Fran's Secret

by BinBagBrain

Fran has been keeping a secret and has been suffering all alone. Can Max get her to open up to him? *Total soap opera drama! Remember, none of this is real or even necessarily accurate! Have fun with the fantasy! This is a work in progress, so let me know if you want me to keep going!

33. Chapter 33

Maggie hurried into the kitchen in the morning to find Niles just beginning breakfast.

"Hey, Niles! You need any help?" She asked.

"Oh, good morning! Ah, yes, actually. I was going to make some fruit salad. Would you be able to cut up some fruit for me? Into small pieces. Apples, bananas, grapes. Oh, and walnuts, too. They should be that cabinet right over there," he pointed to a far cabinet. "Thank you very much!" Maggie went to gather everything and set it on a cutting board that was already on the counter. As Niles began to scramble eggs for everyone, Maggie washed off the apples and grapes and set them on the board. She went to a cabinet to grab a large bowl, then came back, grabbed a knife out of the block, then began cutting everything into bite-sized pieces.

"Do you want coffee, Niles?"

"Oh, not just yet, thank you. I'll either grab some when I'm out, or make some when I get back. I can make some for Ms. Fine and your father after they come down. I'll make some toast as well. Is there anything else you or the others might want?"

"Um… got any more hash?" She smiled.

"Sure do! Oh, goodness, could you grab some of that pastrami, too? I'll put some of that in with the eggs." Maggie filled the bowl with all the fruit she had cut, and added a handful of chopped walnuts, then headed to the fridge and grabbed a tub of pastrami hash, then pulled a drawer open and found the pack of sliced pastrami, then brought them to the counter.

"Okay, now what do you want me to put in with the fruit salad? Mayo, or whipped cream?" She asked.

"Oh- there's a small bowl in the fridge, I mixed it last night. Should be on the top shelf. Just mix a spoonful at a time until it looks about right."

Maggie got the bowl from the fridge and brought it to the counter, then grabbed a large spoon from the drawer and began adding spoonfuls of the cream into the fruit salad. She grabbed another knife and cut up some of the pastrami, then brought it over to Niles.

"Here you go, Niles. Is this enough?" She asked.

"Sure is! Thank you!"

"How many slices of toast?"

"Oh, four should be enough. I was going to use that loaf of wheat in the breadbox. Do you want to get that started? I'll need to eat here rather quickly, so I can get everything to the newspaper on time."

"Okay. So once you're done with the eggs, get your breakfast ready. I can get theirs together when they get down here."

"Alright, thank you very much. That really is helpful."

Maggie started the toast, then went to get the plates from the cabinet, and set them on the counter. She grabbed glasses and silverware and brought them to the table, then grabbed napkins and brought them over, too. When the toast was done, she buttered the slices and set them on a plate and brought it to the kitchen table. She watched as Niles mixed the scrambled eggs with the spatula.

"Um, Niles?"

"Yes?"

"Um," Maggie sighed. "How do you think daddy is doing with all of this? I mean, with Fran?" She leaned against the counter as he turned around to face her.

"Your father? Oh, well… it's hard to say. I know he's worried. And I know he tries to put on a brave front, but he's very sensitive. I know that much. I'm sure it's not easy for him." He turned back to the eggs on the stove, pushed them around a little, then looked back at Maggie. "And I'm sure he's very worried about you children. He knows how much you all love Ms. Fine. And then- I'll say that I am very impressed with how he's dedicated himself to her now. It's clear that he would do anything for her. But I'm sure you're probably worried about how much stress this is causing them both."

"Yeah. You know, I worried a lot about Fran just having to go through this, and then I saw how much daddy was really doing for her. It's good to see him show how much he loves her. But then, with them going to therapy and all- I was just kind of realizing how much he must be suffering. He already had to go through this with mom, and he starts to open up to somebody new- somebody he should be with- and then he ends up having to go through the same kind of thing again. He's got to be so scared." Niles lowered his eyes. He felt that way, too.

"Yes. I'm sure it's taking everything he has in him to be strong for her right now. And with these spells she has- getting the fevers, or getting so fatigued that she needs to sleep…"

"Yeah, that kind of scares me. A lot. It makes it all pretty real. And then seeing the pictures of the tumor… I just feel so bad for her. It really isn't fair for her to have to go through this."

"No, it isn't. But at least it sounds like things could go well with her surgery, and then we can all look forward to the future. We just need to get through that."

"Yeah. That's not gonna be easy."

"No," Niles shook his head. Just then, Gracie bounded into the kitchen, all smiles.

"Hello!" She said.

"Good morning, Miss Grace! Are you hungry? The scrambled eggs are just about ready!" Niles said, turning around.

"Yes, I am!"

"Gracie, is Brighton up? Is he coming down?" Maggie asked.

"I think so, his light's on, and I heard some noise in there."

"Okay, good. Niles has to leave pretty soon, so I have to make sure you guys get out of here on time."

"Okay. I put my bag by the stairs, so I'm ready after I eat." Gracie sat down at the table, anxiously awaiting her meal.

"Is chocolate milk okay to drink, Gracie?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you, Maggie!"

"You're welcome. Niles, why don't you get a plate started, too. I can get mine and Brighton's together." Maggie pulled a jug of milk from the fridge and grabbed the bowl of fruit salad, set it on the table, then got Gracie a glass and poured her milk. Niles turned off the stove and divided up the scrambled eggs, then picked up the tub of potato hash and put it in the microwave to warm up. He went back to the stove and dished out his and Gracie's eggs onto plates, then brought them over to the table, setting Gracie's plate in front of her. Maggie sorted out the silverware and then went to the stove to start her and Brighton's plates. Niles grabbed a slice of toast and began to eat his meal as fast as he could. Maggie brought the plates of eggs to the table, set them down, and went to retrieve the hash from the microwave.

Brighton pushed through the door from the dining room into the kitchen, looking fairly worn out.

"Hey," Maggie said softly. "Go ahead and sit down, there's fruit salad and toast, too. And here's the hash. What do you want to drink?"

"Uh, just water, I think." He sat down next to Gracie, then reached for a slice of toast. Maggie got a glass of water for him, and one for herself, too, then brought them to the table and sat in the other chair. They all began dishing fruit on their plates and ate in relative silence.

"So, Niles? You have the stuff for the camera shop, right? For all the enlargements and stuff?" Maggie asked.

"Yes, yes I do. And Brighton, make sure you get lots of smaller frames, the kind that have the mat already with them. That way we can put them together quickly and have something to give Sylvia and Yetta tonight."

"Okay. Do you have that extra money, just in case I need it?"

"Yes- in the drawer over there. I'll get that to you before I go, which is pretty soon." Niles hurried through his meal, then got up to clear his dishes.

The girls and Brighton continued through their breakfasts quietly, not sure of what to talk about. They were excited for the engagement, but the impending appointment the next day, followed by the surgery, was consuming their thoughts. Niles retrieved the petty cash from the drawer and handed it to Brighton.

"Thank you," Brighton said. "I should be home a little earlier today. I'll go right to the photo place and get everything, then I'll come back and we can sort it all out."

"Very good. Well, I'm just going to run upstairs and grab my coat, and I'll be off to the newspaper, then will drop off the negatives. I'll put your name on the order, Brighton."

"Okay."

Niles hurried up the back staircase, leaving the children to their breakfasts in relative silence.

Max and Fran fooled around under the covers before they got up that morning, then continued the fooling around in the shower together. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. They took turns covering each other in suds and got so worked up, they couldn't make it back to the bed before they had to satisfy each other's urges. They stood under the spray of the shower as they kissed each other deeply, and let their fingertips continue wandering.

"Mmmm… Max! You sure know how to make me feel so good! I love you so much…" Fran said, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Max sighed and hugged her close to him, then kissed her neck and shoulder.

"My darling! You're so wonderful! You're so beautiful! You drive me crazy, I can't get enough of you! I love you, Fran! So much!" He kissed her neck some more, then went back to her lips and kissed her softly several times. "Mmmm… I'd love to stay like this with you… all day… but I'm afraid we may have used up all the hot water in the house…" Fran chuckled and leaned back to look at him. He smiled at her, and his eyes sparkled.

"Yeah, I think we did. I guess we got a little caught up in things, didn't we?"

"I'll say!" Max grinned, then kissed her again, and ran his hands over her back.

"Are you finished with your shower? I still need to shave, and I better do that quick before the water gets cold," she said.

"Yes, I think I'm thoroughly clean. I need to shave, too. I'll get our of your way here, and we can start getting ourselves put together." He kissed her again, and slowly dragged his fingertips across her body as he opened the door of the shower and stepped out. Fran looked over his gorgeous body as he did and smiled. She was so crazy about him! And she couldn't believe they had finally consummated their relationship, and then had messed around with each other so much that they missed breakfast. And now she was really starving, and was pretty sure Max was, too. She hoped the children had gotten to school fine, and wondered if Niles had gotten the engagement announcement to the newspaper in time. Fran finished what she had to do in the shower and shut off the water, wrung out her hair, and stepped out. Max glanced over at her body as she reached for the towel and wrapped it around herself. He rinsed the shaving cream from his face and then dried off as he watched her drying off her body. He splashed on his aftershave, then his cologne, and reached for his robe. He wrapped it around himself, then pulled off the towel from his waist, and tied the robe. Fran wrapped her towel around her body and tucked a corner of it in, then walked over to Max and tugged on his robe.

"You're so sexy, Max! It's hard not to keep checking you out!" She said, with a wry smile. Max ran his hands up and down her sides.

"It's hard not to keep checking you out, my darling. You're so beautiful. It's been wonderful to finally be with you, and explore you. And you make me feel so good, Fran! So good!" He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You make me feel really good, Max. I'm glad we've finally been together. I really am. I love you so much!"

"I love you, too, Fran! I love you, too!" They hugged each other tightly, and Max buried his face into her neck. "Mmm! I love the feel of you, I love when you wrap your arms around me. This is the only place I want to be… right here, in your arms…" Max whispered softly to her. Fran smiled and squeezed him tighter.

"That sounds wonderful! I don't want to be anywhere else, either, but here with you. You make me feel so safe, Max, when you hold me like this. I don't think I've ever felt so safe in my life."

"I'm glad. I want you to feel safe here, this is your home. You're with your family. And your fiancé." They looked into each other's eyes and smiled at each other. Max kissed her softly on the lips, then they hugged again.

"You know something- we messed around so long we missed breakfast. And I don't know about you, but I sure worked up an appetite! I'm starving!" Fran tugged on the back of his robe.

"Oh, so did I! I think we might need a full brunch today. Well, let's get ourselves together here, then we'll get downstairs and see what there is to eat. Oh, don't forget about taking your temperature."

