by Mary Tribbey
Chapter 9
Early the next day, they drove John’s car back to Los Angeles. First, John dropped Anne off at her apartment so she could decide what, if anything, she wanted to take back with her to Marco’s place. John left her there and hurried over to his office. He carried in a small folder with several cryptic notes inside. He reported to his boss, Bob Watson, and his partner Joe exactly what Marco had proposed. When John’s boss saw what Marco had already revealed, he agreed that John should stay there and learn all he could find.
John announced, “There are a couple of other things I need to tell you. First, I married Anne Lanford, the woman who helped Joe and me get in good with Marco. To be totally honest, my first priority now is protecting Anne. If things get too dangerous up there for her, I will not stay and put my wife’s life in jeopardy. Second, I hate being involved in this undercover work. Once I finish getting the information from Marco, I am finished here. I will either get an immediate transfer to another department, or I will quit working here at all. When the word gets out about this case, my life will be in danger. I don’t want Anne or me to be around after it becomes known, because there will be a lot of people out to kill me. After I turn the information over to you, I am out of here. Is that agreed?”
“Of course, I understand. Just keep us informed of your progress, and I will take care of everything, else.” Bob shook John’s hand and agreed to his terms. “From time to time, Joe will go up and make sure everything is working smoothly.”
After talking with Joe and working out how they would explain his visits, John packed up his materials and headed back to Anne’s apartment. He helped her carry boxes she wanted to take with her to his car. She had gathered up some stuff to go to storage and things to be donated to charity. She called and arranged for the charities to come and collect the items the next day. Marco arranged for a moving company to come and pick up the rest of her belongings and put them in storage. He also scheduled a company to thoroughly clean her apartment
When she called and talked to her landlord, she said, “Hi, this is Anne Lanford. I am currently living in one of your apartments. I need to give you notice of vacating premises. I got married last Friday and am moving to live with my husband up near San Francisco. I will be out of here by the end of this month. Before leaving, I will have a professional cleaner come in and put the property back in good order. I’m sorry to give you such short notice. I like the apartment and will tell my friends to call you if they need a place to stay.”
After getting the apartment sorted and ready to be cleaned, they drove to Anne’s job. She went to the nursing supervisor’s office. After waiting a few minutes, John and Anne went into the office. Anne explained, “I have really enjoyed working here the last few months. I had planned to be here for a long time, but something happened that changed my plan. Last Friday night, John and I got married. It was done very quickly, because John has been transferred to a job in the San Jose area. After I went up to see him, we decided to get married. It was a spur of the moment decision and a very fast ceremony. We decided we were ready to get married and didn’t want to be apart. We decided we wanted to get married and be together. I really hate quitting my job here, but maybe in the future we will move back to this area. If we do, I would like to be considered for a position here.”
“Anne, you haven’t worked here very long, but I can tell you are really good with the children. I’m sorry you’ll be leaving us, and I know several patients will be very sad to see you leave, but I wish you and your husband great happiness. If you do move back, please call us. If we have an opening, we will certainly consider you for the position,” the nursing supervisor said. She stood up and shook Anne’s hand.
Before leaving, Anne turned and asked, “May we go up and say goodbye to my group of patients? I am really going to miss them, and I hate to leave without saying goodbye. Would that be all right with you?”
“Of course, that’s wonderful. I know they have missed you and when you left so suddenly, they were afraid you might be sick. They will be very happy to see you, but they’ll be sad to see you leave,” she responded.
After they left her office, Anne and John stopped at the gift shop and picked up small presents for each of the kids. They walked to the children’s cancer ward and began going from room to room handing out small gifts to each child. At each room it was a happy and sad time for Anne. She gave each one a hug, a special gift, and a quick kiss on the cheek. When she got to the two sisters’ room, they sat down by each girl’s bed. John and Anne explained why Anne was leaving. Lori giggled and said, “I told you they were sweet on each other.”
“I knew that already!” Sherri answered.
When Anne gave them each sets of drawing paper and colored pencils, they clapped their hands. “Now we can spend time everyday drawing. Thank you for being our nurse. We’re going to miss you, but we are happy you aren’t sad anymore,” Teri said shyly. Anne gave each one of them a long hug and a kiss.
“I promise I won’t forget you. I’ll write you and let you know how I’m doing. If you want to write back, I would love to hear how you are doing. You are both so very special, and I love each of you. I am so glad I got to know you. I’ll keep praying for you both,” Anne said before leaving their room.
