It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall ~ Mexican proverb​

​

​

​August​

Thursday

Seventeen year old Honey Grace Wheeler was scared to death.

​

It wasn't possible. Hodgkin lymphoma? She was just a kid. How could this happen? It was just a swollen lymph node in her neck, wasn't it?

​

"We see this in two stages," Dr. Andrews said. Honey tuned back in to the conversation between him and her parents. "Young adult hood and then over age 55. The good news is, we caught this very early and Honey should be able to overcome this."

​

Matt Wheeler swallowed. "Should be able to?" he repeated

​

"There's a survival rate of over 80%. This is so early we can do the 'wait and see' to start or, if you choose, a more aggressive approach to eradicate the growth."

​

Conversation progressed with Honey tuning in and out with the shock of it all. How? Why?

​

Chemo.​

Radiation.​

Sterilization?

​

Oh, God, this is really happening, she thought. She closed her eyes again, pulling up her favorite memory. Her happy place. Remembering four months ago, dancing with Brian at her Junior Prom. The highlight in a life of highlights since she and her parents moved to Sleepyside-on-Hudson, NY when she was 13.

​

The sound of silence echoed in her father's Escalade as he drove them home.

​

"I don't want the boys to know," Honey said softly. "Jim will be a wreck," she said, referring to her older adopted brother. "Brian, too." Her eyes closed as she prayed. This wasn't happening. Why me?

​

Jim lost both his parents and she knew his deepest fear was losing someone else. And Brian? Her breath caught. Brian, who believed in medicine and treatments and would feel helpless in the face of her disease.

​

"You won't be able to keep it from them," her mother said, embracing her daughter and stroking her long honey brown hair.

​

"Can Miss Trask home school me?" Honey asked. "I heard that right? At the doctor's office? I can't risk infections while on the chemo and radiation therapy?"

​

Madeline Wheeler's eyes filled with tears. "I'll ask her. I'm sure she'll agree. Matt, can you delegate some of our business travels this year?"

​

Matt nodded. As head of Wheeler/Hart Industries as well as heading up the start up Frayne Capital, he had business obligations all over the world. "I have a young vice president looking for some new experiences. I think he can take over the work in Brazil. He's fluent in Spanish and has been studying Portuguese." He looked at his two "girls" in the back seat. "I still may need to do the Canadian trips until I figure out who can work with my people there."

​

"Can we not tell them until Thanksgiving?" Honey begged. "We'll know if the treatment is working by then, right?" Her voice caught on her tears. "I don't want to be sick anymore. I thought I was over being sick!"

​

"This is just stage I, Honey. The treatment will work and you will be fine. Do you hear me?" her mother said, her lips pressed together and tears filling her eyes. "I will not have you thinking otherwise. As for your brother, he deserves to know. He saw his own mother die from cancer."

​

"I know!" Honey cried. "Don't you think I want to save him that kind of worry?"

​

Her father shook his head. "I know you do, Honey. But don't you think he'll be even more hurt if you wait until Thanksgiving to tell them?"

​

She nodded. Daddy was right. Jim would feel betrayed. "Can I tell them first? Before you tell anyone else?" she asked. The Bob-Whites weren't just friends, they were family.

​

Her father nodded his agreement and Honey returned to staring out the car window. She heard her mother and father began to discuss her upcoming treatment. She fought back the fear that seemed to surround her. She closed her eyes and remembered.

​

Would you dance,
If I asked you to dance?

​

The first strands of "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias had started and Brian, looking tall and dashing in his tuxedo, had led her on the dance floor. For Christmas, he had given her dancing lessons and they glided effortlessly on the floor. She saw her beauty reflected in his melting chocolate brown eyes. A gentle breeze blew her hair as she spun and was caught back in his strong arms.

​

Honey looked through her scrapbook, smiling at pictures and mementos of years gone by. Jim's adoption celebration. Ticket stubs from her first date with Brian.