"I won't," Fran said. Max rubbed his hands gently over her rear end, then let go of her. She grabbed another towel to wrap her hair in, and stepped over to the sink. She picked up the thermometer and popped it under her tongue.

"Let's dress casual today, alright? Unless you want to be dressed up for your outing with Maggie or for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, no. Casual is good. Maybe jeans today?" She mumbled, holding the thermometer.

"Sounds good to me. I'll let you finish in here and go find me some clothes."

"Okay, baby," Fran mumbled, and watched in the mirror as he left the bathroom. She took a deep breath and sighed. She was so in love!

Fran and Max relaxed in the living room after their late breakfast. They sat on the couch together, holding hands. Niles came into the room and walked over to them.

"Pardon the interruption, but I just wanted to ask if you two will be needing anything else for a while. I'm going to start preparing for tonight's meal with everyone," he said.

"Oh, that's alright, Niles," Max said. "Ah, the only thing I can think of was calling for a courier to get those papers back to C.C. Could you do that?"

"Oh yes, sir, that's not a problem. And you, Ms. Fine? Is there anything you need?"

"I'm good, Niles. But thank you. I've got my boyfriend- I mean my fiancé! That's all I need!" Niles and Max both smiled.

"Very good, then! I'll make that call, and I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

"Thank you, Niles," Max said, then looked at Fran. She smiled up at him and squeezed his arm. "So how much time do we have before you head out with Maggie?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly. I think she was getting lunch before she comes back, then we can head out right away. We can call for a cab if that's easier than calling the driver."

"Oh, I'm sure he could get here quickly. And I think it would make me feel better if you took the car. That way he should be right nearby if you need to come home quickly."

"Okay. You're probably right. I don't want you to worry. And we'll try not to get caught up in all the jewelry for too long."

"Oh, that's alright, sweetheart. If you do stay there too long, you'll just need to go get Gracie from school."

"Fair enough. But I don't think we'll be gone that long."

"And if you or Maggie find anything you really like, I think it might be alright if you get it. Within reason, of course." Fran smiled at him and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you, baby! But we'll try to be good. It's fun just to look at all of it."

"It was fun, wasn't it?" Max let go of her hand and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her close to him. "Can you try to remember to get your temperature again when you get back? In case I forget."

"Sure, I'll try to remember to do that. But right now, let's cuddle a bunch before Maggie gets here. I want to get your cologne all over me!" Fran wrapped her arms around his middle and he chuckled. He held her close as they watched television together, waiting for Maggie to get home.

Maggie pulled up in front of the house in the cab, paid the cab driver, and hopped out of the car with her bag and purse. She ran in the front door, excited to go to the jewelry store with Fran.

"Fran! Are you ready to go?" She blurted out as she saw them on the couch.

"Well, hello to you, too!" Fran said, as she got up from the couch. "Let me just go get my purse upstairs, and call for the driver. Are you ready?" Fran asked.

"Yeah, mostly. I just need to drop off my stuff in my room."

"Well, let me come with you!" She turned to look at Max, who was getting up from the couch next to her. "I'll be right back, sweetie!" They gave each other a kiss, and Fran hurried towards Maggie at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll call the car for you, darling," he said.

"Okay, thank you!"

"Yeah, thank you daddy!" Maggie said, and Fran grabbed her hand as they hurried up the stairs. Max smiled as he watched them, then reached for the cordless phone and called for the driver. He set the phone down on the entry table and paced back and forth as he waited for them to come back downstairs. Soon, he heard their familiar chatter at the top of the stairs as Maggie updated Fran on school gossip. Max looked up and smiled as they both came down the stairs with their purses, Fran holding on to the handrail. He opened the closet and helped them on with their coats.

"Oh!" He said. "Hold on just one second, I want you to take the cell phone with you! It's in the office!" Max turned and jogged across the room to the office, grabbed the cell phone from on top of his desk, and hurried back out to join the girls. He handed Fran the phone and she put it in the pocket of her coat.

"Thank you, Max. I promise we'll keep an eye on the time. We won't be gone too long, and we'll head back here before the driver needs to go get Gracie. Speaking of which, is he nearby? Did he say how long it would take him?" Fran asked.

"He's close by, so any minute now. Now, Maggie- please watch out for Fran, alright? I mean it that I want you to come straight home if you even feel the slightest out of sorts." He reached for Fran and put his arms around her, then she wrapped hers around him and hugged him.

"I will, daddy. I promise. And Fran, you have to let me know, too, okay?"

"I will, you guys. It'll be fine. Oh! There's the car now! Okay, sweetie, we'll be back soon! And you can call me on the cell phone if you get worried, okay? We won't be gone long, though." Fran kissed him firmly, and Max opened the door for them.

"Alright. Be safe, you two! And don't buy out the whole store, alright?" Max smiled.

"We won't! Bye daddy!" Maggie yelled out.

"Bye, sweetie! I love you! Be back soon, I promise!"

"Bye, sweetheart! Have fun. I love you, too!" He waved to them as they hopped into the car and then he watched them drive off. He shut the front door, lowering his head, then slowly made his way to the kitchen. He was already missing Fran.

Niles looked over when he heard Max come into the kitchen.

"Hello, sir! Was that the girls leaving?" He asked.

"Yes, it was. They won't be gone too long though. They promised." Niles noticed Max's forlorn look.

"She'll be fine, sir. They won't be too far away, and Maggie can take care of her should anything come up."

"Oh, I know. I'm sure she'll be fine. And she'll have some fun with Margaret. I suppose I'm just a bit clingy. I don't want to smother her, though. But it's hard not to miss her."

"I know, sir. But maybe I can help. Are you busy with anything else?"

"No, I'm not doing anything. Did you need some help?"

"Yes, actually. I'm getting things ready for our dinner tonight. If you might be up for helping with peeling and cutting up the carrots and potatoes, that would help very much. And if you finish that, then maybe peeling and slicing the apples for the pies, too."

"You're making apple pies?" Max smiled.

"Yes. I thought I better make two because I'm sure one won't be enough. And we have vanilla ice cream to go with it."

"Oh, wonderful! This sounds like quite the meal, Niles."

"Well, thank you. I hope everyone will enjoy it."

"I'm sure we will." Max walked around the island to wash his hands at the sink. "How many of these do you need done?" Max asked, as he pulled the bag of carrots towards him.

"All of it. If you don't mind." Max turned around to look at Niles and see if he was serious. He was.

"Well, alright. It really takes that much to feed all of us?" Max looked back at the large bag of carrots and sack of potatoes nearby.

"Well, I'd rather have some leftovers than be short on food. I just need to make sure I time things right to get it all cooked and finished at the same time. But don't worry, I have a plan."

"That's good to know. Now- where do you want the peels to go? In the disposal?"

"Oh, no, there will be quite a bit so use that big mixing bowl right there. I thought I might try to make some compost for the flower bed outside. And I don't want to end up bogging down the disposal with that much waste. We don't need to be having to call for a plumber when we're having a dinner party."

"That's true. Alright, I'll get started on all this." He tore open the bag of carrots, grabbed the peeler, and began peeling and rinsing each carrot, then set them on the large cutting board on the counter next to him. Niles hummed a tune at the stove as he worked on getting the roast ready to go in the oven. As Max got into the rhythm of peeling and rinsing the carrots, he began to realize that he was grateful that Niles assigned him the seemingly mundane task. It kept him busy and helped the time pass. When he finished peeling carrots, he moved over to the counter to cut them up and Niles put the roast in the oven, then washed his hands and fetched a large dish for Max to put the potatoes and carrots into. In relative silence, they both carried on with their tasks- Max peeling and cutting, and Niles getting out the ingredients and mixing bowls he needed to make the pie crusts with. Once Max had finished the potatoes and added them to the big dish, he washed his hands again. "Ah, would you like me to get started on the apples? Where are they?" Max asked.

"Oh, yes, please! That would be perfect. There's a bag of them over there in the pantry, down on the floor. And if you'd like, I have a separate apple peeler in that middle drawer over there," Niles pointed to the back of the kitchen. "It attaches to the counter and has a hand crank- that sort of peeler. It should make that process a bit easier, since the apple peels are a bit thicker to get through."

"Oh, good! Yes, that might help things along." Max went to the drawer to find the large apple peeler contraption, then went to the pantry and grabbed the big bag of apples. He brought them over to the sink, set up the peeler to send the peels right into the large bowl Niles wanted them in, then grabbed his first apple. He figured out how to stab it into the peeler, then began to turn the crank. He smiled as it began to peel just how he wanted it to, nice and steady around the apple with the peel tumbling in a slow curl down into the bowl. He smiled, and Niles chuckled.

"I bet you never thought peeling fruits and vegetables could be so much fun, did you?" Niles chuckled again. Max laughed too, took off the peeled apple to rinse it, then set it on the cutting board.

"That is a pretty helpful device you have there, Niles. And if you've ever had to do this much peeling before, then I'm glad you have it. This is a lot of work."

"It can be. But I suppose you get used to it. And it sure kills time, doesn't it?" Niles smiled and raised his eyebrows. Max looked down at his watch, then back at Niles and nodded.

"It sure does. Won't be long before they're back."

"No, it won't. And I've still got a bit to do in here to make sure everything's ready on time."

"Well, let me get these apples finished for you. And I'll keep the children out of the kitchen when they get home. I think they can go without a snack today, and save up room for this feast!"

"Oh, thank you, sir! Yes, that would be helpful!" They both smiled and went back to their prep work, and Max even made a game of seeing how fast he could peel an apple. He was genuinely having fun with it.

Fran and Maggie kept to their time limit of an hour at the jewelry store, and they both left with bags in hand and smiles from ear to ear. They hurried to the street to hop into the waiting car, and headed back to Park Avenue.

"Oh, Fran, I've gotta tell all my friends about that store! I wanna go back already!" Maggie gushed.

"I know, right? I'm so glad you like it, too! Now we have another place we can go shopping at, even if we don't buy anything." They were both almost out of breath from the shopping rush and trying to hurry home so Max wouldn't worry. But Fran knew he would worry anyway. She knew she needed to give him a big hug and kiss the second she got home.

The car whisked through the traffic and made it back to Park Avenue in no time at all, and Fran and Maggie hopped out as soon as it stopped in front of the house. They hurried in the front door, giggling, and put their coats in the closet. Fran looked towards the office and didn't see Max.

"Hey Mags? Can you hide this in your room for a while so your father doesn't find it?" Fran asked, holding her small bag towards Maggie.

"Sure! I'll keep it in my closet, okay? Just tell me when you need it. I'll go do that right now!" Maggie rushed up the stairs after Fran thanked her, then Fran skipped to the kitchen to see if she could find Max. She pushed through the door from the dining room into the kitchen and found Max and Niles still working on the dinner preparations.

