Wish Upon a Star (15 page)

For the moment at least.

The days crawled by, drawing us inexorably closer to May
Twenty-Fifth and chemo treatment number eight. Annie's final one.
Her condition had gotten so bad I was afraid she wouldn't be able to
take the infusion.

Miranda kept me from going off the deep end. Her periodic
visits were like meals to a starving man, both for the emotional
support she gave Annie as well as the clinical information she gave
me.

"You need to watch her like a hawk. If she catches a bug, she
could end up spiking a fever." Miranda made sure I was looking her
in the eye. "She'll be okay. She's just weak now. But if she gets worse,
call her doctor ASAP. "

A couple of days before the Twenty-Fifth, Annie finally
began to come around. I'd taken to sleeping in the guest room to
keep from disturbing her, so I was caught completely caught off
guard when she woke me up one morning by crawling in bed with to
me. She laid her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arm around
me.

"I know it's not the sexiest request I've ever made, but
would you mind making me some breakfast?"

The words were the sweetest music to my ears. Her recent
diet of toast, applesauce and sports drinks, while not upsetting to her
stomach, had meant more weight loss. I rolled over and looked into
her chocolate brown eyes. They were still missing their old sparkle,
but weren't nearly as bloodshot as in recent days.

She returned the gaze, her chapped lips curved up just a
touch. I kissed her forehead and drew her into my arms.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that request.
What sounds good?"

"Coffee would be heavenly. And anything other than toast
would be great."

"Coming up." I rolled out of bed and pulled the covers up
around her neck. With a spring in my step that had been missing for
way too many stress and worry-induced days, I headed for the
kitchen.

I returned a little while later with a steaming mug of French
Vanilla to find her asleep. A few passes of the mug close to her nose
rewarded me with a twitch of her nostrils and a smile. Once she was
comfortably seated with an extra pillow behind her, I got her
computer going and left her to check emails while she ate.

Despite the blandness, she plowed through her breakfast of
plain oatmeal like she hadn't eaten in a week, which wasn't far from
the truth. She even stole half of my banana before she called it quits.
While I was cleaning up in the kitchen, I heard the shower. She'd
lacked the energy to stand long enough for a shower for the last
week, sticking to baths. I started plotting how to get her outdoors as
much as possible for the next few days.

Annie made up for her lack of stamina with an amazingly
sunny disposition. While we walked down the Monon toward the Art
Center, she sang silly songs she made up on the spot. While exploring
the artwork on the Art Center grounds, she sniffed every flower and
laughed.

We made it into Broad Ripple and took time to enjoy drinks
and a snack in the coffee shop. "Glad you're feeling better," I said
between sips of my iced tea.

Annie rolled her eyes. "Not nearly as much as me. I just hope
I've got the energy to make it all the way back home."

"If you get too tired, just let me know and I'll carry you the
rest of the way."

She gave me a long, penetrating look. "You'd do that too,
wouldn't you?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, I figure it'd attract less attention
than dragging you by the arms."

Annie choked back a bite of muffin and threw a napkin at
me. "You little snot."

I bent over to pick up the napkin. Before I knew what was
happening, Annie had one hand on the back of my neck and was
giving me a noogie with the other.

"Ow!" When I waved my arm at her leg, she started laughing
and let me go. I sat up and rubbed my head. "That hurt. How long've
you been waiting to use that?"

"A long time. That's the first time I've used it since filming
Who's In Charge?
, as a matter of fact."

I grimaced. "You certainly got your money's worth."

Annie stuck out her tongue and pushed her seat back. "Stop
being such a wimp and escort me home."

The walk back to the condo took a while. The distance from
the coffee shop to my door wasn't much more than a mile, but Annie
had to stop and rest three times. She tried to fake it the first time, but
didn't bother after that. The minute I had the condo door unlocked,
she was past me and plopped face down on the couch. Before I'd put
my keys away, she was fast asleep.

