Look to the Rainbow (18 page)

     “Do they follow you everywhere, even when I’m not here?” she asked as they walked down the hall to her room.

     “No, they cover the events where I’m speaking or appearing, but it’s not like this. That’s all for you.”

     “I feel like Princess Di today,” she said.

     “You certainly look like royalty tonight.”

     He stepped in her room with her and closed the door. Her arms went around him as he kissed her. When he held her like this she could feel his heart beating next to hers and she could forget everything but the two of them. Standing here alone with him, sharing his intoxicating kisses she knew she was in love with him and that she’d be willing to put up with almost anything to be with him forever.

     He pulled away and smiled at her. “I have to go, this is too much of a temptation. Meet us for breakfast? We’re getting an early start and I know you have to catch a flight.”

     They agreed on a time to meet and with one more quick kiss, he was gone. She closed the door and kicked off her spectacular shoes and crossed the room to the table in front of the windows where the roses sat in their rainbow colored profusion. She inhaled their sweet scent and thought that the only thing she wanted at this particular moment in time was to follow the fellow who followed the dream.

Chapter Fifteen

     Mary Katherine tried to tell herself that this was nothing she hadn’t done before and that once the next couple of days were over she only had two more chemo treatments. At this particular moment, it wasn’t helping to know there was an end in sight. Evan’s words to her were always positive, he was unfailingly comforting and gentle throughout each ordeal. Casey had told her how hard the first round had been on Evan and had come to sit with them through the second one, offering support and looking out for both of them. She leaned against Evan and let him hold her in between the bouts of throwing up, but she worried about him more than herself. He looked tired and they had only been back from the hospital for two hours. She had all her appointments early in the morning. For Mary Katherine, the nausea started almost as soon as it was over and came hard and heavy for about a day and a half and then she was over it. Her hair had thinned a little, but so far she had not had the horrifying experience she  heard others in the oncology unit talking about of having it fall out in huge clumps. She took that as a positive sign.

     She felt the nausea subside and told Evan she’d like to lie on the bed. He picked her up and carried her and she put her head on the pillows and asked him to turn on the ceiling fan. The doorbell rang and she was surprised, Casey was due to come over after an exam, but it was early for that. Evan said, “Will you be okay?” She nodded and closed her eyes.

     Evan went downstairs, expecting to find Casey, but instead Ross and Molly were standing on the doorstep. He embraced them both and they came in the house.

     “Last night we started talking about today being the third chemo treatment and Ross said this one might be a little worse,” Molly said, “and we prayed for you and both of us felt like after the prayer that we needed to come be with you.”

     “I’m glad you did. I don’t know how you got a flight that fast. I try to put on a strong front for Mary Katherine, but I really hate this.”

     “Did you sleep at all last night, Evan? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look terrible.” Molly gave him another hug.

      “Not much. Don’t expect to sleep much tonight either.”

      “Yes, you will,” Ross said. “That’s why we’re here. We’ll take shifts.”

      They climbed the stairs and Evan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It would help to have Ross and Molly, along with Casey. Some things, he had decided, you just couldn’t do on your own.

     Mary Katherine opened her eyes as they came in and a smile crossed her face. “What are you doing here?”

`    “Helping Evan take care of you,” Ross said, bending to kiss her cheek.

     “He does well enough taking care of me. I just need someone to take care of him.” She struggled to sit up. “Evan, I’m going to be sick again.”

     Evan eased her to her feet and back into the bathroom. Molly looked at Ross and there were tears in her eyes. He pulled her close and said in a whisper, “Don’t worry, that’s fairly normal. She actually looks pretty good, considering how many times she’s had it.”

     They heard Evan talking softly to Mary Katherine and Molly went and found a wash cloth and wet it with cold water and brought it to Mary Katherine and sat on the floor with them. After a minute Ross came and joined them.

     Mary Katherine said, “I know who really loves me.”

     “Your best friends are always the ones who will hold back your hair,” Molly said. “That’s how I knew Evan was my best friend.”

      Ross said to Mary Katherine, “Another story from their past.”

     Mary Katherine, who needed the distraction, said, “Tell me.” She shifted in Evan’s arms and he held her tighter.

     Molly shared the story. She had agreed to accompany Evan on a flight with some of his father’s Blue Angel friends- even though she was terrified, she climbed into one of the planes and had the worst experience of her life.  Not only was the plane going too fast, he also did a couple of rolls to show off, and then landed.

     “I got off that plane and promptly starting barfing,” Molly said.” Evan held my hair back while I tossed, but he was laughing at me the whole time.
He
didn’t get sick at all.”

     “I flew with them all the time, even upside down.” Evan said.

