[Fiction] Christine's Problem

[MarvHarvey]

May 2018 Writing Competition. Theme: Summer!
This is a combination of a few ideas, pushed together for the May 2018 Writing Competition. I hope the story is entertaining, and gets a few votes in the competition. (Note: Work in progress. The number of chapters and parts is still unknown.)

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Christine's Problem: Chapter 1 Part 1

My cousin Christine looked devastated - I can no longer use the expression that she looked like death - as she came in my front door. Her fiance, Julian, was right behind and he looked as bad or worse. My wife Allison and I swept them into our comfy little living room and we all sat down. I looked surreptitiously for the box of tissues - Chris looked like she would need them any moment.

She didn't waste time on small talk. "Marv, please, just let me tell you what's going on. You are my best friend in the world, like only a life-long friend and relative combined can be. And I need you. I have to tell you what's going on."

She was stumbling from sentence to sentence, and looked like she was struggling to keep it together - then she sat up straight, reached out to take Jules by the hand, and went on. "While you were away on your business trip this week they found I might have cancer. They took biopsies and will know in a few more days. I don't have any of the main risk factors so they figure it's probably a false positive in the blood tests - but it might not be."

"Just wait," she held up her hand as Allie and I moved forward to hug her, to hold her. "Let me go on while I still can." This we understood - we could see her trying to focus. "Marv, Allie, I am too young for this no matter what they find. I have a life to lead and I am going to live it."

She started weeping, and smiling, "first off Julian and I are getting married as soon as we can set it up. Everyone knows it would be coming, but now it is on. Figure maybe two or three weeks from now, just enough so that our families won't have pups when we tell them. And we want you two to stand with us. We aren't going to go nuts with a big wedding and I don't care about having a dozen bridesmaids or any of that crap. Frankly Allie, you are the best girlfriend I ever had anyway." And at that point she broke down and cried and Allie cried and they hugged, and I stood up to give Julian a big manly hug but he was crying too - just like me.

After we settled down, Chris motioned for us to sit and listen. "Listen up you guys. Before Allie brings out that bottle of wine I know she has in the kitchen," we all laughed at the truth of this, "you need to know there is more. This is all Jules and I have been talking about for the last three days. We are going to live, come hell or high water we are going to live every day. Now my dear Julian insisted that we put together our bucket lists and make them and live them every day. We will get everything we can out of life. When they find out that I don't have anything, or am cured, or whatever, we will just be that much better at taking what we want out of life. It's too precious to waste. Now let's have a drink and we can tell you about that part of our plan." At this point she managed another weak smile, and I came forward to hold her as she started crying all over again.

She cried on my shoulder for quite a few minutes. I could think back at our history. Christine and I were indeed the closest of friends, right since we were born: six weeks apart and 28 years growing up practically together. Aunts and uncles still tell us that even when we were infants, just putting us together in a crib would stop us crying and we would babble at each other. If everyone you know says its true then it must be, right? And it just got better over the years. But this! I was hurting and crying inside even as my dear Chrissy was putting on such a strong show.

No wonder Jules looked like a wreck. But I have known him for years - Allie and I introduced them a while back - and he is a genuinely great guy, the kind everyone wishes they could be like when it matters. If anyone can make this all work it is these two.

We went to the kitchen to get some cheese and crackers, and other nibbles, while the first bottle of wine magically vanished and we opened a second. By then we were able to chatter about future plans, leaving the moose on the table for whenever the hospital had more information abut Christine.

As we all relaxed, and I noticed the three of us taking turns holding hands with Chris (with Jules the most of course) or putting our hand on her shoulder. I realized that she was feeling enough wine to relax - but I could tell there was still something to come. She was not finished dropping bombshells.