“May I have a hug, too? You mean a lot to Anne, so you are special to me, too!” John said.
They each smiled and hugged him. “Be good to Anne,” they added.
“I promise to love her and take good care of her. I love her, too.” He said.
John and Anne stopped at Bryan’s room. He was sitting alone and was not working on his puzzle. John said, “Hey, Bryan, did you get your puzzle finished yet? I’m so glad to see you.”
Bryan looked up and smiled at John. “I had most of it done, but it got knocked off the table, and I didn’t want to start it all over again. It made me feel very sad and angry when it got messed up,” Bryan explained.
“That’s okay, Bryan. Sometimes things like that happen. Maybe someday in the future, you’ll want to work it again. If not, I did bring you a new puzzle and a couple of magazines with different kinds of puzzles in them. Have you been visiting with the nurses who come in to take care of you?” John asked.
“I try to sometimes, but they aren’t as friendly and as easy to talk to as Anne,” he said sadly.
“You’re right, Bryan. Nurse Anne is a very special person. Sometimes I look at her and think I’ve met an angel. I hope you won’t get mad at me, but I asked her to marry me and she did. We got married last Friday. We came to say we are moving out of this area for a while, so we won’t be able to come and see you as often as we have in the past. I hope you will let me write to you. I feel really sad to be leaving you. I remember, when I was in the hospital as a little boy, how hard it was for me when people drifted out of my life. I know you are going to get well, and that you will be able to do whatever you decide you want to do. Don’t let these problems now stop you. Always keep dreaming. Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Work hard for them. My dream was to find someone special to love who would love me in return. I found and married Anne. See, dreams can come true. I know you can and you will recover, and one day you will do something great. I have confidence in you!” John said. “Be a good boy, Bryan. I’ll always remember you. You are a very special to us. We will keep you in our prayers.”
“What can I ever do that is great?” Bryan asked.
“It doesn’t have to be a big deal. It might just be saying kind words to someone who is hurt and needs a friend. You will always be in our thoughts and prayers. I want to keep in touch with you, if that’s all right with you. Please reach out to others here and seek friendships around you now. There are others here who have the same loneliness and pain that you’ve been feeling. If you open up to them, you might be able to help them feel better everyday. I promise to write to you. Write back, if you
want. I hope to hear from you. I won’t say goodbye, because, hopefully, we will meet again. Let’s just say, ‘I’ll see you later,’” John said. John hugged him and then shook his hand. Anne gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek.
“I will write you back. You treat me like I am normal, not some poor sick little kid. Thanks for the gifts and for being my friend. You both made my stay here less lonely and sad,” Bryan said.
After leaving the hospital, their last stop was at John’s apartment where they would spend the night. When Anne walked in and saw it for the first time, she looked around and smiled. It was sparsely decorated, but it was tastefully arranged. There were a few framed pictures on display around the room. One was of a blonde woman with a lovely smile. Another showed John in a group of three other people including the blonde woman from the other picture.
John walked up and wrapped his arms around Anne. “That beautiful blonde I’m hugging is my little sister Brenda. She and I were the only two that survived the car crash. She’s happily married and living in Tennessee,” John explained. “The other two are her husband and his cousin.”
John went over and checked his phone message machine. There were no messages. “The only one I ever gave that number to use was you, and you didn’t use it,” he teased her. “Our marriage happened so suddenly, I forgot to call and tell my sister. I need to call her and tell her that I met an angel and got married. She’s just about given up on my ever getting married. I can’t wait to tell her all about us. She’s gong to be blown away with that news!” John said with a laugh. When he called her with the news, she reacted just like John thought she would. Joan listened in on the call and giggled at their playful teasing. Later, Anne talked to Brenda and was overjoyed to hear how happy she sounded that her only brother had married. They promised when they had time, they would come down for a visit.
Before hanging up, Brenda said, “Come down anytime. I don’t get to see John often enough. We have plenty of room. Come and stay with us. I can’t wait to meet you, Anne. I’ve always missed my sister. Now I have a new sister-in-law to love. Welcome to our crazy little family.”