​

Later that night, Honey sent out a group email to all Bob-Whites, near and far. Her parents were right. She needed to face the reality and tell everyone what was going on. She would need all the support she could get.

​​

"I'm sorry for the timing, guys, but this is an EMERGENCY MEETING of the BWGs this Saturday at 9am. Yes, that's right. It's CAPITALIZED, bolded and underlined. That means everyone needs to be there, regardless of scheduling conflicts. You know I wouldn't call this if it weren't vital.​

​​

Trixie – you'll know when everyone else knows. So, please don't push.

Love you all,

Honey"

​

Approximately 50 miles away, four cell phones chirped as Honey's email was received. Jim immediately called the freshman he was set to tutor that Saturday. Brian called the pharmacy he worked at to let them know he wouldn't be there. Mart and Dan looked at each other with growing horror. This was Honey. Cool, calm, collected Honey. Honey didn't send out panic driven emails calling them all home. What had happened?

​

Trixie's heart was beating at a double time pace. Today was Thursday. School started tomorrow. Her first urge was to run up the hill to Manor House and demand Honey spill her secrets. She could do it, she knew. But should she? Mature Trixie warred with impetuous Trixie. Honey's news must be big and Trixie really really wanted to know what was going on. In the end, however, she chose to respect Honey's wishes. She simply responded.

​

I'll be there Honey. If you need me before, let me know. Love you back.​

Trixie

​

Diana Lynch read the email twice. Honey did not order people around. She didn't demand or whine or cajole. This had to be huge. She quickly typed out her reply and hit send.

​

Of course I'll be there.​​

Di

​

Friday morning

​

Di and Trixie sat together on the bus ride into school on the first day of senior year. "Any idea what's going on?" Di asked.

​

Trixie shook her head. "Could the Wheeler's be moving? Is that why Honey isn't in school today?"

​

Di's shrug was eloquent and expressed both of their frustrations. "Are you going to try and figure this one out, Trix?"

​

Trixie shook her head. "No, I thought about it. We all know I could get the information out of her. That's why Honey specifically asked me not to question her."

​

Di patted Trixie's shoulder. "It's tough growing up, huh?" she said with a sad smile.

​

Trixie nodded. "Honey needs to tell us in her own way, I guess."

​

"Did you talk to Jim?" Di asked.

​

Trixie nodded. "To all the guys. Everyone is worried."

​

Friday evening

​

"I couldn't get anything out of her," Jim said, as he and Trixie went on a late afternoon ride through Matt Wheeler's game preserve. The guys had driven home after Mart's last class that afternoon.

​

"I haven't even tried," Trixie said. She played restlessly with Susie's mane. "I'm worried, Jim."

​

Jim nodded and looked off into the distance. "Mother and Dad won't say. They tell me this is Honey's news and they promised her she would be able to tell all of us first."

​

Saturday morning​

8:30am

​

​

Mart and Di were the first one's at the clubhouse. They had made a bagel run and got everyone a cup of coffee. Food was the last thing on anyone's mind, but somehow, it seemed a normal thing do do for such an early morning meeting. And normal felt good.

​

Jim arrived next, anxious and pale. Then Dan.

​

Dan nervously cracked his knuckles until Mart smacked his shoulder. "Sorry guys. Nervous habit."

​

Brian and Trixie brought up the rear.

​

They were a tense group as they waited for Honey to arrive.

​

9:10am

​

Honey left the relative safety of her bedroom and walked down to the clubhouse. She hated being late but she wanted to make sure everyone was there before her. She couldn't say this twice.

​

Honey had been losing weight for weeks now and with it, her stamina. Even the short walk from the house to the old gatehouse made her winded. She fought back the tears. She would not break. She had too many plans and too much to do. She would fight this with all she had and if that weren't enough, she would fight it with everything the Bob-White's had.

​

Frail and frightened and a little out of breath, she entered the clubhouse. Six sets of eyes watched her as she took her customary spot at the table.

