Earning a Name

"He was asleep." Chet shrugged. Unable to stand still, the man seemed to sway on his feet. "Again, why the fuck do you care?"

"I'm a friend. Fredo needs a role model, Chet."

"Wait, I recognize you. You're that nerd who made Mel's ginny tingle in high school." Chet might have been the reason she hated Mel as a nickname. "I see she's missing her leggings from earlier. Did she finally open her legs for someone again? You like my sloppy seconds?" the drunk said, with a cackle.

"I'm a friend." Wade suppressed a blare from his body to deck the drunkard, even if he deserved it.

"This is why you cut off my friend? So you could be a slut for this nerd?" Chet smirked, like he'd solved a puzzle with his drunken logic.

Wade could take any insult that asshole hurled at him, but going after Dia was too much. Take a deep breath. He could hear his therapist going over the exercises to help control the anger that had swelled since he got sick. Giving into his rage in front of Fredo wouldn't aid the boy.

"I cut off Martin because he was an asshole to my employees. Tearing off the mask of a man with leukemia was just the disgusting topping on a shit cake."

"He warned me that someone new was sniffing around my girl."

"I've never been your property; we've been divorced for years. I'll sleep with whomever I want." Dia clutched Wade's hand.

"I'll tell my lawyer about this, whore." Chet stepped closer and loomed over the pair.

All it would take would be a push, and he'd fall on his ass. The devil in Wade's mind tried to cajole him to act. Not while Fredo's watching.

"Good luck with that. Like I said, there is no drinking allowed in our agreement."

"Hussy." The man leaned over and cackled again. His reeking breath reminded Wade of Martin the day outside the taqueria, only with rum atop the stench. "My son shouldn't have to be around a whore and her cancer-riddled nerd."

"Sleep it off, Chet," Wade suggested, as he clenched his fists.

"Martin and I'll fix you two. Mwa ha ha!" Chet's dastardly smile got wider.

"Is that a threat?" Dia wouldn't back down.

"It's a promise, whore." Chet sneered and then thankfully wobbled back inside the house and slammed the door shut. It was hard enough that a single pane of glass dislodged from its frame and fell to the ground, leaving a chilly ingress for Chet's parents' home.

In moments, they pulled away from the house, and Fredo fell asleep in the back seat.

"Thank you, Wade." Dia leaned over the console and kissed him on the cheek. "I don't think Mijo needed to see me push his dad over if I had come alone."

"I didn't escalate things?"

"I don't think so. Uh," Dia halted with a blush. "I've asked a lot from you tonight, Wade, but can Fredo and I stay over? I'm a little worried about Chet's threat."

"Of course, no problem."

"Fredo's got his change of clothes, and I don't have to be at work until two in the afternoon tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I know you don't have work tomorrow, so can I borrow your car to get him to school in the morning?"

"No problem."

Wade was a little sad that Dia slept on the couch, but they weren't ready to let Fredo in on the new dating, and if Dia slept in his room, there would be questions. Dia and Fredo must have been as quiet as a mouse when they got up and ready in the morning, as Wade didn't wake until nine-thirty.

As he crept into the kitchen, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen stopped him flatfooted. Time dilation is real. The woman in front of Wade was making everything freeze in place. Dia was turned away from him with his burgundy apron on, as she worked on something on the kitchen island. Her white shoes were the only other thing the shapely woman was wearing. She'd bunched her tight curls into a constricted ponytail with a white bow.

Dia's perfectly toasted round bottom was a sculpted work of art that Wade couldn't resist watching as she worked on something. Each quake and shudder was mesmerizing. The woman must have heard him come out of his room as he hadn't been stealthy.

"What are you up to other than seducing me?" Wade leaned in and kissed her neck as he took a whiff of the intoxicating woman.

"Making biscuits." Dia giggled, but even that was sensuous.

"You're incredible."

"Also, taking a risk thinking that your hair was dry last night when I showed up, and there was a towel on the couch, so maybe, just maybe, being naked wasn't just a chance thing."

"I... uh." The woman was incredibly perceptive.

Dia - That same time

"Come on now, we aren't going to get a lot of opportunities to do this, so we have to take advantage when we get them. Pants off, mister!" Dia whirled around and planted a kiss on her boyfriend.

"Yes, ma'am." Wade saluted and pulled off his shirt to reveal his svelte chest. The scar from the central line he had for chemo was covered with a large patch bandage. It likely bothered Wade, but Dia didn't care; she was smitten. Even though the illness had sapped some of his muscles, the man still looked perfect in her mind.