Later that evening, John said, “I’m going to keep this apartment for now. In case either of us needs a place to stay down here in the Los Angeles area, we’ll have a place to call home. Let me give you the grand tour of your new ‘temporary’ home. This is the living room where I used to watch television all by myself; next, this is the kitchen where I prepared ‘gourmet’ TV dinners. Here is the compact ‘designer-inspired’ bathroom, spacious for one, but should be more fun for two,” he exaggerated. “Last is my favorite room, our bedroom. While I’ve lived here, it has only been used for sleeping. We shall correct that later tonight,” he added with a sly grin.
Anne laughed and giggled, “I’m sure we will correct that at least one time tonight. Seriously, I like our ‘new temporary home.’” She snuggled against him and kissed him happily. He held her and kissed her in return. A short time later, the bedroom was initiated.
While Anne and John were in Los Angeles, Marco called his attorney, David Jackson, and his accountant, Tom Jordan, and asked them to come up to see him. The next day, they arrived to meet with him. Marco explained that he wanted to make some changes in his will and sell some or most of his properties, stocks, and bonds. He talked to each one individually as well as together. He reminded them that what he was telling them was to be kept completely confidential. After their meeting, they returned to their respective offices and began preparing the documents he needed to sign. Over the next two months, they returned to the resort to see Marco three times. They also faxed documents for him to sign. Marco smiled when he thought how surprised Anne and John would be when they learned what he had done. This was one item of business that he never disclosed to John or Anne.
After making sure her apartment had been cleaned, John and Anne headed back up north to Marco’s place. Once back at The Resort, life settled into a comfortable routine. Marco worked with John in the morning and early afternoon and helped John become familiar with the operation of The Resort. Unless Anne was in the room, Marco talked freely with John about the people and groups he had worked with over the years. Reviewing his life was obviously painful for Marco, but he continued to give information to John. Besides his words, he furnished many documents to support what he disclosed.
At Marco’s request, Anne was never present when John and Marco worked together. “Anne knows generally what I have been involved in, but I want to shield her from the more gruesome details. I am ashamed of the things I am telling you. I don’t want Anne burdened with the worst of the information. When things are eventually disclosed and arrests are made, I want her to be able to say honestly that she had no direct knowledge of what kind of criminal activities I had been involved in. Finding out information on the news and in court will be hard enough for her tender heart to hear. I wish I could totally protect her from all of this, but I am counting on you to protect her after I am gone.” Marco said seriously.
“You know I will do everything I can to protect her, and I’ll do all that I can to shelter her from all that may happen,” John promised.
One afternoon, after John and Marco had worked together all day, Anne joined them in his suite. After dinner had been brought to Marco’s suite, Anne said, “I’m not used to sitting around doing nothing. Would you mind if I try to find some place where I could work part time? The time weighs heavy on my mind. I don’t really care what kind of work I do; but I’d like to work with people anywhere I might help.”
Marco smiled and said, “You can work anywhere you want to here at The Resort. Would you like to work in the Spa with Lori, in the Boutique, the flower shop, the reservation desk, or in The Café? Maybe you’d like to try different places and learn how things get done around here. Just let me know where you want to start, and I’ll arrange it for you.”
Every few weeks, Anne changed jobs. She quickly learned a lot about the day to day running of the resort. While working at the Spa, she and Lori became even closer friends. She next worked in the flower shop. She loved working around the beautiful flowers, but she didn’t feel she had any special talent when it came to creating arrangements. She was an excellent salesperson in the Boutique, and she enjoyed helping the women who came in find something they liked.
At least once a week, Anne and John took a drive away from the resort so John could privately check in with the department. He used his cell phone to make sure no one at the resort could listen in to what he was reporting. At least once a month, Joe came and visited with John to exchange information and ideas on things to find out for the case.
The late afternoons and evenings were the happiest times for Anne. Anne, John, and Marco enjoyed spending time together. Sometimes they played cards, worked on puzzles, or just talked quietly together. They listened to music and frequently went to listen to the comedians and other entertainers who appeared in The Lounge shows. Most of the time in the evening, John was with them. Frequently he and Anne danced and snuggled together while Marco watched them proudly. At other times, John stayed behind working on the computer or handling problems that came up at the resort. Sometimes Anne and Marco danced together. At night, John and Anne enjoyed being married. It was a time of loving, laughing, and learning about each other.
