Chapter XX

Precious Gifts
~ * * * ~

It had been an entire week of heartache for Madra. She hadn't felt like doing much of anything since that awful night when Max asked her to leave. Thank God for Glynis and Rebecca Jamison, she thought. Between them, they had been taking care of the girls, keeping them occupied so they wouldn't worry. They missed their father terribly, and missed Madra, too. Rebecca had told them that their mommy was not feeling very well, and that she just needed rest. She had come to see Madra to try to snap her out of her depression.

She told Madra that she had gone to visit Max. It was her feeling that Max still loved Madra very much, but that he did not want Madra to see him in such a weakened state. Madra cried on her shoulder and allowed the older woman to comfort her. "But," Madra began, "he's shut me out totally. I just want to help him - I need to be near him." "I understand," said Rebecca, "but dear, just give him some time...he'll come around." Ever since, Madra had been going to the hospital every day just to check up on Max.

Today was no exception - she was going to speak with Max' doctors and make sure that he was still recovering well. On her way to the stairs, she ran into Kent. Kent told her that Glynis was out with the girls, but he had a little work to do so he stayed behind. "Where are you going?" he asked. She told him she was on her way to the hospital. He asked why she would put herself through that, and she replied that she had to go, even if he refused to see her. "I love him, Kent," she said.

He couldn't help himself....she was no close, he could feel her heart beat - or was that his heart beating? He didn't care...he bent down and kissed her - hard on the mouth. He could feel her entire body tense under his kiss, but he didn't care. She was struggling against the grip he had on her, but he continued to kiss her.
He could see the tears well in her eyes then. He pulled her onto his shoulder and gave her a hug. She seemed to frail to him - she had lost some weight over the past week. She had hardly eaten and rarely slept. Sometimes when he was up late working on his latest book, he could hear her softly sobbing in her room. He wanted to go comfort her, but thought better of it. This woman was beginning to get under his skin. Glynis was a beautiful, wonderful woman, but there was something about Madra that had his heart tied in knots. He hadn't felt this way since......no, he thought, I can't do that to myself again. Keep your wits about you, man, he said to himself. Meanwhile, he could smell the lavendar scent of her hair and the soft, warm feel of her in his arms.

She finally managed to escape the grip he had on her. Her face was flushed with rage. She swung her arm to slap him, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her. "What the hell do you think you're doing," she hissed. "Madra, I'm so sorry, I never meant for that to happen...really." he replied.

"You are in this house at the invitation of Max and myself," she said, "and this is how you show respect for my husband? I love Max. There will never be anyone else for me but him - are you clear on that?! And what about my sister? Are you just stringing her along?" She was practically shaking with rage. He tried to explain, but had nothing to say for himself, so he merely said, "I'm sorry....it won't happen again." "You're right," she said, "it won't, because by the time I return from the hospital today, you will be gone. I don't care where you go, just get yourself and your things out of here." With that, she turned on her heel and walked down the stairs and out the front door.

She had managed to calm down by the time she reached the hospital. She entered the floor and the nurses all waived and smiled at her. She was becoming a regular here since her husband's heart attack, and all the nurses truly liked her. They felt bad for her after what had happened, and they all tried to keep her informed on her husband's progress.

Madra walked into Max' room and almost gasped. His bed was empty! Her heart raced. He should be here resting she thought. He was always sleeping when she came to visit at this time of day. Oh, my God, she thought, what has happened to my darling Max.

"Are you looking for me," came a voice from behind her. She turned to see Max sitting upright in a chair. "Max!" she cried, and held the implulse to run to him. "I'm sorry.....I didn't mean to...." and he could see tears well in her eyes as she turned to leave.

He grabbed her hand and said, "Don't go...please." She looked at him confused. "I have been such an idiot" he said. "I didn't want you to fuss over me - I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you...." his voice trailed off. "Oh, Max," she said, "we supposed to take care of each other." He looked at her and saw for the first time that he had caused her pain, "Can you ever forgive me, darling?"

She wasted no time, in a flash she was in his arms, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Max, oh, Max......I have missed you." "I have missed you, too, Madra," he said. "All those times while you sat by my bed thinking I was asleep," he confessed, "I was pretending to be asleep so you wouldn't leave. I just can't do it.....I tried to spare you all this, but I need you, please don't leave me." "Leave you?" she cried, "don't you know I'd die first?!" She kissed him gently, afraid of hurting him in some way. He closed his eyes, finally at peace. His darling wife was in his arms where she belonged.