​

"I needed to tell you all my news," she began softly. Her big hazel eyes filled with tears. "As you know, I haven't been feeling well for a while. I've been too weak to ride Lady. I haven't had much of an appetite. So, Mother and Father took me to see a specialist in New York. I had a follow up this week."

​

Di gripped Mart's hand hard enough to make him wince.

​

Trixie's eyes filled with tears.

​

Jim stared at his sister with haunted green eyes.

​

Dan closed his eyes and began to pray.

​

Brian bowed his head.

​

Knowing she had their undivided attention, Honey continued. "I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Hodgkin's Lymphoma." She let her friends have their individual reactions. "This is very limited and I should have," her voice caught on a sob, "an excellent chance of recovery. Miss Trask will home school me through my senior year. Mother and Daddy will be home to take me to my treatments." She finally lifted her head, her hazel eyes blazing in her too pale face as she met each of her friend's eyes. "I will need every ounce of my own strength to beat this. And I will absolutely need all of you. I will call on you and I don't plan on being nice about it. So you will all just suck it up and deal with it. Okay?"

​

Trixie stood up so fast her chair went flying. "Anything and everything, Hon. You know we'll be there for you." She hugged her best friend and was surprised to feel just how frail Honey had become.

​

"I'll take the semester off school," Jim began.

​

"No," his sister interrupted. Her delicate hands reached for his larger ones. "I will not feel guilt on top of being sick. You are getting your education, Jim Frayne. No full blooded adopted brother of mine is taking a semester off."

​

Jim's eyes narrowed. "How do you possibly think I'll be able to study in the City while you're home dealing with this?"

​

Honey held her hand up. "I can't really be around germs once the... treatments start. So, you guys being in New York is actually a good thing for me, Jim."

​

Jim opened his mouth to argue but this time Brian interrupted. "We'll get masks and jump suits if we need to so we can visit, Honey Wheeler. But don't think for one second we're going to just go merrily on our way while one of our best friends is fighting something like this on her own."

​

"She won't be alone," Trixie said, loyally. "She'll have Di and I."

​

Diana's eyes filled with tears as she met Honey's eyes. "What can we do to help?"

​

Honey bit her lip. "Just keep being there with me."

​

"We can take turns sitting with you while you have the chemo," Dan said.

​

Jim stood up and stood by the window. Trixie burrowed into his arms, both seeking and providing solace. "I only have one class on Mondays and Fridays," he said. "I'm going to request a switch it to a Tuesday and Thursday schedule. If I can't, then I'll drop the class." His voice was final and Honey knew it was the best compromise she was going to get. "I'm ahead by six credits toward graduation. I can cut one class and still graduate on time."

​

Trixie nodded. Jim's pain was palpable and needed no further words.

​

November

​

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.

​

​

Honey sat on her bed, fighting back the fear and panic. She was weak and alone. The Bob-Whites tried to help but they were scared too. She saw it in their eyes. In the way they often stopped talking when she entered a room. Guilt and anger warred in her.

​

She hated being sick. She was guilty every time she asked for help. Guilty for making her parents worry. Guilt for making her father miss his business trips.

​

If she admitted it to herself, she was also angry. Why was this happening?

​

She closed her eyes and let herself drift back to her Junior Prom. She'd been wearing designer labels since before she could remember but somehow, that night and in that dress, she had never been as beautiful.

​​​

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.

​

It wasn't the dress, she decided. It was in the way Brian had danced with her. On the surface, Brian was calm. Steady. Responsible. But underneath that calm facade, lurked the heart a heart full of passion and love and protectiveness. She loved that helpless look of love that came over Brian's face as he played with a lock of her hair.

​

She bit back a sob. She knew it was vain. Knew it was wrong. But dammit, she missed her hair.

​

She stared out her window, seeing the lights glitter from the Belden Thanksgiving Open House. She was happy Trixie's family was going ahead with their traditional plans. She was. Really. She wanted life to be normal for everyone else. But why couldn't it be 'normal' for her, too?

