"Hey, sweetie, it's cold out here. Let's run inside that Sharper Image and warm up a little," Fran said.
"Absolutely, darling! I don't want you catching a chill! Here, let's go inside." Max put an arm around her and ushered her into the door of the Sharper Image store.
"Oh, it's nice in here! Hey, this is like a toy store for you, isn't it?" Fran elbowed him.
"Uh, maybe, a little bit." Max grinned. Fran curled her arm around his and they wandered through the aisles. The looked at the desk toys and fancy games, the foot massagers, and electronic gadgets.
"Oh, sweetie! That massage chair is empty! I have to go try it!" Fran squealed. Max laughed and let her run over to the chair to sit down. She began pushing the buttons on the controller until she got the back massager and calf-squeezer going. She smiled and closed her eyes. Max laughed again, let her have her peace, and continued wandering around the store. He found several things he was interested in and walked over to a display with catalogs on them and grabbed one. He walked back over to Fran, who was enjoying her massage.
"Hey, darling, if you see anything you want, let me know. I think I've found a few things."
Fran opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Max, come here and sit in this thing!" They traded places and Max handed her the catalog.
"Oh, that is nice!" Max agreed.
"Hey, baby, stay there a minute while I run around and look at everything else."
"I won't move an inch!" Max said and smiled. He rested his head back and fought the urge to close his eyes. The massage chair felt so good!
Fran wandered around the edge of the store and through the displays, looking at all the fun things. She saw a lot of things she knew Niles would love, and wondered if there was anything there the kids might like. She wondered what things Max had picked out, and if he would decide to buy them. After she was pretty sure she had seen everything, she walked back over to Max and noticed that the other massage chair on display was now empty, so she hurried and got into it, then began pressing buttons.
"Hey, baby, no falling asleep!" Fran said, patting him on the arm. Max jolted up and looked over at her.
"You startled me! How is that chair? Because this one is fantastic!"
"Isn't it?! This one is about the same for the back, and it reclines, but it doesn't have that awesome calf massager. I think a calf massager is a must!"
"You are right about that!" Max said. "Did you see anything you like?"
"Oh, there were a lot of things that would be good for gifts. Especially for Niles. What about you? What was it you saw that you liked?"
"Did you see that mini putting green? It returns the ball back to you. I thought maybe I could put that in the office and use it when I'm trying to think."
"Aw, I could totally see you doing that. You gonna get it?"
"I think I will. And there was one other thing I was thinking of, but it would be more for you than for me. But I might want to use it once in a while…"
"Really? For me? What is it?" Fran asked.
"This." He looked down at the chair, and then back at Fran and raised an eyebrow.
"The chair? You're kidding! That's not a cheap chair, Max!"
"I know, but it's really good. And with your recovery, it might not feel so great if you have to sit on the bed all the time. And we'd probably have to get you some kind of a pillow back rest or something for that. But with this, you could sit in it comfortably and watch television, or read your magazines, go through bridal stuff…"
"Aw, Max! Are you really serious? You'd really do that?"
"I really would. But, you know, I would like to use it once in a while, like after a rough day of work. And we might have to fight the children off, and Niles, too. But it would be your chair, to especially help you through your recovery. We can move the chaise and ottoman out of the bedroom at least during your recovery, and keep this in the bedroom. Then once you're better, there might be another place that would be more suited to it. So what do you think? Do you think this could help during your recovery? It reclines a bit, and can sit you back up, and if you were cramped up from being in bed so much, it would be the perfect thing for your muscles. Especially your calves. It comes in black or brown, so your pick."
Fran smiled at him. "You are such a big sweetheart, Max! And I can see myself getting pretty restless if I have to stay in bed all day. Are you sure? Because you'd absolutely get time in it. And I think maybe a black one would look pretty modern. What do you think?"
"I think we better go order one and see when they can deliver it!" Fran turned off her chair and got up to hug him. Max got himself up from the other chair after turning it off and took her in his arms. "Let's go grab one of those putting greens, too. Was there anything else you saw?"