     “That’s why my dad always called him ‘your flyboy.’” Molly punched his arm affectionately.

     “Somewhere there’s a picture of me in a Blue Angel jacket with all of them.” Evan said, stroking Mary Katherine’s hair.

     “I have it. I kept it on my dresser until the Christmas I came home my freshman year in college.”

      Ross said, “Then she must have replaced it with a photo of me.”

     Mary Katherine said, “Ross, I always wish
we
had a previous relationship when they go down memory lane.”

     Ross said, “Tell you what, let’s just invent some memories and pretend they really happened.”

     “Okay, but I’m going to be sick again first.” Evan sat her back up and she was sick and the light hearted moment was gone. Molly went into the bedroom and pulled the covers back and plumped up the pillows and went to get Mary Katherine some ice water. Ross waited with them until she was done and then Evan helped her back to bed. Ross sat on the sofa as Molly returned with the water and Evan climbed on the bed beside Mary Katherine and helped her drink a little. She collapsed against him and he lay down with her until she fell asleep. Molly and Ross just sat with them, not talking.

     Evan covered Mary Katherine and moved to sit on the chair opposite Molly and Ross. “And we’ll do this ten or fifteen more times today at least,” he said, softly.

     “You already look exhausted,” Ross said. “Why don’t you sleep a little now while she does? This takes a huge emotional toll on you too. You need to pace yourself, not just go until you’re ready to drop.”

     “Casey is due to come after her exam.”

     “Good,” Ross said. “She and Molly can be on food detail and you and I will take turns with our patient. Let’s take a few minutes to pray and then you are going to rest.” Evan closed his eyes as Ross prayed but he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. When the prayer was finished, he wiped his eyes and kicked off his shoes and lay back down on the bed beside Mary Katherine. He didn’t think he would be able to sleep, but he closed his eyes anyway. As Ross expected, he fell asleep in minutes.

     Molly went to one of the bookshelves that flanked the bay window, selected a book and curled up in the chair. Ross took out his cell phone and sent Casey a text saying that he and Molly were there and both Mary Katherine and Evan were sleeping, so she could just let herself in. He picked up one of the magazines on the table by the sofa, the new issue of
Newsworthy
and opened it to Tara’s latest article about Kel.

     Lily hung up the phone as George came into the room.

    “I thought I’d take you out to dinner,” he said.

     “That would be lovely. I’d love a date with you.”

     “Who was on the phone?” George opened the door for her, then opened the car door for her as well.

      She waited for him to get in the car and said, “I was on the phone with Molly. I’m so glad they decided to go. Mary Katherine has been very sick. Molly said Evan seems to suffer as much as she does. I hate thinking of her being sick, George.”

     “I know. I worry about Evan too.” They had pulled up to the country club.

     “Can we pray before we go in?”

      “Of course. Don’t we always stop what we’re doing and pray for our children when they need it?”

     Lily smiled. “They are our children, aren’t they?”

     “The way I remember it, we had two, inherited four and then adopted Evan and Mary Katherine. That makes eight kids, plus grandchildren. And you know what? I don’t feel any different about the ones that don’t have our genes. ”

     “Neither do I.” They held hands and prayed for Mary Katherine to feel better and for a good report when it was over and for Evan to remain strong .

     Casey put her hand over the telephone receiver and said to Evan, “It’s Mary Katherine’s mother. She wants to come over.”

     “I guess I have to say yes. Otherwise it will be a big argument. Tell her it’s okay.” He stood and paced the living room. Molly was upstairs with Mary Katherine. Casey relayed the message and hung up.

      Ross said, “I take it she hasn’t come to help at all?”

      “She waits until it’s all over and then comes and acts like she’s Florence Nightingale reincarnated.”

        Ross could already picture Margaret Christenson bustling around and thinking she really was making things better, after the fact. He had only met her on a few occasions, but she was always more than gracious to the O’Briens; in fact she considered his relationship with them to be Evan’s only redeeming quality. Evan had one remarked that she was the only person on the planet who would think there was something shameful about being the son of a high ranking naval officer and instructor at the Naval Academy. And indeed, Margaret did tend to treat Evan as if he were trailer trash instead of a well -respected physician. Evan had never been able to win them over, his father in law, Tripp, was just as cold as Margaret. Evan was well aware that they had anticipated Mary Katherine marrying Harry Thurston and indeed had held him in such high esteem even after his death that no one Mary Katherine had married would have met with their approval, except, Evan once joked to Mary Katherine either John or Kel, who she went out of her way to be overly kind to. To Ross she was nearly as effusive, but to Casey, she was as indifferent as she was to Evan.