About a month after moving up to live with Marco, Anne began feeling more tired than usual. She kept pushing through the tired feelings. Then she began having stomach aches and sometimes felt nauseous. John noticed she was not as energetic as she had been when she was working at the children’s hospital. After she began vomiting in the mornings, John insisted she talk to the doctor in town. Just like her father, Anne kept putting it off. Finally Marco made the appointment and John drove her to town.
“I hate bothering the doctor with something as minor as a touch of the flu or stomach ache,” Anne grumbled.
“I kn
ow, but humor me. I want to be sure you are OK. I love you and I want you to be feeling better than you have lately,” John said patiently.
At the doctor’s office, Anne went back into the examining room. John waited for her in the waiting room. Dr. Jenkins, the middle aged physician in town, asked her about her medical history. He took her vital signs and listened to her symptoms. He had the nurse draw blood and collect a urine sample. He left Anne in the examining room while he saw another patient. About ten minutes later, he came back in, and he was smiling.
“I think we’ve figured out what is causing your symptoms. Fortunately it is fairly common in women, especially women in your age group,” Dr. Jenkins added.
“Is it anything serious?” Anne asked.
“Well, the results usually last a lifetime,” he said and then laughed. “Seriously, I don’t want you to be worried needlessly. You aren’t sick. You’re going to have a baby. You are pregnant,” he said happily.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, we did a pregnancy test, and you are definitely expecting a baby. It is too early to do a sonogram, but based on the blood work and chemical levels, I would estimate you are about 4 weeks along,” he added.
“My husband is in the waiting room. Can he come in here and talk to you? I know he’s going to have questions. I don’t know how to tell him. We just got married about two months ago. We’ve never even talked about having a baby yet,” Anne explained.
“It sounds like the honeymoon period might be when you got pregnant. Of course, he can come in. I encourage all husbands to become actively involved in the pregnancy. It helps them bond with the baby more easily. It is also good for the mother to have his complete support,” Dr. Jenkins explained. He called the front office and asked them to bring John back to the examining room.
When John walked into the examining room, he looked at Anne and noticed her face was flushed and she was looking at the floor. He sat down on the chair next to her. He took her hand and asked quietly, “Are you all right?”
Anne nodded yes and said, “The doctor and I wanted you to be here, too, so he could explain everything to both of us.”
Dr. Jenkins explained, “We did several tests on your wife. She is in good health generally, although she does have one condition we need to talk about. She wasn’t sure how to tell you, but you are going to be a father. She is pregnant, and we think she should have a baby in about eight months.”
John looked at her and grinned, “Anne, that’s wonderful news! I’ve always wanted to have children. Are you happy about it? You’ll be an amazing mother.! Honey, I love you, and I’m so happy.”
“We’ve only been married about two months. I thought you might not want children so soon. I love the idea of having your children,” she sniffed. John put his arms around her and kissed her.
Dr. Jenkins said, .“We will set up a schedule of appointments. At the next appointment in two weeks, we will do a preliminary sonogram to check on how you are doing.” He gave them a booklet that explained basic facts about pregnancy, before he shook their hands and walked out.
John kept his arm protectively around Anne as they walked out to the car. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with tender gentleness. Anne snuggled against him and felt loved and protected. By the time they arrived back at the resort, the shock had worn off, and they were talking about their future and how the baby would change their life together.
“John, I want to tell Marco about the baby. I know he is going to be so happy for us. If we have a son, would you consider naming him after Marco. I know he hasn’t lived a good life, but he has become very special to me. I think it would really please him,” Anne said. “Of course, if you don’t think it is a good idea, then we won’t mention it.”
“Whatever you want to name the baby is fine with me. As long as it is our child, I know we will love him or her. I just pray it will be healthy and beautiful like you. I am so happy and so much in love with you,” John said holding her hand. He leaned towards her and kissed her happily again.
Later that afternoon, John and Anne walked into Marco’s office holding hands.
“Are you too busy to talk for a few minutes?” Anne asked.
“Sweet Angel, I’m never too busy to talk to you. Come sit here on the sofa with me,” he said.
John said, “We were right to insist that she go to the doctor. He figured out right away what was wrong with her.”
Marco looked at Anne and asked her quietly, “What did the doctor say, my Angel? If you are sick, we will get through it together.”
Anne looked into his eyes and smiled, “It isn’t bad news. It’s wonderful news! We are going to have a baby! Papa, I’m pregnant!”
Marco laughed and said, “A baby. Oh, Sweet Angel, how wonderful! You will be a wonderful loving mother. John, you will be a great papa! Congratulations! I am so happy for you both.”