"Well, I was wondering if Gracie might like that little zen garden- did you see it? It has the little rake, and you rake the sand around. Maybe that would be good if she has some stress. Or maybe Maggie and Brighton can play with it, too. It seems like a nice thing to do when it's quiet."
"It does sound like something worth trying. I bet Gracie would like it, and the other children might give it a try. Let's grab one, maybe we can put it on the kitchen table and see what happens." Fran smiled, and they took each other's hand as they went to retrieve the items and headed for the cashier.
After Max paid for everything and arranged a delivery for the chair, the cashier bagged their finds and handed the large bag to Max. Fran took Max's hand again as they headed out the door.
"Anything else, darling? We should probably work our way back home pretty quickly," Max said.
"Okay. Hey- do you see that store over there? They have pillows and bedding. Should we see if they have anything that might help me? I might need one of those wedge pillows, if we don't have anything like that at home."
"Oh, yes! That's a good idea. Let's run over there, and then I can call for the car from there."
"Okay, let's go." She grabbed his hand and they hurried to the corner and crossed the street, then went into the bedding store. They did indeed find a large wedge pillow, and several others that they thought she could try out once she was back home from the hospital. Max took out the cell phone and called for the driver, and they waited just inside the doors of the store for the car to arrive.
Max wrapped his arm over her shoulders and leaned in for a kiss.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"I'm pretty good. But I think I need to get into my slippers when we get home."
"Whatever you need. Then we can curl up on the sofa and look at those photos. And maybe Niles has the announcement finished. We can read through that, too, and get everything ready for Niles to take to the newspaper in the morning."
"That sounds good!" She nuzzled him and kissed him again.
When the car showed up out front, they hurried through the door outside, across the sidewalk, and Max opened the back door for Fran. Fran climbed inside and Max handed her the bags, then hopped in after her. They buckled up as the driver headed off, then relaxed back in the seat for the drive home. Max put his left arm over her shoulders and held her right hand with his. They looked into each other's eyes and then he gave her a long, loving kiss.
"Mmmm, Max! I love your kisses!"
"I love kissing you. I feel it all the way down to my toes!" He smiled.
"So do I. It's hard to kiss you in public and not be totally inappropriate…" They both laughed. He kissed her cheekbone, then her temple.
"I love you, darling," he said softly.
"I love you, too." She closed her eyes and rested her head against him.
"Sweetheart, in the interest of making sure I let other people help out while you're recovering, should we talk about what you might want other people to do, or when you would want them around?"
"Hmmm… we should probably figure that out ahead of time, shouldn't we?"
"Yes. Are there any things you feel are non-negotiable? Then maybe we can schedule around those. Or like with Val, if she's working, then that would affect when she could come over to help."
"True. Well, she's been working the early shift, so mornings might be out for her. Maybe she can come by when she gets out of work? That should be after our lunch dates. And those are non-negotiable, by the way. I still want to have lunch with you every day. And I think it would be good if you had breakfast with the kids before they go to school. Even once I'm able to start coming downstairs, it might be hard for me to get downstairs in time for breakfast. But it would be nice to have dinner with everyone once I can. Oh! Maybe Val can take Gracie to her therapy next week. I'll have to ask her. That would be really helpful. Let's see- maybe Val in the afternoons, then she can help Niles get them snacks and all that. And I think I'd like for them to come visit with me after school, and if they want to do homework with me, I think I'd like that, as long as I'm not sleeping or if I wasn't feeling well. I think the hard part will be Ma- trying to find her something to do. Hey, maybe if she came by after breakfast, and then if you have work to do, she can stay with me and we can watch a movie, or look at wedding magazines or something. But it might be hard to get rid of her. I think I'll have to make it clear to her that she needs to go before we have lunch together. But aside from Val helping with Gracie, it seems like it would mostly be visiting with me, and not really helping to do much. But you're gonna be the one I have to lean on the most, so I don't want to wear you out. I'm not sure how hard my recovery will be at first. Maybe it won't be hard, but we'll see. Do you think I'll be able to shower at all?"