Her appetite continued to improve, much to our mutual
delight. I did a double-take when Annie told me the night before her
final chemo treatment that she wanted a bacon cheeseburger.

"I know it's not the best choice, but I'm probably going to
feel like crap for the next few weeks and won't feel like eating
anything. I'm going out with a roar, not a whimper."

She kept it going the next morning, polishing off a Western
Omelet with a side of turkey bacon and an English muffin. "Calorie
loading," was all she said.

I was halfway through cleaning up after breakfast when
Annie asked if I was still going with her for her final—we
hoped—chemo infusion. Before straightening up from loading the
dishwasher, I sent up a little prayer for the strength to get me
through the day.

"Sure, if my presence doesn't cramp your and Staci's
style."

"Please. She likes you. Besides, today's special for me. All
survivors who complete treatment at the Center get to ring a bell and
recite a poem when they've finished their last infusion. It's called the
Ringing Out ceremony." She got up from the table and gave me a
hug.

"I want you to be there when I ring that bell."

I'd never received an invitation that sounded so sweet.

It was a challenge to keep my nerves in check on the drive to
the Cancer Center. I hadn't been there in a while and wasn't certain I
was prepared for what I might see.

What I saw made me ashamed of myself. Everywhere I
looked were survivors trying to get better, caregivers providing
support and amazing health care professionals making it all happen.
The people in this room had more strength than the entire Tour de
France peloton could ever dream of having.

Once Annie got settled and Therese got her hooked up to the
clear liquid with which I'd developed a love-hate relationship, I
surveyed the room. Staci was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's your friend?"

Annie let out a long sigh while she gazed out the window.
"She's been down with a flu bug or something, so they must have put
off her final treatment. They were hoping to do it today, but..."

The way her voice trailed off, told me all I needed to know.
While today would end with a celebration of Annie completing
chemo, that celebration would be tempered a touch.

We spent about an hour going through emails and tending
to Cassandra work issues. I filled her in on the progress of the tour
DVD. A rough cut would be ready for viewing by the end of June. Her
record label now wanted to release a live CD to accompany the video.
The thought was to have both ready for a package release in time for
the Christmas season.

"And when did all of these developments transpire?" If
Annie's eyebrows had been there, they'd have been furrowed.

"Honestly, the last week or so. Everyone knows you haven't
felt well, so nothing's been decided. This is just a proposal."

Annie scratched her nose. Miss In-Control was back in the
house, even if it was for only a short time.

And it was great to see.

"All right. I want Beth to produce the album. Get her in touch
with Josh. We'll want a couple of new tracks, so see what's in the can,
maybe 'Bullseye' and something else."

"Anything else, Ms. Lawrence?"

I looked up from my notes. Annie was smiling at me.

"That's enough for now. Good job. I'll make a decent
personal assistant out of you yet."

When we were caught up on emails, Annie leaned the seat
back and closed her eyes. Once I knew she was asleep, I ran a quick
errand and returned with a surprise without her knowing a thing.
She woke up when Therese was checking her IV line. We split a
submarine sandwich and passed the remaining time trading stories
about the Indianapolis 500.

Annie had attended twice as a special guest and loved it. Her
smile went practically from ear to ear while she described her trip
around the two and a half mile oval in the passenger position of the
two-seater Indy car.

"Oh. My. God. Screaming down that front straightaway at
one hundred and eighty miles an hour, I'd never felt more frightened
and more thrilled at the same time in my life. I've been all over the
world, and that trip is in the top ten experiences in my life."

"What are the others?"

"She'll have to tell you some other time, because," Therese
grinned at Annie, "you, my dear, are finished."

Annie's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Therese nodded as she removed the line from the port in
Annie's chest. "You're free to go, but first we have a few things to
attend to." She nodded at me.

While Therese helped Annie get out of the seat, I grabbed
the surprise and held it behind my back. Therese turned Annie
toward me.

