gynecologist. Where in the world did you get the idea I was having an affair with her or anyone else?"
"Emily?" he asked, clearly perplexed.
"Yes, Emily."
"Well then who's the guy you were talking to on the phone the other night in the kitchen at our party?"
Perplexed, she wrinkled her brow as she thought for a moment. "Oh, that was Frankie. You heard our conversation?"
"Yes."
"I'm really sorry, Michael. I would have told you, but I didn't want to ruin your holiday."
"Yeah, leaving me for your lover would tend to do that," he said, with not a little sarcasm.
"Honey, you silly man. You're the only one I want." Anne smiled as she squeezed his arm. "I don't know what you thought you heard in my conversation with Frankie, but I have no intention of leaving you—ever." She hesitated, taking a deep breath, and added, "But I have been keeping something from you."
"Yes you have, and I need to know what it is."
Still emotional, Anne felt her eyes tearing up again as she explained, "Michael, I have a lump in my breast the size of a pea."
“Oh, my God, honey.” Michael wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, kissing her thoroughly, making her heart hammer against her ribs. “This is what you’ve been keeping from me?”
With his voice strong and steady, he said, "Let's talk about it. Tell me what tests you've had and what the doctor says. We'll fight this thing together. Nothing is going to happen to you on my watch."
"That's why I was seeing Dr. Sands today. She had my ultrasound results. Michael, the lump is harmless. Everything is going to be alright."
"And you could tell Frankie about this, but couldn't tell me?" Michael asked with a pained expression. "I don't know what hurts most thinking you were having an affair and leaving me, or knowing that you trust Frankie, but not me, when something's wrong."
"It's not like that," she began.
"Yes, it's exactly like that," he said, as he glared at her. "If things were reversed, and I were the one with the lump, would you want me to shut you out?”
"No. I didn’t think about it like that," she said quietly, guilt rushing through her like a river. "I just didn't want to worry you and ruin the holidays. I planned to tell you later, I swear."
Michael stared at her for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was tender. "I hope you know you are more important to me than any holiday. You and the kids are my life. Don't ever shut me out like that again, Anne. I mean it. I take our marriage vows seriously. Together we can face anything. Remember the part, ‘through sickness and health’?"
"Yes, I remember. I'm really sorry, honey."
Exhaling with relief, Michael pulled her close to him, nearly dragging Anne over the console, and wrapped his arms around her. "And I’m so sorry I doubted you. I know better than to think you would have an affair. I was insane by the thought you were cheating, and I wasn’t thinking straight. I love you, Anne. Will you forgive me?"
"I will, if you will forgive me for not telling you. I love you more than anything—or anybody," she replied.
He dropped his head and kissed her senseless. And right there in the parking lot of the medical center, a Christmas miracle was forged by love, hope and forgiveness.
<><><>
Tim, Lane and Blake stood in the sheriff's office break room, watching an emergency weather report on the large, flat-screen television mounted on the wall. A meteorologist stood in front of a map of the Midwest and announced blizzard warnings stretching from one side of Indiana to the other. Predicting winds over 45 mph, he advised that more than an additional foot of snow could fall by the afternoon. Blizzard conditions with wind chill temperatures below zero were expected.
Tim wiped his hand over his face, his expression tight with
"Emily?" he asked, clearly perplexed.
"Yes, Emily."
"Well then who's the guy you were talking to on the phone the other night in the kitchen at our party?"
Perplexed, she wrinkled her brow as she thought for a moment. "Oh, that was Frankie. You heard our conversation?"
"Yes."
"I'm really sorry, Michael. I would have told you, but I didn't want to ruin your holiday."
"Yeah, leaving me for your lover would tend to do that," he said, with not a little sarcasm.
"Honey, you silly man. You're the only one I want." Anne smiled as she squeezed his arm. "I don't know what you thought you heard in my conversation with Frankie, but I have no intention of leaving you—ever." She hesitated, taking a deep breath, and added, "But I have been keeping something from you."
"Yes you have, and I need to know what it is."
Still emotional, Anne felt her eyes tearing up again as she explained, "Michael, I have a lump in my breast the size of a pea."
“Oh, my God, honey.” Michael wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, kissing her thoroughly, making her heart hammer against her ribs. “This is what you’ve been keeping from me?”
With his voice strong and steady, he said, "Let's talk about it. Tell me what tests you've had and what the doctor says. We'll fight this thing together. Nothing is going to happen to you on my watch."
"That's why I was seeing Dr. Sands today. She had my ultrasound results. Michael, the lump is harmless. Everything is going to be alright."
"And you could tell Frankie about this, but couldn't tell me?" Michael asked with a pained expression. "I don't know what hurts most thinking you were having an affair and leaving me, or knowing that you trust Frankie, but not me, when something's wrong."
"It's not like that," she began.
"Yes, it's exactly like that," he said, as he glared at her. "If things were reversed, and I were the one with the lump, would you want me to shut you out?”
"No. I didn’t think about it like that," she said quietly, guilt rushing through her like a river. "I just didn't want to worry you and ruin the holidays. I planned to tell you later, I swear."
Michael stared at her for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was tender. "I hope you know you are more important to me than any holiday. You and the kids are my life. Don't ever shut me out like that again, Anne. I mean it. I take our marriage vows seriously. Together we can face anything. Remember the part, ‘through sickness and health’?"
"Yes, I remember. I'm really sorry, honey."
Exhaling with relief, Michael pulled her close to him, nearly dragging Anne over the console, and wrapped his arms around her. "And I’m so sorry I doubted you. I know better than to think you would have an affair. I was insane by the thought you were cheating, and I wasn’t thinking straight. I love you, Anne. Will you forgive me?"
"I will, if you will forgive me for not telling you. I love you more than anything—or anybody," she replied.
He dropped his head and kissed her senseless. And right there in the parking lot of the medical center, a Christmas miracle was forged by love, hope and forgiveness.
<><><>
Tim, Lane and Blake stood in the sheriff's office break room, watching an emergency weather report on the large, flat-screen television mounted on the wall. A meteorologist stood in front of a map of the Midwest and announced blizzard warnings stretching from one side of Indiana to the other. Predicting winds over 45 mph, he advised that more than an additional foot of snow could fall by the afternoon. Blizzard conditions with wind chill temperatures below zero were expected.
Tim wiped his hand over his face, his expression tight with
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