"Possibly. And I can help with that. It's good that the shower has a bench, and the shower wand. I think the biggest issue would be protecting your incisions so they don't get wet. They may send you home with some special bandages that will cover everything. And I was thinking about the wheelchair, too. It might be good to get that as soon as we can. We can keep it in the study until you're ready to go on any outings. But one other thing you might need- something that will help you stand up, so you don't use your abdominal muscles. Maybe like a walker or something? So you can push yourself up with your arms. I mean, I can help you somewhat, but there will be times when you'll need to get yourself up from a chair or off the bed, and you might be by yourself. I just don't want you doing that without something you can lean on. Alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I think that's a good idea. Oh, I should write down some movies I might want to watch, too, in case somebody wants to go rent those. Oh, sweetie? Do you think maybe we can invite Ma and Yetta, and daddy too if he'll come, to dinner tomorrow? I'd like to see Yetta, and tomorrow's the last time I can have dinner with everyone."
"Sure, darling, we can do that if you like. We should check with Niles just to make sure we'll have enough food. What about Val?"
"Oh, well, we can ask her, but we might have a hard time fitting her at the table. I was kind of thinking of just a family dinner, if that's okay. Is that horrible? Oh, should I ask her anyway?"
"Hey, darling it's okay if you just want a family meal. It would be nice. And Val can stop by this weekend if you want. You might not get to see her much on Monday or Tuesday. So if there's a time this weekend you might like to see her, let's see if we can work that out."
"Are you sure? That might be nice, just to hang out with her a little bit. The kids will be gone for a while on Saturday, do you want to keep that time for us? Then Sunday we can all hang out at home, and just try to relax, and maybe Val can come by then."
"I'll take as much time with you as I can get, so yes, I'd like to be with you while the children are gone. Oh, and you know what?"
"What?"
"You can show your parents and Yetta the photos tomorrow…"
"Oh! That's right! Oh, Max! Ma's gonna have a fit! Aw, that'll be perfect, to be able to show them everything, then have a nice dinner together, and get ready for the appointment on Friday. Yeah, we'll check with Niles, and then I'll call Ma." She squeezed his hand in both of hers and rested against his chest. She tilted her head back and reached a hand up to his cheek, and they looked into each other's eyes. "Sweetie- thank you for everything today. Thank you for the tickets, for getting me a blanket when I fell asleep, going to the therapist, and for that massage chair. I mean it- thank you!" She kissed him, and he held her close and returned the kiss.
"Mmmm… you're welcome, darling. I'm glad I can do things for you. I'd do anything for you…" he kissed her again and she clutched the front of his coat.
"Mmm, baby, I want another early bedtime with you tonight. I need some quiet time with my fiancé." She kissed him again.
"So do I," they kissed again. "And we need to remember to move some things for when they deliver that chair tomorrow. Not just the chaise and ottoman, but we might need to move that bench, too."
"Oh yeah. And remember, it's just temporary for now. We might move all that stuff back in after my recovery," Fran said. "I bet I'll be using that chair all the time!" Fran smiled at him.
"Good! And you can kick me out of it if I happen to be in it," he said.
"I won't kick you out, but I might join you..." she tugged on the front of his coat and he smiled.
"That could get interesting!" They both laughed and kissed each other again.
They arrived back at the house and Max followed Fran in the door, carrying the bags in his hand. They took off their coats and hung them up in the closet.
"Darling, why don't you come sit down a while and take off your shoes. I can run upstairs and get your slippers for you."
"Oh, okay. I guess I can let you do that," she squeezed his hand. He led her to the couch and sat her down and set the bags next to the coffee table. He took out his putting green box from the bag.
