by Mj Fields
���So what do you do when you run out of ribbon?��� Gordon laughed holding up the empty roll.
���Improvise, like use a scarf or I don���t know socks, whatever you can get your hands on I guess,��� Brody laughed as he tidied up the bows.
���Wow, bows make you happy,��� Gordon laughed as he took his tie off and handed it to Brody to use to make a bow.
���I love bows,��� Brody said trying to hide his amusement.
���And M&M���s,��� Gordon laughed as his assistant brought out a bag.
Brody shook his head and bit his cheek as he tried not to laugh but failed miserably, it was a darker deeper laugh, ���Yes nothing makes me happier than bows and M&M���s, nothing in this whole world.���
���So we could set you up in a chair with a bowl of M&M���s and a box full of ribbons and that would be good for you?��� Gordon laughed.
���Oh it would be what I imagine heaven to be. I could stay cooped up like that for at least two days,��� he laughed, and looked at the camera, ���Maybe three,��� he said and his eyebrow rose.
���Alright so you have a surprise for us tonight Brody ��� why don���t you tell the audience?��� Gordon smiled.
���Tonight we���re going to release our title track. All proceeds will go to London���s Child,��� Rebecca shared, ���And Brody and the boys are going to sing you the title track.���
Emma sat and watched him as he sang. Just like the first time she saw him perform, it was like watching a private moment, one that she was part of. Her heart ached when she remembered the night Brody and her had talked about the song and how open he seemed. She was reminded how quickly that changed and how cold he became, and she knew she could not go through that again, ever.
���I think I may love him too Emma, on that note I���ll leave you, go find your father,��� Caroline laughed as she took the empty basket and disappeared out the door.
Emma received a text at midnight
- I hope you caught the show. No reading between the lines Princess, I will have you in bows���Brody
- Think deeply Brody Hines; of what happened after you opened up to me about that and let this go���Emma
Her phone rang, and she ignored it.
- Please Emma…I need you ���Brody
- The interview was comical, now all your crazy fans know you don���t wear undies, the foundation you started with your sister is beautiful, and you should be very proud of yourself. Your performance was amazing. Take care…. Emma
- Don���t patronize me���Brody
- I���m not, you did great���Emma
- I hope you can see I���ve been busy Emma. This trip has been far from pleasurable���MM
- Brody please, I don���t know how to end this, but I can���t do this to me or to you���Emma
- Then don���t Em, just don���t���MM
* * *
Emma sent Dr. Slain a text message with a few questions.
- Do you work near the office? ... Mark
- A few blocks away���Emma
- Meet me for lunch? Tell me where you want to meet I have an hour and a half. We can chat���Mark
���Thanks for meeting me,��� Emma said as she smiled at Mark Slain.
���No problem, I know you���re working at a new job, and after work you have your daughter to tend to so I can be flexible,��� Mark smiled. ���So what do you think?���
���Well how often do I need to do the treatments, how long do they take, how will I feel, and what are the side effects?��� Emma bombarded him.
He smiled and sat down and took her hands in one of his, ���First I want to do another mammogram; next we���ll start with treatments three days a week for seven weeks. Unless you want to try twice a day for a week. The side effects vary. There is armpit and chest pain, fatigue, lowered white blood cell counts, and it can cause lung and heart issues.���
Emma realized how hard she was squeezing his hand and let go.
���Sorry,��� Emma said and looked horrified.
Mark hugged her, ���You���re fine.���
���What do you suggest I do, I mean which treatment plan?��� Emma asked.
���Well you have to make that choice; you may have no side effects. One week treatment plan will obviously hit hard and fast, but if it were me I would do that. But I didn���t just start a new job or have a London,��� Mark smiled sweetly.
���Well maybe I can see if I can spread my hours between five days instead of three and work that out, I want this done,��� Emma said decisively.
���Good. Listen, we can start Thursday or Friday, and you would go until Monday or Tuesday. It���s up to you but three of those days you would have off of work. Maybe you could stay with your friend in the city?��� Mark smiled, ���I could come by and check on you.���
Emma laughed, ���I���ll think about it.���
Mark walked with Emma back to her building and answered more questions. She hugged him, thanked him, and went back to work. She spoke to her boss and was given permission to work from home both Thursday and Tuesday. Emma was extremely grateful. She texted Mark and let him know, and he would set things up. Lila insisted she stay there, and Caroline promised to take London on school days. Lila would occupy her on the weekend at her place.
* * *
Emma was scheduled at eight in the morning and four in the afternoon on each day.
Thursday, the good doctor brought her back from each appointment and walked her in. ���You have my number Emma, anything you need or are concerned about, let me know,��� Mark said sternly.
���Thanks so much, I think I may be concerned at around eight tonight if you would like to stop over and have dinner,��� Emma smiled.