I took a second to compose myself. "Annette Suzanne
Wilson, you are the most courageous woman I know. You're also the
most beautiful and talented and amazing and everything else." My
voice caught and I had to look away for a second. "Today marks yet
another milestone of your courage, grace and total
awesomeness."

I brought the bouquet of red roses from behind my back and
handed them to her. "Congratulations. I love you."

Annie took the flowers and breathed in deeply, her eyes
closed. When she opened them, a single tear escaped. She didn't
wipe it away.

"Thank you...Eamon Joseph. I love you, too."

Therese gave Annie a little hug. "This way please." We
followed her to a silver bell that had been attached to a wall. Below
the bell was a plaque on which a poem had been inscribed. The other
nurses had gathered around us, everyone beaming.

"You know the drill?" Therese said.

Annie closed her eyes and took a second to compose herself.
"I read the poem and then ring the bell."

"Whenever you're ready."

Annie looked from her favorite chemotherapy nurse to me.
She took my hand as another tear ran down her cheek. "Read it with
me?"

We each counted to three and then recited the poem. It was
entitled
Ringing Out
.

Ring this bell three times
well.
Its toll to clearly say,
My treatments
are done.
This course is run.
And I am on
my way!

By the time we finished, tears were streaming down Annie's
face. Therese handed her a tissue. Annie wiped away the tears and
took hold of a white cord attached to the bell. She pulled once, twice,
and then a final time. When the ding, ding, ding rang out, the nurses
started clapping. Annie hugged me and buried her head in my chest. I
turned toward the infusion area and saw that the patients and
caregivers were clapping, too.

Therese leaned in close and nodded toward the infusion
area. "Every ringing out ceremony gives patients in the room
inspiration, just like you and Annie have given these folks inspiration
now."

Annie went from nurse to nurse, exchanging hugs and well
wishes. She saved the last and longest embrace for Therese.

I snapped a few pictures of Annie with the nurses by the
plaque, and then we were on our way. The first stage of Annie's
cancer treatment was complete.

It was time to celebrate.

We pushed open the doors and walked into a brilliant May
afternoon. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the azure blue sky.
Halfway to the parking lot, Annie stopped and raised her face to the
sun. Her eyes were closed, but the way her lips had curved up at the
corners said it all. Today Annie was the victor.

At her request, we took a detour through the reflecting
garden in front of the Cancer Center. She'd take a few steps, then
come to a stop on the gravel pathway. I followed as she carried on
her silent vigil. At one point, she scooped up a few tiny stones and
tossed two of them into a small pond. Her lips moved as she did this,
but I couldn't hear what she was saying. When we reached the end of
the path, she took my hand and squeezed it.

"Thanks." She didn't say any more, and I decided it wasn't
my place to ask.

"Time for your celebration dinner," I told her once were
buckled in. "I think you'll find our choice of location fitting."

A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of an Italian
restaurant. Annie chuckled as she got out of the car.

"Yes, we thought Bravo was an appropriate locale to
celebrate finishing chemo."

Annie wrapped her arm around mine. "What's with the 'our'
and 'we' bit all of a sudden. Last I knew, you weren't of royal
lineage."

"I'm not." I opened the door and led Annie through the
restaurant toward a room in the back. "But we still thought you
deserved a celebration."

A chorus of "Surprise" rang out as Annie stepped into the
room. Following Beth's lead, our assembled friends gave her a
standing ovation. Annie put her hand over her mouth and leaned
into me.

Staci approached, looking frighteningly pale but grinning
ear to ear, and put her arms around Annie. A few words passed
between them before Annie cleared her throat.

"Thank you all so, so much. I can't tell you how much this
means to me. I'm a little overwhelmed right now, but you all need to
promise me that nobody leaves tonight without a hug."

I escorted her to our seats at the head table. Miranda was
waiting there with her arms out wide. Annie hugged her and Ryan
while I settled into my spot. She nudged me while we waited for the
main course after the salads had been taken away.