"Let me go set this in the office for now. Take off your shoes and I'll grab them before I run upstairs."
"Okay."
Max rushed into the office with the box as Fran pulled off her shoes and slid back on the couch. Max hurried back out to her and picked up her shoes off the floor.
"Do you need anything else? A drink, or blanket? Anything?"
"Uh, you know- maybe some water? I need to take a pill."
"Pill? Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?" Max asked, concern in his voice.
"Yes, yes, sweetie! Not that kind of pill, the other one. I didn't take one earlier. It might be good to, just to help."
"Oh! Oh, alright. I'll grab you some water when I come back down. Anything else?"
"Nope, just you!" Max smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her.
"I'll be right back, darling," he said, and hurried off with her shoes to run up the stairs and retrieve her slippers.
Fran curled up on the couch and reached for the remote for the TV and turned it on, then began flipping through channels. She was glad to be back home, even though she enjoyed her time out with Max. She was beginning to feel a little run down and hoped it was just a passing thing, but she also knew what it could turn into. She turned to the classic movies channel, which was playing a black and white British film she didn't recognize. All the men had their hair slicked and perfectly combed, and the women wore some fantastic dresses and wide-brimmed hats. She thought Max might like to watch this one, too, so she set the remote down on the table and got pulled into the film.
Max hurried upstairs to the bedroom and found a pair of full, fuzzy slippers for Fran, took off his own shoes and jacket and tie and put on a pair of slip-on sneakers. He carried Fran's slippers with him to the hall closet and found another light throw blanket for her, and headed toward the back stairs to the kitchen. He thought Fran might need the blanket after being out in the cold. He thought she was looking a little pale and worried she might be trying to hide some fatigue from him, so he really wanted to get back to her and take care of her.
He rushed down the steps into the kitchen and found Niles going through the refrigerator.
"Oh, hello, Niles. We're back. I just need to get us some water. And is there anything I can take out there for a snack? Something light, maybe?"
"Oh, hello! And yes, we should have something around here. I believe we still have potato chips, crackers, fruit. Do either of you have any kind of a craving?" Niles asked.
"Well, I can eat whatever, but maybe a mix of things for Fran. A little fruit, maybe? Some crackers. Maybe hold off on anything like cheese. Oh, Niles- would you perhaps be able to call Sylvia and see if she and Morty and Yetta can come for dinner tomorrow? That's Fran's last chance to eat an actual dinner with us for a while, so she'd like to have them with us, to have a nice family dinner together. Would that be alright with you?"
"Oh! Absolutely! I had forgotten about that. So she starts the restricted diet on Friday, doesn't she?"
"Yes, so she can only have soft foods and liquids Friday, then shifts over to liquids only, and clear fluids Sunday. She won't be happy about that. So it would be nice if everyone can come together tomorrow and have a nice dinner with her."
"Yes, that would be nice. I'll get right on it, too. I can call Sylvia, and start sorting out what I'll make- I should have plenty of pot roast for everyone. Oh! Here, we still have some apple cake left. Would something like that be alright with your snacks?" Niles took out a covered container from the fridge and handed Max a large bottle of water.
"Oh, that does sound good. Well, I can eat it if she doesn't want any. Let me grab a plate and some glasses real quick." Max went to the cabinet to grab the plate and glasses, and went to the back of the kitchen to grab a tray. He still had Fran's slippers clutched under his arm, so was trying to reach for things one-handed. Niles grabbed some grapes from the vegetable drawer and pulled off several branches and set them on the plate as Max went to the cabinet to have a look at the chips and crackers. He grabbed a box of cheese crackers and brought it over to the counter, then poured out a pile of them onto the plate. Niles sliced up the remainder of the cake and set it on the plate and got out two small forks for Max to take. Max poured water into the glasses and set them on the tray.
"That should hold you both until dinner, don't you think?" Niles asked.
"Absolutely, this should be plenty. Let me get it out to her real quick."
"Oh, sir? If I may ask- is she doing alright?"