"Ms. Fine! You're back!" Niles exclaimed, and Max quickly turned around to see her smiling at him.

"What in the world is this? Is my fiancé helping you make dinner?" She grinned, and walked up behind Max to hug him around the middle. He turned around to hug her, holding his hands in the air so he wouldn't get his apple-covered fingers on her clothes.

"Hello, my darling! I don't want to get my sticky hands on you." He leaned down and gave her a soft welcome-home kiss, then kissed her again for good measure. "You girls have a good time looking at the jewelry?"

"We sure did! Maggie was really blown away by that place, too. So expect that we'll be going back there again and again!" Fran wrapped her arms around him and held him, not wanting to let go.

"Well, that's nice! I'm glad you both had a good time. I've been helping Niles with all the peeling and chopping and slicing. He's making apple pies for dessert!" Max and Fran smiled as they looked over at Niles, who was just finishing mixing the crust ingredients together.

"'Pies'?" Fran asked. "As in plural?"

"Yes! You know one won't be enough," Niles replied.

"Here, let me get my hands washed up so I can hug you properly," Max said, and Fran reluctantly let loose of him so he could go to the sink.

"Oh! Did the chair come yet? I want Niles to see it! And Maggie, too!"

"Oh, gosh! You know, I almost forgot about that! No, they haven't come by as far as I know. At least the doorbell didn't ring. And we haven't moved that furniture out of the way, either, yet, Niles. Should we hurry and do that now? Can you take a break for a moment?"

"Yes, absolutely! Let me get my hands washed, too!" Niles untied his apron and set it on the counter and hurried over to the sink to wash the flour from his hands.

"Is there anything I can do to help in here?" Fran asked.

"Well, the roast is in the oven already, the potatoes and carrots will go in later. I mostly just need to get the pies together. Oh- maybe you could get out the pie dishes for me? The glass ones. And I'll need to make some room here to roll out the crusts."

"Oh, I can help with that. You guys go on upstairs, and I'll listen for the doorbell, too."

"Alright then," Max said. He reached over to clutch her waist and kissed her again and smiled. "We'll be back in a jiffy!" Max and Niles hurried upstairs to move the bench and chaise from the bedroom, and Fran moved things from the counter, making more space for Niles to work. She headed over to the back cabinets to look for the pie dishes Niles wanted to use to make the pies in, then brought them over to the counter. Maggie came down the back stairs then, and headed over to the fridge to grab herself a drink.

"Wow, looks like Niles got started already. What else is he making beside the pot roast?" She asked.

"He's making apple pies for dessert! It's gonna smell so good in here!" Fran grinned. Maggie offered her a bottle of water and she took it.

"Where are they?"

"Oh- they went to move some furniture out of the bedroom to make room for my new chair! I thought it would have been delivered already, but you know how that goes. Can you help me listen for the doorbell in case they show up soon?" Fran asked.

"Sure! You want to go hang out in the living room and watch TV or something? That way we can see when they get here."

"Sure, I suppose we can do that, and watch for when Brighton and Gracie get back, too." They took their water bottles with them and headed out of the kitchen.

"So, you looking forward to the dinner tonight? Having everyone over?" Maggie asked, as they walked through the hallways to the living rom.

"Yeah, I think so. I want to see Yetta and see how she's doing with all this. I don't know how much Ma's told her. I might need to talk to her some more. And I need to give daddy some attention, too, and make sure he's doing okay. But yeah, it'll be good to sit down and have a nice meal together."

"I'm glad. Plus they can look at all those pictures Brighton took, too!"

"Oh, I know! Oh my gosh, I can't wait to show them! Ma's gonna have a fit! Especially if she gets to take a framed one home with her. I know how happy she is for us, for this engagement."

"Everybody is, Fran." Maggie smiled and they put their arms around each other.

"Thank you, Mags! It means a lot to hear you say that. You guys are everything to me, you know?"

"Well, you're everything to us, too. We love you and we need you around- all the time!" Fran hugged her and then they sat down on the couch and Maggie handed Fran the remote. Fran flipped through the channels until she got to one of her favorite soaps, and then she and Maggie got caught up on the slowly unfolding drama on the screen.

Gracie came home a short time after Fran and Maggie started watching the television. She dropped her book bag by the stairs and ran over to Fran to give her a hug.

"Hi Fran!" She squealed, and Fran reached out her arms.

"Hi, sweetie! Did you have a good day at school?" Fran asked.

"It was okay I guess. But I couldn't wait to come home."

"Well, why don't you go get changed into what you want to wear for dinner tonight, okay? Brighton should be back soon and then we can get those pictures in their frames and ready to give out tonight."

"Oh yeah! Okay! I'll be right back!" Gracie said, and turned to run back towards the stairs. She put her coat in the closet and grabbed her bag, then ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Moments later, they heard a truck pull up outside and Fran turned around from her seat to look out the front door.

"Oh! It's the delivery guys- with my chair! Mags, can you run upstairs and get your father to let him know? He and Niles might still be moving the other furniture out of the way."

"Sure!" Maggie jumped up as Fran got up and she hurried up the stairs to find her father. Fran rushed to the front door and opened it, then waved to one of the delivery men when he hopped out of the truck. Fran was really excited to get her new chair set up, and couldn't wait until she had time to sit in it for a nice, long, relaxing massage. She could really use it.

"They're here?" Max's voice called from the top of the stairs. He hopped down the steps as fast as he could to join Fran at the door.

"Yeah, they just got here. Oh, it's cold with this door open! I need to get my coat on!"

"Here, darling, you don't need to be right up here by the door. It might be a few minutes before they start bringing it in. Let me run out there and talk with them a minute, see what they need to do," Max said.

"Okay." Max went out the door and shut it behind him and hurried across the sidewalk to talk to the delivery men at the back of the truck. Maggie joined Fran at the door and they watched for a minute.

"Hey, Fran, they might be out there a while. Let's go back and watch TV while we wait, okay?" Fran looked over at Maggie, then back outside at Max.

"Alright. Yeah, it might be a while. Especially if they have to put anything together. Okay, let's go see if anything happened on the show!" Fran and Maggie turned and headed back to the couch just as Brighton came from the hallway to the dining room and kitchen.

"Hey, Fran! I got them! I got all the pictures and stuff!" He yelled. He dropped his backpack next to the stairs, and Fran and Maggie cheered.

"Well, get over here! Let's see it all! We can work on putting everything in the frames while the delivery guys work on my new chair," Fran said, gesturing outside. Brighton looked out front and saw his father talking to the delivery men. Gracie appeared at the top of the stairs and hurried down to join them. They all gathered around the coffee table and moved things out of the way so they could spread out the photo enlargements and the picture frames that Brighton brought back.

"Gosh, Brighton! You did such a good job on these pictures! I really love them!" Fran gushed, as she pulled out the enlargements from their envelope.

"Thank you," he mumbled, bashfully. "It was kinda fun doing that. I was really pretty surprised they came out that good. But you guys were good at posing, so that helped a lot."

"Aw! Well, here- come help us get these things into the frames and see how they look. I'm still not sure which one to give to Ma."

As Fran and the kids got busy with the photos, Max came through the door, clearing the way for the delivery men carrying Fran's new chair. Fran turned to watch them carry it up the stairs, worried that they might drop it and come tumbling back down. Max led the way, guiding them up the steps and through to the hallway upstairs, and then they disappeared and Fran went back to working on putting a photo into a frame. She closed the back of the picture frame and turned it around to have a look at it. It made her smile from ear to ear. She held it in her hands tightly and looked over their faces in the photo. Max was looking at her so lovingly, and she looked at him the same way. Her hand proudly displayed her engagement ring as it rested on his chest. Gracie looked across the coffee table at her and noticed her smile. She got up from the floor and walked around the table to sit next to Fran. She put her arm on Fran's shoulder and looked at the framed photo with her.

"You love daddy a lot, don't you?" Gracie asked. Maggie smiled and looked at them, then across the table at Brighton. Brighton grinned at her, then looked back over at Gracie and Fran. Fran's eyes were beginning to water.

"I sure do, angel. He's just the best! You guys need to know what a wonderful man your father is. I love him more than anything! And I love you guys, too- like you were my own kids. I'd do anything for you guys- for all of you."

"We love you, too, Fran," the children all said in unison.

"And we know how much daddy loves you, too. Even though it took him a long time to open up to you, we're really glad he finally did. We know how much he needs you. And we need you, too," Maggie said. Gracie and Brighton nodded in agreement. Fran beamed as she looked at them, then back at the framed photo in her hands.

"Fran, why don't you hang onto that one for you and dad? Maybe you can put it in here somewhere," Brighton said.

"Yeah…" Fran sighed. "I think I'd like that. What do you girls think?" Fran turned the photo some so Maggie could see it, too.

"Yeah, I like that one, too. Maybe we can put it on the piano, where everyone can see it," Maggie said.

"Yeah! Let's do that!" Gracie yelled. Fran grinned and wrapped her arm around her waist.

"Would you like to put it over there on the piano, sweetie?" Fran asked.

"Can I?"

"Sure! Just be careful with it. Don't drop it."

"I won't!" Gracie took the picture from Fran and hurried over to the piano, then gently set it down and adjusted it. "How is this? Can you see it from there?"

"I sure can, Gracie. That looks pretty good. Now come help me pick which one of these we should give to Ma and daddy." Gracie ran back over to Fran and sat down on the floor next to her and they began sorting through the other photos, trying to figure out which one Sylvia would like the best.

"That should do it. Looks like everything is working just fine," the delivery man said to Max. They had just finished setting up the chair in the bedroom and made sure all of the controls worked properly.

"Wonderful!" Max said. "She's really going to love this! Thank you so much for getting it set up for us."

"No problem. And if you have any issues with it, just give us a call and someone can come back and have a look at it. The phone number to call is right at the top of this form," the man handed Max a copy of the delivery order.

"Thank you. I'll show you out, and let her know it's ready for her." The two men gathered their things, and Max showed them back downstairs and out the front door, thanking them again as they left. He turned to Fran and the children and hurried over to join them.

"Well, darling- your new chair is all set up in the bedroom and ready for you whenever you need it!" He smiled.

"Oh good! I can't wait to use it! But I better wait until after everybody leaves tonight or I might miss out on our dinner!" Everyone chuckled and finished up with the picture frames.

"Daddy! Go look at what's on the piano!" Gracie squealed. Max looked at her, then over to the piano. He noticed a new picture sitting on top of it. He smiled and walked over to the piano, then took a good look at the photograph.

"That's really wonderful! And a perfect place for it, too. It's such a good photo, Brighton! You should be very proud." Brighton blushed, and Maggie elbowed him.

