Through it All

Chapter 9

Cheyenne walks into the ICU room and pulls the chair as close to the bed as she can. She takes hold of Robert's hand with both of hers. She leans over and kisses his hand while she lets the silent tears fall. She wonders how you say goodbye to the love of your life. As she sits beside him she remembers their life together from their first kiss to their wedding and then the birth of their children to Sierra's graduation and marriage to Colt. She remembers Ellie's graduation and sending her off to college and then she thinks of Ace and how he has been having a great school year and his first heartbreak and then she thinks of all the things she will have to experience without Robert. The tears are coming more freely but through them she hears don't cry for me sweetie. Cheyenne looks up and sees that Robert is awake he takes his hand and pulls on her to get in the bed with him. Cheyenne has never been able to tell him no about anything, that's why they have 3 kids, she climbs into be and lays her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. He wraps his arm around her and holds her. Robert knows this will be the last time that he gets to do this and he is sad. Cheyenne has been his world for 24 years and he is worried about her. She is young and now she will be all alone in another year. Ace will be gone to college and Ellie is already there. He thinks about all the moments he is going to miss in his children's lives and for the first time he cries. Love is supposed to conquer all but it doesn't have an answer for this.
Robert lays there just holding Cheyenne savor in the feel of her in his arms as he lets her cry it all out . When she starts to settle Robert says to her, I need you to promise me that you will move on and be happy. Don't stay in the past but help keep my memory alive for the kids and our grandkids if we ever get any. Cheyenne raises up and looks at Robert and asks him what the hell are you talking about? Robert looks at her and says promise me that you will open your heart to love again if it comes along. You are a beautiful woman who is in the prime of her life and I want you to be open to love again. Cheyenne looks at Robert like he had grown 3 heads and says I love you with all my heart so I don't know that I will ever love like that again. Robert asks her to promise to keep her heart open to not let this change her as a person. He asks if Nate is still there and she tells him he was when I came in here. Robert tells her to go get him that he wanted to talk to him. Cheyenne tells Robert no I want to spend this time with you and I don't want you talking to him because you don't need to get upset right now and you know you will if he comes in here. Robert said to go get him, Cheyenne did so reluctantly. As she stepped into the waiting room she found Nate talking to Brody and Ellie. Cheyenne walked over and tells Nate that Robert wants to talk to him. Nate gives her a questioning glance and she tells him please he is asking for you. Nate starts to walk off and Cheyenne tells him to please not bring up the past because she doesn't want Robert thinking about that now. It's in the past and needs to be left there. Nate just nods his head.

Nate walks in and Robert opens his eyes and motions for him to sit down. I guess you are wondering what I wanted to talk to you about. Nate said yeah. Well I know that I need to say a few things and then you can respond okay. Nate said okay. Robert starts with I know that you love my wife Nate starts to interrupt but Robert say I am going to talk then you can respond. Like I said I know you love Cheyenne and I know you don't like me because of how I reacted and treated her during the leukemia crisis. I get that but I also know that you are lying to yourself when you claim to just be her friend. I know guys like you, all you were after was to get in her pants but she is so trusting and doesn't see that. I have not said very much to her about you since then. I trust her completely but I have never trusted you. Now that I am gone you think you will have a clear shot at her but know that there are others that are aware of you and your motives, even if I'm gone it won't be easy for you. I know that she trusts you and will depend on you I am just giving you a heads up I may be gone but buddy someone else will be watching. Nate has gotten angry during this whole time Robert has been talking. Nate looks  down and sees that his fists are clenched, he thinks how he should have just kicked Roberts ass back when he was being a dick to Cheyenne. Now he is going to say his peace and leave, Robert I think you are an arrogant son of a bitch, who only cares about himself. That was made very clear when your wife,? the person you claim to love, thought she was dying with leukemia. All you thought about was yourself never did you want to hear what she was feeling. Do you know that through all that she still defended you to me? I told her then she needed to leave your ass because she didn't need any negativity in her life that she needed to focus on her health. You know what she said, she told me she wasn't a quitter she hadn't ever been and she wasn't going to start. She loves you and why I don't know but she does. I respect her because I see just how strong she is. But to answer part of your questions, yes I love her. I love her enough to let her be happy and that came from being with you. So you listen up I don't care who is watching me I will continue to be her friend until she doesn't want me to be. If she ever wants anything more from me then you can bet your ass I will jump on it because unlike you I see what a treasure she truly is and when things get rough I won't run or stick my head in the sand. Nate turns to walk out and Robert says to him yeah just like you didn't run from your marriage when things got tough. Nate spins around and stalks to the hospital bed and gets in Roberts face and says you listen up and you listen good you are dying and I get you are scared but don't you ever talk about my marriage, because I know everything that happened a couple of years ago  and out of respect for Cheyenne I haven't said anything or done anything but I will tell the whole world what happened and how do you think your kids will feel when they find out? So do you understand me Robert? Robert replied yeah I get you but do you get me, you think you have a clear shot but you don't I will always be there in between y'all. Nate looks at him and says you keep telling yourself that old man. Whatever makes it easier to you to leave this world, just know it will be my arms that she finds comfort in not yours,?my name she will be screaming when I fuck her hard at night so who wins now?