​

She wiped at her tears. Stupid cancer.

​

"Can I come in," Jim asked, knocking on the door.

​

"Of course," Honey responded, sitting up in her bed.

​

"I'm heading down to the Open House," Jim said. "Do you need anything?"

​

"Will you sit with me a little bit, Jim? I know you want to see everyone, but I need someone to talk to."

​

"Of course, Honey." Jim sat down near his sister. "What's up?"

​

"Why me, Jim?" Honey asked, her voice catching.

​

Jim picked his sister's small hand up in his. "I don't pretend to have all the answers, Honey. And I've certainly asked that question more than once myself."

​

Honey bit her lip. Jim's life hadn't been easy.

​

"I finally decided I was asking the wrong question. Why not me? What was so special about me that I didn't deserve anything bad to happen to me?" He pinched the bridge of his nose to keep his tears in check. "You and Trixie and the Wheelers taught me something else, too. You all taught me there are silver linings, you just need to look for them." He brushed a single kiss across Honey's brow. "I could either be angry that roses have thorns or rejoice that thorns have roses. It's all perspective."

​

Honey nodded. "That sounds like something from a therapist?"

​

Jim shrugged. "You know I was in therapy for years, Honey."

​

Honey rolled her eyes. "You're the most wonderful boy in the world," she teased, quoting Trixie's description of him.

​

Jim blushed, as he always did and Honey smiled. Such a simple thing, really. So blessedly part of every day life it made her eyes water.

​

"Even the most wonderful boy in the world," he finally said, sharing a grin with his sister, "needed help."

​

"I"m glad, Jim. Glad Mother and Daddy moved here. Glad I met Trixie. Glad I have you as a brother."

​

Jim stood up, running his hands down the thighs of his Levi's. "We still have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We have the financial resources to get you to the doctor early. The ability to pay for your treatments. A wonderful friend and teacher in Miss Trask. Friends and family who would lay down their lives for you."

​

Honey nodded. "You're right, Jim." She bit her lip and looked out the window. "Do you think maybe I could go to the Open House? Just for an hour or so? I can wear one of those masks, I guess. I just want to do something normal for a while. You know?"

​

Jim nodded, his eyes bright. "I think that's the best idea I've heard all day, Honey."

​

​

January

​

​

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute – and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity. ~ Albert Einstein​

​

​

​

Honey sat back in the chair, receiving her chemotherapy. She'd been so violently sick she couldn't hardly keep any food down and she felt herself getting weaker and weaker.

​

She had a doctor's appointment later in the month to discuss her progress but at the moment, she just felt scared and alone. Weak. She'd been weak and sickly before but nothing like this pervasive feeling of lethargy that stole over her.

​

Adriamycin

Bleomycin

Vinblastine

Dacarbazine

​

Each drug was slowly taken into her body, attacking not only the cancer cells but also other healthy cells. She closed her eyes, taking herself back to prom. Her therapist told her it was good to escape to a happy memory and that was her favorite.

​

I can be your hero, baby​

I can kiss away the pain

I will stand by you forever

You can take my breath away

​

"Honey?" for a moment, Honey was caught between daydream and reality. She blinked, staring up at Brian's too handsome face.

​

She smiled weakly at him. Oh, she'd spun such wonderful girlish fantasies about this man. She saw the fear and – her breath caught. Was that pity in his eyes? Please God, not that. She couldn't bear it. She loved him and she didn't want him here out of some misplaced feelings of pity.

​

"Brian," she said, with as much energy as she could muster. "I'm glad you made it."

​

The future Dr. Brian Belden stared at his hands. He felt so damned helpless in the face of this disease. He wanted to be a doctor to help patients fight their pains and aches and diseases, didn't he? So why did he feel chronically sick to his stomach? Why did he crave and dread news each time Jim came back from visiting Sleepyside? Because it was Honey.

​

"Did you decide what you're going to do after you get your BS from NYU?" she asked, striving for a normal conversation. Too often they all centered around her and her stupid disease. She was tired of talking about herself. Tired of talking about stupid cancer.

