Back to Fan FictionThese are not my characters. They are the property of Fran Drescher, Tri Star Television, Sweetheart Productions & CBS
This story takes place about 3 ½ years after Fran came to the Sheffield house.
by
Jackie
( unmaven@netzero.com)
For the last few weeks Ms. Fine hadn’t been feeling well. One afternoon she slept when she should have been taking care of the kids. Mr. Sheffield had noticed that Fran hadn’t been her usual self. He was annoyed about it, but there was also a bit of concern. When Fran saw Mr. Sheffield she got up to get ready to pick up Grace from dancing lessons. He said to her "Ms. Fine – please go to the doctor if you are not feeling well. You should be taking care of the children instead of sleeping." Fran tells him she has no health insurance and doesn’t have the money to go to the doctor. He asks her what she does with the money he pays her. She tells him that she spends it on looking good so she can get a boyfriend. Mr. Sheffield is angry at her about this, but since he really cares about her, he tells her to go to the doctor and he’ll pay for it. Fran finally goes but has several appointments, Mr. Sheffield is getting concerned. He can’t lose Ms. Fine - he knows he can’t go through that unthinkable pain again, after losing his wife. One afternoon Fran comes in after a doctor appointment, she is in a daze because she can’t believe she is pregnant with Mr. Sheffield’s baby. Telling him is out of the question because he wouldn’t want it. Fran always wanted to have a child, but not in this kind of an awkward situation. She wants to tell someone about this, but decides she better keep this to herself for now. Fran knows she had better think of getting another job soon because she knew that she wouldn’t be working at the Sheffield’s for very much longer.
Fran is finally feeling better so things seem to be getting back to normal. Another couple of weeks pass Fran starts putting on weight. She worries how soon Mr. Sheffield will notice this. Knowing that she is always so conscious of her figure, he asks her if there is something that is causing her to eat more than usual. Fran says that she is just having some problems right now that she doesn’t want to discuss. About another week passes and Mr. Sheffield is beginning to wonder if Ms. Fine is having a baby. He knows that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. He thinks that she may have gone to a clinic. Even he knew Fran wasn’t getting any younger, but maybe he was jumping the gun. Meanwhile Fran was getting more nervous as she got heavier. She could no longer wear her tight clothes, Mr. Sheffield definitely noticed it. He even went so far as to ask Niles if he thought Ms. Fine was pregnant. Niles said he had no clue. A few days later Mr. Sheffield asked Fran to come in to his office because he figured out that Fran is having baby. She enters the office feeling very nervous. She sits down very properly on the couch, Mr. Sheffield tells her that he had three children with this wife and he knows that she is with child. Fran is speechless – she just hangs her head down trying to keep from crying. She wishes she could tell him that it is his baby, but she is just too afraid. When Fran doesn’t say anything Mr. Sheffield knows that he is right. Then he tells Fran that she has to be out of the house in two days and she can’t have anymore contact with the children. He asks her if she went to a sperm bank, she answers no. He said to her that she didn’t seem to have any boyfriends lately. Fran told him that she didn’t. Mr. Sheffield was firm with her saying how could she have a one night stand with someone, it was a dangerous thing to do. Fran said what happened wasn’t planned, but a total accident. Mr. Sheffield said to her – "I should have kept a better eye on you." Then Fran told him one night she had come back after a guy she had been going out with didn’t show up for their date, she came to his room. She woke up to tell him how upset she was, but then he just fell back to sleep, he must of taken allergy medicine, she was just so depressed that she didn’t want to be alone so she just stayed in bed with him, they must have done something, because she is having a baby. Mr. Sheffield slammed the table with his fist and told Ms. Fine that he doesn’t believe this ridiculous thing - she needed to get out of the house. He tells Fran to leave as soon as possible.
As soon as Fran leaves the office she goes home to her parents. Thankfully no one was there, so she calls Val and finally tells her what was going on. Val said she suspected it. Fran said that she wants the baby but she didn’t know how she was going to take care of it with no money or no real home. Val says Mr. Sheffield will end up marrying her, Fran says only in her dreams. Val tells her again that she is convinced that Mr. Sheffield will marry her. After that Fran has enough of talking with Val. Later Fran’s parents come home, she finally tells her mother that she is having a baby, but refuses to tell her who the father is. Sylvia asked Fran why she didn’t tell her earlier, she suspected something was going on. Fran said she thought she could handle things by herself but it didn’t work out. She said Mr. Sheffield realized she was pregnant – he told her to leave so now she had no job and no money. Her mother said to her, what’s going to happen now; no job, no boyfriend, no father for the baby. Fran said she knows that she isn’t really ready to have a baby but she definitely wants it. Her mother said she couldn’t help her because they were on a fixed income.