���You���re a doll, we���ll see. Go get some rest,��� Mark said and gave her a quick hug.
Emma walked into the bathroom to examine her breast. There was a small incision which was healed nicely, except for the pink mark it left behind to the left of her areola. Her once perfect breast now marked for life. It wasn���t a huge change, her breast was still the same size as the other, but if you looked close enough you could tell that a small dent would forever be there. The incision was low and horizontal so that if she wore a tank top it wouldn���t be noticeable. But Emma knew she would never feel completely comfortable the way she had with Brody, completely naked and tied up allowing someone to explore every part of her. It had taken her years to feel confident enough to wear a bathing suit let alone be in her birthday suit. She made Troy turn off the lights and were under the covers most of the time. It was never like that with Brody, he made her feel beautiful and desirable, and now he was gone. Tears fell down her face as she looked at herself. London would be here tomorrow so today she could cry, so she did.
* * *
It was eight o���clock when Lila came home to check on her, she had been asleep for three hours. Lila saw her phone flashing missed calls. She grabbed it and walked into the hall. Lila returned Caroline���s call and told her that Emma was asleep, and they decided it would be best to let her sleep. She answered the phone when Mark called and told him she was asleep, and he offered to come over, she accepted his offer.
They were chatting in the living room when Emma walked out.
���Oh hey, what time is it?��� Emma asked.
���Eight thirty, you should call London, she���s worried about you,��� Lila smiled.
���How���re you feeling, Emma?��� Mark asked and felt her head and immediately took her pulse.
���I���m fine, just tired,��
�� Emma said with a forced smile. ���Is that my phone?���
���Yes I���m sorry, I returned your calls, all except one, I didn���t want to wake you,��� Lila said giving her a sad puppy dog face.
���Give it a rest, Lila,��� Emma walked away to call London.
Friday was the same except London would be there at seven, and she was extremely excited. Lila had rented some movies and Mark was stopping by again. Friday ran into Saturday and Emma was getting more tired every day. By noon on Sunday she was exhausted, and her body ached. Her breast was red and hot and extremely uncomfortable. Caroline had come to get London and Emma thought she���d held it together wonderfully for her daughter, and now she was going to bed.
~
Caroline pulled into the driveway, and London screamed and jumped out of the car and ran towards her Grandfather and a man Caroline couldn���t tell yet who he was.
���Brody,��� London screamed and jumped in his arms.
���Well hello there London, have you missed me?��� Brody said laughing.
���Of course I have, more than you could ever imagine,��� London squeezed him tightly, and he felt her little body shake and could tell immediately that she was crying.
���Miss London, what���s wrong?��� Brody whispered.
���I missed you Brody,��� she sobbed.
���Well you were with me the whole time,��� he breathed out and closed his eyes.
���Brody, mom isn���t here, she���s in the city, and she…��� London began.
���Brody Hines, what brings you here?��� Caroline interrupted.
���I just returned from London, and I missed it so much that I figured I would stop by and see someone who outshines the whole city itself,��� he smiled as he twirled her around.
���Well why don���t you come in for a little bit, it���s almost London���s bedtime, but I think we could bend the rules this once,��� Caroline smiled and patted his back. ���Henry, you have met Brody?���
���I have, he pulled in a couple minutes before you did,��� Henry smiled and kissed his wife.
London was still wrapped around Brody, and he held her as tightly as she held him. ���I brought you some things from the city that was named after you,��� Brody said and pulled her away and looked in her eyes still full of tears. ���Okay Miss London, I don���t know what���s going on, but I���m going to fix it, so you don���t have to worry anymore.���
���I love you, Brody,��� she whispered.
���I love you more,��� Brody said softly.
���That���s what Mommy says,��� London said with a smile on her face.
���And I learned it from her, she���s very smart. Just like you,��� Brody set her down, ���Are you going to be okay?���
���Are you going to see my Mommy?���
���Do you think I should?���
���Yes,��� London said sticking her nose in the air.
���Well then I guess I should then,��� Brody said and kissed her nose.
���London, your Mom is going to be busy for a few days, three to be exact Brody,��� she said giving him a knowing look. ���Maybe you should wait until then.���
���No Grandma she needs������ London started.
���London my sweet, sweet girl,��� Caroline smiled ���Your Mommy needs a few days okay?���
London started to cry, and Brody closed his eyes tight and tried to hold it together. ���With all due respect ma���am������
���Watch yourself Brody,��� Henry sneered, ���My wife and granddaughter are standing right here, and our daughter, our little girl needs just a few more days without a bunch of…���
���Okay Henry. Thank you,��� Caroline said and wrapped her arm around his waist.