"Well, ah, there's some others over here for you, too. To put in your office, if you want," Brighton said. Max walked over to him and Brighton held out several smaller frames for him to take. Max reached for them and looked at each one closely.

"Gosh, these are so good! Can I put all of them in my office?"

"Sure, I guess. If we run out of copies and frames, I guess we can just go get more."

"Absolutely! Let me go find a place for these. Wonderful work, Brighton!"

"Thank you," Brighton replied, embarrassed. Fran gave him an encouraging smile.

"Oh, Gracie? Can you run into daddy's office and get a marker or something so we can write names on these boxes? That way we'll know who gets what," Fran said.

"Sure!" Gracie jumped up and ran to the office, where Max was setting the framed pictures on his desk. He had already set one of himself and Fran on a shelf behind his chair, right where anyone who came into his office could see it.

"Daddy! Fran needs a marker or something to write on the boxes. Do you have one?" Gracie asked.

"Yes, sweetheart. Right here." He handed Gracie a marker from his pencil cup, and then picked up the envelope of papers he needed to give to the courier. They headed out of the office holding hands and went back to join the others. Gracie let go of her father's hand and hurried to Fran to give her the marker. As Fran began to write on the boxes, Maggie checked the time on her watch.

"Hey, I need to do a little homework before everybody else gets here. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is, Mags!" Fran said.

"Sure, darling," Max added. "We don't want you to get behind on anything you need to do."

"Oh, I won't. I just don't want to leave it until tonight, in case they stay late or anything. It shouldn't take me too long."

"Okay, we'll let you know when they get here, if you aren't down here already," Fran said.

"Oh, and thank you for going to the jewelry store with me! That was so much fun!"

"It sure was! I'm glad you liked it!"

"Oh!" Gracie cried. "Did you get anything there?"

"I did!" Maggie smiled. "You wanna come see?"

"Yes!" Gracie squealed. Fran chuckled, and watched as Maggie reached out her hand to Gracie, then they both ran for the stairs.

"Should I be worried?" Max asked. "Did she spend a lot?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. She found a couple of nice things that weren't too expensive. I might have to borrow them from her sometime, too!" Max laughed and then looked down at the boxes and framed photos on the table.

"Do you need help finishing this up?" He asked.

"Well, I think we're done. I just need to get the names on these. Oh, Brighton? Can you put these empty boxes in the recycling for me?"

"Sure. And I need to go upstairs and change my clothes. And I have a little bit of work to do to get ready for tomorrow, too." He gathered up several boxes and got up off the floor in front of the coffee table. "I should be back down hopefully before they get here."

"Alright. Thank you for doing all of this," Max said, patting Brighton's shoulder.

"Yeah, B, thank you! I can't wait for them to see these! Especially Ma! She's gonna have a fit!" Fran said, and Brighton grinned.

"Yeah, I guess she probably will. Well, okay, I'll see you guys later." Brighton headed for his bag at the bottom of the stairs, picked it up, then headed for the kitchen to put the boxes in recycling. Max smiled after him, then turned and looked at Fran. He set the envelope of papers down on the coffee table and sat next to her. They looked at each other lovingly, then Max leaned in for a kiss. Fran happily returned the kiss and reached for his cheek, caressing it.

"Mmmm…!" Max sighed. "I needed that!"

"Me too!" Fran kissed him again and he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, darling. Mmm, you smell wonderful!"

"So do you! You know, when Maggie and I were at the jewelry store, I could smell your cologne on my clothes. It just made me really happy!"

"Really? I'm glad. Especially if it means you might want me to wrap myself around you and nuzzle you more often!" He grinned and rested his forehead against hers.

"Anytime, baby! Anytime…" She stroked his cheek with her fingers and looked over his face as he watched her. He was so good looking, and she was so in love with him. She still felt like she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't living in a dream.

Max loved the feel of her fingers grazing over his cheek. He closed his eyes and let her continue. He felt goosebumps on the back of his neck and he clutched at her waist. He wished they could go back upstairs and shut out the world for a while, but he knew they couldn't. He'd have to wait until later that night. Fran stroked the corner of his mouth with her thumb, then leaned closer and kissed him- softly at first, then deeply. She offered him her tongue and he took it. They slid their tongues across each other's, taking each other in. It was exhilarating! They both wanted more, but knew they could be interrupted at any moment. And they were.

"I'll bring it back later!" Gracie yelled at the top of the stairs, apparently to Brighton. Fran and Max quickly pulled apart and looked at each other, frustrated. Fran wiped a bit of lipstick from his lips, and they both turned to look over at the stairs. Gracie was coming down the steps with the chessboard in her hands. "Hey, daddy! Will you play chess with me?" She called out.

"Oh- sure. We can play chess. That would be nice." Gracie brought the board over to the coffee table and set it down. She opened the small drawers on it and began to take out the pieces. "Oh, before we start, let me go grab something to drink. Would you like something too, Gracie?"

"Sure! If we have any of that tea left."

"Alright, I'll check. How about you, darling? Would you like something?"

"I'm good, I still have some water left. But thank you."

"I'll be right back!" Max kissed her softly, then got up and headed for the kitchen. Then Fran remembered something.

"Hey, Gracie- I just need to run upstairs real quick, okay? I'll be right back."

"Okay!" Gracie said, innocently. She smiled as she continued to carefully take out each piece and set it on the table. Fran got up and jogged to the stairs, then hurried up to the bedroom.

Max came back from the kitchen with two bottles of tea in his hands and noticed that Fran wasn't on the couch. He came over to the coffee table and set the bottles down.

"Where'd Fran go?" He asked.

"She's upstairs. She said she'd be right back."

"Oh. Alright. Well, you need help setting up the pieces? What color do you want to be?"

"Can I be the white ones?"

"Of course. That means you go first."

"I know!" She smiled. "You can set up your pieces. The black ones." Max chuckled.

"Alright." They both set about to getting all their chess pieces into position, and then Max looked back at the stairs, wondering what Fran was up to. "Did Fran say what she was going to do?"

"No. She just said she needed to go upstairs and then she'd be right back. Are you ready to start?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Go ahead." He watched as she made her first move, then he reached over and moved one of his pieces. He picked up his bottle of tea, opened it, then took a drink. Gracie moved another piece, then mimicked her father by opening her tea and taking a drink. Max moved a pawn, then turned to look over at the stairs. Still no Fran. Gracie happily moved a knight, then took another sip of tea. Max was distracted and couldn't concentrate on any kind of strategy. His mind was on Fran. He moved a pawn and shifted in his seat. "Gracie, before we get too far into this, do you mind if I run upstairs real quick?"

"No, that's okay. Then it'll be your turn when you come back."

"Okay. But promise me, no cheating, alright?"

"I won't, daddy! I'll beat you fair and square!" Max smiled at her and chuckled.

"We'll see about that! I'll be right back." Max got up from the couch and Gracie changed channels on the television to watch cartoons while she waited for her father to come back. She moved a pawn and then sat back on the couch to watch the cartoon. Max hurried up the stairs to find Fran.

Fran looked at the thermometer, then at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her expression sank. She looked back at the thermometer and decided to put it back under her tongue for another minute. Could it be wrong? Probably not. She hadn't been drinking anything hot. She closed her eyes for a moment, to see if she could feel the fever coming on. She hadn't noticed anything before, but she was distracted with everything going on. Now that she was in the quiet of the bathroom and focused on the thermometer under her tongue, she could definitely feel the beginnings of that familiar feeling. The warmth was creeping up her neck, maybe even to her temples. She pressed her wrist to her forehead. Maybe it was a bit warm.

She took the thermometer from her mouth again and looked at it. It was just touching 100.

"Dammit!" She huffed. She washed off the thermometer and put it away, then reached for her bottle of pills. She took one out, popped it into her mouth, then turned on the faucet. She filled her hands with water and drank from them, washing the pill down. She shut off the faucet and dried off her hands on the towel nearby, then looked at herself in the mirror again. She couldn't let herself start crying- not now. She needed to keep it together. She didn't want to ruin everyone's evening. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, then headed for the bathroom door and shut off the light. Right as she stepped out of the bathroom she looked up and saw him there- coming in through the bedroom door. Max. The second their eyes locked, she thought she was going to completely break down. Max saw her expression and froze. He knew what it meant.

"Fran? Is it-" He couldn't say it out loud. Fran looked like she was trying not to crumble. He rushed to her and they threw their arms around each other. He held her tight and nuzzled into her hair. "Oh, darling! Don't tell me the fever's back!" She nodded her head against him.

"I hate this! Why does it have to be now? It's gonna ruin everything!" She whimpered.

"Did you take your medication?"

"Yeah, I just did. But it can take a long time to kick in."

"I know. But let's not worry about that. What is your fever at?"

"A hundred. I'm surprised I wasn't feeling it. I should have checked my temperature right when Maggie and I got back. I guess I was caught up in everything, I just forgot." Fran eased her grip on Max and looked up at him. She was still struggling to not cry.

"That's alright, Fran. It's liable to happen. I didn't think to remind you, either. But maybe you caught it in time. Maybe it won't get any worse tonight, and will start going away soon. Let's try to stay positive."

"Yeah. You're right. Maybe it'll be okay. I'm sorry. I just wanted everything to go good tonight, I didn't want people worrying about me. Especially you."

"Oh, sweetheart!" Max hugged her to him again. "I don't want you apologizing for anything! We love you, that's why we worry. Even if you didn't have a fever, we would be feeling for you. But remember- we have a plan for these fevers, right? You have the medication, and you remembered to come up here and take your temperature, even when you weren't really feeling the fever yet. You didn't wait until you felt hot. I didn't even notice it myself. You caught it early, right? And you know it won't get as bad as before, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. But it can still go up more before it goes back down. I just don't want it messing things up tonight."

"Hey, don't worry about that. Do you want to stay up here and rest a while before they get here? Do you think that would help?"

"Honestly, no. If I get tired, I might fall asleep. I don't want to do that. I think I want to go back downstairs. I want to be around everybody- maybe it'll distract me so I don't notice things so much. I just don't want people to worry."

"Well, darling, you can't be in control of that. Even if this time it doesn't make you feel so bad, we could still worry. And remember, we shouldn't hide the fact that you have a fever from anyone. They should know, okay?" He stroked her cheek with one hand as he clutched her waist tightly with the other. She thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay. Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to keep things from anyone."

"Alright. Well, do you need a few minutes before we go back down?"

"I don't think so. I'm okay. If I stay up here I'll just dwell on it. Let's go back downstairs. You have a chess game waiting."

"True. But there is one thing I'd like for you to do when we get down there."

"What's that?"

"Have some of that electrolyte drink." He stroked her cheek again and smiled.

"Okay. I can do that."