"So, were you naked last night, to be naked? Or was it the shower thing?" Dia stepped closer and hopped onto her tiptoes to steal a kiss from Wade.

"Wow, you're extraordinary, Dia." Wade embraced her as he came in for another kiss. His hands roamed up and down her naked back before he gave her ass a pinch. "Uh..."

"Remember, honesty is sexy as hell." Dia tapped his nose with a smirk and then turned around to tend to her half-created biscuits.

"I wasn't going to get dressed until after I gave myself some attention." Wade blushed as he admitted. His cheeks turned so brightly red that Dia could discern it in the reflection of the oven's dark-glass door.

"Good. I liked to wear this before Fredo. We may not get a lot of opportunities, but I want to take advantage when we do." Saying we felt right. It had been months since Wade came back into her life as more than a passing hello or smile, and she wanted it to be far more than a fleeting encounter.

"Me getting to see this?" Wade stepped behind her and patted her bare bottom. "You'll never hear a peep of complaint. Frequent praise, though, that's going to be effusive."

"Aren't big words supposed to be my thing?"

"Didn't know you were territorial." Wade smiled and came in for a kiss.

"Very." Dia reached behind her and found Wade's cock over his pajama pants. "And I'm claiming this." He was erect beneath the pants.

Wade's hand that was on her ass went up to her hip, and then he made his way to her pussy. "As long as he gets to return here frequently," Wade whispered in her ear before landing a kiss on her neck. His fingers slid along her labia but didn't dip between.

"As long as he has a uniform on, he can make as many returns as we can fit in today." Dia grinned and leaned against Wade.

"You're really wet, Dia."

"What do you expect? I've been dreaming of more sex with you." Dia grinned happily. "After breakfast, though."

"Really?" Wade craned around and found her lips for a slow kiss.

"Yup, being naked isn't the only way I intend to seduce you." Dia spun in his arms to face the man who had her attention for years. "I hear the best way to do that is through your tummy."

"Okay then, Dia. You know you've already done that, though, right?" Wade was obediently stripping off his bottoms. He had no boxers underneath.

"I want to do it myself, not through my restaurant." Dia grinned.

"What do you call your mofongo on Thanksgiving Day?" Wade's cock was standing tall and bobbed, as he stepped closer to Dia.

"Step one," Dia smirked, leaning on her tiptoes to collect another kiss. "Quit distracting me while I'm finishing the biscuits."

"As long as you don't mind me leering at you while you cook." Wade shrugged. His face lit up with a toothy, goofy smile.

"Nope." Dia was almost done making the biscuits when he emerged from his bedroom. She slowed down to give Wade her best show. In five minutes, the pan was ready for the oven.

"How long do those take?" Wade questioned, as Dia put the biscuits in the preheated oven.

"Fifteen minutes." Dia pulled off her apron and hung it on the hook beside the refrigerator.

"Oh, how will we spend our time?" Wade stepped close for another kiss.

"I don't see any condoms." Dia loved the way his chest felt against her breasts.

"I like to whet my appetite with an appetizer first." Wade urged her to take a step back toward the kitchen island.

"You don't have to..." Dia trailed off. Wade had been very adept at oral sex last night, but Chet's assertions about it being gross and dirty were still polluting her mind.

"Was I not good at it last night?" Wade's expression turned dour. "I'm a little out of practice."

"No, you were incredible. My screams weren't facetious." Dia's appreciation of honesty included her own. "It's just..."

"It's one of my favorite things to do, Dia." Wade kissed her, as he lifted her butt onto the island. "Besides, you're extra delicious."

"Chet was vehement about saying it was gross."

"And he didn't think you sucking his cock was?" Wade looked up as he kissed down to her nipple and sucked it between his lips.

"No, he liked that."

"The man was a fool." Wade shrugged before he pounced and drove his tongue into her pussy.

Wade's gleeful smile as he consumed her womanhood was proof enough that he was enjoying making her cum. The man was determined, as he employed tongue and fingers to get her screaming. Dia was in the middle of a second, powerful orgasm when the timer went off. The tops of the biscuits were a darker brown than she would've liked, but Wade was good at keeping her distracted.

"Oops, looks like I got a little flour on your ass." Wade pointed, as she collected the tray from the oven. "The contrast is nice, though. Almost as good as the belly button piercing." Wade grinned.

