A season of trust
By Lori Gazdagh						Accueil   Home

Sophia and CC were enjoying a quiet breakfast together in the kitchen. Sophia was nursing a cup of coffee and reading the front page of the New York Times, while CC was enjoying a piece of toast as he concentrated on page four of the Wall Street Journal. The tranquility of the morning was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. It only rang twice and then stopped. A few minutes later, Marie appeared in the archway of the west entrance into the kitchen. In a soft tone, she said, "Excuse me Mrs. Capwell, you have a phone call." Sophia looked up from the paper and replied, "Thank you Marie, I'll take it in here." She stood up and walked over the counter and lifted the receiver. "Hello, this is Sophia Capwell." CC was only slightly distracted by Sophia answering the phone as he was heavily engrossed in the latest article regarding the housing market. He liked to be kept appraised on any lucrative deals in the stock market where he could invest money in order to flip a property or purchase another commercial rental unit. He could only hear a few words coming from Sophia. "Oh, yes I remember," commented Sophia to the caller. There was a brief pause as Sophia listened to the person on the other end and then she said, "Right, yes, I know it is. Can I call you later with a date and time?" She paused for another second and then finished the conversation. "Great, thanks for calling and we'll be in touch soon." As she set the receiver back into the cradle, she let out a silent sigh. A look of worry shadowed her face. She closed her eyes for a moment in an attempt to regain her composure. Upon noticing a longer than normal span of silence, CC looked up from page five and turned towards Sophia and asked, "Honey, who was that on the phone? Is everything okay?" Sophia turned around and her face was suddenly bright and she said with a smile, "Oh that was just Jennifer from the Red Cross asking if I would volunteer again for their annual golf outing on May 15th." Sophia felt terrible for lying to CC about the real identity of the caller, but she had good reason for withholding the truth. CC didn't suspect any omission from Sophia. "It's something I know you feel passionate about so just let me know if I can do anything to help you out." His attention then returned to the article. As Sophia settled back down in her chair she said, "Thank you darling. I'll let you know how you can be of assistance. I just have to check my date book and call her back later with a day when we can get together to make the necessary preparations. We have just about a month to get organized." CC only nodded in response. Sophia picked up her paper and began to read the next section, but the thoughts of the recent phone conversation distracted her so much that she couldn't concentrate on the black and white words that were begging to be read. She set the paper down and then walked out of the kitchen. As she approached the doorway of her bedroom, Sophia stopped short of entering. She just stood there and looked around the one room in the house that truly made her feel secure. She looked at the book shelves that contained collections of novels that either her or CC have read or hoped to read. Her eyes then rested upon her vanity where she spent many a time putting on makeup or fixing her hair. She let out a small laugh just thinking about the times when CC would come up behind her and tease her by messing up her hair or smearing her lipstick whenever he would spin her around to kiss her. Her eyes then drifted to the bed that her and CC shared. The beautiful, ornately carved headboard only complimented the beautiful love that her and CC shared together. Her marriage to CC meant so much to her and losing him would crush her. Even though she was filled with apprehension, Sophia walked into the room and searched for her date book. She let the phone ring three times and was about to hang up when she finally heard a voice come through. "Good afternoon, Dr. Cray's office. This is Vicki speaking." "Hi Vicki, this is Sophia Capwell calling you back. Do you have any appointments for tomorrow?" "Yes, we do. How about you come to the medical center at 1:00pm for your mammogram?" asked Vicki. "Okay, that will be fine. Thank you for getting me in so quickly. I hate these kind of appointments, but I'll be there tomorrow. Goodbye." Sophia was too lost in her own thoughts to even let Vicki say goodbye in return. Sophia sat down on the bed and let out a heavy sigh. Every year in April, a pesky feeling would creep into her conscious. It was the time of year for her annual mammogram. She'll never forget that April 30th in 1986 when she discovered the lump in her left breast. Those next few weeks were such torture. She kept vacillating between doing nothing and opting for the necessary treatment. Thank heavens Mary and Brick were there to talk sense into her, which made her decide to proceed with the biopsy and then the lumpectomy. Now, nine years later, she was still cancer free, but the tension of a getting a mammogram just never decreased. She just couldn't think about all of this right now so she decided that she wanted to get out of the house and spend the day with CC so she jumped in the shower. Two hours later, Mr. and Mrs. Capwell were walking into the Queen of Hearts casino. They spent the day playing a little bit of blackjack, let it ride and video poker. They shared some laughs, lost some money and then enjoyed a nice lunch. Sophia was grateful that the time with CC relieved her mind of the worrisome thoughts that were so desperately trying to stay at the forefront of her conscious. During the ride home, the thoughts of the appointment weighed heavily on Sophia's mind. She felt sleepy so she nodded off in the car. Upon pulling into the garage, CC nudged her awake. "We're home sweetheart." "Oh gosh, I didn't realize that I had nodded off that long. I guess I was more tired than I thought." Sophia said surprisingly. "Do you feel alright? Do you want me to ask Marie to just prepare a light dinner?" asked CC as they were stepping out of the car. "Oh, I'm just fine. A light dinner sounds wonderful. Thank you honey for such a relaxing, fun day," remarked Sophia. "You are welcome my dear," acknowledged CC as he wrapped his arm around Sophia's shoulder and kissed her on the head. After dinner, Sophia and CC sat on the couch and watched TV until they were ready for bed. As they got comfortable under the blankets, Sophia laid her head on CC's chest and tried to concentrate on happier moments and not let the negative feelings color the great day she had with her husband. She felt CC give her a tight hug, which made her relax enough to fall asleep.

Sophia felt troubled upon opening her eyes to meet the new day since she knew she needed to slip out of the house and not raise any suspicion from CC as to where she was going. CC was still asleep, but began to stir. They always seemed to be in sync with each other and tended to wake up at around the same time. CC rolled over and opened his eyes. Sophia turned her head and said, "Good morning." CC smiled and replied, "It's always a good morning when you are the first thing I see." Sophia smiled back and then leaned over to give CC a kiss and then proceeded to get up and walk towards the bathroom. As CC sat up in bed, the phone rang so he reached over and picked up the receiver. "Hello." Sophia listened intently to CC's words to decipher who he was speaking to. She could hear CC say yes that he was available to join him and he would be glad to help and then she heard him hang up the phone. She walked back into their bedroom and asked, "Who was that?" CC began to get up from the bed and said, "That was Mason. He needs me to meet him at the Oasis at noon to discuss an issue he is having with the renovations on one of his rental properties. I hope this won't spoil any plans that you might have made for us since I know you like to do things on spur of the moment. You are more than welcome to come and join us, but it probably won't be the most stimulating conversation for you." Sophia felt relieved since she knew she would be able to make it to her appointment and most likely arrive home before CC. "Oh, no, I didn't have anything planned for us. You go ahead. Tell Mason I said hello and I hope you two are able to work things out. It's nice that you and Mason can work together and that he can rely on you to be there for him." "Well, that is strictly your doing my dear. When he finally realized how much this family needs you and that he was wasting so much time and energy being antagonistic towards you, I think he came to know in his heart that we all need to support each other. You have made me a much better person. I've learned to be much more open and calmer so the kids feel freer now to come to me with questions. It was a hard lesson for me to learn, but because of you, I've learned to love my children for who they are and not insist that they to live up to my expectations." Sophia walked up to CC and embraced him. "It's so good to hear you say those words. All the kid's ever wanted was for you to love them unconditionally and let them make their own mistakes without you chastising them." "That sentiment could be applied to you as well. I do love you unconditionally and truly respect you for being such a strong, independent, loving, warm, intelligent woman," CC said as he kissed Sophia on the head. Sophia broke from the embrace and said, "Thank you CC. I know it took us a long time to get to this point, but I'm sure glad we made it and are now together forever. Now, let's go downstairs for breakfast."

After the mammogram, Sophia headed home and was thankful that she arrived before CC. Since she was a little sore, she walked upstairs to rest until CC came home. Forty-five minutes later, the phone rang and she quickly got up to answer it. She had been expecting a call from Dr. Cray's office and didn't want the staff to pick up the phone. "Hello, this is Mrs. Capwell." "Hello Sophia. This is Dr. Cray." "Yes, I was expecting your call. Since you are calling me direct, I'm guessing you found something," Sophia said with trepidation in each of her words. "Yes, we did find a small suspicious dark spot in your right breast so I would like to do a biopsy as soon as possible. Would you be available to come into the medical center tomorrow?" asked Dr. Cray. Sophia's mind was racing at the thought of this happening all over again. She knew she had to go through with this, but was terrified. Did the cancer reoccur? Where would she get the strength to go through another surgery and how is she going to tell CC? "Yes, I can be there tomorrow. What time?" "I have you scheduled for 11am so I need you to arrive at 9am. Now, I'm sure you are scared, but this is only a biopsy. We will give you a local anesthetic to numb the area and will even give you a sedative to help calm you. This is just routine. In all likelihood, this will be a benign tumor. I didn't see any indications on the mammogram to think other wise. Please just try and relax tonight and not worry too much," counseled Dr. Cray. "Thank you Dr. Cray. I'll try to be positive, but it's going to be difficult," Sophia contemplated. "Yes, I know it is, but just talk to CC and let him dote on you and just do something fun tonight to help take your mind off of it. I'll see you in the morning," said Dr. Cray. "Okay, thank you and I'll see you at 9am." They exchanged goodbyes and then Sophia hung up the phone. She laid back down and began to softly cry. She tried to grapple with this new found reality. She loved her current life and was so happy with CC and the children. She didn't want anything to ruin that. She so wanted to tell CC everything, but she didn't want to upset him so she decided to wait to tell him until later in the evening.

An hour later, Sophia heard CC's car coming up the driveway so she quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to fix her makeup so CC wouldn't see that she had been crying. This just wasn't the right time to tell him everything. CC came up the stairs and called for Sophia. "I'm in the bedroom," she answered. She waited until she heard CC come through the bedroom door and then said, "I hope everything went well with Mason." CC smiled brightly and remarked, "Yes, it did go very well. Mason is a smart man and is making some great business decisions. I'm very proud of him. I need to go down to the study for a few minutes to gather some paperwork for him. Can I meet you outside in a little bit so you can tell me about your day?" "Yeah, I would like that, but first I want to take a quick shower." As CC turned and began walking away, Sophia called out to him, "CC, I love you. I love you very much." CC stopped and turned back around, "Hey kitten, I love you too. See you in a bit." He smiled and headed downstairs.

A short time later, Sophia found CC out on the patio relaxing on the outdoor couch reading a book. She walked over to him and he glanced up at her. "Would you mind if I joined you?" asked Sophia. "Of course not my dear lady. I always welcome the company of an enchanting woman," CC said in his charming voice. Sophia picked up a pillow and placed it on CC's lap. She then laid down on the oversized couch and rested her head on the pillow. CC laid his hand across Sophia's stomach. In turn, she placed her hand over his. She picked up a magazine, but couldn't concentrate since she was so full of concern about the tumor that the mammogram yielded. This biopsy was truly frightening her. She so wanted to tell CC so he could wrap his arms around her to make her feel safe, but she didn't want to worry him. At least not yet. For now, she just wanted to live in this very moment and make memories of every detail about the man whom she had fallen in love with all over again. As she lightly caressed his hand, she looked up to study his features. His nearly white hair had only traces of gray speckled throughout it, but he still had all of the charm and sex appeal. His face revealed a few more signs of aging, but it didn't distract from his overall distinguished appearance. His hands still conveyed a sense of authority, yet were always gentle and soft whenever he touched her. Oh how she loved him so. CC suddenly noticed that Sophia had been gazing at him so he looked down from his book and even though he was looking directly into his wife's eyes, he could tell that she wasn't looking back at him. She was a million miles away. He quizzically asked, "Honey, are you okay? You look like you are so far away." CC's words brought Sophia back to reality and she quickly sat up. "Um, yeah I'm fine. I guess I was just daydreaming." She needed CC so much at this time and didn't want him to press her further about why she had been studying him so she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. He was surprised at first by her intensity, but just thought she was just being amorous. She began to quickly unbutton his shirt, all the while placing kisses up and down his neck. Once his chest was exposed, she ran her fingers briskly through his chest hair and then she brushed her fingers across his lips before kissing him again. He found her quick movements erotic, but also made a mental note on how strangely she was acting. He was trying to keep up with her pace by trying to caress her face and stealing a few kisses on her neck, but she was more interested in pleasing him at the moment. Finally he leaned back to get a better view of her face and reiterated his earlier question. "Honey, are you feeling okay?" Sophia just looked at her adoring husband. Her electric, blue eyes were alluring and she was grinning seductively. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and pulled him to her for a long kiss. When she finally broke away, she replied, "Yes darling I'm fine. Now are we going to engage in idol conversation or are we going to just enjoy this moment?" "Well, since you put it that way . . ." CC said with a devilish grin. He was about to kiss her again and then stopped. "But wait, we can't do this here on the couch. What about the staff?" "I sent them on errands so they won't be back for a few hours. That should give us plenty of time," confirmed Sophia. He placed his hands around her waist and had intended to slowly lift her knit sweater, but Sophia didn't want to wait, so in one swift move, she pulled it off herself. Her white, lace bra appeared even brighter against her tanned skin. She took CC's right hand and placed it on her heart and whispered, "Please touch me and feel my heart beating and tell me that I'm alive and here with you. I need to know that my life with you isn't just a dream." Feeling CC's hand against her skin reassured her that her life was complete. His touch was electrifying. A baffled look appeared on CC's face and he replied, "Yes of course I feel the beating of your heart. This isn't a dream baby, this is all real." With a furrowed brow, he asked, "Why are you acting so strangely?" Sophia stammered a bit and then offered, "I just love you so much and given all of the special times we have shared over the past year, I just wanted to make sure that my life with you is genuine. Sometimes I feel like this is all a fantasy and that someday I will wake up and not find you by my side." "Baby I assure you that we are real and will be together always. I'm not going anywhere." CC placed his hands on Sophia's cheeks and said, "My love for you burns like an eternal flame. It just keeps deepening with each passing day." Sophia looked devotedly into CC's eyes and replied, "Oh CC, thank you. You will never know how much I love you." She then pressed her body against his and kissed CC with as much passion as she could. She knew he suspected that something was wrong, but she had hoped that by being intimate with him, she could forget about the impending biopsy and just love her husband and let him love her. Soon their clothes were scattered about the patio floor and CC and Sophia were snuggled under a throw blanket. After another series of kisses, Sophia spoke. "CC, I love you dearly and I want us to remember this moment forever. Just like we are right now." "Of course darling. Being close to you like this is always memorable," replied CC as he moved his hand down the side of Sophia's rib cage and then down to her hip. "CC, just look at me and promise me that you will remember me just like this," insisted Sophia. She took his left hand and placed it over her right breast. She wasn't sure if CC would ever be able to touch her like this again. CC looked into Sophia's eyes and said reassuringly, "Sophia, darling, I'm not sure why you are so adamant about this, but you know that I love everything about you. I know every curve, every soft place and every spot on your body that you love to be touched. You must know by now that your happiness comes before mine." Sophia smiled appreciatively since she knew in heart that CC was right. He did love her for who she was. She reached up and stroked the side of his head and said, "You always know what to say to make me feel cherished. My love for you is indescribable and undeniable." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought him down upon her. As CC trailed kisses down her neck and then down her breast bone, Sophia arched her back to meet his touch. CC gladly responded to his wife's needs.

After a short while, Sophia rested content in CC's arms. She wanted to savor every second. Even though CC relished being intimate with Sophia, he still had a nagging feeling that something was bothering her, but since she kept telling him that she was okay, he didn't want to keeping asking. They laid there quietly in each other's arms for several minutes and then the couple decided to get up and get dressed. CC offered to get them some drinks, while Sophia strolled into the living room. CC was in the kitchen pouring two glasses of iced tea when the phone rang. He reached over and picked up the receiver. "Hello, this is CC Capwell." Vicki voice sounded cheerful, "Oh, hi Mr. Capwell. This is Vicki from Dr. Cray's office. I was just calling to see if Mrs. Capwell is okay and if she had any questions about the surgery for tomorrow. I know that you two must be quite anxious after receiving the news about the results from the mammogram, but just know that the dark spot is small and will most likely be benign." CC's mind began to race as he was trying to comprehend Vicki's words. Dr. Cray's office, results from the mammogram, a biopsy tomorrow and the word benign hit his conscious like a wrecking ball. He shook his head as if the physical act would somehow put the pieces of the puzzle together. He then responded, "Oh yes, Mrs. Capwell is doing just fine and um, I'm sure she will call you if she has any questions. What time is the surgery again?" "It's at 11:00am so she needs to be here by 9:00am," stated Vicki. CC replied, "Yes, yes of course, we will be there on time. "Great, then please tell Mrs. Capwell that I called and please don't worry yourself sick tonight. Everything will turn out just fine," Vicki said in a reassuring voice. "Yes, I will let my wife know that you called. Thank you. Goodbye."

