Loving Lizzy (The Serenity Mountain Series Book 6)

Chapter Thirty Two

Michael held Lizzy close to him as he took her back to her bedroom. He laid her down and covered her with the intention of cleaning up the hair. Sparing her from seeing it in the morning.

She reached out to him as he pulled away.

“If you mean what you said, please stay with me. I miss you holding me,” she whispered.

Wasting no time turning off the light, he rounded the bed and climbed in. He scooted closer to her, and she felt his breath on her neck as she stared into the dark. Michael saw through all her defenses and still loved her. She fought sleep, reveling in her newfound safety she’d denied herself for so long.

Her thoughts drifted to her new friends from chemo. Diana’s husband walked out on her and two children because he didn’t have one-tenth of the honor Michael carried in his pinky to stay beside the woman he loved. Barb faced the fight alone. Did they really want to fight this dreadful disease by themselves when she, without a doubt, had finally found a family of her own? His breathing evened out and she found herself matching the movements of his chest until sleep beckoned.

* * *

Michael slidfrom the bed and grabbed Lizzy’s phone to keep it from waking her. He padded barefoot down the hallway and into the sunroom. He dialed his best friend.

“Hello,” Chase answered.

“Can Kassie come down this morning? Lizzy’s hair fell out last night and I think she’ll want support from the girls. I know she’s working today,” he hesitated.

“I’ll text her now. The women researched and prepared for every situation. There are three nurses in the family, and they’ve seen it all. Don’t worry, brother, they’ll take care of her. Why don’t you come to the team building? I’m taking paperwork over there when the team returns.”

“I’ll see how things transpire here.”

“You know caregivers need care too. The women will have her well in hand. Come join us,” Chase ordered.

“Yeah, I’ll leave once Kassie shows up.”

Chase disconnected the line. He busied himself with making breakfast and finding a shirt, not knowing how long until Kassie planned to show up.

“Michael?” Lizzy’s voice echoed down the hall, and he hastened to her.

“I’m here, Lizzy. You slept soundly. I took your phone to keep it from disturbing you.” He pulled her slippers from under the bed and bent to slide them over her feet.

Lizzy’s hand self-consciously went to her head as if she were replaying the events from the night before. He refused to allow her to second guess him.

“We’re going into the kitchen, eating breakfast, then we’ll gather ourselves,” he threw her own words at her.

Lizzy sighed. She allowed Michael to take her hand and seat her in the sunroom. The early spring sunshine burst through the glass, warming the room. Michael turned on the fireplace to knock out what little chill loomed.

“I can make eggs, avocado toast, yogurt with fruit and pancakes. What can you handle?” he asked confidently.

“I’ll take yogurt and fruit. Can I get a cup of peppermint tea? Things go down better if I drink it first,” she informed him as she took the blanket he offered and covered her lower half.

“I’ll start the kettle. Victoria and Ivan mentioned renting out the movie theatre for a children’s movie for the Serenity kids. They asked for grown-up supervision. Do you want to volunteer? We can sit back in concessions and help.”

Lizzy laughed. “You know you only offer because you love the movie theatre popcorn.”

He smiled. “My choices were helping clean up after the show, the concession stand, or sitting with Leo and answering pregnancy questions during the movie. The men say they’ve gotten their fill the last few weeks and it’s my turn to take one for the team. Ivan volunteered some men he’s punishing to clean up the theatre. The way I see it, I made the wiser choice.”

“I don’t know.” Her hand reached uncomfortably to her neck and her eyes cast downward toward the floor.

“Promise me, you’ll think about it? We’re in this together and it’ll do you good to leave the house a bit. We’ll wear masks and you can sit and watch while I give the kids sugar and send them home. The weather’s turning warmer and when you get a bit of energy, we can go for a small hike,” he told her.

“I will,” her voice sounded doubtful. Michael brought out the tea and went back to slice fruit for her yogurt. When he returned, she held the phone in her hand.

“If I can find the two women I met in chemo, can I invite them to attend? Barb doesn’t have a family and Diana’s husband left her when he learned of her diagnosis. She has two little ones.”

“I don’t see why not. Did they exchange phone numbers with you?”

Lizzy sipped her tea. “No. One of the nurses took a shine to Barb, and she might know how to reach her. I’m sure Diana and her talk, she might get a message to her.”

“I’ll check with the team; I doubt they’ll object.” Michael sat down next to her on the couch and sipped his coffee. “I’ll be back later this afternoon; did you want anything from the store?”

“Oh, I forgot about you working. I hope I didn’t make you late,” she worried.

“It’s one of the perks of the job. I’m allowed to make my own office hours. Chase, Kassie, and I will meet next week and discuss when I can start.”

“Start? You’ve worked for a few weeks now.” Lizzy peered at him.

Michael appeared uncomfortable, “I mean officially when I don’t work as many hours. I decided I want to slow down and enjoy our time together and try to get to know the guys better.”

“Chase’s hospital is smaller than what I’m used to working in Seattle. We’ve spent a few late nights working bugs out as the patient load increases. I don’t think I’ll be working as many hours either,” she sighed. “I miss work.”

Tipping his cup back, he finished his coffee and picked up her cup to refill her tea.

She finished her breakfast and gratefully sipped her second cup of tea. Her head felt weird with patches missing and she feared touching it, causing more to fall out.

The doorbell rang and Lizzy stood to answer it. When she walked into the hallway, Michael had already opened the door. All the women stood in the doorway with boxes and packages in their hands.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in dismay as the women took over her living room, dropping items on the floor. Bryanna brought a basket loaded with fresh donuts, muffins, cookies, brownies, and an apple pie.

Victoria clasped her hand and herded her toward the bedroom. “Didn’t you get the invite? We’re having a party today. Luv, these pajamas simply won’t do.”

She glanced helplessly back at Michael, witnessing him get pushed out the front door. Kassie held his coat while Catherine shoved a muffin in his mouth and his keys in his hand.

A half-hour later, Lizzy sat in her recliner in a pair of jeans and a pretty green cashmere sweater. Samantha approached her. “Your hair will continue to fall out. You might save a patch here or there, but for the most part, it’ll fall out. You can let it continue to come out on its own or we can shave it.”

She sucked her bottom lip as she scanned the room. Kassie sent her an encouraging smile. Catherine nodded positively. Bryanna gave her a chin jerk. Carol and Maddie smiled sympathetically. Victoria, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and held her head high. Edie walked over to her and wrapped the prayer shawl around her shoulders.

“Let’s shave it,” she told the group.

Bryanna brought out a chair from the kitchen. Samantha reached into her bag and pulled out the electric razor. She draped a smock over Lizzy’s clothing and Kassie laid paper on the floor. Carol fetched the vacuum.

“This seems a bit unorthodox, luv. We decided we all wanted to be there for you and your bathroom isn’t big enough for us to fit,” Victoria told her sympathetically.

She choked with laughter as tears pooled into her eyes. Samantha turned on the device. Lizzy’s eyes widened as each woman gathered around her, taking each other by the hand. Kassie held her hand and Edie grasped the other. Kassie’s melodic voice began singing “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. The group joined her as backup. Samantha began shaving and Lizzy cried as she scanned their circle. They reminded her of a tribe of warriors surrounding her. It hit her like a ton of bricks. These ladies gave her the strength to fight. They held her up and no matter what happened, she belonged. Kassie passed her tissues to wipe her tears and blow her nose.

They quickly cleaned up the mess. Victoria popped open a bottle of wine despite the fact that it was ten o’clock in the morning, and Kassie, Catherine, and Lizzy shared a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

“Let’s get the party going,” Victoria announced.

The women began opening the packages surrounding them. Sealed wigs of different sizes lay in boxes and bags in a various assortment of colors.

Samantha measured her head. She called out the size and the women started sorting through the wigs.

“How did you get all these? It seems like such a waste. I hope you can get your money back.” Lizzy worried the women spent way too much money on her.

“Since we didn’t know your measurements, we purchased different sizes and what doesn’t fit will find a home with a local cancer support group,” Kassie explained.

Victoria held up a redheaded wig and a blonde one. “You need to pick what colors you want to keep. They say blondes have more fun. In my experience, I believe redheads can’t be beat.”

She giggled. “I always wanted long hair. Do you have one with long black hair?

Edie held two up in the air. “Do you want a straight one or a wig with waves?”

She inspected the two wigs and selected the long wavy one. Edie passed it to Samantha, who prepped Lizzy and put the wig on. She stepped back and smiled.

“If you pick a wig and don’t necessarily like the style or length, we can add bangs or whatever you like,” Samantha instructed.

Maddie and Carol gripped a large mirror. Lizzy stared at the image staring back at her. She touched the hair and marveled at how last night she felt her world had ended and woke up to discover herself surrounded by a tribe, no, surrounded by her tribe.

* * *

Michael pulledinto the team building parking lot. Leo set up Michael’s security code for the door and he pressed in the numbers. The door opened and he heard the men in the kitchen.

Chase sat on a stool with a cup of coffee in his hand. At hearing Michael’s approach, he held up the cup silently asking if Michael wanted any. He nodded and slid into a chair at the table. Chase moved over to join him. Saint stood at the stove scrambling eggs while Shadow poured juice and Leo read the paperwork in front of him.

“Matthew flew to Texas last night to check things out and see if he can tap into the security system at the Stanton estate. He wants to remove it all and start from scratch. Chase, I didn’t tell PITA. Matthew called this morning, he found tapes and recordings. I’ve instructed him to bring them back here to keep them secure.” By the tone in Leo’s voice and the way Chase stiffened, this didn’t seem like welcome news.

“Until we know what they contain, it’s best if we keep it from Kassie. She’s under enough stress right now.” Chase focused on Michael. “I take it since you’re here, the women arrived.”

Michael nodded, “Yeah.” He rested his elbows on the table and massaged his forehead.

Leo set the papers down. Saint set the bowl of eggs on the table as Taco laid out a platter of pancakes and bacon. Shadow took the seat beside him.

“How’s Lizzy?” Shadow draped an arm off the back of his chair and waited for him to respond.

Michael opened his mouth and snapped it shut. Chase placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s hard to keep a secret on the mountain. Once I notified Kassie, they have some phone tree system. It doesn’t help that Victoria’s men surround the mountain and move like a miniature army.”

“I heard a noise last night and I went to check on her. She wasn’t in bed. I ended up breaking down the bathroom door and finding her on the floor. Her hair started falling out. She’s upset about it. I hope the women can help her. I didn’t realize when I called you, I set off a community alert. By the way, your women can be downright mean. Kassie held out my coat while Catherine stuffed a muffin in my mouth, and they shoved me out the door.”

“Damn it, I told Catherine to put her feet up when she arrived. Her ankles seemed a bit swollen this morning.” His eyes narrowed as he thought about his wife. “Did Bryanna bring a pie over when she showed up?”

“Yeah, she brought an apple one,” Michael told him.

“Shit.” He pulled the phone out and furiously pressed the dial button. When it went to voice mail, he barked into the phone. “Catherine, I’m aware there’s an apple pie down there and I got the message from the doctor about your glucose test. It better stay intact and not slip into your mouth like the brownie did yesterday.” He shoved his phone into his pocket. “Catherine’s sugar in her urine test showed a bit high and she’s on a sweets kick.”

Shadow shoved a plate of eggs, pancakes, and bacon in front of Michael. “Eat, they’ll be awhile if they called in the troops. Where’s Whiskey? He asked about Lizzy too.”

Leo dug into his eggs. “He’s helping one of our brothers in arms.”

The team fell silent as they recalled the last few months with Ash and Whiskey. Whiskey continued therapy and the team took turns on call if Samantha felt he needed extra support.

Shadow waited a minute before asking again, “How’s Lizzy?”

Michael stared at the plate of food and pushed it aside. “I’ve cared for sick kids and as a doctor I’ve comforted parents going through chemo. This is my wife. I feel so damn helpless,” his voice cracked. The men sat quietly at the table waiting for him to gain control over his emotions.

Chase leaned forward on the table. “What do you need?”

Michael hesitated. What did he need? He wanted Lizzy’s suffering to stop. He hated every minute of watching her struggle to make it through the day, he detested the fear in her eyes, how she refused to discuss the future, and knowing she felt she wasn’t enough for him. He wondered how he missed it when they first married. From the moment he met her, he became enamored by her intelligence, her warm green eyes, and how she didn’t care what he did for a living if he enjoyed it. He refused to count how many dates he went on with women who attempted to attach themselves to a doctor. The humanitarian mission came up at the last minute and he expressed an interest in doing one before he settled into the practice. Lizzy encouraged him to go on the mission when he seemed hesitant at leaving his new bride at home for months.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “Lizzy told me she felt we lived independent lives when we first married. God, I’ve loved her from the first moment I met her. When I remember all those hours we spent apart and then I left, I realize she’s right. Last night she begged me to call Kassie when she discovered her hair falling out. I broke down the bathroom door to find her lying on the floor.” Michael swiped his hand over his face. “The devastation in her eyes told me she already had given up. I think I got through to her that I planned to stay by her side. I wish I could do something, to prove to her I’m with her in this fight. She has me and this…family.”

“You can shave your head,” Taco suggested. “I’ve heard of family members doing it when someone they love goes through chemo.”

Michael’s chin went up. “It’s not a bad idea, thanks, Taco.”

Leo glanced around the table. “We got everything here in the locker room.”

Michael shoved away from the table, not hesitating as he made his way through the gym and into the designated area. The team followed. Saint went to his locker and pulled out a bag. He rummaged around and pulled out an electric trimmer and handed it to Michael.

He nodded his head in thanks and stood in front of one of the sinks lined against the wall. He clicked the device on, and watched in the mirror as he made the first cut.

Chase came up to stand behind him and cleaned up the back of his head. Chase turned off the trimmer and helped him clean up the sink and floor. Michael swept the hair into a dustpan and heard the device click on and stood with his mouth open as Chase proceeded to shave the top half of his head. Leo took the trimmers and finished the back. As they cleaned up, Taco took the empty pan from Michael and held it as Saint scooped up the hair. Michael leaned against the wall in awe of his new friends as they each took turns shaving their heads in solidarity with him and Lizzy. The action said more than any words.

“I don’t know what to say,” he told the team as Leo stood in the front as the men flanked him.

“There’s nothing to say, you’re a part of us, when you hurt, we hurt, brother. We stand by you all the way,” Leo told him, as the team patted him on the shoulder and made their way back to the kitchen.