"Alright, then. Let's go back downstairs. Gracie thinks she's going to beat me."

"Hey, maybe she will. Just don't let her win. Make it a fair game."

"I will." They both chuckled, then turned towards the bedroom door and headed out, an arm wrapped around each other.

"Hey!" Gracie called, when she saw them come down the stairs. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, Gracie. Did you make your move?" Max asked, as they came down the stairs and headed towards the couch.

"Yeah, a long time ago. It's your turn."

"Okay. Here, let me make a move real quick, then I need to go get Fran a drink." Fran sat back down on the couch and Max looked down at the board. Gracie looked at Fran, then at her father, then back at Fran. Something was off, but she didn't know what. Then she remembered.

"Fran? Are you okay?" She reached for Fran's forearm and clutched it. Fran tried to smile at her, then looked over at Max. He tried not to let his expression change.

"I'm okay, sweetie. It's just- well, my fever's trying to come back is all. I'm okay, really. I took my medicine. Your daddy was just going to get me some of that drink I'm supposed to have if I get a fever."

"That Pedialyte stuff?"

"Yeah."

"I can get it for you. Daddy, can I get it for her?"

"You don't have to do that, darling. I can go get it."

"Please? I want to do something to help. I can get it for her. You can stay with her and decide on your move. Just don't cheat while I'm gone!" Fran and Max chuckled. Max looked over at Fran.

"Well, alright. Go ahead. But make sure it has ice in it, alright?"

"Ice- okay! I'll be right back, Fran! Just hold on, okay!"

"I will, sweetie. And really, I'm okay." Gracie jumped up and squeezed past her father and ran to the kitchen, eager to be of some help to Fran. Max sat down on the couch and took Fran's hands.

"She's such a wonderful girl!" He gushed.

"Yeah. Just like her daddy!"

"Aw, I don't know about that. I think she gets it from her nanny. Or should I say, her future stepmother?" He grinned at Fran, and she playfully punched at him.

"Careful, or you're gonna get me started! I'm really trying hard not to start bawling, you know!"

"Oh! I didn't mean to! But I do mean what I said." He leaned over and kissed her firmly, trying to hold her tears at bay. She clutched his face in her hands.

"You're the best, Max! Never forget that!" She kissed him again and he put his arm around her. They looked into each other's eyes and sighed.

"Oh! I better make my move…" He looked over at the chess board briefly, then moved one of his knights, then settled back with Fran and watched the cartoon on the television as they waited for Gracie to come back. Soon they heard the tap-tap of Gracie's shoes as she hurried from the kitchen with Fran's drink.

"Here, Fran! I have your drink!" Gracie held the tall glass with both hands, being careful not to drop it or spill it. Max reached out and took the glass from her, then handed it to Fran.

"Thank you, angel. That was very nice of you to do," Fran said.

"No problem. I want to do things for you if I can. Did you make your move, daddy?"

"I sure did!" Gracie stepped past them and sat on the other side of Fran, then leaned over to have a look at the chess board. Fran smiled as she watched Gracie's eyes darting back and forth over the board, trying to decide what piece to move next. She stuck the end of her tongue out of her mouth, a sign of pure concentration. Fran took a sip of her drink, then turned to glance at Max. Max was smiling as he watched his daughter learning how to play one of his favorite games. He looked over at Fran and they smiled at each other, then looked back at Gracie as she decided on a move.

"Okay, daddy! Your turn!" Gracie hopped back on the couch next to Fran and curled up next to her, clutching Fran's arm. Max moved his arm from Fran's shoulder and leaned over to look at the board. As she took another sip of her drink, it reminded her of her fever, and she felt sad again. She tried to ignore the warmth she felt around her neck and forehead, and the new heat working its way down the back of her shoulders. She took a few deep, steady breaths, and tried to keep her mind over matter as she watched Max and Gracie taking turns moving their pieces around the board- occasionally taking the other's piece and setting it on the table. As the game slowed and fewer pieces remained, Max and Gracie became absorbed in concentration and careful thought for each remaining move. Gracie sat on the edge of her seat, and Fran could see Max's jaw clenching over and over. He was really taking the game seriously, and Fran thought that maybe there really was a chance Gracie might win. Gracie clenched her hands into fists. Max rubbed below his nose with the side of his index finger. Fran felt a wave of heat wash over her, making her shift in her seat and then fight to not close her eyes. She was certain her temperature must have gone up, but she was doing her best to fight it. She finished what remained of her drink and then sat herself back up against the back of the couch, which snapped Max out of his trance. He glanced over at her. She seemed to be in a bit of a daze as she looked over at the chess board, and he noticed that her cheeks were flushed. He reached over and rubbed her knee.

"Fran? Do you want a refill?" His voice almost startled her.

"Hmm? Oh, uh… I don't know. Maybe." She thought for a second. "Yeah, maybe I should." Gracie turned to look at her as she answered, and Gracie noticed that Fran looked a bit different now, too.

"I'll get it, daddy," Gracie said softly, and reached for Fran's glass.

"Thank you, Gracie," Fran tried to smile at her.

"No problem, Fran. Daddy, it's still my turn so don't move anything!"

"I won't." Gracie hurried back into the kitchen and Max leaned back on the couch next to Fran. He picked up her hand and stroked it in his, and looked into her eyes. She knew what he was thinking, and didn't want him to have to ask.

"I think it went up some. I feel hot now."

"Your cheeks are rosy," he said softly, then grazed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I wish that pill would hurry up already."

"I know you do. So do I. I don't like seeing you this way." Fran squeezed his hand in both of hers and took another deep breath. "Are you having any chills?"

Fran shook her head. "No. Just getting hot. And sleepy."

"I wish I knew of something that would help," Max said, with a defeated tone to his voice.

"You are helping, sweetie. Just by being with me." He kissed the back of her hand and looked into her sleepy eyes.

"You're certain you don't want to go lie down for a little while?"

"Yeah. I don't want to fall asleep. I'll miss everything." Fran shifted herself up again and Max moved with her. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, then changed her mind. "I better not do that, or I will fall asleep!" Max chuckled, then kissed her lightly on the lips.

Gracie came back in with Fran's drink and handed it to her carefully.

"Here you go, Fran. Do you need anything else?" Gracie asked.

"No, baby. Thank you, though. And thank you for this."

"You're welcome."

Fran took a gulp from her drink, then pressed the cold glass to her cheek. "Ah… that feels good!" Gracie smiled at her as she watched her move the glass from one cheek to the other, and then to her neck. She turned back to the chess board and decided on a move, then slid her bishop over the board to take her father's rook.

"Ouch!" Max said, and Gracie laughed.

"Sorry, daddy!"

"Oh, it's alright. You're really very good, Gracie. I'm impressed. I think you might be a natural at chess. Have you played Brighton yet?"

"Not yet. But I'll wait to ask him to play. He's pretty distracted right now." Gracie unintentionally glanced over at Fran, then felt bad. She leaned back on the couch, then put the back of her hand on Fran's forehead. She could feel the heat from Fran's fever.

"I'll be okay, Gracie. My medicine will kick in soon. It just takes a while." Gracie nodded, then reached for Fran's hand and leaned up against her shoulder.

"Oh! I'm not making you hotter, am I?

"No, baby. You're good. Holding your hand makes me feel better." It made Gracie feel better, too. Max rubbed Fran's knee again, then turned to look at the chess board. Gracie was really giving him a run for his money- most of the pieces left were hers and he was struggling to find a move that wouldn't leave him cornered.

"You want to call it a draw, daddy?"

"No, no. We should finish the game. We're nearly there. I'm sure I have a move here somewhere." After looking at all the options he could find, he decided to move his king back next to his remaining knight. He was hoping he could buy himself a little more time. Gracie looked over to see how he moved, then scanned her pieces. She leaned over and moved a piece, then looked at her father and smiled.

"What?" He asked, then looked at his pieces. Her knight was lined up to take his, and if he took her knight first, he left his king open to attack. "Oh. Well, now." He scratched the side of his head, struggling to find some other options.

"You want to call it a draw now, daddy?" She smiled. Fran grinned, too.

"No, no. Let's go ahead and do this. Let me just decide what move I want to take, even though I don't think it will matter."

"It's okay, daddy. You're a pretty good chess player, too." Max chuckled.

"Oh! You know what- if I do this- I can at least get a check on you. I know you've got me in a bind, though, so go ahead."

Gracie made her move. "Check. Now you, daddy." Max moved himself out of check, then Gracie came after him again. He sighed, then made the only move he could, and she finally had him in check mate.

"You got me, Gracie! Nice game!" He put his hand up to high-five with her.

"You beat your father at chess? On the first try! Brighton hasn't won a game against your father yet. Maybe you should teach Brighton a thing or two!"

"Maybe!" Gracie squealed.

"Here, let's get this put away. We need to start getting ready for company. They'll be here pretty soon."

"Okay, I got it. I'll take it back up to Brighton's room. Do you need me to do anything else?"

"I don't think so, but I'll let you know if I think of something." They tucked all the chess pieces into their drawers and Gracie picked up the board, then headed upstairs to take it back to Brighton. Max leaned back on the couch next to the sleepy, rosy-cheeked Fran.

"I told you she's a genius," Fran said softly.

"Mmm hmm. That was a tough game. She knew exactly how to corner me and I fell for it. That was fantastic!" Fran chugged some more of her drink, then leaned over and set it on the table. She cuddled back against Max and gave him a kiss.

"I'm gonna go up in a minute and fix myself a bit before they get here- see if I can make myself look less of a mess."

"Hey, you're no mess. You just look a bit warm and sleepy. But while you're up there…"

"Check my temperature? Yeah, I will. I want to know what it is, too. It's gotta be more than a hundred. But hopefully it won't go any higher."

"That medicine should stop it from doing that- if it would kick in already," Max said, with a concerned expression on his face.

"Yeah. Any time now. It should be kicking in any time now. And we'll have a nice dinner together." Max smiled and kissed her forehead, then let her get up and head for the stairs. She walked slowly with her arms crossed in front of her, then reached for the handrail and headed up the steps as Max watched.

Fran walked to the master bedroom and went into the bathroom to retrieve the thermometer. She put it under her tongue and wandered back into the bedroom, looking around at the shelves and furniture- all the things of Max's. It made her smile. But she did notice one thing missing, and that was a framed photo of the two of them together. She would have to remember to bring one upstairs and put it somewhere they could both see every day. She headed back into the bathroom and turned on the light to have a look at herself. She thought she looked sad. And sleepy. She thought her cheeks looked a bit rosier, too. She took out the thermometer and read it- just under 101. No wonder she didn't look or feel like herself. What was taking the medication so long? After touching up her makeup, she headed down the back stairs into the kitchen so she could retrieve a cold pack and see if it might help. Niles was busy with the meal prep and smiled at her when he saw her.