���Shit Grandma, that���s what he was going to say, and Brody isn���t shit, he loves her and she loves him,��� London screamed and ran to Brody crying.
���Oh London,��� Brody said picking her up and held her. His eyes narrowed, and jaw clenched as he shook his head. ���Is she at Lila���s?���
���Yes and she���s sick Brody. Really sick,��� London sobbed.
���What���s wrong with her?��� he growled.
���It will be her decision to tell you if she feels like it,��� Henry answered with piercing eyes.
���Grandpa!��� London yelled.
���Shh…it���s okay. Your Mom would do the same thing to protect you. Caroline, Henry could I please read London a bedtime story and hang out until she falls asleep?��� Brody asked politely.
���Yes you can, Brody come with me,��� London said jumping down ���Come with me to our place. I can get my PJ���s.��� grabbing his hand and pulling him to the house.
Brody walked up the open stairway behind London that lead to a beautiful open floor plan. It was about sixteen hundred square feet, the living room and kitchen was separated by a large granite island with a stovetop and a grill built in, there were four cast iron barstools. There was a large dining room pub style high top table and six chairs and four bay windows, two of which had window seats. The others set up as office areas. One was clearly where Emma worked. Brody walked over and grabbed the sweatshirt he had given her that was hanging over the back and smelled it, he could smell her sweet scent mixed with his and he felt tears fall down his face. He loved her and something was horribly wrong, and he���d been told he couldn���t go to her.
FUCK, he thought, I don���t give a shit what they say, there���s no way I���ll spend three more fucking days without her.
London gave him a tour, and he noticed she hadn���t gotten the furniture he���d given her, and when he saw the garment bags he knew she hadn���t touched the clothes.
���How does your Mom like her new job?��� Brody asked.
���She loves it,��� London smiled.
���So she isn���t feeling well?��� Brody asked, and London looked over his shoulder.
���She���ll be fine,��� she said and smiled.
���Okay Miss London ��� let���s get you into bed, tell me where,��� Brody smiled and took her hand.
Brody waited until London was asleep. He knew she was because Emma had told him about the little shake she did before she fell into a deep sleep. She was right she knew her daughter so well, and he knew it took a lot to keep her away from London. As he lay with London in his arms he took his phone and searched the web and found many pictures of Emma with a man, all involved hugging. He immediately was pissed and when he saw Lila in one of them he felt betrayed.
He couldn���t move, he didn���t want to; he adored her daughter and thought there was no one else but Emma for him, forever. He fell asleep holding London, Caroline went into the room and took a picture and texted it to Emma.
- He loves you Emma, and she loves him, please don���t over think this���Mom
Brody woke up to London giggling, ���London, I���m so sorry I can���t believe I fell asleep, your Mom is going to be so angry…and your Dad, well������
���Good morning, Brody,��� Caroline smiled as she walked in the room, ���Did you sleep well?���
���Caroline I apologize������ Brody started.
���I didn���t have bad dreams last night, Grandma,��� London said and took his hand and pulled him up.
���I know, that���s the first time in almost a week,��� Car
oline smiled at her and winked at Brody, ���Breakfast is ready and then shower and school for you Miss London.���
* * *
It was ten o���clock when Brody���s car pulled up in front of Lila���s building. He still had the key and let himself in. He walked down the hall and the bathroom door opened and Emma was standing in a towel fresh out of the shower looking like hell.
���Brody,��� she whispered and started to fall.
���Emma,��� he yelled as he grabbed her and held her in his arms.
���I���m so sorry,��� she whispered.
���Emma?��� Brody looked up and saw the man from the photos.
He was pulling his shirt over his head, ���Emma, are you okay?���
���Who the fuck are you and what have you done to her?��� Emma tried to pull herself up, and her towel dropped and Brody grabbed her and looked down and saw the scar and the red swollen breast, ���What the fuck did you do to her?���
���Please stop, please. Mark the towel…please cover me up,��� Emma said softly.
���Mark? Emma is that what you want, someone to fucking leave marks on you?��� Brody yelled.
���Brody, please I don���t feel well,��� Emma said and closed her eyes.
���Brody Hines?��� Mark looked at the angry man holding Emma, ���I need you to go put her on the bed and let me make sure she���s alright.���
���Fuck you, get the fuck out of my way, you sick bastard. Emma…I���m going to get you help but whatever he did to you, you need to tell me, Em, come on Princess ��� talk to me,��� Brody said holding her tightly, ���If anything happens to her I will rip your fucking throat out Mark!���
���Brody, he���s my doctor,��� Emma choked out and closed her eyes again.
���In any other situation Mr. Hines I wouldn���t be telling you shit but you need to do as I asked, go set her down now,��� Mark snapped. Brody gave him a challenging look, ���Do it now and then call Lila.���
