Earning a Name

By the time the movie ended, Wade had to carry a sleeping Fredo to the boy's second-floor bedroom. Although there was no story to read, Dia and Wade lingered for a few minutes, watching Fredo sleep and praying silently for success tomorrow. Wade was exhausted by the time his head hit the pillow. Sleep was in fits and starts as he tossed and turned. Usually, Dia beside him helped calm his sleepless nights, but she was as restless as him.

The next day was another tense stay in a waiting room, Dia's foot tapping the whole time as Wade pretended to get some work done. It was difficult to get much completed with one hand constantly entwined with Dia's fingers, but the action slowed his heart rate and the intensity of her taps. He completed the email proposal for Melodia's online ordering website and app; however, only after he read several iterations of the email aloud to Dia at least fifteen times to get her opinion. Dia did the same for several decisions. Roberta needed a dozen verdicts to be made soon at the restaurant to get it opened with speed. It was Dia's similarly vain attempt to keep her mind occupied.

"Melodia?" A tall man in scrubs approached them about an hour after the expected time the medical team quoted for the surgery.

"Dr. Stroud? How'd it go?" Dia shut her computer with a thud, as she gripped Wade's hand harder. Her shaking foot was momentarily arrested by the new man's arrival.

"Umm... Do we need to talk somewhere private?" The doctor looked around.

Dia surveyed the room quickly. "Wade is the only other one here, and he's my boyfriend. We appear to be somewhere private."

"The surgery took longer than we thought, as there was more to remove than we expected."

"Oh no." Wade murmured.

"No, no. It's a positive outcome. We got it all. Alfredo will need to stay overnight for monitoring, but the surgery was a complete success."

"Really!?" Dia leaped to her feet.

"We still need one more round of chemo, just to be sure it's not hiding somewhere again, but yes, ma'am. We got it all."

"Thank you!" Dia hugged the doctor. "Can I see him?"

"Of course, he won't wake up for another hour, but he's in the recovery room now."

"Thank you! Thank the Lord! Thank you!" Tears poured from Dia's eyes.

"Best news ever!" Wade hugged Dia close, as his own tears flowed down his cheeks. Finding out that Wade had beaten cancer had nothing on the joy he was feeling right now. "Go see him. I'll call everyone and let them know the stellar news." Since the incident with Martin, Wade had Dia's family members' numbers so he could make contact in an emergency. It would be fantastic to use that privilege to assuage the simmering worry in them. His family would be waiting to hear from him, too.

"Thank you, Wade!" Dia bounced on her white canvas tennis shoes.

Wade filled the afternoon with calls to loved ones and meetings with Grammy and Pop-pop as they waited for Fredo to awaken. The boy was groggy when Wade finally got to go in to see him, but even half asleep, he had a smile that showed he had finally turned a corner again. Wade prayed that this time, there wouldn't be another swerve back into life-threatening. They stayed until visiting hours were over, and a nurse asked them to leave for the night.

After a quick dinner and a single celebratory glass of wine, the pair fell into bed and a fitful sleep for the first time in months. Wade didn't know what it would have been like if he'd been back at home worrying, instead of having the woman he loved in his arms. He prayed he had provided Dia with the same sense of stability and support.

In the early morning hours, a smiling and naked Dia roused Wade. "You awake?" Her hand found his cock beneath the covers. "This guy is."

"What time is it?"

"Time for me to admit that I don't just use sex as stress relief." Dia's hand wanked his cock slowly as she pulled off the covers and turned on the lamp. His girlfriend liked to see everything as they made love. "It's also important for celebrating good things."

"For stress relief, celebration... If I didn't know any better, I would think that you just like sex, my love." Wade smiled, as he leaned up for a kiss while Dia straddled him. The look of her round breasts above him and tight curls falling over her shoulders was the best thing to wake up to in the morning.

"With you? Yeah, you'd be right." Dia chortled delightfully between kisses.

"I'm out of..." Wade protested.

"This seems to qualify for one of those special events, babe." Dia held a finger to his lips. "Let's celebrate like we did on New Year's." She didn't break her volley of kisses as she reached down and grasped his shaft again. Her hips came up, followed quickly by her heavenly pussy enveloping his cock.

"Yes, ma'am." Wade smiled, as Dia wasted no time getting into a rhythm.

542 - Before the pivotal day.

"Has he finally won?" Angela's investment in the boy gave her a worried expression as she floated over 542's shoulder.

"Yes, and I don't see it coming back in his timelines." 542 smiled. "If I didn't know any better, I would say a muse used a spritz of magic on the surgeon. Finding the other tumor was inspired, my love."

"Caught me." Angela ducked over his shoulder and stole a kiss. "I didn't want him to fight this for half a decade."

Unbeknownst to his mother, her son was never in mortal danger from this fight. He was going to conquer his illness with tenacity, but it was going to be a grueling and disheartening struggle for five more years, if not for 542's partner and muse.

"Good call."

"Are his mom and her boyfriend going to stay together now? Have we won?" Angela's buzzing wings betrayed her nerves.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Yeah, we must see how he reacts to the one more swerve. His anger has cooled, but I'm worried he'll approach this news with a joke instead of his true feelings." 542 highlighted the next bright life event in his notebook.

"That's too soon, isn't it?"

"It was now or never for her to enter the timeline. When his cancer comes back, his treatment would prevent her timeline from coalescing. It's going to affect his fertility."

"Are they going to make it?"

"It's another coin flip. They'll get together eventually, but it's better for these two if the permanent union happens now."

"Good thing you didn't have a deadline for Valentine's Day this year."

"Yeah, I knew this one would take longer, and I started early, but we've negotiated the pitfalls well so far." 542 landed a sneaky kiss on his love. "Thanks to your hard work."

"I was only acting on your plan." Angela shrugged, but punctuated her thoughts with a kiss.

"You went above and beyond as usual."

"Can we do anything to tip the odds in our favor?"

"Maybe."

"So, how did you miss the first arrow on these two?"

"Competition with another cupid, one that didn't do his research as thoroughly as me. I rushed my arrow on him, and we hit her while she could see her true love and the pretender."

"Show me. It might inspire an idea or two."

"Sure thing." 542 flipped pages on his notebook and watched as an image of a high school library faded into view on the pages. His notebook could be used to view events in his or a target's life, at least events that pertained to love.

"Ask her today!" A tall young man murmured to himself, as a gorgeous young woman stepped into the room.

Also in the room, a pair of cupids flew a holding pattern over three individuals. 11234 was new to the True Love Division and overvalued the short-term returns. His target and the woman that 542 also thought was true love had a romance that would burn bright and quick, but ultimately lead to heartache. 11234 would later admit to his mistake as he only concerned himself with the next few years, instead of the full timelines of his quarries.

His rival's rapid firing of arrows struck the woman and the handsome football player an instant before 542's arrow impacted the woman. Still, if 542 had stayed calm and hit his mark, his guy could overcome his anxiety and ask her out first. The young woman was torn by feelings for both men.

542 lined up his second shot and fired directly toward the young man's heart.

"That looked like a hit," Angela announced.

"I missed, not by much, unlike my other misses. This still nicked his heart, but his anxiety... It would've taken a direct hit to overcome that."

Angela and 542 watched as one young man, filled with confidence, asked the young woman to prom while the other continued to psych himself up. He overcame his anxiety, but not before the woman had already said yes to a date with the first.

"And if you wouldn't have missed, he wouldn't be born," Angela argued. "Maybe direct hits aren't always what is needed."

"I... Huh?" 542 stopped to think about his misses. For a few couples, the slow release of the magic packed in the first arrows led to a more potent overall bond. "I think I have a new theory to ruminate over, but that's later." A vision of more research and knotted lifelines pulsed through his mind. Angela had again served to inspire him without her magic.

"What if I remind him of how long he's felt like he has about her so strongly? Maybe it won't seem too soon if he remembers how many years he's loved her."

"Perhaps."

"Oh! Oh! Go talk to your friend in Dreams! I have an idea." Angela told him of her brainstorm. It wasn't a perfect plan, but they rarely were for either of them, until their love helped mold the idea and sharpen it into something more. Each armed with a new strategy, Angela and 542 shared a kiss before speeding off in opposite directions to put plans into action.

Dia - Weeks later, near the end of the school year

Today should be one of the best days of her life, a reason to celebrate conspicuously. It was, but anxiety simmered along with the love and relief. There was no taking away the simmering joy in her heart when she thought about the magnificent news she would hear at Fredo's appointment. Something, though, was keeping it from being perfect.

Dia put on a brave face as she picked Fredo up from school early. It had taken time to reopen the restaurant, but the crash and fire forced her to make some well-needed upgrades to the taqueria. The new location was a few blocks further away from Wade's apartment. However, the foot traffic was higher as they were closer to a revitalized, up-and-coming city district. Business was spectacular, and she had managed to retain most of her employees. Had there not been a mostly constructed building to use, it may still be months until the new location was opened.

Let there be good news at Fredo's appointment. Dia prayed silently. She needed more superb news to counteract her nerves. He's a good man. He'll be right beside you, always. Dia tried to reason. Wade had never given her a justification to doubt their relationship. The man was good for her and for Fredo. He'd stepped into the role of father vacated by Chet's drunken indiscretions and hostile behavior. Chet may not have been driving the truck, but he'd planted the idea in Martin's head and done nothing to prevent or warn against the destruction of Melodia's Taqueria or Martin's threat to shoot Dia and Wade.

"Hey, Mijo, how was school?"

"Good, but Clem left early this afternoon, so I didn't have her to play with during the last recess."

"That's too bad. Where'd she go?"

"Jake picked her up from school, but she didn't say. Probably the dentist." Fredo guessed.

"Huh, weird." Something prickled at the back of Dia's head, but she couldn't connect anything.

"Are we almost done going to the doctor?" Fredo's patience with being poked and prodded by medical professionals was waning. He's been incredibly resilient in the last two years, but even the remarkable boy had his limits.

"Soon, Mijo." Dia did her best to shelter Fredo from how close the boy had come to succumbing to his illness. It would be a discussion for when he was older, causing him to be afraid he would do nothing for her boy but increase his anxiety. "Hope for good news today."

"Okay. Where's Wade?" Fredo questioned. The man had become a near-constant companion to these treks to talk with the pediatric oncologist.

"He had a meeting; he's going to meet us there if he can." Dia smiled back at her son. The new work van was more comfortable for the passengers and better for catering.

When he gets there, you'll have to have a discussion. Dia had already been at the clinic today to investigate recent health issues that had cropped up for her. Learning their cause was both a relief and an additional source of her anxiety.

It was a tremendous joy when Fredo and Dia finally saw Mijo's doctor. Her son, who had spent a quarter of his brief life fighting lymphoma, was finally, miraculously free of the scourge. Her baby was going to have a chance to grow up. Doctors would still likely be in his life far too often, but the sense of overwhelming dread that undercut everything else dissipated for the first time in years.

'He's going to ring the bell!' Dia joyfully texted her boyfriend.

'Outstanding! Now?'

'Yeah. In a few minutes! We have to walk across the hospital first. You have a little time if you're on your way.'

'Of course! We'll meet you there! Tell Fredo congratulations, and I love you both!'

We'll meet you there? The implications of the plural in his response were slightly confusing. Who's we?

"Wade will meet us at the bell, Mijo." Dia grinned. She temporarily let joy overshadow her new lingering anxiety.

"All right, bald brother! Too bad Clem couldn't be here." Fredo's pout flashed over him, only to be obliterated by a smile again.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't want to jinx anything by inviting others to this appointment."

"What's jinx?"

Dia did her best to explain the concept to her just-turned-eight-year-old.

Fredo had missed a lot of the school year and several parties during his dire fight with the disease. She wished she could have had a better birthday party for her boy than a cake in the recovery ward of the hospital, but at least Clem and a few classmates could come to see him. He had still been recovering, but at least he was at a local hospital then. Maybe we can plan a celebration to make up for it.

When they arrived at the bell, Wade, Tabi, Jake, Rissa, Nat, and, most notably for Fredo, Clementine were waiting for them with balloons. Dia had to pick Fredo up so that he could grasp the rope with his arms. The boy wriggled and rang the bell with such vigor that anyone on the floor had to hear the joyous peels.

"Congratulations!" the group yelled out in unison above clapping. Mijo raised his fists above his head in triumph.

