Page 56 of Jordan

Her soft voice had him turning his head to look at her. She had gone for a simple cotton dress with yellow and white flowers sprinkled all over the cotton. It had a nipped in waist that made her waist looked even smaller and her hair was loose, giving her an innocent look that made him think that he was robbing the cradle. Sliding his gaze to their joined hands, he gave her a quick grin. "I don't think they're going to evict me, darling."

She rolled her eyes at him. He responded by snatching her up and kissing her until they were both breathless.

He kept his arm around her waist even when the doors swung open. Joani grinned at them, eyes twinkling. "I was on my way out. The family's in the blue and gold salon." Her eyes searched their faces, swinging back to Jordan's. "Good for you."

They found the entire family in the room. Jordan's hand tightened on hers as they stepped inside the elegant room.

"Thanks for coming," Jacquline said quietly, noticing the clasped hands that showcased them as a unit. And she felt a settled sense of peace for the first time in her life. Her husband was sitting next to her, one hand resting lightly on hers. A faint blush stained her cheeks at the memories of what had happened between them last night. The lovemaking had been tender and heartfelt. She was still vibrating from it.

Jordan drew his wife over to a single rose silk covered sofa and settled on the warmth of it, one hand braced at the back in anintimate gesture. His sisters were seated stiffly on a double sofa with their husbands sitting across from them. And they looked apprehensive as if bracing for the worse.

He realized he could look at them with sympathy for what they must be facing. He was happy and would have loved them to have even a tiny bit of what he had. But to his surprise, he also noticed the subtle difference between his parents and the fact that they were holding hands.

"Your mother-"

Jacquline squeezed his hand to stop him and turned to look at her children. "I called this meeting to discuss the state of my health."

Jennifer eased forward, eyes wide as she stared at her mother. "What does that mean?"

"It means, I have cancer." Jacquline wondered how she could remain so calm, when her life was going to pieces. But the reassuring hand on hers settled her, making her realize that she had the support. One she did not expect.

"That's not true." Henrietta looked frightened, her eyes huge. "You don't look ill." She groped for her sister's hand blindly. "You cannot be dying."

Jacquline gave a small nod, the tears threatening. "I understand how you feel. But the truth must be faced. I wanted to tell you all in person, so we could be together in this."

Jordan tightened his grip on his wife's hand, feeling the weight of the news. He looked around the room, seeing the myriad of emotions playing across the faces of his family. His father's eyes were steady, filled with a quiet strength, while his mother's held a brave determination, as if she was ready to fight every battle thrown her way.

Jennifer, always the emotional one, had tears streaming down her face, while Henrietta was shaking her head, disbelief etched into every line of her features. The husbands were a mixture of shock and sympathy, their eyes darting between their wives and Jacquline, unsure of how to react.

Silence settled over the room, thick and suffocating. It was broken by Jacquline's husband, whose voice was as calm and reassuring as his touch. "We have the best doctors, and we're going to fight this with everything we've got. We won't let this define us."

There were a lot of firsts in the family, Jordan reflected. His parents looked human for the first time in their lives. Turning his head when he felt the pressure on his thigh, he stared at his wife as she transmitted a silent message to him. A smile touched his face as he realized she wanted him to go over to his sisters. Their moronic husbands had not made a single move to offer them comfort.

Rubbing a hand over her shoulder, he rose and went to sit between them. Immediately, they turned to him, burying their faces on his shoulders.

The icy looks he sent his brothers-in-law had them shifting on their seats and avoiding his eyes.

*****

He had not wanted to leave her alone with his mother and sisters. But she had assured him she would be all right and his father had requested a meeting away from the others. After the emotional revelations which started with his mother – it had taken a surprising turn with his sisters – by God! Both of them declaring that they were divorcing their husbands. He had applauded them for their show of independence which had been sorely lacking before. It had further shocked him to see that his parents had not voiced their displeasure. The two men had slunk off, leaving the rest of them there.

Now he was in his father's den drinking his prized scotch and waiting for him to say what was on his mind. The old man looked shaken and had aged since he saw him last.

"We've made an appointment with one of the best oncologists in the world. A Doctor Jans Schmidth from Switzerland. Your mother and I will be taking off for several weeks to do tests and treatments." Harry drank down his scotch and leaned his head back on the chair. Last night had been a revelation for him – awonderful one. He had made love to his wife for the first time. And she had let him, not only that, but she had also participated, with sighs and moans as he drove into her – his body moving on top of hers with strength and purpose. It had been the best sex he ever had. And afterwards, he had wrapped his arms around her and held her. Just held her, the feel of her delicate flesh against his had sent him into a dizzy spin.

"You're going to have to take charge of everything. I know you want to spend time with your wife-"

"She'll understand." His expression hardened. "Her name is Julesa and if we're going to move forward, things will have to change."

To his surprise, instead of the usual argument, his father nodded. "We all need to change." He was dying for a smoke, but that would have to wait. "I'm in love with her – your mother-" he turned the glass towards the light and watched the gold flecks reflected there. "She never showed me any signs, gave me any hope that the love was returned." He looked over at his son. "We were brought up in different worlds – with different ideals. It's all we ever knew."

"You could have chosen to be different. My sisters and I grew up in a house that gave us frostbite. We were never given an ounce of encouragement, not to mention love." He shrugged that away, realizing that it was no longer of paramount importance. "I see things are different between the two of you." He lifted his glassin a toast. "I'll be around to lend a hand and to be there for Jenny and Henrietta. They're going to need the support."

His father nodded, a look of extreme regret on his face. "You did not settle for less than love."

A smile touched his lips. "I never went looking for it. Sort of found me and when it did, I was a goner." He sipped the drink, his eyes glowing. "She's my life."

"I'm happy for you."

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