"You like it? It was a divorce present to myself." Dia captured the jewelry in her fingers.

"It's one more thing to fantasize about, Dia."

Once breakfast was eaten, the pair went through Wade's condom supply as they started to make up for the two-year drought apiece. Unlike Chet, Wade didn't need to roll over and nap after he came. He took the recharge time to continue convincing Dia of his love and prowess, licking her pussy. She did have to admit that her nectar tasted good on his lips as they made out afterward.

At one o'clock, an alarm on her phone alerted her that it was time to start getting ready for work. Wade joined her in his oversized shower, but that was mostly for kisses and embraces, as they were both spent by their acrobatic intercourse all over the apartment.

"Do you and Fredo want to spend the night over here again?" Wade watched from the bed as Dia dressed into her jeans and Melodia's Taqueria emblazoned T-shirt.

"I need to pick up our luggage at my apartment, but I'd like to stay over if you'd let me. You're still planning on coming by tonight, right?"

"You think I've sated my addiction to your beauty; you're wrong. I need to collect some presents I ordered online and was supposed to get this morning."

"Something engrossed you?"

"Repeatedly."

To her surprise, Clem, Tabi, and Jake all joined them for dinner at the taqueria. Dia didn't have much time to speak with them, as she ensured everything was covered for the next week. This was the lengthiest break from her namesake restaurant since her parents moved to Puerto Rico. She knew her staff would keep the lights on without her being there, but that didn't stop her nerves from cropping up.

Tabi discreetly pulled her to the side as Dia was checking on tables. "How long have you and Wade been sleeping together?" Tabi asked, with a broad smile.

"What? How?"

"You two keep meeting eyes and smiling. I was just testing a theory." Tabi chuckled.

"Since last night. He wanted to wait until he rang the bell, but I was tired of waiting." Dia shrugged and then grinned.

"I thought I caught a whiff of his body wash on you." Tabi winked. Dia would need to keep a bottle of her stuff at Wade's place. "Good for you, girl. You deserve some happiness, and he's a great guy. Good with Fredo, too. That's hard to find." Tabi's eyes looked back at Jake and Clem, as she smiled.

"Thanks."

"That wasn't why I pulled you aside, though. I was going to tell you that it might be a good idea for you and Fredo to stroll by Wade's oncologist when he sees him next Friday. I can't tell you why, but it might be a good idea."

"Oh, oh!" Dia took a second to determine that Tabi hinted that he would be ringing the bell in a week.

Cancer patients had a tradition that had become a small, ecstatic ritual when they were found to be cancer-free. It was a joyful time for the patient, and the sound of the bell brought hope to the others, seeing their doctor that they could overcome their disease. Dia was looking forward to attending Fredo's and Wade's bell ringing.

Wade drove Dia and Fredo back to their apartment to collect luggage. She thought Chet's threat was empty and a product of his inebriated state, but she wasn't taking chances. Their flights left within a half hour of each other tomorrow, so Wade would leave the car in the garage at the airport and give Dia his second set of keys. Fredo and Dia returned from Puerto Rico a day before Wade, so she would pick him up at the airport.

Dia got Fredo tucked into the bed in the guest room in Wade's apartment before she retired to Wade's bedroom. She closed the door and locked it before she pulled off her T-shirt and jeans. Wade looked up from the book he was reading to watch her undress. Off came her panties and bra before she slunk to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She got her nightgown from her overnight bag and hung it on one of the hinges of the bedroom door.

"I thought you wanted to sleep on the couch so Fredo doesn't catch us." Wade watched, as Dia strutted to the bed.

"We're dating now, and he's a very perceptive boy. He will already ask, so I might as well get to cuddle with you tonight." Dia pulled back the covers and slid into bed beside Wade.

"Not going to complain an iota." Wade turned to collect a kiss.

"Oh, and I sleep naked most nights."

"Another thing we have in common. I didn't want to, in case Fredo needed anything in the middle of the night."

"Hang your robe by my nightgown, and problem solved." Dia kissed him again.

"Yes, ma'am." Wade slid out of bed and procured his robe from the bathroom to hang it by her nightgown before returning to bed and dropping his shorts and T-shirt on the floor.

"Just make sure spooning doesn't turn into a forking since we don't have condoms."

Wade hopped under the covers and embraced her. "It's tempting, but no forking. I can't promise he won't get hard, though."