She was laughing and crying at the same time. "Oh, Max, you're out of bed. That must mean that you're getting stronger!" In fact, he had been working incredibly hard to get strong. He wanted her to see him as he was, not a helpless invalid. "Yes," he said, "my doctors say I'm doing well. But, I have had a great motivation - you and the girls! I want to come home, Madra." "Oh, Max, I would love nothing more."

Madra could see that Max was tiring and helped him back into the bed. "Come," he said, "and lie with me, please. We've been apart for too long and I need to feel you close to me again." She gently lay next to him and rest her head on his shoulder. They lay there like that for a while, holding hands and enjoying the closeness of each other. He could smell the familiar scent of lavendar and it was wonderful.

"Tell me about the girls, darling," he said. "They are fine, Max. Rebecca Jamison and Glynis have been tending to them for a while. I'm afraid that I haven't been a very good mother, lately....." her voice trailed off. "Nonsense," he said, "you are the most incredible mother in the world! I can't wait to get home. The doctors said that if I keep progressing this way, it wouldn't be too much longer." "Oh, that's the best news I've heard in a very long time," she replied. "Yes," he said, "and then I can make sure that you are eating properly, my dear, you are losing too much weight."

* * *

* * *

She turned around then to enjoy the view. Jax put his arms around her, thinking about how lucky he was to have found this incredible woman. The way she loves me, he thought!

"Oh, Jax," Gene said, "I feel the same way. I can't imagine my life without you! And, this trip, it's just magical....we'll have to come back with our children." Children, he thought - children....that's way in the future, if ever. Children complicate things. I didn't realize she wanted children. Well, he thought, perhaps in time, she'll change her mind.

Meanwhile, the newlyweds were enjoying their honeymoon. Jax was having a wonderful time showing Gene all the places she had dreamt of seeing. He had been here while on a college break, he told her, but nothing could be better than being there with her. He was wonderful, Gene thought. He is so attentive and he keeps showering me with presents - every city we visit holds a new surprise. She told him that she didn't need all these expensive presents, that she was happy just being there with him. He told her he understood that, but that he wanted to spoil her. "I love you so much, Gene" he said, "I can't believe how complete I feel now that you are my wife!"

Jax wasn't prepared for what she said next.

"Jax," Gene began, "you have been so wonderful to me, and I love you so much. Together we have so much love to share. I have a special gift for you, too! I've been waiting for just the right time to tell you, but I think now is that time. I just can't wait to tell you any longer! I'm so thrilled, and I know you will be, too! Darling, we are going to have a baby!"

To be continued.......