​

"I decided to join the Navy," he said. "I always knew Moms and Dad weren't going to have the money for the full ride to medical school. I was hoping for some scholarship money but even with that, I'd have to take out heavy loans and I just don't want to be that far in debt before ever seeing a patient."

​

"The banker's son speaks," she teased.

​

An involuntary laugh was forced from Brian's throat. "Hadn't thought of it that way, but I guess you're right."

​

Honey's eyes glittered with pride. "That's wonderful, Brian! I'm so proud of you. Do you think you'll still be close by?"

​

"I talked to my recruiter. I might be on board ship for a while. Possibly treating patients down in Bethesda."

​

He sighed. "The big base on this side of the country is in Norfolk, VA. If I stay in, possibly even working at any of the Veteran's clinics around the country."

​

"It all sounds impossibly exciting, Brian," Honey said.

​

Brian nodded but he knew. It would only be exciting with Honey by his side.

​

"Jim says you have an appointment in two weeks?"

​

Honey nodded. "Just a check up. They want to make sure the chemo is working. I have a PET scan tomorrow. Another biopsy is scheduled. I'm just so tired, Brian." Her voice caught. "I had no idea I could feel this old at 17."

​

"Chemo is a systemic treatment. Which just means that it's applied to the whole body," Brian said quietly, his dark brown eyes focused on Honey's wan face. "The drugs attack all cells that divide rapidly which is bad news to the cancerous cells. But it's also bad news for your red and white blood cells and the digestive lining."

​

Hair follicles, too, Honey thought bitterly but stayed quiet. "You've been researching?"

​

Brian nodded. "Of course. I want to know what's happening to you. What you're going through."

​

"This is my third cycle," Honey said quietly, picking at the threads in the blanket. "The last PET scan was clean."

​

"How many clean PET scans do they want you to have before they stop chemo?"

​

"At least one more," Honey said quietly. "Then a fourth then another after six months."

​

"May I come with you for your appointment?" Brian asked. He'd been avoiding her disease since she first dropped her news. He felt – helpless. Stupid. Useless. With a sick sense of dread, he realized it wasn't about him and his feelings. This was about Honey and how he'd been treating her.

​

Brian realized he stood at the lip of a yawning maw of a decision. He could either run away and protect himself and hurt Honey. Or he could embrace Honey – illness and all. It shamed him to realize he hadn't seen his own girlfriend  since New Years and resolved to do better. Honey was too important to him.

​

"Brian?" Oh God she was not going to beg. She wasn't. She had no intention of begging. And yet, she found herself opening her mouth to speak. "Would you kiss me?"

​

Brian knelt next to her. With those long gentle fingers of his he raised her chin so he could look her in her eyes. He leaned over, touching his lips to hers with careful reverence. His tongue gently played with hers before he pulled back. "You're going to be fine, Honey." He kissed her again. "We're going to be fine," he clarified.

​

Honey's thin hand touched her kerchief self consciously. She hated her vanity over her hair but took a deep breath. Today, she would choose to rejoice that thorns had roses.

​

​

Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes, doesn't mean he lacks vision ~ Stevie Wonder

​

​

Saturday​

​

"Okay, I for one cannot stand still," Trixie said, addressing the other five members of the Bob-Whites at the clubhouse.

​

A ghost of a smile passed over Dan's mouth. "Have you ever been able to?"

​

Trixie rolled her eyes. "No, I guess not. I'm a doer, not a sit back and let others do things for me." She handed out a pamphlet. "There's a 5k in Croton next month to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I entered us as a team." She held up an index card. "This is where people can send donations."

​

"I like how she entered us first and then told us about it," Mart said.

​

"Would you have refused," Brian asked, seriously.

​

Mart blushed. "Of course not, Brian. It's just the tension is insane and I was only busting Trixie's chops to – I don't know. Act like we usually do."

​

"And you think you can be normal when Honey is so sick?"