"Ms. Fine! Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm okay, Niles. I'm just gonna grab that little cold pack and see if it helps. The medicine hasn't kicked in yet and the fever's making me want to go to sleep. Maybe the cold will wake me up a little while it cools me off."

"Oh! Alright. Be sure to wrap it in something, okay? Don't put it directly on your skin."

"I won't." As she opened the freezer and looked for the cold pack, Max came through the door from the dining room.

"Oh, there you are, sweetheart! I just got the papers off with the courier. And your parents and Yetta should be here any minute now. How did things go upstairs?" He asked softly, then saw her face and the cold pack in her hands as she shut the freezer door. "Oh, darling!" He reached his arms out to her and she let him take her in.

"It went up a little. The pill isn't working yet. I thought I'd try the cold pack and see if it helps." Max glanced over at Niles, who also had a worried expression on his face. Max got her some paper towels to wrap around the cold pack, then she pressed it against her neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, and she rested her head against his chest, her other arm around his waist. He ran a hand over her back to soothe her.

"It smells wonderful in here, Niles! Thank you for all the work you've done," Max said.

"Well, thank you. And thank you for the help, too." Gracie ran into the kitchen just then, bursting through the door.

"They're here, Fran! They just got here!" Gracie squealed.

"Oh! Okay. Well, darling- you ready?" Max asked Fran as she looked up at him.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be. Gracie, is Brighton out there?"

"Yeah, do you want me to go get Maggie?"

"Yes, please. Thank you baby. And we might need help with drinks and setting the table, too, if you guys can be ready for that."

"Okay, we can help. I'll go get Maggie!" Gracie ran up the back stairs and Max let loose of Fran and took her hand, and they headed out for the front door. Niles watched them leave and shook his head side to side.

"Poor thing," he whispered to himself.

Brighton helped Morty, Sylvia, and Yetta with their coats and hung them in the closet. Fran and Max came around the stairs from the hallway and Sylvia gushed when she saw her. She hurried over for a hug.

"Frannie! How are you?" Sylvia hugged her tightly, then saw the cold pack in her hands. "Oh no, don't tell me…" Fran made a face, then Sylvia touched her forehead. "Oh my poor baby! You have a fever?"

"Yeah, but I took the medicine a while ago. Just waiting for it to hurry up and kick in," Fran said. She saw Yetta hovering behind her mother and went to her. "Hi, Yetta! How are you doing?"

"Oh, Frannie! My poor Frannie! I don't want to see you sick!" Yetta whimpered. She held out her arms and hugged Fran.

"Yetta… I'll be okay. I will! I'm in good hands. Once I have the surgery on monday, then I just need to recover. I'll be a lot better after that." She gave Yetta a squeeze.

"It's just not fair for you to have to go through something like this! You take pretty good care of yourself. It's just not right."

"Well, right or not, we still have to deal with it. And it looks like things will be fine after the surgery, so we just need to focus on that right now, okay? And if you ever need to or want to talk to me, or see me, just call, okay? I still want to make sure I have time with everyone if I can."

"Come on, Ma, let's go sit down. Let's let Fran sit down," Sylvia said, taking Yetta's arm. Fran let go of her, then went to her father.

"Hi, daddy," she said, and hugged him.

"Hi baby girl! You not feeling well? You sure you're up for us being here tonight?" Morty said quietly to her.

"Yeah, daddy. I need you guys here. I'll feel better soon enough, once the pill kicks in. It's just taking longer for some reason. But Niles cooked up a big feast tonight. You'll love it, daddy. Come on, let's go sit down with the others." Fran walked over to the living room with her father, and Max followed them, keeping a close eye on Fran. She sat back down in the middle of the couch, her father on one side and Max on the other. She set the cold pack on the back of her neck and leaned back against the couch. Sylvia and Yetta sat in the arm chairs across from them. Max leaned over and grabbed Fran's drink and handed it to her, and she took a big gulp.

"You want some more, sweetheart?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah, maybe a little. And a little more ice." Gracie came tearing down the stairs with Maggie behind her, and heard Fran ask for more to drink.

"I can get it, Fran! I'll get you some more to drink." Gracie stepped over and Fran handed her the glass. Maggie came up behind her.

"Speaking of drinks, can I get you guys anything? Tea, or water, or even coffee?" Maggie asked. Everyone chimed in that tea would be fine, so Maggie and Gracie hurried to the kitchen.

"So, Fran, when did you start getting this fever?" Sylvia asked.

"Earlier this afternoon. It didn't feel like that much at first. I thought the medication would have stopped it by now. But I guess that's probably part of it all- the unpredictability."

"Ah, have you all thought of any questions you might like to ask tomorrow morning?" Max asked everyone, trying to steer the conversation away from Fran's fever.

"Yeah," Sylvia said. "We've got a few written down. I left the list on the kitchen table so we won't forget it in the morning. You've probably asked everything already, but I suppose if they don't cover it themselves, we can ask. It feels like it's just a waiting game now, doesn't it? Kind of makes your stomach twist."

"Yes, it can. But that's why I'd like us to focus on Fran tonight, appreciating her, and letting her know what she means to us. I want us all to try to have a nice time, and we'll get her through this fever so she can get some good food in her. Niles has made quite the meal for us all. And he's got apple pie for dessert, too!" Max smiled, and looked over at Morty and then to Sylvia, watching their eyes light up a little.

"Yeah, Ma, he made pot roast tonight. It smells so good in the kitchen!" Fran said, trying to smile. She shifted in her seat and moved the cold pack to the front of her neck.

"I thought I smelled something good when we came in!"

Gracie, Maggie, and Niles came in with drinks for everyone. Gracie carried Fran's drink, and Maggie and Niles each carried two glasses of tea in their hands and handed them out.

"Dinner will be ready shortly, everyone. Children, might I ask for your help getting the table set?" Niles asked.

"Sure," the three of them answered, and followed Niles out of the room. Fran noticed how helpful Brighton was trying to be, but also how quiet he was. She hadn't heard him crack a joke in what felt like ages.

"Ma, after dinner I need to show you this photography book we got. It's old black and white photos of Queens! I recognize some places, but I wanted to see if you recognize anything. Brighton said maybe he could go back to some places and take updated pictures. He's getting into photography right now. Speaking of which… Max? Should we give them out now?" Max smiled at her.

"Sure, darling! Here, you stay here, let me grab them over there." Max stood up from his seat next to Fran and walked around the coffee table to pick up the boxed frames with their photos in them. He handed the boxes to Sylvia and Yetta, then went to sit back down with Fran.

"Daddy- can you see what's over on the piano? The big black and white picture?"

"What? What is that? Is that of you both?" Morty asked.

"Yeah, and Brighton was our photographer." Morty got up from his seat to go over to the piano and get a look at the photo, and Sylvia and Yetta pulled the frames from the boxes.

"Oh, Frannie!" Sylvia squealed, and then held the picture frame to her chest. She held it out in front of her again and gushed.

"Aw, Frannie! Mr. Sheffield! What a beautiful picture!" Yetta called out.

"Brighton took this?" Sylvia asked.

"He sure did! And I have a whole album of other pictures you can look through after dinner. He really did a good job. Oh yeah, that's the picture that we used for the announcement in the newspaper. It should be in sunday's paper, so be ready to get out early and get lots of copies!" Fran smiled. Max glanced at her and it made him feel good.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for this, you two! I already know where I'm gonna put it!" Sylvia was positively beaming.

"Yeah, Frannie! I know where I'm putting this one! And Syl, grab me a couple of sunday papers, too. I want to get that announcement framed and put it next to it so that Edie Goldblum will shut up about her grandkids." Everyone laughed, and Morty turned around and came back to sit by Fran. He patted her knee.

"You always did take a good picture, Fran. You'll be such a beautiful bride!" Fran grabbed his arm and leaned against him.

"Aw, daddy! Thank you! No matter what I look like, I'll sure be the happiest bride!" She looked over at Max and he grinned.

"Speaking of which," Sylvia said. "Have you two been thinking at all about what you want to do for the wedding? Or where? And when?"

"Ma! It's still new. And we've got some other things to get through before we can really make plans. But yeah, I've thought of some stuff. And Maggie brought me a whole bunch of stuff to go through while I'm recovering. We're gonna work on some scrapbooking and put together the things I like the best. And I bet once we go to that bridal expo, I'll probably know exactly what I want. I'm really looking forward to that. And that's something you can help with, too, Ma- when you come to stay with me next week."

"Oh! Yes! That'll be nice! I'll keep an eye out for anything wedding-related, too."

"But Ma, we aren't getting catering from Benny's Clam Bar, okay? I want a nice wedding!" Max chuckled and Sylvia rolled her eyes. Gracie appeared from the dining room, all smiles.

"Okay, everybody! Dinner's ready! Come on in and get your seats, and don't forget your drinks!" She said. Everyone got up and grabbed their glasses, then headed towards the dining room. Gracie waited for Fran and then grabbed her hand and walked with her. "Sylvia, you're sitting where I usually do. And Morty, you're sitting on the end, across from Daddy."

"Alright, Gracie," Morty said. He was getting to like the idea that all of these people were about to really become part of his family.

As everyone happily filled their plates, Fran passed things by and only put small amounts of a few things on hers. Max noticed, and reached over to squeeze her hand.

"You can always have some later tonight if you're feeling better then, alright? Don't push it if it's too much right now," he whispered to her.

"Yeah, I might do that. I should be starving right now, it smells really good. It all looks really good, too. But I'll see what I can handle." She patted his hand, and he went back to putting more food on his plate. As everyone tucked their napkins in their laps and got ready to eat, Gracie looked over at Fran's plate.

"Fran? You okay?" She asked.

"I will be, baby. I'm okay. It's just when I have a fever it kinda zaps my appetite. But if I can't eat now, I'll definitely eat later tonight. But everybody, enjoy yourselves! And thank you Niles, for all of this. It looks wonderful!"

"You're very welcome, Ms. Fine. And I can save a plate for you if necessary. The apple pie will be ready in a few minutes, so it should be nice and hot for dessert. And we have vanilla ice cream to go with it."

"Oh, Niles! You're the best!" Sylvia said.

"Could you save me a plate too, Niles? Tomorrow's meatloaf day and I'd rather starve than eat that nasty excuse for food," Yetta said. Everyone laughed, but she was serious.

"Absolutely, Yetta. We'll see what's left later and I'll make you a plate to take home."

They all began to eat and chat and tell stories about Fran. Everyone had multiple stories about Fran's antics, making them all laugh- including Fran. Though she still couldn't muster an appetite, she enjoyed watching everyone else devour their meals. She knew Max wanted this to be an important dinner to them, possibly the last meal the family would have before the surgery, and for a long while after. Max finished his meal and reached for her hand, and she gave him a smile. He thought she looked like she might be feeling better, but he didn't want to say anything and jinx it.

