“Thank you doctor.”
Nothing had prepared Cheyenne for that call. She didn’t move from her chair as she hung up the phone. The air was still, thick; she could barely breathe. Questions just rattled through her head as she absorbed what she was just told. What Cheyenne had been hoping for was the exact opposite from what she had. Her hands began to shake as she fought the tears. Her chin quivered as the room began to darken until finally, the tears began to run down her face, dotting her grey sweatshirt.
It was cancer. She had hoped she was pregnant, but now was just hoping not to die. She was terrified. What would happen to her? To her daughter, Evelynn? To Quiet Meadows Estate? How was she going to tell Chuck and Evelynn? As the questions continued, she lost all control of herself. Her quiet sniffles turned into heavy sobs. She wanted to go to her bathroom and hide from the world. To seal herself away and pretend it wasn’t true; but her legs didn’t have the strength. She wiped the tears away with her now drenched sleeve, in an attempt to calm herself before anyone found her; but it was too late. She heard the front door open and before she could do anything, Chuck was at the living room doorway.
“Cheyenne? What’s wrong?” Concern filled his voice as he approached her and opened his arms to her. She didn’t say anything at first. She couldn’t say those words…she tried, but her mind wouldn’t let her. She cleared her throat, “um.” She cleared her throat again. “I just got a call from the doctor.”
“Oh?” Chuck replied in a quizzical and hopeful tone. “I’m not pregnant.”
“oh, well, that’s ok. We can keep trying.” He said, trying to cheer her up.
“No.” She shook her head, struggling to find the words. “No, we can’t.” She fought with every bit of energy she had to stop the tears from restarting. Chuck looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was fighting to say. “um…the doctor just called to say that…it looks like I have uterine cancer.” She choked out the words as she began to bawl and collapsed in his arms.
Chuck’s heart sank as he held her tight. Now he began to question everything. How could this be happening? What was she going to go through? How bad will it be? How could he keep going without her? What about Evelynn? What about the Estate?Before he knew it, his eyes were filled with tears as well. He managed to choke out a few words, “uh..what did she say? What do we need to do first?” He said as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Chuck wasn’t one to sit and worry, he was a take charge and push on kind of man; but this would test him in a way he had never been tested.
“I need to go in to Wednesday to meet with her and have some additional scans done.” She said between her sobs. “Ok, so we start there.” He held her close, his hand on her head, his fingers mingled through her silky hair. “We’ll get through this, Cheyenne; we’ll fight this. You’ll see; everything will be ok.” He tried to keep calm and be strong for her. She needed him more now than she ever had. He had to be her rock right now even though he was terrified inside. “Listen.” He said as he grabbed her face and looked her in the eyes; “We don’t say anything to anyone yet. Ok? Let’s hear everything the doctor has to tell us beforehand. Ok?” She shook her head in agreement. He passionately kissed her as her tears and sobs continued. “I love you Cheyenne, we’re going to get through this. Ok.” He said. She smiled, lifting her hand to his chest and whispered, “ok.”
“Good.” He said sternly as he looked out the window. Then he was reminded of why he came looking for her. “So, I came in to let you know that Fate has arrived. Do you want to come see her?” He tried to change the subject, to get her mind off of everything. “Yes…yes, I do.” She said as she sniffled and wiped her face. He hugged her again tight as they turned to go outside. Their hands were entwined tightly as the sun shown on her face, drying the remaining droplets of tears on her cheek.
A neigh echoed from the trailer as they walked over towards it. A stable hand was just starting to lead QMR Fate Be Changedout of the trailer as the pair approached. “I forgot how big she was.” Cheyenne said with a smile. It had been several years, but Fate was returning a tall and proud flat racing champion; and she seemed to know it. Chuck grabbed the lead and patted Fate on the neck. “Hey girl.” He said as if the weight of the world had momentarily been lifted off his shoulders; if only for just that moment.
Nothing had prepared Cheyenne for that call. She didn’t move from her chair as she hung up the phone. The air was still, thick; she could barely breathe. Questions just rattled through her head as she absorbed what she was just told. What Cheyenne had been hoping for was the exact opposite from what she had. Her hands began to shake as she fought the tears. Her chin quivered as the room began to darken until finally, the tears began to run down her face, dotting her grey sweatshirt.
It was cancer. She had hoped she was pregnant, but now was just hoping not to die. She was terrified. What would happen to her? To her daughter, Evelynn? To Quiet Meadows Estate? How was she going to tell Chuck and Evelynn? As the questions continued, she lost all control of herself. Her quiet sniffles turned into heavy sobs. She wanted to go to her bathroom and hide from the world. To seal herself away and pretend it wasn’t true; but her legs didn’t have the strength. She wiped the tears away with her now drenched sleeve, in an attempt to calm herself before anyone found her; but it was too late. She heard the front door open and before she could do anything, Chuck was at the living room doorway.
“Cheyenne? What’s wrong?” Concern filled his voice as he approached her and opened his arms to her. She didn’t say anything at first. She couldn’t say those words…she tried, but her mind wouldn’t let her. She cleared her throat, “um.” She cleared her throat again. “I just got a call from the doctor.”
“Oh?” Chuck replied in a quizzical and hopeful tone. “I’m not pregnant.”
“oh, well, that’s ok. We can keep trying.” He said, trying to cheer her up.
“No.” She shook her head, struggling to find the words. “No, we can’t.” She fought with every bit of energy she had to stop the tears from restarting. Chuck looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was fighting to say. “um…the doctor just called to say that…it looks like I have uterine cancer.” She choked out the words as she began to bawl and collapsed in his arms.
Chuck’s heart sank as he held her tight. Now he began to question everything. How could this be happening? What was she going to go through? How bad will it be? How could he keep going without her? What about Evelynn? What about the Estate?Before he knew it, his eyes were filled with tears as well. He managed to choke out a few words, “uh..what did she say? What do we need to do first?” He said as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Chuck wasn’t one to sit and worry, he was a take charge and push on kind of man; but this would test him in a way he had never been tested.
“I need to go in to Wednesday to meet with her and have some additional scans done.” She said between her sobs. “Ok, so we start there.” He held her close, his hand on her head, his fingers mingled through her silky hair. “We’ll get through this, Cheyenne; we’ll fight this. You’ll see; everything will be ok.” He tried to keep calm and be strong for her. She needed him more now than she ever had. He had to be her rock right now even though he was terrified inside. “Listen.” He said as he grabbed her face and looked her in the eyes; “We don’t say anything to anyone yet. Ok? Let’s hear everything the doctor has to tell us beforehand. Ok?” She shook her head in agreement. He passionately kissed her as her tears and sobs continued. “I love you Cheyenne, we’re going to get through this. Ok.” He said. She smiled, lifting her hand to his chest and whispered, “ok.”
“Good.” He said sternly as he looked out the window. Then he was reminded of why he came looking for her. “So, I came in to let you know that Fate has arrived. Do you want to come see her?” He tried to change the subject, to get her mind off of everything. “Yes…yes, I do.” She said as she sniffled and wiped her face. He hugged her again tight as they turned to go outside. Their hands were entwined tightly as the sun shown on her face, drying the remaining droplets of tears on her cheek.
A neigh echoed from the trailer as they walked over towards it. A stable hand was just starting to lead QMR Fate Be Changedout of the trailer as the pair approached. “I forgot how big she was.” Cheyenne said with a smile. It had been several years, but Fate was returning a tall and proud flat racing champion; and she seemed to know it. Chuck grabbed the lead and patted Fate on the neck. “Hey girl.” He said as if the weight of the world had momentarily been lifted off his shoulders; if only for just that moment.