"Of course." Dia switched off the lamp and cuddled close to her man. They talked about their plans for seeing their families and discussed strategies when they got back. Dia had fallen madly for the man. "Going to be a long wait for you to return." She luxuriated in Wade's warmth in the cold bedroom. "I almost regret finding out how much fun sex with you was. My libido was in deep hibernation before last night. Any regrets?"

"About this, not a single one. I have two from earlier in life, though. One is mostly rectified, and I'm conflicted about the other."

"Oh? What would those be?"

"I regret asking you to wait after that first kiss, Dia. I missed out on a couple of months of holding you."

"I won't lie, that sucked, Wade."

"Yeah. I spent several nights staring at the ceiling and questioning myself. But I won't let that keep me from being in the moment." Wade landed a soft kiss on her neck.

"The other?"

"It's one that I kicked myself about for years. However, that regret led to something spectacular, so I'm finding peace in it."

"Not explaining yourself." Dia prompted him to continue after a pause.

"I waited too long to ask you to prom, Dia."

"I would've said yes, Wade."

"I know that now, but if I hadn't, Fredo may not exist. Who would Clem have as a best friend if it weren't for that incredible, strong little boy? Missing out on a few years with you is tough, but he's worth it."

"Huh? You may have a point." Fredo was the only good thing from her brief marriage, but he was Dia's most precious treasure.

Fitful sleep finally came after more discussion and one last goodnight kiss. Wade embracing her as they slept, brought on a more profound and happier slumber than she had experienced in years. Dia's son was beating cancer, she was going to see her family for the first time in a while, and the man she loved was cuddling against her as the world faded away for the night.

Wade - A week later

A few deep breaths were enough to keep Wade's surging heart rate controlled. He was expecting the second-best news he could get today, but he'd had the rug pulled out from under him before. Only Alfredo getting to ring the bell would make me happier. It wasn't fair that his girlfriend's young son had to fight a similar terrible disease. Hopefully, he'll get there soon. The boy was feeling better, but his doctors hadn't cleared him yet.

"Mr. Coolidge! How are you feeling today?" Dr. Tolbert entered the room, followed closely by Tabi, who failed to hide her smile.

"Good, nervous, but good." Wade tried to put on a smile, but struggled to make it stick.

"Well, I think we can take care of the nervous part. Your tests all came back phenomenal." The older man grinned. "You'll still need to see your GP for checkups and blood tests every three months, but we don't see any signs of leukemia in your tests."

"I'm sure Dia's going to be thrilled." Tabi's spectacular smile yelled she knew that Wade and Dia were more than friends.

"I just wish this was happening to Alfredo instead of me," Wade said, with absolute sincerity.

"Who are Dia and Alfredo?" Dr. Tolbert looked confused.

"My girlfriend is Dia, and her son is Alfredo. Fredo has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma." Wade explained.

"Girlfriend? Good for you, Mr. Coolidge. I'm sorry to hear he has lymphoma. How's he doing?"

"Better. They hope they got what was left in a biopsy."

"Add me to a list of people praying for him." Dr. Tolbert had a sad look in his eyes. "I have a bunch of charts and paperwork for you, but we can email you a link later. You still have your sign-in information, right?"

"I do, Dr. Tolbert. Remember, I do computers for a living." Wade often used the informal explanation of his career as he risked descending into jargon or technical terms that resulted in blank stares.

"That's right, I have to have my son set that all up for me. Well, Mr. Coolidge, you've been a fantastic patient, but I hope I never have the pleasure of seeing you in my office again." Dr. Tolbert stepped closer and shook his hand. "I believe Ms. Bryne called dibs to take you to ring the bell."

"Please come with us, Dr. Tolbert," Tabi insisted.

"All right, this is the best part of the job." The older gentlemen smiled as they walked out of the office to a confluence of the cancer wing at the hospital. It was pivotal that the bell was in a semi-public area so the ringing could bring hope to as many patients and family members as possible.

The best part of getting to the bell wasn't what it meant. It was the group of surprise visitors standing in the hallway waiting for him. Dia, Fredo, Rissa, Natalie, Jake, and Clementine conversed while monitoring Dr. Tolbert's office. In the months since Wade and Dia had gotten closer, Wade's social circle had grown precipitously.

I wonder who told them. Wade looked back at Tabi, who gave him a slight shrug. Although he had shared what he hoped would happen today, Wade hadn't shared the exact appointment time as he thought he might jinx the day.