Terry and Gene 16

"Jeannetta!" Terry said, with a smile as she opened the door.

"Hi! You're here early," Jeannetta smiled back as she came in. "Honey, you're here really early. Have you been sleeping with my brother?" she teased.

Terry felt her face explode into crimson. "No. Nothing like that. Come here." Terry said and led her to the kitchen to show her the unopened bottle of whisky on the table.

"He called me at one this morning just about beside himself. He said he hadn't slept in four or five days." Terry said.

Jeannetta nodded. "Did he tell you?"

Terry nodded.

"I probably shouldn't have told him, but I was so scared," Jeannetta sat down at the table. Terry joined her. "I had already gone for the needle biopsy when I told him. I got the results this morning. It's clean. They are still going to remove it, but it's not cancerous." A tear ran down Jeannetta's cheek.

Terry squeezed her arm. "I am so happy for you. Gene will be so relieved." Terry took a deep breath.

"So, my brother hasn't taken you to bed yet?" Jeannetta teased. "He's been seeing you for, what, three months now? Honey that's some kind of a record. Don't tell me you're still a virgin." Jeannetta laughed.

"No. I'm not. But thanks for asking. And the pace of our relationship is just fine with me." Terry said and stood up. "Do you think he's got any coffee here?"

Jeannetta stood up. "Let me do the honors. So, I guess he's sleeping now. What did you do for him?"

Terry related the actions she had taken and how he had acted after the shower. "It was about two-thirty, I think, when he fell asleep."

"Lavender, huh? Well, as long as it helped him. And what was in the tea?"

"Valerian root, chamomile, lavender and mint. He didn't like it, but I think he was past caring at that point."

"All that work and you probably could have just had sex with him and that would have done the trick." Jeannetta teased.

Terry just smiled and shook her head. "Do you ever not say what you're thinking?"

Jeannetta laughed and brought her a cup of coffee. "Want anything in it?"

"No. Black is good." Terry said. "Thanks."

They sat at the kitchen table, drinking their coffee in silence for a moment when they heard doors open and close upstairs.

"I wonder if he's just peeing or if he's going to come down," Jeannetta said.

Moments later they heard his footsteps on the stairs. Jeannetta stood up. He walked into the kitchen, wearing only a pair of ratty jeans.

"Jeannetta," he said and hugged her. "What did they find?"

"Just a tumor. Not cancer. They're still going to remove it," Jeannetta's voice cracked and she began to cry. Gene held her tightly and buried his face in her hair. Terry still sat at the table, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"As long as you're going to be OK, I don't care what they have to do." Gene said, releasing her. "And you," he turned to Terry "are my guardian angel. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I hope I keep doing it." He walked over and kissed her gently on the lips. He broke the kiss and looked down into her eyes. As always, Terry lost herself in them. He kissed her again.

"Alright, you two. Get a room. Or better yet, let's go get breakfast. I'm suddenly starving." Jeannetta said, bringing Terry back to reality.

"Sounds good. Let me get a shirt on." Gene said and left the room.

"So, what do we do with this?" Terry asked, pointing at the whisky bottle.

Jeannetta picked it up and put it in her huge handbag. "I have a whole collection of bottles Gene didn't open. I usually use them for parties." Jeannetta reached out and hugged her. "Thank you for taking care of him."