"Yes, I think so. For the moment, anyway. I'm keeping an eye on her. I think I might turn the fireplace on for a little while, in case she's cold. Can you get the door for me?" Max shifted Fran's slippers under one arm and stuffed the blanket under the other, then tried to pick up the tray without dropping it.
"Oh, absolutely. You sure you don't need a hand with that? I can take the tray for you."
"Oh, it's all right. I don't have far to go." Niles went over to the door to the dining room and pushed it open and held it so Max could get through.
"I'll give Sylvia a call right now."
"Thank you, Niles." Max headed through the dining room and left Niles in the kitchen, and carefully carried the tray out to the living room to Fran. He found her laying on the couch, watching a black and white film on the television. "Hello, darling! I come bearing treats!"
Fran sat up quickly and looked over to see him awkwardly carrying a tray as he tried to hold onto her slippers and a blanket under his arms. "Oh! Here, baby, let me help you- let me get those things from your arms!" She took hold of the blanket and grabbed her slippers and set them on the floor under the coffee table. Max set the tray down on the table in front of her.
"A few goodies in case you might be hungry. Niles found some of that apple cake left over, too, in case that might be something you'd like."
"Oh! Yes, I think I would. Now come here and sit down, you didn't have to do all this for me."
"It's quite alright, darling, I like doing things for you. But let me go turn on the fireplace real quick, warm it up a little in here for you."
"Aw, sweetie! That's nice of you. I was a little bit chilly, but you can come warm me up." Max turned back to look at her and smiled. Fran reached for her purse and retrieved the pill she needed to take, then grabbed one of the glasses of water to wash it down. She sat the glass back down and picked up a fork, and cut herself a bite of Niles' delicious apple cake.
Max finished getting the fire going and came back to the sofa to sit next to Fran. He spread the throw blanket across her lap and reached for the tray of food. He set his glass of water on the table and set the tray on Fran's lap. He put his arm around her and rubbed her back.
"So, what are you watching?" He asked, as he plucked a grape and popped it into his mouth.
"I don't know exactly, some kind of British murder mystery. See that lady? I think somebody murdered her husband, and it seems like people were thinking she did it, but I think she has an alibi."
"Oh, gotcha!" Max smiled at her, and after a lingering glance, he kissed her. "Mmm, apple!" He grinned.
Fran laughed and cut him a bite of the cake, then fed it to him on the fork.
"Mmm!"
Fran took another bite for herself, then followed it with a grape. Max relaxed back on the sofa and Fran nuzzled in against him, sliding the tray of food over a little onto his lap. Fran went back to watching the movie and took another bite of cake. Max stroked her shoulder and looked over at the movie playing on the TV, then back at Fran.
"Darling? Can I ask you something?" He said softly. Fran turned to look at him, and noticed the concern in his eyes. She put her arm around his neck.
"What is it, sweetie?"
"How are you feeling?"
Fran was quiet a moment. "I think I'm okay, sweetie. I don't want you to worry about me."
"Well, I can't help it. It's just, when you get quiet… and it seems like you might be pretty tired. Did we overdo it today?"
"No, no, sweetie! I don't think we overdid it. Maybe we did just the right amount. But I think we came home at the right time. I promise I'll take it easy now, okay?"
"Okay. But promise me you'll tell me if you're feeling warm or anything, alright?"
"I will, Max," she hugged him. "I promise. I mean, I know right now I'm not a bundle of energy. I do feel kind of tired. I'm hoping it will pass, but I'm going to take it easy anyway, okay? And I know cuddling with you will make me feel a lot better."
"Well, then, let me cuddle you. It'll make me feel better, too." They smiled at each other, then curled back up together and got into the movie as they continued to snack.
A short time later, Niles came out of the kitchen and into the livingroom to find them on the couch- Fran resting back against the arm with her legs across Max's lap and the blanket draped over her. Max was massaging her lower legs as they watched the end of the movie.
