Come With Me

Chapter 16

Five months later, Connie was 9 months pregnant, had been married for four months, and was feeling extremely downhearted. She was constantly tired, constantly ill, and the tablets that she was supposed to be taking for the cancer put the baby at risk, and so Connie refused to take them. One morning, she was so ill that she didn't feel like she could get out of bed, and Jacob had suggested that they all spend the day in their pyjamas watching movies. As Connie woke up at around 10am, Grace and Jacob were sat on the bed, watching her quietly. Jacob asked Grace to leave so that he could speak with Connie, and she went downstairs for breakfast in understanding.

"Good morning, Mrs Masters," he smiled. Since their wedding a few months ago, Connie's preferred form of address had been Mrs Masters, as it made her smile every time. However, not this time.

"I'm getting worse," Connie whispered, weakly.

"I know, baby. But you've got to hang in there."

"Jacob, I need to ask you something."

"Anything, baby," he whispered, moving up and wrapping his arm around her.

"If anything happens to me before this little one is born, then please promise me you'll put the baby first. I'll put a DNR in place - promise me that you won't let them bring me back." Jacob's heart sank. He couldn't promise her that - could he?

"Connie, how can I promise that? Putting the baby first, yes, I can agree to that. But if they think they can bring you back, then how can you expect me to sit there and watch you go?"

"Because if you do, you'll know that you made me happy one final time. Jacob, that means everything to me - please." He nodded, though he knew it was going to kill him, and promised her what she wanted.

"If it comes to it Connie, then I'll tell them." She thanked him, and then they snuggled up together. "You'll be okay, Con," he assured her, though she knew now that her time really was running out, and her cancer wasn't waiting.

Grace came back about five minutes later, and the three of them watched television, while eating junk food by the ton. By the end of the day, Connie was fast asleep on Jacob's chest, and his hands were resting across her bump.

"Is mum going to die soon?" Grace asked as the film drew to a close. She spoke quietly so not to wake Connie, and the sad tone in her voice caused Jacob to feel even worse.

"We knew it was coming, sweetheart," Jacob said, and tried his best to comfort Grace. She soon decided that she'd prefer to go to bed, and so Jacob said goodnight while moving Connie slightly to tuck her in beneath the quilts. He then stripped down to his boxer shorts, and folded his clothes quietly over the chair. As he turned around to climb in next to Connie, he noticed that she was awake. He passed her a nightdress to change in to and she took it gratefully, slipping it over her delicate frame. She didn't sleep with her underwear, but sometimes felt a little better being covered by a thin sheet of material. This was mostly because of Jacob - she could quite happily sleep naked, but when she did, she always felt the urge to touch him, and for him to touch her, and so since they couldn't reply have sex, Connie just wanted to make sure that she wasn't teasing him.

"I'm never going to get tired of seeing those abs," she whispered, and he sauntered across to her slowly.

"They're all yours baby," he replied, and climbed in beside his wife, hugging her tightly.

"You were right," Connie whispered, as they turned out the light and lay in silence. "Spending a few months married to you was definitely better than spending years without you. You've been my anchor, Jacob."

"Hush, baby," he whispered softly. "You've still got time. Don't say goodbye yet."

"I'm just making sure you know how much I love you." She snuggled back into his chest, and he kissed her neck a couple of times.