After Vicki said goodbye, CC dropped the phone down. He was in total shock. How could Sophia keep this from him? He reflected for a moment and then it dawned on him. When Sophia first found out that she had cancer, she had come to him, even though it was during the height of his revenge against her. To this day, one of his biggest regrets was his decision to throw her out of the house and out of his life. He let his petty jealousy of Lionel interfere with his love for her. He was so cruel to her during those days and yet she still came to him during one of the most difficult times in her life and just wanted him to hold her close. He knew at that moment that something was seriously wrong, but she wouldn't tell him the truth since she didn't want to worry him or have him pity her. After Lionel told him the truth about her cancer, he felt so guilty for pushing her away and not being supportive. He couldn't let history repeat itself so he walked out of the kitchen in search of Sophia.

As he stepped into the living room, he found her sitting on the couch. The lights were dimmed and soft music was playing. Sophia was deep in thought. CC walked up to the couch and Sophia was suddenly snapped out of her reverie and smiled at him. He looked at her and stated, "Vicki called a few minutes ago and inquired about you. She wanted to let you know that you could call her anytime if you have any questions before the surgery tomorrow morning." Sophia's eyes widened as she listened to the words that CC was saying. She knew in that instant that her secret was out. "By the look on your face, I can see how shocked you are that I now know what has been going on for the past few days. You can't even imagine how stunned I am right now after just finding out that my wife had a mammogram and was told that she needed a biopsy, but yet she never told me. Do you want to tell me more or do you want to continue to lie to me by saying that you are okay?" asked CC. Sophia stood up and quickly answered, "CC, I didn't exactly lie to you, I just didn't tell you what was going on. Please know that I love you more than anything else and I chose not to tell you right away since I didn't want to worry you." CC shot back, "Well, I am hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me what was going on!"

"It wasn't a matter of trusting you since I trust you with my life. I was just so overwhelmed with these terrible thoughts and I couldn't bring myself to burdening you," Sophia replied.

"Burdening me, how would that have burdened me? I'm your husband and I have a right to know if my wife is sick!" CC shook his head in silent confirmation as he put the pieces together. "So now this afternoon out on the patio makes sense. I knew something was different with you."

"CC, please just understand. All I wanted was for us to be together as I am right now. There are no guarantees that the biopsy will reveal that the spot is benign and I just wanted to share an intimate moment with you as a complete person. I guess I thought if I didn't tell you then it somehow wasn't real, but I swear to you that I was going to tell you this evening since the surgery is in the morning. I just didn't want you to be concerned for any longer than necessary. I had so many feelings jumbled inside that I guess I just made the wrong decision not to tell you," confessed Sophia.

"Darling, don't you know that your pain is my pain. We are supposed to be a team and I thought by now that we've built enough trust and love between us that you would confide in me with something that is this serious. Even if we receive the worst news and it came down to you losing your breast, it wouldn't matter to me one bit. I love you for you. I'm in love with who you are, inside and out. My love for you would not change in the slightest if something were to happen like that. How could you ever think anything different, geez?" CC threw up his hands and then turned away from Sophia. The last sentence came out much harsher than he intended.

"Oh CC, I don't know how many ways I can tell you that I'm truly sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you." Sophia put her hands over her face and began to cry. Through the tears, she continued, "CC please don't be angry with me right now. I need your support and strength. Please believe me when I tell you that I'm really sorry." Her voice cracked as the pleas spilled out. Hearing her voice quiver with anguish made CC turn around. He looked at Sophia's body shaking with sadness and the anger that had built up in him was now dissolving into concern and love. He walked up to Sophia and gently removed her hands from her face and held them in his own. "Honey, it's okay. Please don't get so upset. You can't be this way since you need your strength for tomorrow. I feel bad that you had to go through this ordeal on your own. I'm sorry I got angry with you. I was more frightened than anything else, but it came out as anger. You know that I love you so much and the thought of you having to deal with this on your own just made me crazy with worry."

