She found herself waiting for yet another phone call as she watched the eggs cook on the stove. Chuck quietly watched as he took a bite of his toast, the crunch of the toast and sizzle of the eggs were the only sounds to be heard. “Hey Mom!” Evelynn broke the tension as she eagerly came running into the kitchen; completely unaware of the stress her mom was under. Cheyenne stopped and smiled. “Good morning dear,” she said as she took the eggs off of the stove and placed them on a plate for Evelynn.
For Evelynn, it was a normal Friday morning. She woke up early to venture out and visit with her favorite pony, Tony (aka SCF Magic Muffin) before school. “How was Tony this morning?” Cheyenne asked. “Good.” She answered with a mouth full of eggs. She swallowed and continued, “I think he’s itching to run though,” before taking a gulp of her milk. Chuck smirked; he wasn’t surprised to hear that. Magic Muffin was the first Shetland pony racer at the estate and was retired early due to the ending of the association; all of their ponies had been. “I’ll see to it that he and the other ponies are taken to the larger pastures today so they can stretch their legs…hopefully burn off some energy.” He told her as he looked at Cheyenne.
“Thanks!” Evelynn said as she finished her last bite of breakfast. “Why are you eating so fast?” Cheyenne asked, slightly irritated. “Well, I’m going to meet Will before we leave.” The clang of her dishes falling in the sink filled the quiet room.
“Why is that?” Cheyenne, now more irritated, asked. She was beginning to lose control of herself as the stress of waiting for the phone to ring ate at her. “Is Ki-, Will’s mom taking you both to school today then?” Chuck interrupted, trying to give Cheyenne a moment to collect herself. Despite the fact that he’d been with Cheyenne for so many years, the sting of the past was still strong. Will’s mother, Kiki Potter, was once Chuck’s fiancée. “Yes, she will. I just want to see their new puppy before we leave. That’s all.”
Cheyenne’s shoulders dropped as she looked down at the floor. “Ok dear” she said before turning to look at her daughter and smiling; “Have a good day at school.”
“Thanks mom!” Evelynn grabbed her lunch and ran out the door, letting it slam behind her; causing Cheyenne to jump slightly in her chair. Chuck placed his hand on her shoulder as they waited in silence once again. “I wish I didn’t get so upset with her. I just-, I-“Cheyenne said, fighting tears.
“I know Cheyenne. Its normal and Evelynn knows you didn’t mean it.”
“I hope so.” Cheyenne closed her eyes, tired from crying so much over the past few days. She just wanted to hear that this was all going to go away. That it was just a scare and nothing to worry about. But at that very moment, she just wanted to sleep. She hadn’t been able to sleep all week. The bags beneath her eyes were no longer able to hide with her makeup. Beep, beep, beep…the coffee machine alarm went off, giving Cheyenne her much needed pick me up for the morning. Chuck poured them both a cup and added a bit of sugar for her. As he stirred the sugar in, the phone began to ring. Cheyenne’s eyes widened as she jumped up and grabbed her phone off the counter. She took a deep breath and raised the phone to her ear, “Hello?”
“Yes, that’s me….uh huh….ok. What does that mean? Really?” Chuck stood there, frozen with worry. He couldn’t read her. Was it good? What were they saying? “ok, thank you.” Cheyenne’s hand dropped to her side, nearly dropping her phone. “What did they say?” Chuck nervously asked, as he placed the cup of coffee on the table in front of her.
Cheyenne sat back down, forgetting the cup of coffee Chuck had prepared for her. She didn’t say anything at first; she didn’t even raise her head. She just placed her hands on the table in front of her, still clutching her phone. “Cheyenne?” Chuck sat down, and grasped her empty hand. “What did they say?” he asked again, now more anxious. Cheyenne took another moment and finally looked up at him, “uh….the initial tests came back benign. They don’t think its cancer; but they want to do surgery to make sure.”
“That’s amazing!” Chuck felt a huge relief as he heard those words. “Why aren’t you more excited?” He asked. “They want to do a hysterectomy” she answered quietly, holding back tears. “It means we can never have kids.” Her chin quivered as the thought sank in. Chuck bent down and looked her in the eyes. “Cheyenne, look at me.” She looked up at him, her red eyes full of tears as he continued, “all I care about is that you are going to be ok. Having kids…that was a dream of ours, yes; but we have Evelynn and I have William. Between the two of them we are kept very busy. Not to mention the Estate. We don’t need to have any more children to be complete.” His words were all the encouragement she needed. “Are you sure? I thought you really wanted more.” She finally let go of her phone and grabbed both his hands tight, her stomach was in knots as she looked into his eyes. “Absolutely” he said smiling, “All I want right now is you.” He passionately hugged and kissed her as they both felt immense relief.
