Copyright 2010 by Wren Phoenix

The time passed without any major incidents for a while, but as the date for Jenny’s surgery approached, Michael noticed a distinct stress in the house. Fortunately, Jenny had a very good counselor, but she had found it difficult to help Jenny overcome her anxieties. She invited Michael to join them for a session.

“It’s a big step, Jenny. In your case, several big steps.” Dr. Taylor was smiling, while Michael held Jenny’s hand to let her know that he loved her.”Why don’t we start by talking about what you have told me is making you most anxious?”

Jenny looked at Michael, and he squeezed her hand three times, their private code for ‘I love you’.

“We’ve discussed this, of course, but I feel he deserves a real woman, someone who could give him a child.” She looked sadly at the floor, refusing to look at him.

Dr. Taylor nodded and asked, “How do you feel about this, Michael?”

Michael squeezed her hand again, quickly. He loved her so much, and lately, they kept coming back to this problem.

“Jenny, I have told you, repeatedly, that I am infertile. I can’t have children, even with the most fertile woman in the world. This is a difference which makes no difference. To me, you are the equal of every woman in the world, and so much more.”

“Still . . .”

“Jenny, do you think this feeling could be a reflection of your nervousness about your surgery?” the Doctor asked, gently.

Tears fell from her eyes. “I don’t know . . . Maybe?”

Michael could not stand to see her cry. “Jenny, I love you, and I sincerely believe that nothing will ever change that. I know you love me. Most of my family loves you. I know we will be as happy as any two people have any right to be.” He got to his knees, tears in his eyes as well. “What else can I do or say to you, my love?”

She looked deeply into his eyes, and he could tell that the barriers were finally coming down.

“I really have been silly, haven’t I? I love you so much, Michael!” She fell to her knees and into his arms, crying. He felt her relax and saw that, at last, they could really move forward.

Dr. Taylor smiled.

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Michael had spoken with David Roberts for several minutes, but still came away without a feeling of satisfaction. David had told him that a resolution in Randy’s case could take considerable time. It could be years before anything was settled, if ever. Randy was saying nothing, to anyone except his lawyer. Michael almost wanted it all to just go away. All of this is so useless. Mom and Dad aren’t coming back. It still hurt, so badly. Without Jenny, he would never have been able to handle it, he knew. She brought such joy into his world!

As he sat in his chair, he heard someone come into the office. “Lisa says you need a hug, big brother. I’m not Jenny, but will this tide you over until tonight?”

“Yeah, baby sister, a hug from you is like a big dose of sunshine.” He smiled as Diane wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. They had become very close in such a short time. She had taken a very active role in getting the company back on track after the fiasco with Randy. He was impressed at the way she quietly kept her ears open for problems, and suggestions. Everyone seemed to love her, and knew she would do her best to help resolve any issues. He, Diane and Erin Holly, the head of Human Resources, had regular discussions that could include anything from arranging transportation to get an employee to a Doctor’s appointment, to changing the mix in the vending machines.

She had become a comfort to many, even Michael. Lisa loved her, and did everything she could to help Diane’s quest to make Tallon a world class place to work.

Michael felt so blessed. He had such a wonderful family, and such great friends. He remembered how he had felt, before he met Jenny. He’d almost been running on automatic, the pain from his parents’ deaths overshadowing everything. Now, though . . . it was almost too good to be true. He had never believed he could be so happy again, after the deaths of his parents. He had a beautiful, wonderful fiancée, a soon to be sister-in-law that he loved as if she was his own sister, and he was closer than he ever had been to his Grandpa Joe and Grandma Tina, his mom’s parents.

True, relations with Papa Bob and Granma Amy were a little stressed right now, and he understood that. It had to be hard on them, and they couldn’t believe that their grandson Randy could have killed his Uncle Bob and his wife. Michael had tried to talk with them, but they were determined to stay out of what they considered an argument. It hurt, but he respected their wishes. They hadn’t even responded to the wedding invitation.

He was looking forward to this evening. They were going to have a small party to celebrate Jenny’s last day at work. Lisa and Greg would be there, along with Jenny’s friend, Portia Bailey, Diane and of course, Jenny and himself. They were just planning to have a quiet meal. Oh, sure. He thought. I don’t know Portia very well, but putting Lisa, Jenny and Diane together was a recipe for fun, not quiet. It should really be interesting!

It turned out that he was right. The house had been filled with laughter. They had such a wonderful time that they resolved to do it more often. Lisa and Portia had hit it off well, and their craziness seemed to feed off each other. Everyone was laughing at their silly antics.