"Let me just run and get the pie out of the oven and let it cool a bit. Is there anyone who won't be wanting any apple pie tonight?" Niles asked. Fran raised her hand.

"Hold some for me, Niles. And if I can, I might want more than one piece," Fran said.

"Oh, certainly. But please don't stuff yourself too much if you eat late tonight. I can make sure we have some left for when you're home from the hospital and eating normally again, don't you worry about that."

"Thank you, Niles." When everyone finished eating, Maggie elbowed Brighton and Gracie and they got up to help clear the dishes- except Fran's. They left the food on the table, though, knowing that Fran might protest if they tried to put it away. Max was proud of how thoughtful the children were being.

As Niles brought out plates of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla on the side, Fran reached over and put a single carrot, potato, and slice of pot roast on her plate. Max watched as she nibbled at them, and managed eat all of it. Fran could feel his eyes on her, so she looked over at him. She could tell what question he was asking with the look in his eyes.

"It tastes really good. That helps. I'm just being careful." Max nodded, then began to eat his slice of apple pie.

"Would you like to try a bite of apple, darling?" He asked. Fran looked down at his plate. It did look pretty good.

"Okay. Is it good?"

"It's fantastic." He found a full slice of apple and put it on her plate, and she went right for it.

"Mmm! That is good! And I think I'm starting to get an appetite back."

"Really? That's good news! But yes, be careful. Is there anything I can reach for you?" Max asked.

"Um, yeah. Everything!" Max grinned and reached for the platter of pot roast and spooned out a little of everything onto her plate, then Sylvia helped reach for everything else and get it onto her plate.

"Are you feeling better, sweetheart? You look a bit better."

"I think I might be. I'm feeling hungry, so that's good. But Niles, I'll save the pie for later, okay? And give everything a chance to settle."

"Absolutely! Now- can I get anyone anything else?" As Fran finished her meal, Niles made sure everyone had a refill on their drinks, and they quickly cleaned their plates. The children once again helped clear the dishes, and this time also helped Niles bring the food back into the kitchen.

"So, Ma- you wanna look at the album Brighton put together for us? It's pretty fantastic!" Fran asked, making Brighton blush.

"Oh, absolutely!"

"Darling, let me run upstairs and go get that for you. Do you want that photography book too?"

"Yes, please! Thank you, sweetie!" Max got up from his chair and put his hands on her shoulders, giving them a squeeze, then he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Everyone else got up and headed for the living room.

As Max hurried to retrieve things upstairs, everyone else got settled in the living room. Fran sat between her mother and father on the couch, and Sylvia clutched her hand.

"Here we go, darling!" Max called from the stairs. He hurried over to the couch and set the photography book on the coffee table and handed the photo album to Fran.

"Oh, goodie! Ma, you're gonna love this! Brighton did such a good job! And there's still more room in it to add more- like the engagement announcement, and the wedding announcement, and more pictures!" Fran looked over at Brighton and smiled, making him feel bashful. She glanced at Max and he grinned, then she opened the album and let her parents read what Niles had written for their announcement. Sylvia clutched her hands to her chest when she finished reading.

"You wrote this, Niles?" She asked, and Niles nodded. "Oh my goodness! That's so wonderful of you! And I really love this photo, too, Brighton!"

"Just wait, Ma!" Fran wiggled in her seat from happiness and turned the page, revealing more photos. They ooh'ed and aw'ed as they looked through everything. Yetta sat in the armchair watching them.

"It's alright, Yetta- you'll get it next," Max reassured her. "And if you all want any copies or enlargements of any other photos, just let us know. They're quite good…" Max smiled and looked over at Brighton, making him look like he was about to crawl under the coffee table. He wasn't used to this much praise for something he had done.

"Oh, they sure are good! Oh, Morty! Look at this one! Aw, Fran, you look so beautiful! And Mr. Sheffield- you're so handsome! You two look so good together!" Sylvia swooned.

"It's alright if you call me Max now, Sylvia. I think it's about time." Sylvia smiled at him. When they finished looking through the album, Gracie took it from Fran and brought it over to Yetta who was eagerly waiting to have a look. Gracie squeezed in the armchair with her and they began to look through the album together.

"So, Fran," Maggie asked. "When do we need to be ready to go in the morning?" Unintentionally, Maggie managed to shift the mood in the room.

"Oh, uh…" she looked over at Max. "I guess be ready by nine or so? We'll probably leave a little after that so we aren't late. Does that sound about right, Max?"

"Yes, that sounds about right. We'll make sure Gracie gets off to school alright, then Brighton, make sure you have everything you might need for the meeting, okay? Questions, and that tape recorder if you want."

"Yeah, I have everything together, so I think I'll be ready. I think I mostly just want to hear what they say before we ask questions. Then I think I can really start to get to work on some of my project," he said. Fran reached for the photography book and set it on her lap.

"Daddy, you might want to look at this, too. These are all old photos around Queens. See if you guys recognize anything in here. But hang on a second- Ma, here, scoot over by daddy. I'm gonna get up a second." Fran got up and let her parents scoot closer together. "Mags, do you want to show off the jewelry you got today?"

"Oh! Yes, I do! Fran and I went back to that jewelry store they got the other things at. Oh my god, Sylvia, you would freak out if you went there! I wanted almost everything they had! Let me go grab what I got to show you." Maggie ran for the stairs and to her bedroom.

"Oh dear! Have you created a monster, Fran?" Max held his arms out for her and she went to hug him.

"Maybe! It was really nice to go back there with her. Almost had to pick her jaw up off the floor!" Max gave her a squeeze and smiled.

"So how is your new watch working out for you, Brighton?" Max asked.

"Awesome! I showed my friends, and they're totally jealous. I really like it!" He pushed up his sleeve to show his watch.

"Well, good! I'm glad you like it." Fran smiled up at Max, and he smiled at her in his arms, then they both looked over at Sylvia and Morty, who were poring over the pictures of Queens, and then at Gracie and Yetta, who were cuddled up together in the chair looking at the album. Max took a deep breath and sighed, and Fran squeezed his waist. Fran wondered, was this how things would be in the future? Family dinners together, and sharing things with each other like this? It made her so happy to think about. "You feeling better?" Max whispered.

"Yes. Might still be a little warm, but I feel a lot better than before," she said.

"That's wonderful, darling!"

Maggie hopped down the stairs, then went and sat next to Sylvia to show her the new pieces of jewelry she bought when she went out with Fran.

Niles came into the room and had a look around at everyone and smiled.

"Can I get anyone anything? Some coffee, or tea, perhaps?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, Niles. I want to make sure I can get some sleep tonight, so no caffeine for me, thank you," Sylvia responded. The others agreed with her, so Niles stepped back and watched as they all went back to socializing with each other.

Later in the evening, Morty noticed Gracie stifling a yawn when she was flipping through the pages of the photography book as she sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. He checked his watch and realized it was about time for them to head back to Queens. Fran was sitting with Sylvia and Yetta on the couch, looking through the photo album again, Brighton and Maggie were having a quiet conversation on the steps by the piano, and he and Max were conversing on and off about the coming days and what would likely be going on once Fran came home from the hospital.

"Well, Max, I hate to interrupt everyone, but I think it's getting a bit late and we should probably be heading back. We need to make sure we can get up on time in the morning for the appointment," he said. Max checked his watch, too. He hadn't realized it was as late as it was.

"Oh, yes! Sure- ah, Niles, will you call the driver to let him know?"

"Yes, sir! Right away! Niles hurried from the room to make the call to the driver, and Max and Morty got up from their chairs. Fran closed the album and put it on the table, then the women got up from the couch. Gracie looked around, then closed the photography book and pulled her legs out from under the coffee table and got up. Brighton and Maggie ended their conversation and got up to join the others.

"I'm so glad you guys came for dinner tonight!" Fran said, as she reached for her mother to hug her. Sylvia hugged her back.

"Thank you for inviting us, Fran, and Mr. Sheff- I mean, Max!" Sylvia smiled over at him.

"Yes, thank you, Max. It was really nice," Morty said, shaking Max's hand.

"Well, you're very welcome. I'm glad you all could make it, and I know Fran is happy you could come," Max looked over at Fran.

"I am happy you guys came over." Fran reached for Yetta and they smiled at each other, then Yetta hugged her really hard.

"Now, Frannie- I want you to call me this weekend, okay? I need to know you're doing alright. And don't you worry a bit about this surgery. Everything will be fine, and then you'll be back to yourself before you know it. I love you so much, sweetie!"

"Aw, Yetta! I love you, too! I'll be okay. I'm sure of it. I'll get past this soon enough. And I'm glad you came tonight. I like having my family here. All of my family!" She let go of Yetta and went to her father to give him a hug. Morty wasn't much of a hugger, so Fran noticed immediately that he hugged her tighter and held onto her longer than he normally would have. She looked him in the eyes and could see he was struggling, and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. She gave him a smile and hugged him again.

Niles came back into the living room from the kitchen after making the phone call.

"The driver will be here in just a minute. Let me get your coats for you." As Niles went to retrieve their coats from the closet, Gracie grabbed the boxes from the coffee table containing the framed photos.

"Don't forget these! Here, Sylvia, and Yetta!" Gracie handed them their framed pictures.

"Oh, thank you sweetheart! We can't forget those!" Sylvia reached for her box, then hugged it to her chest. Everyone headed over to the door and Niles began helping them on with their coats.

"Now, Ma, remember about the sunday paper. Get as many copies as you think you'll need. Niles will probably be out early buying out the newsstand down the block," Fran joked.

"Oh, you are not joking! I most certainly will be!" He grinned, and everyone laughed. "Oh, Morty- here is the number for the driver who will pick you up in the morning in case you need to call him. He should be there by nine to pick you both up." Niles handed Morty a business card and Morty tucked it into his pocket.

"Thank you."

"And I'll have the cell phone on me if you need to call us directly for any reason. We can meet in the lobby right by the information desk, alright? The driver knows exactly where to take you," Max added.

"Okay, good. Good," Sylvia said. Just then the car pulled up outside and Niles waved to the driver.

"I guess that's us!" Morty said, trying to sound cheerful.

"I guess it is," Fran followed.

"Niles, thank you so much for a wonderful meal! It was really fantastic," Morty said, as he pulled his coat on.

"It sure was, Niles!" Sylvia said, patting his arm.

"Oh, Yetta! I nearly forgot! I made you a plate to have tomorrow. Let me run and get that for you!"

"Oh, goodie! I forgot all about that!" Yetta did a little dance, making Fran giggle. Niles rushed back to the kitchen and they all took another step closer to the door.