For Evelynn, it was a normal Friday morning. She woke up early to venture out and visit with her favorite pony, Tony (aka SCF Magic Muffin) before school. “How was Tony this morning?” Cheyenne asked. “Good.” She answered with a mouth full of eggs. She swallowed and continued, “I think he’s itching to run though,” before taking a gulp of her milk. Chuck smirked; he wasn’t surprised to hear that. Magic Muffin was the first Shetland pony racer at the estate and was retired early due to the ending of the association; all of their ponies had been. “I’ll see to it that he and the other ponies are taken to the larger pastures today so they can stretch their legs…hopefully burn off some energy.” He told her as he looked at Cheyenne.
“Thanks!” Evelynn said as she finished her last bite of breakfast. “Why are you eating so fast?” Cheyenne asked, slightly irritated. “Well, I’m going to meet Will before we leave.” The clang of her dishes falling in the sink filled the quiet room.
“Why is that?” Cheyenne, now more irritated, asked. She was beginning to lose control of herself as the stress of waiting for the phone to ring ate at her. “Is Ki-, Will’s mom taking you both to school today then?” Chuck interrupted, trying to give Cheyenne a moment to collect herself. Despite the fact that he’d been with Cheyenne for so many years, the sting of the past was still strong. Will’s mother, Kiki Potter, was once Chuck’s fiancée. “Yes, she will. I just want to see their new puppy before we leave. That’s all.”
Cheyenne’s shoulders dropped as she looked down at the floor. “Ok dear” she said before turning to look at her daughter and smiling; “Have a good day at school.”
“Thanks mom!” Evelynn grabbed her lunch and ran out the door, letting it slam behind her; causing Cheyenne to jump slightly in her chair. Chuck placed his hand on her shoulder as they waited in silence once again. “I wish I didn’t get so upset with her. I just-, I-“Cheyenne said, fighting tears.
“I know Cheyenne. Its normal and Evelynn knows you didn’t mean it.”
“I hope so.” Cheyenne closed her eyes, tired from crying so much over the past few days. She just wanted to hear that this was all going to go away. That it was just a scare and nothing to worry about. But at that very moment, she just wanted to sleep. She hadn’t been able to sleep all week. The bags beneath her eyes were no longer able to hide with her makeup. Beep, beep, beep…the coffee machine alarm went off, giving Cheyenne her much needed pick me up for the morning. Chuck poured them both a cup and added a bit of sugar for her. As he stirred the sugar in, the phone began to ring. Cheyenne’s eyes widened as she jumped up and grabbed her phone off the counter. She took a deep breath and raised the phone to her ear, “Hello?”
“Yes, that’s me….uh huh….ok. What does that mean? Really?” Chuck stood there, frozen with worry. He couldn’t read her. Was it good? What were they saying? “ok, thank you.” Cheyenne’s hand dropped to her side, nearly dropping her phone. “What did they say?” Chuck nervously asked, as he placed the cup of coffee on the table in front of her.
Cheyenne sat back down, forgetting the cup of coffee Chuck had prepared for her. She didn’t say anything at first; she didn’t even raise her head. She just placed her hands on the table in front of her, still clutching her phone. “Cheyenne?” Chuck sat down, and grasped her empty hand. “What did they say?” he asked again, now more anxious. Cheyenne took another moment and finally looked up at him, “uh….the initial tests came back benign. They don’t think its cancer; but they want to do surgery to make sure.”
“That’s amazing!” Chuck felt a huge relief as he heard those words. “Why aren’t you more excited?” He asked. “They want to do a hysterectomy” she answered quietly, holding back tears. “It means we can never have kids.” Her chin quivered as the thought sank in. Chuck bent down and looked her in the eyes. “Cheyenne, look at me.” She looked up at him, her red eyes full of tears as he continued, “all I care about is that you are going to be ok. Having kids…that was a dream of ours, yes; but we have Evelynn and I have William. Between the two of them we are kept very busy. Not to mention the Estate. We don’t need to have any more children to be complete.” His words were all the encouragement she needed. “Are you sure? I thought you really wanted more.” She finally let go of her phone and grabbed both his hands tight, her stomach was in knots as she looked into his eyes. “Absolutely” he said smiling, “All I want right now is you.” He passionately hugged and kissed her as they both felt immense relief.