It had been an entire week of heartache for Madra. She hadn't felt like doing much of anything since that awful night when Max asked her to leave. Thank God for Glynis and Rebecca Jamison, she thought. Between them, they had been taking care of the girls, keeping them occupied so they wouldn't worry. They missed their father terribly, and missed Madra, too. Rebecca had told them that their mommy was not feeling very well, and that she just needed rest. She had come to see Madra to try to snap her out of her depression. She told Madra that she had gone to visit Max. It was her feeling that Max still loved Madra very much, but that he did not want Madra to see him in such a weakened state. Madra cried on her shoulder and allowed the older woman to comfort her. "But," Madra began, "he's shut me out totally. I just want to help him - I need to be near him." "I understand," said Rebecca, "but dear, just give him some time...he'll come around." Ever since, Madra had been going to the hospital every day just to check up on Max. Today was no exception - she was going to speak with Max' doctors and make sure that he was still recovering well. On her way to the stairs, she ran into Kent. Kent told her that Glynis was out with the girls, but he had a little work to do so he stayed behind. "Where are you going?" he asked. She told him she was on her way to the hospital. He asked why she would put herself through that, and she replied that she had to go, even if he refused to see her. "I love him, Kent," she said.
He couldn't help himself....she was no close, he could feel her heart beat - or was that his heart beating? He didn't care...he bent down and kissed her - hard on the mouth. He could feel her entire body tense under his kiss, but he didn't care. She was struggling against the grip he had on her, but he continued to kiss her.	He could see the tears well in her eyes then. He pulled her onto his shoulder and gave her a hug. She seemed to frail to him - she had lost some weight over the past week. She had hardly eaten and rarely slept. Sometimes when he was up late working on his latest book, he could hear her softly sobbing in her room. He wanted to go comfort her, but thought better of it. This woman was beginning to get under his skin. Glynis was a beautiful, wonderful woman, but there was something about Madra that had his heart tied in knots. He hadn't felt this way since......no, he thought, I can't do that to myself again. Keep your wits about you, man, he said to himself. Meanwhile, he could smell the lavendar scent of her hair and the soft, warm feel of her in his arms.
	She finally managed to escape the grip he had on her. Her face was flushed with rage. She swung her arm to slap him, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her. "What the hell do you think you're doing," she hissed. "Madra, I'm so sorry, I never meant for that to happen...really." he replied. "You are in this house at the invitation of Max and myself," she said, "and this is how you show respect for my husband? I love Max. There will never be anyone else for me but him - are you clear on that?! And what about my sister? Are you just stringing her along?" She was practically shaking with rage. He tried to explain, but had nothing to say for himself, so he merely said, "I'm sorry....it won't happen again." "You're right," she said, "it won't, because by the time I return from the hospital today, you will be gone. I don't care where you go, just get yourself and your things out of here." With that, she turned on her heel and walked down the stairs and out the front door.
She had managed to calm down by the time she reached the hospital. She entered the floor and the nurses all waived and smiled at her. She was becoming a regular here since her husband's heart attack, and all the nurses truly liked her. They felt bad for her after what had happened, and they all tried to keep her informed on her husband's progress. Madra walked into Max' room and almost gasped. His bed was empty! Her heart raced. He should be here resting she thought. He was always sleeping when she came to visit at this time of day. Oh, my God, she thought, what has happened to my darling Max. "Are you looking for me," came a voice from behind her. She turned to see Max sitting upright in a chair. "Max!" she cried, and held the implulse to run to him. "I'm sorry.....I didn't mean to...." and he could see tears well in her eyes as she turned to leave. He grabbed her hand and said, "Don't go...please." She looked at him confused. "I have been such an idiot" he said. "I didn't want you to fuss over me - I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you...." his voice trailed off. "Oh, Max," she said, "we supposed to take care of each other." He looked at her and saw for the first time that he had caused her pain, "Can you ever forgive me, darling?"
	She wasted no time, in a flash she was in his arms, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Max, oh, Max......I have missed you." "I have missed you, too, Madra," he said. "All those times while you sat by my bed thinking I was asleep," he confessed, "I was pretending to be asleep so you wouldn't leave. I just can't do it.....I tried to spare you all this, but I need you, please don't leave me." "Leave you?" she cried, "don't you know I'd die first?!" She kissed him gently, afraid of hurting him in some way. He closed his eyes, finally at peace. His darling wife was in his arms where she belonged. She was laughing and crying at the same time. "Oh, Max, you're out of bed. That must mean that you're getting stronger!" In fact, he had been working incredibly hard to get strong. He wanted her to see him as he was, not a helpless invalid. "Yes," he said, "my doctors say I'm doing well. But, I have had a great motivation - you and the girls! I want to come home, Madra." "Oh, Max, I would love nothing more."
Madra could see that Max was tiring and helped him back into the bed. "Come," he said, "and lie with me, please. We've been apart for too long and I need to feel you close to me again." She gently lay next to him and rest her head on his shoulder. They lay there like that for a while, holding hands and enjoying the closeness of each other. He could smell the familiar scent of lavendar and it was wonderful. "Tell me about the girls, darling," he said. "They are fine, Max. Rebecca Jamison and Glynis have been tending to them for a while. I'm afraid that I haven't been a very good mother, lately....." her voice trailed off. "Nonsense," he said, "you are the most incredible mother in the world! I can't wait to get home. The doctors said that if I keep progressing this way, it wouldn't be too much longer." "Oh, that's the best news I've heard in a very long time," she replied. "Yes," he said, "and then I can make sure that you are eating properly, my dear, you are losing too much weight." * * *	* * *
She turned around then to enjoy the view. Jax put his arms around her, thinking about how lucky he was to have found this incredible woman. The way she loves me, he thought! "Oh, Jax," Gene said, "I feel the same way. I can't imagine my life without you! And, this trip, it's just magical....we'll have to come back with our children." Children, he thought - children....that's way in the future, if ever. Children complicate things. I didn't realize she wanted children. Well, he thought, perhaps in time, she'll change her mind.	Meanwhile, the newlyweds were enjoying their honeymoon. Jax was having a wonderful time showing Gene all the places she had dreamt of seeing. He had been here while on a college break, he told her, but nothing could be better than being there with her. He was wonderful, Gene thought. He is so attentive and he keeps showering me with presents - every city we visit holds a new surprise. She told him that she didn't need all these expensive presents, that she was happy just being there with him. He told her he understood that, but that he wanted to spoil her. "I love you so much, Gene" he said, "I can't believe how complete I feel now that you are my wife!"
	Jax wasn't prepared for what she said next. "Jax," Gene began, "you have been so wonderful to me, and I love you so much. Together we have so much love to share. I have a special gift for you, too! I've been waiting for just the right time to tell you, but I think now is that time. I just can't wait to tell you any longer! I'm so thrilled, and I know you will be, too! Darling, we are going to have a baby!"