"Yetta- do you want me to call you tomorrow after the appointment and let you know what went on?" Fran asked.

"Oh, Frannie, I'm gonna call her. Or go over to see her, so don't worry about that. I just want you to be able to come home and relax and not worry about us," Sylvia said, and she put her arm around Fran.

"It's no big deal, Ma. But sure, if you planned to talk to her yourself, that's fine. But if any of you guys need to talk to me about anything- anything at all- then please call, okay? We aren't keeping anything from each other, remember? And I don't plan to do much this weekend, or go anywhere, so I should be here if you need to talk to me." Sylvia and Yetta hugged her again, then Sylvia approached Max.

"Thank you, Max. Not just for having us over tonight, but for taking such good care of our Frannie. That means a lot to us. It means everything to us that she has you to rely on, and we know how much it means to her, too." Sylvia hugged Max, and he was a little overwhelmed.

"Well… you're welcome. You need to know that I really would do anything for her- whatever she needs. We're partners, we take care of each other. Right now, she just needs a little extra from me and I'm glad I can do that for her." Fran and Sylvia both were tearing up at that, so Sylvia let go of Max so Fran could hug him, too.

"I'm glad you're taking care of me, too, Max. I wouldn't want it to be anyone else!" Fran gave him a kiss, making everyone feel mushy, except the children- who felt like they'd just walked in on them making out. Niles rushed back out with Yetta's plate of food in a bag and handed it to her, then noticed everyone's expressions.

"What is it? What did I miss?" He asked, eyebrows raised. They laughed, then Sylvia and Yetta stepped up to the door, so he hurried over to open it for them. "Really, what did I miss?" He asked Sylvia. She turned to him and smiled.

"Let's just say, Niles, they had a moment." She grinned, then stepped through the doorway.

"Bye, Ma! Bye Yetta!" Fran called, and waved. Then she reached for her father's arm and pulled him back for one last hug.

"I love you, daddy! We'll see you in the morning, okay?" She said.

"You got it, sweetheart. We love you, too. Now go get some rest, okay? Even if you're feeling better," Morty said, giving her a stern, but loving look.

"I will, daddy."

"Thank you for coming over, Morty. It means a lot- to both of us," Max said. Morty nodded to him, not sure what to say in return. He shook Max's hand again, then followed the women out to the waiting car. Fran and Max followed them to the doorway, called out their goodbyes, and waved, then hurried back inside away from the cold. Niles shut the door behind them, and they looked up to see the children still standing by the stairs.

"Well, kids! I guess it's that time of night. Gracie, time to get ready for bed. Make sure you guys help Niles get the last of the glasses and everything put away. And Maggie and Brighton, you guys have everything ready for tomorrow? Not just for the meeting, but for going back to school, too," Fran said.

"Yeah," they said in unison, and nodded.

"Okay, then. Gracie, head on up and I'll come check on you later. I want to get my piece of pie before we go upstairs," she said, looking over at Niles.

"Oh! I'll get right on that, Ms. Fine!" Niles turned and rushed back to the kitchen.

"Um, Fran?" Brighton asked.

"Mmm hmm?"

"Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, B. Much better. I know I was dragging a bit before, but the medication finally kicked in and I feel pretty good now. Were you worrying about that?"

"A little, I guess. Yeah."

"I'm sorry. I don't know why it took so long for the pill to kick in this time, but I'm glad it finally did. And it's just a few more days, guys, and hopefully we won't have to deal with that anymore. Okay?" Fran looked at Brighton specifically, and he nodded his head, then she looked and Maggie and Gracie, and they nodded, too. "Okay. Now Gracie, head on upstairs. Are all the glasses and things cleared out of the living room?"

"Yeah. But there might still be some stuff in the dining room and kitchen," Maggie said. "Brighton, let's go check and see if Niles needs any help."

"Okay." The two rushed off towards the kitchen, and Gracie hurried up the stairs, and Fran turned around to face Max. He pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment, then gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She closed her eyes, then rested her cheek against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.

"Mmmm…" she sighed. "Well, we made it through that dinner…"

"We sure did. You did. That was nice, having everyone here like that. Are you glad we had them over?"

"Yes. Very much. It made me feel good. Loved." She sighed again, then leaned back to look up into his eyes.

"You are loved, my darling. So much." They smiled softly at each other, then kissed each other tenderly, slowly, and then parted. Max pushed a stray curl over her shoulder. "Let's turn these lights off out here and then go get you that apple pie."

"Okay!"

Fran got ready for bed after saying goodnight to the kids, and Max went through the closet trying to decide what would be appropriate to wear to the hospital the next morning. Fran stepped out of the bathroom in her robe and shut off the bathroom light. Max peeked around the door frame and smiled at her.

"Darling, what do you think I should wear to the appointment tomorrow? I didn't want to wear something too casual, but thought a suit might be a little too much."

"You could wear a sweater, or a blazer- or both. Don't worry about it too much. Let's see what we feel like in the morning," Fran said, walking towards him. "Right now I just want to curl up with my fiancé."

"Oh- before that, come here, darling. I want you to give the massage chair a try."

"Right now?"

"Sure, it's the perfect time for it. It'll get you nice and relaxed, so you should be able to sleep well tonight."

"Aw, I'll sleep good as long as I'm next to you. But sure, I guess I can give it a try for a little bit." Max followed her over to the chair and stopped her for a moment.

"Here, take off your robe first. You'll feel it more. We can lay your robe over you if you're cold." Fran took off her robe and sat in the chair, then Max draped the robe over her lap. "Okay, now- here are the controls. These are for each zone, or all of them at once… this is for heat… and here is the timer. Let's set it for fifteen minutes, alright?"

"Fifteen?"

"Well, I'm sure five won't be enough. And you can always shut it off if fifteen is too much. Are you comfortable?"

"Yeah, I guess. Oh! It reclines, too! But let me go back just a little bit, or I'll totally fall asleep here!" Max chuckled and watched as she started the massage chair. She sighed, and he leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"I'll get my teeth brushed and try not to disturb you." He patted her shoulder and she closed her eyes.

"Okayyyy….." Fran let the chair begin to do its magic and Max headed for the bathroom. He saw the thermometer on the counter and it made him stop for a moment. He'd forgotten to ask Fran what her temperature was, and he couldn't ask her now. He wanted to make sure she got everything she could from her massage. Tomorrow could end up being a difficult day, so they both really needed their sleep.

As Max brushed his teeth, he looked at himself in the mirror. There was something different about him- about his eyes. It was a softer look than what he remembered. Less serious, less of a crease in his brow. More wide-eyed. Was it hopeful? Fearful? Or was it merely love? Was the attention Fran and he now gave each other enough to change his expression that much? It must be. Just thinking about her again made his eyes smile. But he still worried. The surgery was creeping closer and closer, and tomorrow they would learn exactly how it would be performed. Would they be ready for that?

He rinsed his toothbrush and opened the bathroom door as he shut off the light. Fran was still enjoying her massage. Her eyes were closed and there was a slight smile on her lips. He tiptoed through the room and shut off the overhead light, then shut off her bedside light. He crept around the bed and closed the closet, then pulled the covers down on the bed and rearranged the pillows. He climbed in under the covers and got comfortable, and listened to the massage chair doing its work. Fran seemed to really be enjoying it. He reached over to his alarm clock and set the alarm, then relaxed back on the bed and closed his eyes as he waited for Fran's massage to finish.

Fran felt the massagers rolling up and down her back and neck, and loved the squeezing of the calf massagers the best. Where had this chair been all her life? It was all she could do to not drift off to sleep right there. She vaguely heard Max moving around the room, and knew that he had turned off some lights, but that was it. She fell back into her trance and almost hoped it would never end. But it did. The sound of the motors inside the chair stopped suddenly, shaking Fran from her stupor. Max opened his eyes and looked over towards the chair. He couldn't see Fran, but heard the chair shut off.

"You awake over there?" He asked, softly.

"Hrmmmm…" Fran grumbled, and he chuckled.

"Need some help getting up?"

"Mmm, I'm okay. That was nice. Not long enough, but still nice." She opened her eyes and yawned and stretched, then pushed herself up out of the chair. She grabbed her robe and turned around to see Max, already in bed, looking over at her and smiling. She tossed her robe to the end of the bed and walked over to her side, then lifted the covers and climbed in next to Max.

"Feel better?"

"I feel wonderful! Thank you for the chair, Max." She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss.

"You're welcome, darling. I'm glad you like it." He reached an arm over and shut off his bedside light, leaving the room in darkness. He wrapped his arms around Fran, and she kissed his cheek, then worked her way to his neck. "Mmm, that's nice, Fran, but I don't think we should go down that road right after you've had a fever."

"Aw! But I feel good, no more fever."

"What did the thermometer say?" He asked. She was quiet for a moment.

"Well, it was almost back down to normal. I don't feel hot anymore."

"Still. I want you to get some good rest, darling. And anyway, when we get back from the appointment tomorrow, the children will still be at school. We can come up here for some time alone. And we'll have all of saturday to be together… if you know what I mean…"

"All day saturday? Oh yeah, the kids will be gone, won't they? And tomorrow… Awww, I suppose I can hold off until then. I don't want to but I won't make you."

"Darling, I just worry, you know that. It wasn't that long ago that you weren't feeling well at all. I think you should get some rest, and then tomorrow we'll see how you feel, alright? I love you, and you know I want to be with you, too. I really do. But it would make me uncomfortable to push that right now. I promise, if you feel well tomorrow and don't get a fever, I'll be sure to take very good care of you. Very good care." He kissed her again and stroked her back.

"Mmm… you promise?"

"I sure do. Now, come here and let me hold you, you don't want to lose the effects of that massage…"

"Mmm, okay…" Fran wrapped her arm around his middle and he pulled her close, then

pulled the covers over her arm.

"I love you, Fran. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Max. More than anything…" Max kissed her forehead softly, and they lay together in the quiet darkness, listening to each other breathing. Max felt Fran settle against him and relax, and eventually he knew she had fallen asleep. He focused on the feel of her in his arms, the scent of her perfume, and tried to push the thoughts of the next morning out of his mind. He was glad they would be a step closer to her having the surgery, but he was also afraid of how close that day was getting. He knew she needed to have the tumor removed as soon as possible, and he knew that once that happened, all of these fevers she was getting would probably stop. He was tired of her suffering, and he knew she was, too. He had to get himself to relax. It was just going to be a meeting, after all, and they probably already knew most of what they would be told. It would be okay. It was just the next step in the process of getting her well again- and then they could begin to plan their lives together. And plan their wedding. Little by little, he began to drift off himself, and finally fell asleep, his arms clenched tightly around her.