Fredo was immediately interested in going and talking to his best friend once Dia lowered him to the floor. Wade stepped beside Dia and snuck a quick kiss before whispering, "We have something to make up for his birthday party set up in the park."

"Really? How'd you know?"

"We didn't. We had a good feeling after the last appointment but weren't sure. I have a bounce castle place on speed dial now, though." Wade grinned. "I had a reservation ready to go, and Miss Clery can have the class meet us at the park. If you two are up to it, that is."

"Of course. Mijo deserves this."

"That boy is unbelievably strong." They looked over to see Clem and Fredo embracing, yelling, and bouncing on their little feet. Clem had been one of the few constants in Fredo's life for the last several arduous months. She'd even made it up to see him during his month at the research hospital.

By the time they got to the park, most of Fredo's second-grade class was already there. Dia cried happy tears, as she watched her boy have fun with his classmates. Clem was never far from his side as the two were solidly best friends, their bond forged in the fires of difficult times. Someday, Dia may have to worry about the close bond between the boy and girl, but she was glad to have apprehension about something other than Fredo's survival.

It was a fantastic mid-May evening when there was still enough chill to require a jacket, as the sun was well past its zenith, yet not cold enough to dampen the fun. Parents and children alike, frolicked in the park, celebrating Fredo's victory. Pizza was on its way, and someone filled a cooler with water and cool drinks. A stash of ice cream would be doled out after dinner, but that was currently hidden from the dozen-and-a-half eight-year-olds so they could focus on something else.

Today was the culmination of everything Dia had prayed for every day for the last two years. Watching him run and play with his friends, then take a turn in the bounce house, had her heart soaring. Fredo needed this. He'd spent far too much time in a hospital or operating room than a boy should have to see in an entire lifetime.

Dia watched as Wade intermingled with the men and women who had become her closest friends over the last year. He could have been the one, and I had to go and fuck it all up. Wade was good to her, a great partner, and a role model for Fredo. The man had not once seemed to see her son as a burden, not even when he was the transportation for a myriad of doctors' appointments. He's even listed as the emergency contact for me and Mijo. Dia grinned at all the good that shined through a challenging year. It was too bad that the next vital conversation had a risk of causing it all to implode.

Too bad I can't just let Fredo have his day. Dia couldn't hide things from Wade. They understood each other too well for her to put on a brave face and muddle through. Best to get it done now instead of letting things linger.

"Hey Wade, you got a minute?" Dia's anxiety again spiked as she pulled her boyfriend aside. She'd already asked Tabi and her crew to monitor the kids for a bit.

"Sure, what do you need, babe?"

"Not here. Let's walk over to the shelter." Dia looked down, not wanting to meet the incredible man's blue eyes.

"Okay, you're scaring me a little, Dia," Wade whispered, likely to avoid taking the focus off Fredo.

"I'm scared, myself."

"What is it? Shouldn't today be about joy?"

"It should be, it is..." Dia stuttered her response as Wade reached out and clutched her hand. She took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "It is, but wait until we get somewhere private."

"Whatever it is, babe, we've proved we can handle it together." Determination burned in his blue eyes.

They padded to another shelter about a football field away from the fun. Wade's hand still felt right and steadied her own. He'll understand. A flickering flame of hope tried to burn away the shadow of trepidation that was smothering her heart at the moment. He's a good man. Your first love might not have worked out, but Wade isn't Chet. Dia's thoughts roiled in her head.

Once they had gotten out of earshot and out of sight of the kids, Dia found a seat at a picnic table and had Wade sit across from her. Her leg was tapping out a nervous rhythm on the concrete floor.

"What is it, babe?" Wade asked softly.

"I... I fucked up Wade. You've been incredible, the perfect boyfriend, and a superb mentor for Alfredo." Dia couldn't help tears falling another time during the day. The morning and her doctor's appointment brought anxious tears. Fredo's news led to some of the happiest tears in her life, and now there was a mixture of dread with a tiny morsel of hope.

"Okay, how?"

"Well, when Fredo was sick and in the hospital up north..."

"Yeah, I was there."

"Indeed you were, my dear." Dia flashed a smile as a few fantastic memories intermingled with all the anxiety and dread of that near month at the research hospital. "You've always been along for the journey, even when you didn't have to be."