"Pardon the interruption, but I just wanted to let you both know that I spoke with Sylvia, and she and Morty and Yetta will be here for dinner tomorrow. I will send a car for them. Oh, and also, Brighton called. He's staying after school for a little while to speak with some teachers I believe, about that project he's trying to get approved. He said he shouldn't be too long but wanted you to know."
"Oh, alright. Thank you Niles," Max said.
"May I take the tray for you? Are you finished?"
"Oh, yes, thank you."
"Can I get you anything else?"
"No, we might spoil our dinner. But thank you."
Niles quietly picked up the tray from the table.
"Niles, thank you for that apple cake. It's one of my favorites," Fran said to him softly. She patted his arm as he lifted the tray from the table.
"Oh, you're very welcome, Ms. Fine! I'm glad you liked it!" Niles headed away from the livingroom, but turned back to look at them before he headed back to the kitchen. Was everything alright with them? He wondered. Ms. Fine sure looked tired. Mr. Sheffield was attending to her closely, so he was happy for that. He would leave them alone and would go sort out their seafood dinner. He turned and headed past the stairs and into the hallway towards the dining room and kitchen.
Max looked over at Fran. She had her eyes closed. Max stopped stroking her legs in case she was about to fall asleep.
"You don't have to stop, Max, I'm still awake," she mumbled. Max chuckled.
"Are you about to fall asleep, though?" He whispered.
"Hmmmmm…. maybe…" she smiled. She shifted her body a little and stretched her legs across his lap. He reached under the blanket and wrapped his hands around a calf and shin and began to squeeze, massaging her muscles carefully. "That's very nice…" she sighed.
"It's okay if you fall asleep, darling. I'm not going anywhere."
Fran made a noise of approval, and relaxed against the pillow she rested on, enjoying the calf massage he was giving her. It wasn't long before she fell asleep. Max continued to massage her calves gently as he watched another movie start on the television. He thought the movie looked familiar but couldn't remember whether or not he had seen it before.
He looked back over Fran- at how the blanket draped over her body. She looked so peaceful, so content. He was so fond of her. He followed her curves with his eyes, imagining that he was slowly running his hand over her, calming her, comforting her. Comforting himself. He thought about everything she was going through and how strong she was. She had tried to handle things herself, but when she got to the point of realizing she couldn't do it alone, she opened up to him. She let him comfort her and help her. He was so glad she did. He truly would do anything for her, and wanted make sure knew it. He couldn't believe how fast things had progressed, and how easy it had been to ask her to marry him. He couldn't believe it had taken him so long to confess his love for her. But now everything was out in the open.
He took a deep breath and sighed. Soon they would have answers. They would know what kind of tumor it is, and how it could affect her future. They could begin to make plans. They had a wedding to think about. Max smiled, then felt a knot in his stomach. He couldn't let the "what-ifs" enter his mind. He had to stay positive.
He heard the front door open and turned his head to see the girls come inside. They saw him and were about to yell hello when he quickly gestured to them to be quiet, so they wouldn't wake Fran. They set their bags down and put their coats away quietly, then came over to the couch. Maggie squeezed his shoulder, and Gracie hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.
"Hello, daddy!" She whispered.
"Hello, sweetheart!" He whispered back. "You see that bag right there?" He pointed to the bag from Sharper Image.
"Yes?"
"There's something in there for you children. Do you want to get it? Just be very quiet, don't wake Fran. You can take it to the kitchen."
Gracie smiled and hurried quietly around the couch to the end of the coffee table, then looked down into the bag. She reached in and carefully pulled out the box as quietly as she could as Maggie watched. Once she had it out, she looked at it and smiled. Maggie waved her over and Gracie mouthed the words Thank you to her father, then they retrieved their bags for school and headed into the kitchen. Max smiled.
