FIONA

Chapter Eight: A Visit With A Longtime Friend

It was cloudy by noon time when Beverley entered Mrs. Stinson's driveway. Jangling her keys, she glanced down at them. As she looked up at Mrs. Stinson's house, she got lost in her thoughts. I know this will be good for me to talk to Mrs. Stinson. I hope she is home. If she overcame cancer, I know I can, too. But right now, I don't know how to go about telling her. I feel kind of uncomfortable, but I do realize it's something I must do.

Walking up to the entrance of the house, she muttered, "Okay, Beverley. Let's do this," and she rang the doorbell.

Upon opening the door, Mrs. Stinson opened her arms wide, saying, "Beverley, what a nice surprise. It's so good of you to stop by," and embraced her, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, dear?"

"I need to talk to you. May I come in?" Beverley cried.

"Of course, dear. You know my door is always open to you and your sister," Mrs. Stinson said, smiling.

Taking a seat next to Mrs. Stinson on the sofa, Beverley poured out her heart, "I had a mammogram recently. It wasn't good," she said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"You mean," Mrs. Stinson covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh dear. Cancer?"

"Yes. I don't know where else to turn other than to you and my sister. She was the one who suggested, well more like advised, no urged me, no ordered me to see you and talk about my condition," Beverley cried, wiping away some of the anguish from her face with her hands.

Mrs. Stinson took a hold of Beverley's hands and held them tight. "Dear, you're gonna beat this, just like I did. I went to the treatment center. The doctors combined alternative medicine with chemotherapy. How bad did your doctor say it was, Beverley?"

"It's a lump the size of a golf ball," she replied sullenly, fidgeting with her tissue.

"That's not so bad. It's possible they can remove it with surgery, and you won't need chemo. Talk to your doctor some more about it and your options. When I had cancer in my breast a few years back, my lump was the size of a golf ball, and they removed it with surgery. So far, I've been in remission for seven years. Take heart, and have faith things will turn out alright," Mrs. Stinson advised Beverley, taking her face in her hands and kissing her on both sides of her face. She then embraced her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Stinson. You've given me some hope. I'm glad I came here today," Beverley sighed, focusing intently on folding her Kleenex tissue.

"Can I get you anything, dear? Perhaps a piece of chocolate cake? Maybe a scoop or two of ice cream? I just made them last night. Aside from baking cakes, I've begun the hobby of making my own ice cream. I've been doing so for five months now. It's nice, because I don't get all those preservatives and other things in it that are no good for the health. And it's not as fattening," Mrs. Stinson said, patting her own hips.

"I'd love some chocolate cake and ice cream. Chocolate is my favorite from the time I was a little kid. I remember coming to your house with my sister when she and I were children. Your daughter and son were our closest friends. They still are like family to us. All of you are, even though we've lost touch with you all over the years, due to busy, hectic lives," Beverley smiled, with a look of some peace on her face.

"I remember. Now, if you follow me into the kitchen, Beverly, we'll have that cake and ice cream."

Mrs. Stinson's kitchen was open with beautiful countertops one could pull up bar stools next to them, and ate.

Beverley sat at the counter waiting while Mrs. Stinson served her the chocolate

cake and ice cream.

Putting a bite of ice cream covered chocolate cake into her mouth, Beverley sighed, saying, "This is good. So very delicious and chocolaty. And the ice cream is fantastic. You simply must give me the recipe. I'd love to make it sometime. I'd like to learn."

"I'd be more than glad to teach you, dear. How's Fiona these days?"

"Blaine came back into her life. I remember how she had a crush on him since she was a freshman in high school. Back then, he never gave her one look. I was surprised when she told me he asked her out," Beverley said, licking the chocolate from her lips.

"Blaine. Isn't he the one with the uncle who owns a construction company?" Mrs. Stinson asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"The very one. But, I wish I knew what his intentions are towards my sister. He and she have a date this coming Saturday night. I trust my sister. But I'm not sure about him."

"Fiona's a grown woman, now. She's not that teenage girl anymore. Trust that she knows what she's doing. Have faith in her decisions. Whatever the outcome of her getting involved with Blaine, she'll come out fine, somehow," Mrs. Stinson assured her while patting her shoulder.