"I knew it would. That is why I didn't want to tell you right away. I wanted to spare you from the awful feelings that I was trying to cope with, but I was wrong to keep this from you. Please forgive me," Sophia said as tears were trickling down her face. CC gently wiped them away and then pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. Sophia wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. They held each other for several seconds without exchanging any words. While rubbing Sophia's back, CC said, "My darling, of course I forgive you as I hope you forgive me for being insensitive. This isn't about me. It's about you. I'm just sorry that you had to handle this news by yourself for the past few days." Sophia appreciated the affection. "Let's not tell the children about this, okay. No need to worry them tonight. If the tissue is malignant, then we can plan to tell the children at that point." 
"Honey, let's not think along those lines just yet. I just know in my heart that you will be okay and that the pathology report will confirm that it's benign," replied CC in a soothing tone. He knew that she needed to hear hopeful words. After she let out a sigh to release some tension, Sophia responded, "CC Capwell, I really do love you and I thank you for being here for me. I just don't know what I would do without you." "Well my dear that is something that you will never have to experience since I'm not going anywhere. My place is here with you and I intend to make the most out of our time together." CC looked down at his wife's sad eyes and then kissed her softly. "Tell you what, we are going to try and get your mind off of this and I'm going to take you out on a date," CC said with a pleasant smile.

"A date you say Mr. Capwell? I will have to check my calendar to see if I can pencil you in," Sophia said with a coy grin. CC responded in kind, "Well, I guess you will just have to call your other suitors and tell them that you are taken."

"The only suitor that I have listed in my little black book is CC Capwell so it looks like you are the lucky one." "Indeed I am baby so let's go get changed and we will have a good time out on the town." CC put his arm around his better half and headed towards the stairs. An hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of Pop's Place. Sophia just looked over at CC and said, "Thanks honey, this is exactly what I needed." They spent the evening eating good food and dancing to all of their favorite songs. When they arrived home, they walked in the door holding hands. CC remarked, "I hope I was able to take your mind off of tomorrow for just a little while." "You sure did and I'm truly grateful. Date night with you is always enjoyable," Sophia said with a bit of laughter in her voice. "I'm tired though so I'm going to head up to bed." As she stepped away from CC, she felt him pull her arm back so she spun around into his arms. He kissed her passionately and then said, "Thank you for being you. I love you. I'll be up in a few minutes."

"I love you too and thanks again for this evening. It helped more than you know." Sophia turned and walked up the stairs. Sophia woke up the following morning with renewed determination. CC had held her in his arms all night long. He needed her just as much as she needed him. He didn't want to admit it to her, but he was scared too. It had only been nearly a year and a half since they were back together for good and he just didn't want their love to be extinguished any time soon.

They arrived at the medical center on time and with tentative steps, they walked inside. During the next hour, the nurse completed the medical history form and subsequent insurance paperwork. Since Sophia seemed a bit tense, the nurse injected her with a light sedative to calm her rattled nerves. CC held her hand the entire time. Dr. Cray arrived a few minutes before 11am and said he was ready to perform the biopsy which consisted of making an inch long incision and then extracting the tissue. CC was asked to leave during the procedure, but before he left, he gave Sophia's hand a tight squeeze for encouragement, a soft kiss and said he loved her.