​

Mart opened his mouth to reply but was saved by Jim's quiet comment. "Honey needs us to be as strong and as normal as possible."

​

"How far is 5k?" Diana asked, changing the subject.

​

"Around three miles," Mart answered.

​

"So, definitely do-able," Dan agreed. He pulled up his Facebook account on his smart phone. "I just liked Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's page. We'll get the links and start looking for donations."

​

Trixie nodded. Patience wasn't really her "thing". "From the farm to the center of town is two miles. Anyone up for a walk or jog there and back? We need to start training."

​

​

February

​

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are ~ Anais Nin

​

​

"Where do you go?" her therapist, Bernadette asked. "When the pain gets too bad?"

​

Honey smiled. "My junior prom. Brian and I had always attended dances together and other social functions but there was something so magical about that night. He was so handsome."

​​

Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?​​

Well I don't care, you're here, tonight.

​

"What about your senior prom?" Bernadette prompted.

​

Honey shrugged. "I don't know. I've been so weak and lost so much weight and prom seems so very far away."

​

"What did the doctor's say at your appointment last week?"

​

"Two clean cycles so everyone is hopeful. I'm anemic," Honey said, which she knew from the pervasive exhaustion that held her down. "Just exhausted. He wants me to be on chemo at least one more cycle and then regular follow ups for the first year."

​

"That's wonderful, Honey!"

​

Honey nodded. "But then I found out," she sniffled and grabbed a tissue. "I told you that one of the side affects of chemo affects a woman's fertility?"

​

Bernadette nodded.

​

"I had them harvest some eggs before we began treatment. I always knew I wanted," her voice caught. "Babies." Bernadette was quiet for a long moment as Honey cried. "But there was a problem at the lab, I guess. My gynecologist called and said that my eggs thawed." She hiccuped loudly. "The eggs aren't viable anymore."

​

"Did you talk to Brian about this?"

​

Honey shook her head. "I don't know how to, really. We're young. There's no guarantees in life and I get that. But in my dreams all my babies have his beautiful dark eyes."

​

"You can't control the future, Honey," Bernadette said. "But I think you're doing an amazing job of holding up under this kind of pressure."

​

"Can you mourn a baby you'll never have?"

​

Bernadette was silent for a moment. "We can mourn the dream, Honey. The dreams of what might have been."

​

Bernadette paused, making sure Honey was paying attention. "You love your brother very much, don't you?"

​

Honey nodded. "Of course. He's a wonderful brother."

​

"And your friends? The Bob-Whites? They're family too, aren't they?"

​

Honey nodded. "Oh yes! I love them more than anything. Trixie and Di are my sisters. Mart, Dan and Jim are my brothers."

​

"And Brian?" Bernadette teased gently, seeing the blush of first love appear on Honey's pale cheeks.

​

"Brian is Brian," Honey said by way of explanation. "Wonderful, and gentle. Caring. Considerate. Loyal. Fiercely protective of those he loves." She blushed harder. "A wonderful kisser."

​

"I used to have a flower garden," Bernadette began. "I love impatiens and I wanted a ton of them. Everywhere. But then my daughter brought home phlox and planted it in my garden. Every time she saw a flower she liked, she bought some plants and added to the flower beds." She handed Honey a picture of a flower garden she kept on her wall. Roses and phlox and impatiens were mix with hostas and tiger lillies and more flowers than Honey could name. "Families are like that, Honey Wheeler. You may not have all started from the same seeds, but as long as you work together and love one another, you're still a family."

​

​

March

​

As far as the Moon is concerned, he is always full ~Terri Gullemets

​

​

Honey joined her friends as they gathered around their favorite booth at Wimpy's. Mike was donating 5% of all checks to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

​

Di handed out T-shirts with "Team Bob-White" to her team mates.

​

"These are beautiful, Di," Honey said. "Did you design them?" The plain blue T-shirts had a silk screened bob-white on the front right breast and across the back the "O" in Bob-White was replaced with the same plump quail.

