yes?"
"I've been thinking a lot. And, well, I bumped into Niles in the hallway when I went to get my purse. And- well it's not really fair of me to keep everyone else at a distance like I have been. I know how concerned people are about me. I need to talk to everybody about what's going on. I mean, Niles has been wonderful, but I can see he's worried. I finally talked to you, and that was the hardest part of all this. Now that that part is out of the way, I really owe it to everybody else to tell them." Max slowed their pace to a stop and turned to her, wrapping both arms around her to keep her warm. She hugged his waist.
"Are you sure? I'll stand behind whatever you decide, as long as you're certain you are ready for that."
"Yes, I think it's time. And maybe- maybe it would be easier, maybe better, to tell everyone all at once. In case it does end up being hard, so I won't have to do it over and over. Like, maybe when the kids come back tomorrow. Maybe Val and Ma could come over too. It might be hard to get daddy over, the games are on tomorrow. But Ma might want to be the one to talk to him about it anyway. Then there's Yetta. I don't know how this might hit her. Maybe she shouldn't come tomorrow. Let Ma talk to her, too."
"Well, if you talk to them tomorrow, you could tell them about your appointment on Monday. And it might be easier to tell them on a weekend, rather than a weekday with school and everything." They started walking again.
"That's something I didn't ask you about. Your work. I don't want you losing out on anything because of all this."
"Oh, honey!" He squeezed her and stopped again. "You are my priority. I'm not going to miss out on anything. I can reschedule some meetings, and C.C. can take care of pretty much everything else, unless it's something I need to sign or read through. Oh. Speaking of C.C.- I need to call her and tell her not to come to the house for a while. Maybe she can work from home, or from the theater for a while."
"Is that necessary? I mean, it's okay if you need to work in the office with her."
"I don't plan on working, at least not any more than is necessary. And I'd rather hang out with you. I want to be with you for everything. Appointments, whatever." She smiled up at him, and they started walking slowly again. "I just think that sometimes, well, C.C. can add a stressful element to things that we don't really need right now." Fran agreed.
"Yeah, you're probably right. So, does this mean you're going to wear your pajamas around the house all the time?"
Max laughed. "Only if you do, too!" She laughed back and they cuddled each other and picked up their pace a little. After some more silence, Max spoke again. "So, tomorrow- I can send a car to pick up the girls and your mother and Val and bring them to the house. When was Brighton supposed to be back?"
"Uh, in the afternoon sometime. But we can call Tommy's house and get him to come back earlier if he's not back when you send the car out. And we can make sure Niles will be there."
"Yes, he can get everything ready. You know, like make sure there are enough places to sit. Do you want to talk to everyone in the living room, or dining room-?"
"Living room might be better. More comfortable. Would it be weird to have food for everyone?"
"Well, we could, but do you think anyone will have an appetite after you talk to them?"
"Oh, yeah, that might be- yeah, maybe not." They stopped at the corner and waited for the light to change before continuing. She took his hand in hers and they crossed the street. "So, that settles it. We'll get everyone together tomorrow afternoon, and I'll talk to them. All this tension will be out of the way. And then the appointment Monday, and we can see what needs to be done after that. Maybe we'll have some more certainty by then, and we can talk again to everyone if we need to."
"That sounds like a plan. Oh, we have to make sure you don't take any pills tomorrow. Is there anything else you were or weren't supposed to do before the appointment?"
"No, I think that was the only thing they said not to do, that's so it doesn't interfere with the blood work they are supposed to do again." Fran took a deep breath and squeezed Max's hand. He looked down at her as they walked. She began to get a distant look in her eyes, so Max kept quiet for a while.
They made it to the corner where they needed to turn, but first they crossed the street again so Max could keep her in the sun. They walked down past a large department store to the doors of an atrium where there were a number of smaller stores inside. Scattered around were metal park benches, and Max steered them towards an empty one where Fran could sit and rest, and warm up. They sat down next to each other and began unbuttoning their coats, and Max took off his scarf and stuffed it in a pocket. He put his arm across the back of the bench and turned towards Fran.
"How are you doing?" He said softly. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I'm good, sweetie. Sorry I was so quiet. Guess I was just processing what we talked about."
"You know, just a heads up, I might ask you a million times how you're doing. So if that might irritate you, I apologize in advance. But I'm still going to ask."
Fran leaned against him and tugged at his coat. "It's alright if you ask me that. And I'll try to remember to tell you before you ask so you don't have to ask me as much, okay?"
"Okay." They watched the Saturday shoppers walking around with their shopping bags. Most were women, some with small children in tow, who were obviously not having as good a time as their mothers. Max hadn't been to this place in quite a while, it had changed quite a bit. A few different shops, different decor. There was also a new mini-coffee shop near the elevator. Max looked up above them to the floors full of what must be business offices, or doctor's offices. The daylight shown down through all the floors from the skylights above. Max glanced at Fran again. She was watching a woman at another bench try to sort out a baby in a stroller. The woman was very attentive to the baby, entertaining it while she dealt with her shopping bags and whatever else it was she was fussing with on the stroller. Fran was smiling at her, like she enjoyed watching someone who was so good with a baby. Maybe she was taking mental notes. It gave Max butterflies in his stomach and made his heart sink. He thought about Fran's tumor again, and the area the report said it was in. He stifled a gulp, hoping Fran wouldn't hear, and watched her watching the baby. Might the tumor be close to her reproductive system? If they had to do surgery, would that affect her ability to have a baby? He ached for her. She deserved to be a mother if she wanted to be. He wanted that for her. She was already such a good mother figure for his own children. He pulled her into him and kissed the top of her head and tried to regain his composure before she could see the worry in his eyes. He looked around at what kind of stores there were, and spied a large jewelry store just past the elevators.
"Fran?" He asked.