“John and I talked it over. If it is a boy, we would like to give him your name, if that is all right with you,” Anne said timidly.
“You’d name him after me? Shouldn’t you give him John’s or your dad’s name?” he asked.
“Marco, without you, John and I would probably never have re-met, fallen in love, and married. You have been so wonderful to us. You are so special to me, to both of us, we want our baby to know all about you. If we have other children, we may use John’s name or my father’s name. Is it all right with you?” Anne asked again.
“I am so honored and pleased. Of course, it is fine with me!” Marco said with tears in his eyes. “When is the baby due?”
“It will probably be in about eight months. We don’t have an exact due date yet,” Anne reported.
Marco’s face clouded over for a moment. Then he smiled and hugged Anne close and kissed her cheek. Anne hugged him back and gently kissed his forehead. Looking over Anne’s shoulder, Marco caught John’s eye. John saw a deep sadness in Marco’s eye. After Anne went off to the Spa to tell Lori, John asked Marco, ”Are you really okay with Anne’s pregnancy? It looked like you were upset by our news.”
Marco looked surprised. “I am delighted for you and Anne. You will both be good parents. It is a wonderful blessing. from God. I was sad for a moment, because I am a selfish old man. I realized I may never see or hold your beautiful baby. Each week I am feeling more tired and a little worse. I don’t think I will be able to hang on that long. The doctor says the tumors have grown. That’s why I felt sad and why you’re giving him my name is so special. Please, don’t say anything to Anne. This is her special time. I don’t want her worrying or feeling sad about me.”
“I’m so sorry, Marco. I’ve been so focused in on Anne and our marriage and the work we’ve been doing, I had almost forgotten about your cancer. Is there anything I can do to make things easier for you?” John asked.
“Nothing for me. Just take care of Anne and yourself. I know my life is coming to its end. Yours together is just beginning. Protect your family and love it every minute of every day. Family is so much more important than wealth or power. The doctor said I had about eight months left to live, but that was three months ago. I’ll be living on borrowed time, but I want to see your baby,” Marco explained.
Both Marco and John became even more protective of Anne. Anne continued to work part time in the Spa, the boutique, and flower shop as needed. Her morning sickness was mild and she outgrew it in the third month. Before the next doctor’s appointment, John and Anne decided that they wanted to know the sex of their baby. During the sonogram, they stared in wonder at the image on the monitor screen. The doctor studied it and then asked, “Do you want to know the sex of your baby now?”
Anne and John both nodded yes.
The doctor peered closely at the screen again and then answered, ”The answer is both. You are having twins. One is male; the other is female. Congratulations! You have two babies in there. Look,”
he pointed to the screen, “here is the heart and spine of the first baby; and there is the heart and spine of the other.” He took a picture of the screen image and handed it to Anne.
Anne and John sat in stunned silence for a minute. Then John said with a smile, “I guess we’d better think of another name. This is wonderful, Anne, I’ve always wanted a son and a daughter. How do you feel about this?” John asked.
“I’m still in shock, but I love children. I’m thrilled being married to you and having your babies. Twice the work, twice the trouble, and twice the fun and love. We’ll get through it together,” she said with a wink.
“Having twins is more complicated and potentially more dangerous than having just one baby. It is fairly common that twins are born prematurely. We want them to stay in the womb as long as possible, but there is a chance they will come a several weeks early. We need to watch this pregnancy very carefully,” Dr. Jenkins advised.
Later that evening, Marco exclaimed, “Are you really having twins? That’s wonderful! That was Sophia’s and my dream, having a boy and a girl to love. My. Sweet Angel, I am thrilled for you. What a blessing from God. Just remember to always love each other and don’t take tomorrow for granted. I love you, Anne. Always remember that.”
About Anne’s sixth month, Marco began slowing down. He was sleeping in later than usual. His coloring was a little paler and slightly yellowish. Anne was more tired also as the pregnancy progressed and she began to gain weight.
Anne gradually noticed the change in Marco. When she mentioned it to John, he said he hadn’t noticed a difference. He wanted to be honest and tell Anne, but he had promised Marco that he would not tell her. It was Marco’s choice when to tell her about his illness. Selfishly he hoped Anne would not notice his decline too soon. He knew how hard it was going to be on her to go through losing another person she loved to cancer.