​

Di sat next to Honey and put her arm around her friend's shoulders. "When Bob-Whites get together for a good cause it's not usually so close to home. Trixie signed us up, we got donations from almost everyone at school! And I designed the T-shirts for us to wear tomorrow."

​

Honey's eyes filled with tears. She wiped at them. "I'm so tired of being sick, Di. I promise, when I'm done with this treatment, I will never feel sorry for myself again. You just realize that everything – simply everything else is small stuff. There's cancer and then there's everything else."

​

Overhearing her girl friends, Trixie took Honey's other side. "All for one and one for all, Hon. You know we would have shared the pain and sickness with you if we could have."

​

Honey nodded. "But I'm not sure I would have shared it with you even if it were possible. I love you all too much to see you in that kind of pain."

​

Brian shooed his sister away. "Are you hungry, Honey? Can I get you anything?"

​

Honey felt helpless in the face of his concerned dark chocolate eyes. "Maybe some soup?" she said, hesitantly, striving for normalcy. "Do you think Mike could maybe scramble me an egg? And some toast?I know they're not on the menu but I think that's probably all I can handle."

​

Brian kissed her softly. "If he won't, I'll run to the store and get what I need to scramble you an egg myself."

​

"I heard that, Brian Belden!" Mike called from the counter. "You're not horning in on my flat top! If the lady wants an egg and some toast, then that's what she'll get!"

​

"Honey, we need your opinion," Mart asked, with Dan in his wake. "We think the T-shirts were a way for Diana to torture us."

​

"Blue isn't my color," Dan commented. "I'm more of an Autumn, don't you think?"

​

"And I really think my Spring coloring doesn't look good in this shade of blue."

​

"Mart Belden, you do too look good in blue," Trixie said, hotly.

​

Mart grinned beatifically. "So you agree I'm a handsome devil?"

​

Trixie stared at her brother for a long moment before exchanging a look with Dan. "I walked into that one, didn't I?"​

​​

"You certainly did, Freckles," Dan said cheerfully, tossing his arm around Trixie's shoulders.​

​

Startled by the sheer ordinariness of their interactions, Honey burst out laughing. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she'd laughed until she noticed her friends were all staring at her. She hid her face in the crook of Brian's shoulder as helpless peals of laughter shook her. "I love you guys!" she finally managed.​

​

Everyone's eyes seemed suspiciously bright. "Love you too, Honey."

​

Jim smiled at her from across the booth. "Today," she said, "I celebrate that thorns have roses."

​

Jim raised his glass of water and saluted his sister. "Me, too," he said with a husky tenor to his voice. "Me, too."​

​

​​

April

​

​

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lau Tzu

​

​

Seventeen year old Honey Grace Wheeler was scared to death. Her PET scans were still clean and this was yet another follow up visit. She was equal parts eager for answers and scared to death of the answers. She closed her eyes and took herself back to her happy memory.

​

Her dress shimmered in the dim lights and Brian whispered how beautiful she'd looked and how the threads of gold in her dress picked up the golden warmth of her skin. He was tall and handsome and everything wonderful in her eyes. And he was there, holding her while she held him. It was perfectly perfect.

​

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.

​

They weren't the only people on the dance floor. The prom's theme had been Hero's and Warriors with a portion of all the tickets sold going to the Wounded Warrior Project. Distantly, she even knew Jim and Trixie were off in the corner swaying to the raspy sounds of Enrique Iglesias' voice.

​

Traditionally, she was shy whenever she was with Brian. But that night she'd been fearless, meeting his melting chocolate brown eyes. With a cautious finger she'd traced his lips, her hand smoothing his freshly shaven cheek.

​

"I love you," Brian whispered, his own long fingers tracing the delicate arch of her brow.

​​

I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.

​

"I love you, too," Honey whispered. Slowly, their dancing drifted into swaying as their lips touched for their first kiss.