The next morning, Michael was sore from laughing so hard. He walked into his office and saw Lisa’s smile.

“No more, I can’t handle it! You two should go into business! My abs are very sore. I need to take some aspirin and just avoid you two for a week!”

She laughed and let him retreat into his office. He smiled, thinking about the fun they had enjoyed. He had allowed Diane to have the next two days off, to spend with her sister. The surgery would be in two days, and he was concerned that something could go wrong. All he could do was offer some girl time for the two of them, just in case, although he was reasonably sure that everything would go well.

Wednesday afternoon they flew to Wisconsin, where Jenny would have her surgery. They spent the night in a very nice hotel in Appleton, where Michael would be staying during Jenny’s recovery. They had been fortunate enough to have found one of the country’s top specialists and made arrangements for her surgery with him. They had dinner early, due to her surgical preparations, and then settled down to cuddle before they slept.

Jenny was quite naturally very nervous, and Michael did his best to reassure her.

“Honey, we have one of the top specialists, you will be fine!”

“Any surgery is a risk, Michael Tallon. I’m not being unreasonable.” She hugged him tightly. “You’ve done your best for me, love. I’m nervous, of course, but I also cannot wait to be a woman for you. It has been very difficult, and you've been the picture of patience, but I want to make love to you, as a woman!”

“Hold on, now.” He sat up in the bed. “You know there will be a lot of work and probably a great deal of pain before that happens. You and I will have to continue to be patient for a while. Besides, I plan on marrying a virgin.”

She laughed. He knew she could never be a virgin, technically, as she would never even have a hymen.

“Um, what is Greg’s favorite expression?”

“Oh, you mean, ‘Yer shit outta luck, pardner’? Yeah, but you know what I mean,” he chuckled and tossed a pillow at her, missing completely.

“You . . . You throw like a girl!” She sputtered, and then fell back, laughing.

“Oh yeah? Well all I can say is . . .”

“No!” She yelled as he attacked her, tickling her unmercifully. “I’m gonna wet the bed!”

“Note to self,” he said as he sat up. “Buy rubber sheets.”

“Why?” She said, with an innocent-yet- mischievous look in her eyes. “Ya got some kind of bedwetting problem, ya baby?”

She rolled out of bed then ran for the bathroom, screeching with laughter. Turning to look at him, she stood and stuck out her tongue, then screeched again and slammed the door before he could catch her. They were both laughing, almost uncontrollably. He sat back on the bed, happy that she was enjoying herself. He looked up to where he imagined his mother and father were, and he said a small thank you to them. When she came out of the bathroom, they both knelt and thanked God for their love, and asked for his protection.

Early the next morning they dressed and drove their rental car down to the small city of Neenah. They went into the hospital, and waited for the nurse to meet her and take her to surgery.

“I’ll be outside here, and I’ll come see you as soon as they let me. I love you, Jenny soon-to-be Tallon.”

“And I love you, soon-to-be-husband.”

They embraced, and with a quick kiss and a small wave, the nurse led her to the surgical prep room.

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Michael and Jenny watched two squirrels, seemingly playing tag on the lawn. Surgery had gone well, without complications, and her physical therapy and recovery was proceeding satisfactorily as well. She seemed distracted, lately. Michael worried that she was obsessing about children once again. It hadn’t come up in their conversations, and she seemed fairly happy. Still, something was bothering her.

Michael knew that it was primarily a bad case of misguided machismo that made him feel as though he had to try to fix everything for her. Still it made him quite nervous when she became silent and pensive like this. Was she having second thoughts? Had he done something to upset her?

“Jenny, I realize that this is probably just anxiety on my part, but you look so deep in thought. Is everything all right?”

Yes, love. I just have a small problem on my mind, and honestly, it is nothing to worry you. I just . . . well, I worry about Diane. I almost feel guilty that I could be so happy.” She stood and walked over to him. “You have done your best to make both of us happy, and I appreciate it, with all of my heart. I just wish there was something more that I could do for her”

“I don’t know sweetheart. If there was anything else I could do I-“

“You would have done it already, I know.” She stroked his cheek. “You are such a wonderful big brother already. I just wish that there was something . . . special I could do for her. Not something I can buy, but something to make her feel even more loved, and she won’t let me set her up. I asked her about it, and she said we had been so lucky to find you, that she wasn’t sure we should try again!”

Michael laughed. “We’ll think of something, my love, I promise.”

He kissed her, and the squirrels played on and on . . .

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