"Hmmm? She tilted her head back to look at him.
"Would you like to do a little shopping?"
"Do you have to ask?" She grinned. He got up from the bench and took her hands to help her up.
"I saw a shop down that way that might be fun to go look through."
"Lead the way, boyfriend!" She bumped him with her hip again and he chuckled.
"You got it, girlfriend." He kissed her lightly on the lips and they headed toward the jewelry store, holding hands.
"Oh my god, the sparkle!" Fran exclaimed, as they got close to the store. Her eyes were as wide as a child's at Christmas as they approached the display windows and then walked inside.
"Wow, I was not expecting this!" Max said. The store was huge, with two security guards posted by the entrance. It appeared to be a high end, artisan jewelry store and not a high end, name brand store full of all the typical jewelry one of those places would have. It wasn't just gold and silver and diamonds that sparked all over, but there were all sorts of pieces made with every kind of precious and semi-precious stone, and colors were everywhere. Fran's mouth hung open as she gawked from one side to the other.
"Oh my god, Max! This is incredible!" Fran turned to him and grabbed both of his hands, almost jumping up and down with excitement. It made him happy to see her so filled with joy.
"Well, Fran, where do you want to start?" She pulled him by the arm over to the first set of displays on the right, moving slowly as they looked at everything, oohing and ahhhing the whole way. Max knew they would not be leaving empty handed, and he knew he wanted to find something meaningful for her while they were here. Maybe more than one thing. Maybe something for himself and the children, too. There was so much to see!
"Oh my gosh Max, look! These are all charms for charm bracelets. Look at everything they have!" He leaned over the display case to see what she saw. There were a multitude of tiny charms all lined up, some silver, some gold, some with diamonds or other stones. Everything from astrological signs and birthstones to tiny shoes and tennis rackets and flowers. Anything and everything to symbolize whatever might be meaningful to the wearer. He started thinking something like this might be a nice gift for her. If not today, then perhaps in the future. They would have to tell Maggie about this place. He looked over the different types of bracelets they had in the display, as well. He wondered if Fran would like everything to be solid silver, or gold, or if she would like some color mixed in. He always thought she looked gorgeous in silver.
"Everything is so nice," he said to Fran. "I mean, really detailed." He stood back up and looked at the display case behind him. It was full of custom watches. "Oh wow!" He said, stepping away from Fran. She turned to see what caught his eye.
"Can you believe this place?" She looked through the watches with him.
"Sweetheart, I think I can say I am pretty certain that we aren't leaving here empty handed! I think we might be able to find something for everyone here! Will you help me look for the children? I'm thinking I might like to get Brighton his first real watch. Something that he can adjust the size on if he needs to. And those charm bracelets- do you think the girls would like something like that?"
"Well yeah, probably. But let's look at everything first. There might be other things we aren't expecting." She took his hand again and they went through every section of the store, one display at a time. Max even got out a small notepad to write down possible gifts. Watches for Brighton and Niles, a bracelet for Maggie, necklace for Grace. Matching earrings and necklaces for Val and Sylvia. All they needed to figure out was something for Yetta and Morty. And each other. He could get Fran and armful of stuff and it wouldn't be enough.
"Okay Fran, we know watches for Brighton and Niles, and the jewelry for Maggie and Grace. Let's start having them set things aside so we don't forget." They pointed out items to the saleswoman who pulled each one out, let them look it over and approve it, and then she took it to a space on the counter at the back to prepare the bill and wrap it all up. They both were feeling positively giddy with the rush of buying gifts. "Honey," he said. "Can you pick the sets for Val and your mother? And then see if you can find something for Yetta? I want to check back on that side to see if I can find something for your father. But you'll have to give the final OK on it in case he doesn't like whatever I find."
"Oh, okay! I think I know which ones for Ma and Val."
"Oh, and sweetie…" he put his arm around her back. "Find something for you too." He smiled and kissed her.
"What? You mean it? Well, then you have to find yourself something too! You can't leave here without something for yourself."
"Well, let me know if you see something you think I would like. You have very good taste!"
"Okay, baby!" She held his cheeks and kissed him again, then turned back to wave the saleswoman back over. Max turned around to head over to a display that held some things he knew he was going to get. But not for himself. His heart was racing.
Max paid for all the jewelry and it was all boxed up, wrapped and placed in three separate bags. The saleswoman then got a larger, plain paper shopping bag with a twine handle and set the three bags inside. She was going to be super happy with her commission that day.
"Oh, if you two might be needing a cab from here, there's an attendant right near the exit out to the street that can fetch one for you. That way you don't have to walk around on the street with all of this."
"Thank you, yes, that might be a good idea." Max looked down at the heavy bag she handed him. "And thank you for all your help. This store is fantastic! We'll be sure to send more business your way. Do you by chance have a business card?"
"Yes, I attached one to your itemized list in one of the bags, just in case you have any problems or questions. And remember, we also do cleaning and repair of jewelry here as well, if you have anything that needs a little TLC."
"Thank you so much!" Fran said. "You've been so helpful today!"
"You're welcome, and come again soon!" The woman said. They turned around and headed for the exit, the security guards tipping their hats to them as they left.
"Wow! What a rush that was!" Max said.
"It sure was! I've got to bring Val there, and maybe the girls too. There's so much to see! I'm sure I must have missed something."
"Oh, no kidding! That was- mesmerizing. Are you thirsty? Should we sit a while before we go home?" Max stopped with her near the little coffee shop, holding the bag close in front of him to keep it safe.
"Maybe just some water. Gotta get my water intake for the day. And if we get a cab from here, that would count as sitting down."
"True. Well let's see if they can get you some water here, and I might see what tea they have. Then a cab home for some quiet time…" He squeezed her close and they smiled at each other.
"Hubba hubba…"