Brighton hurried into the kitchen from the back door to find Niles working on their dinner and Maggie and Grace sitting at the kitchen table, books and the remnants of their snacks spread out on the table. Gracie seemed to be avoiding her review sheets and was focused on what looked like a large tray of sand in front of her.
"You're back! Did you get the photos?" Niles asked, anxious for his answer.
"Yeah, but they get to look at them before you do. And I get to look at them first because I took them, and I need to put them in an album for them. I grabbed one at the shop there, and a couple frames, but I think they might want some enlargements after they get a look at them."
"You looked at them already?" Niles asked.
"I peeked, but I didn't see all of them. But I think they might be pretty good. Oh, Niles- the announcement- is that one your final version? I want to put it on the computer and make a copy in the album for them, too."
"Yes, but we can have them read it over just to be certain. And I put a photo credit for you on there as well, so I'll try to make sure the newspaper people know to add that on there."
"Oh, thank you. I'm just gonna grab a snack and take all this upstairs, and see if I can put it all together before dinner so they can see it. Gracie? What in the world is that?" He asked, as he passed by the girls at the table on his way to the fridge.
"Fran and daddy got it for us, it's a Zen Garden, for relaxing. It has this little rake and some stones and things, and you can rake patterns in the sand. I like it!" Brighton wasn't sold on it, but if it helped Gracie relax, then he wasn't going to tease her about it. He grabbed a soda from the fridge and a pack of sliced cheese and pepperoni, and turned to head for the back stairs.
"Now don't you dare get any greasy fingers on those photos, or the negatives. Or any of it, alright?" Niles scolded. Brighton looked at his chosen snack and realized Niles was right.
"Oh yeah, okay. I'll eat first and wash my hands before I put it all together. What time are we eating dinner? So I know how much time I have."
"I'm aiming for six o'clock, so maybe try to get it done by five-thirty. Is that enough time?"
"I think so. Yeah, once I figure out how I'm putting them in the album, it should go pretty fast. But I better get busy, I have some stuff I need to tell them, too, but that can wait until dinner."
"Alright. I'll let them know you're home."
"Thanks, Niles." Brighton carried his shopping bag and backpack up the back stairs.
"Oh, I can't wait to see those pictures! C.C.'s going to freak! She doesn't know yet, does she? Did you tell her?" Maggie asked.
"No, I figured I would wait until the Sunday paper is out. She pours over the society section, and the engagements and weddings and all of that, even if she says she doesn't. How big of an announcement do you girls think I should try to get?"
"As close to a quarter of a page as you can! With a big giant picture of them!" Gracie said. Maggie laughed.
"Gracie, that might be too big. They aren't Kennedys or anything," Maggie said.
"I know that, but daddy's a Broadway producer. That should be important enough to the city, shouldn't it?" She asked, and turned to look at Niles.
"She does have a point. And if the photos came out really good, then that might be good for the paper, too. Maybe if we can get at least two columns wide for the photo, and see how the copy might fit below or beside it. I'll have a chat with the people at the paper and see how much space they can give us. We might not have a whole lot of options."
"Well, shoot, then, Niles. Ask for a whole page! And maybe they can sell more ads to fill up the space at the bottom," Gracie said.
"Okay, okay. I'll see what I can do. I need to get over there first thing in the morning, so I may have to leave before all of you are out of here."
"We can clean our things up, Niles, don't worry about that," Maggie said. "We can even get everything on the table if you need us to."
"I might take you up on that, so just be sure to watch the clock in the morning and try to get down here maybe five or ten minutes earlier." Maggie nodded in acknowledgement. "Miss Grace, are you procrastinating on homework by playing with that? Should I move it somewhere else?" Niles asked, as he headed for the door to the dining room.
"No, Niles. We already did review this afternoon at school, these sheets are just extra, I don't have to turn them in or anything. And I like this, it's really relaxing."
Niles gave her a half-stern look, but wasn't actually worried. She always had her work done on time and got the best grades. He went back to digging through the cabinets for the spices he needed for their dinner.