Since the sedative had taken hold of her body, she was only awake enough to say I love you back and then drifted off. Sophia began to make the ascent back up to awareness about forty-five minutes later. She opened her eyes slowly and was besieged by the sight of flowers. CC had filled the room with vases of daisies. He was sitting next to her reading a magazine. She was still groggy, but managed to turn her head towards CC. "Thank you for the flowers. They're lovely." "Hi there pretty lady. How do you feel? Are you nauseated or in any pain?" CC inquired. "I feel fine. Just a little tired, but that's just from the sleep aide. No, I'm not nauseated or in any pain. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the results," Sophia said with concern in her words. "But I'm going to remain positive and hope for the best." Sophia spent the next few days recuperating. She tried to rest as much as possible since sleep was a welcoming distraction from the anxious feelings that were stirring within her. Every time the phone rang, her stomach would drop and a shroud of doubt would envelop her. CC knew that she was feeling unsettled since he too shared the same anxiety, but he needed to remain focused on the positive. He doted on Sophia just as Dr. Cray has suggested. He respected the fact that she had always been independent; so on these rare occasions when she needed to rely on him, he accepted the duty with open arms. He liked to feel needed. He gave her back and foot massages. They watched TV together. He filled the bedroom with fresh flowers and served her favorite meals to her in bed. He knew he was probably pampering her more than he needed to since it was only a minor out patient procedure, but since she was accepting his kind gestures, he was eager to keep showering his precious wife with attention. Besides, this was a good way for him to show her how much he cared for her. By the third day, both Sophia and CC were beginning to get back into their normal routine and their uneasy feelings had begun to dwindle. As they were enjoying a quiet lunch on the patio, the warm beams of the afternoon sun cast a yellow glow behind Sophia. As CC admired his gorgeous wife against the picture perfect background, he had hoped the doctor would call soon with the results so that they could file this chapter of their lives away. Just as the thought had crossed his mind, the telephone rang. Sophia instantly dropped her fork onto her plate, which startled CC. They both looked at each other and knew in their hearts that this was the call that they had been waiting for. A few seconds later, Marie appeared at the doorway and began to walk towards Sophia. "Mrs. Capwell, this is for you." Sophia accepted the receiver and thanked Marie. "Hello, this is Sophia Capwell." She paused and then continued, "Hello Dr. Cray. Yes, I'm feeling okay, but could be better depending on what you are about to tell me." There was another pause and Sophia listened to the words that were being communicated through the phone line. CC could hardly stand the wait. He studied Sophia's face intently looking for any signs of news, whether it be good or bad. Just then, Sophia closed her eyes and CC's heart sank, but then a small smile broke across her face and she said, "Thank you so much Dr. Cray for the good news. You can't imagine how happy CC and I are that the results are negative for cancer." CC was so elated that he jumped up and gave Sophia a huge hug. He almost knocked the phone right out of her hand. She continued her conversation with Dr. Cray. "Yes, I will be sure to do that. Thank you again for everything. Goodbye." As soon as she set the phone down, she stood up and embraced her husband and let out a huge sigh of relief. CC answered her silent words by saying, "That goes ditto for me too. I'm so happy for you baby." Sophia looked up at CC and with joy in her eyes she replied, "Yes, I am very happy too for the both of us. I love you." "I love you too!" CC said as he bent down and kissed his beloved Sophia. About ten days later, Sophia was back to feeling like her old self. The soreness had dissipated even though the incision site was still slightly red. She was just so thankful that the results were negative for cancer. She could resume her life and at least not stress about this again for another six months. Dr. Cray wanted to error on the safe side and requested that Sophia get another mammogram done in the fall. In the meantime, the Capwells made their annual donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. Sophia was in the shower when CC entered the bathroom. "Darling, if you're up to it, I thought we could go sailing today." Excitedly Sophia answered from behind the shower curtain. "Yes, of course I'm up for sailing. I've been cooped up in this house for too long and want to get out and enjoy something fun." "Wonderful, then I will let you finish your shower while I let the marina know that we will be coming today," CC said with enthusiasm. "No, wait," said Sophia. She then peeked around the shower curtain and looked at CC with her captivating eyes and flashed him a dazzling smile. "Before we go exploring the waters of the Pacific, I think we should first explore the waters right here in this shower. I think I saw a shark in here and need a strong, sexy lifeguard to come rescue me!" CC smiled at Sophia, shut the bathroom door and then sauntered over to the shower. He gave Sophia a quick kiss and began to unbutton his shirt. Before he could even remove it, Sophia pulled the shower curtain back and pulled CC into the shower. He was instantly soaking wet. With laughter in his voice he said, "This isn't exactly how I would go about rescuing a damsel in distress." As Sophia finished taking off his shirt and throwing it outside of the shower she remarked, "I'm not a damsel in distress. I'm a lonely wife who has missed her handsome husband." CC quickly asked, "Honey, are you sure you want to do this now? I mean I don't want to hurt you in any way." "Oh darling, I'm all healed now and I'm more than willing and able to be with you so bring those lips over to mine. I need you to rescue me Mr. Lifeguard." CC could resist no longer and wrapped his arms around his wife and vigorously kissed her as the warm water splashed over them. He happily surrendered to Sophia's neediness and together they let the water wash away their worries and let their love rejuvenate their souls.

Written by Lori Gazdagh in dedication to a dear friend who lost her battle with cancer.