​

​

May​

​

​​

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows." ~ Doug Larson

​

​

The last six weeks of not being on the chemo had helped Honey gain back five pounds. She was still weak but she was pushing herself every day to walk down to the lake and back. Regan finally agreed to let her start riding again.

​

Miss Trask turned her grades in and Principal Stratton agreed to allow her to walk with the rest of her graduating class. He'd even approved her to attend the senior prom.

​

But it all seemed like nothing. Everything seemed like nothing when compared with the news she was now five months clean. She wasn't even as upset as she once was at the possibility of never giving birth to her own child. If full blooded adopted brothers were good enough for her, than so would full blooded adopted babies.

​

She could never go back to being the sweet docile daughter of Matt and Madeline Wheeler. She was alive and wanted to celebrate every moment of her life. She was given a second chance. She would never take anything in life for granted again.

​

One life. One chance. And Honey wasn't going to sit on her duff and let the world slip by. She was a woman with a life to live.

​

She twirled in her room. Green and gold eyeshadow played up her large eyes in her thin face. A touch of blush to put some color to her cheeks. If not the beauty she once thought she was, she still felt beautiful again. The growing peach fuzz of her hair was gelled into a spikey little 'do.

​

"You look so pretty, Honey," Trixie said, hugging her best friend.

​

"I'm so glad we decided to sew your dress," Di agreed, handing Honey a pair of gold dangle earrings to wear.

​

"You guys did a wonderful job modifying the pattern," Trixie said, fingering the soft sage green silk of Honey's gown.

​

"You did your part, too," Honey said, forever loyal.

​

"I picked the fabric," Trixie said, with a self deprecating smile. "You and Di did all the work"

​

"Do not make me cry," Honey said, blotting her eyes with a tissue. "We all look lovely."

​

"And healthy," Di said, softly. Soon, they were all dabbing at their eyes through their smiles.

​

Their mothers came to the door. "Picture time!" Helen said, smiling at their girls.

​

I can be your hero, baby.

​

Brian Belden was running a little late, which was completely unlike him. He liked being punctual. Liked never letting people down. He gazed at his watch. Last minute panic hit. Maybe this was a stupid idea. Maybe he'd made a huge mistake.

​

He glanced into the rear view mirror. Too late, now.

​

I can kiss away the pain.

​

He approached the front door at Manor House. He still had 15 minutes for pictures.

​

Honey met him at the door. "You're late," she teased, her eyes seeming impossibly green in the light.

​

"Brian! You're here!" his mother scolded. "Take that hat off and come join your brother and Jim for pictures."

​

As he entered the room, Honey frowned and took off his ball cap. "You didn't?" she said with a smile and Brian knew it was all going to be okay. Honey understood his solidarity.

​

I will stand by you forever.

​

Her hand reached up and where just this morning had been his beautiful thick sable brown hair, slowly she touched just skin.

​

You can take my breath away.

​

"My hero."

​

​

A/N:​

The inspiration of this tear jerker piece (at any rate, I was crying writing most of it!) came from the song "Sarabeth" by Rascal Flatts. In the song, Sarabeth is diagnosed with some kind of cancer. I think they imply it's leukemia but I may be off on that. The song makes me cry every time I hear it. It was the reaction of Sarabeth's first true love that made me think – that is so something Brian Belden would do. And thus, this story was born.

Lyrics of "Hero" used without permission.

Escalade is a type of SUV.

Facebook is.. well, Facebook. A social website created to help Mark Zuckerberg meet girls and so I can share pictures of cats who have fallen into the toilet. See also: Time Vampire.

From their website:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

I researched this condition and tried to provide a few facts and details. I didn't want the story to turn into a medical text as I'm not qualified to write those. I wanted the story to be about a hardship befalling a Bob-White and how through their unquestioning loyalty to each other, they overcome and survive. Any mistakes I made, are of course, my own.

Dan and Mart are referring to the idea published in a book called "Color Me Beautiful" based on the theory that we all have a "season" of color that look good on us.