During the next few weeks Fran grew very depressed. Fran missed the children and even Mr. Sheffield. The kids called her when Mr. Sheffield wasn’t around because they missed her too. Money for Fran was very tight but she had to start to get ready for the baby. Instead of going to Dr. Reynolds for her checkups she started going to a free clinic. It was embarrassing for her, but Fran wanted to make sure she took care of her unborn baby. Also looking for a job was difficult because she was pregnant so not too many people would hire her.
A couple of months passed, the summer was ending. Fran stomach was getting big and she couldn’t work much any more. Fran was even more miserable than before. She was home most of the time, so she wore her mother’s housedresses instead of spending money for clothes. She only had a few maternity outfits from a friend of Val’s. Now it was getting cooler she didn’t know how she was going to get any clothes for herself, or even her baby. All of this worrying was causing her to put on more weight because she was eating so much.
Mr. Sheffield was having a tough time also. He took a summer holiday but didn’t enjoy it because he was worried about Ms. Fine. He still cared about her even though they hadn’t spoken in a few months. He was trying to do more with the kids since but they were not that interested, they really missed Fran. Now the kids were in school Mr. Sheffield was having a problem keeping them in line.
One afternoon Maggie came home, she went into her father’s office to speak to him. Maggie told her him that she knows she is not supposed to have any contact with Fran but she had lunch with her anyway. Maggie said there were a couple of girls in high school that had a baby, now she was in college so she was nearly grown up so he shouldn’t be mad at her. She told him that Fran is miserable; she has no money so getting things for the baby is difficult. At lunch Fran told Maggie that she misses the kids, she kept on talking about her father. Maggie said that he really needed to give Fran a call, even possibly take her to lunch; she would give up going on a date or getting some clothes if he at least called her. Fran had been so good to them they couldn’t abandon her when she was in such bad shape. Mr. Sheffield said that Fran did something that wasn’t he felt was wrong, he didn’t know if he could speak with her again. Maggie told him he should, because Fran seemed to need him, she definitely didn’t have a boyfriend. Mr. Sheffield said he would think about it.
After Maggie left the office Mr. Sheffield thinks that if Maggie is right about Ms. Fine, he should do something. The things he heard about Fran were really starting to worry him. Deep down he knows he is in love with Fran, what if something happened to her and he did nothing. Then he picks up the phone to call Fran, her mother answers, she tells him Fran was sleeping but would get her. Fran came to the phone and as he spoke to her he couldn’t believe how sad she sounded. He thought Maggie was right for a change so he decided to ask Fran out for dinner. She didn’t want to go, but he said they could do something simple in her neighborhood just as friends. He told her he would pick up her the next evening. Fran didn’t know what to wear, she didn’t have any clothes and her hair looked terrible. She did the best she could.
The next evening he picked up Fran at her parents apartment, of course they were out. When Fran opened the door, he couldn’t believe how big Fran’s stomach had gotten. Seeing her in this condition made him want to hold her and take care of her, especially since Maggie told him that she didn’t have a boyfriend. Fran just felt more relaxed seeing Mr. Sheffield. They tried to make small talk for a few minutes then went out to eat. At dinner they talked about Fran having the baby in about 2 ½ months. She also talked to Mr. Sheffield about the kids. Afterwards they took a walk, it started to get chilly. Fran just had on a thin maternity dress with little sleeves just below the shoulders. Mr. Sheffield gave her his jacket, asking her why she was only wearing such a thin dress. Fran said she only had a few maternity clothes, that she couldn’t get more clothes because she needed to save money to get things for the baby. He didn’t want her to get sick so he took her home. When they got to the door Mr. Sheffield didn’t want leave, but he knew he had to go. Before Fran went inside he gave her a kiss, she felt a spark; she knew Mr. Sheffield did too. Then he touched her hair but it didn’t have that smooth feel like it used to. He realized it was getting hard to keep his feelings for Fran bottled up. Before he left, Mr. Sheffield he decided to call Ms. Fine, Fran, and he said to her "Fran, I want to see you tomorrow and we’ll go shopping". Fran said to him why did he want to do that, he said that he wanted to make sure she had some warm clothes for the cool weather. She told him it wasn’t necessary, but he said he wanted to do it.
The next day Mr. Sheffield picked Fran up then they went shop to for some clothes. He took her to an expensive maternity store in the city where she spent almost five hundred dollars. Fran wanted to put it on her credit card but Mr. Sheffield said he would pay for it. Fran was shocked about this, but happy that Mr. Sheffield seemed to care about her. They spent the rest of the afternoon together later he took her home. He gave her a quick kiss then he left.
The next weekend Mr. Sheffield saw Fran again. They had a quiet couple of days, going to the movies, taking walks and just relaxing. Fran felt like she was falling in love after this. After that they didn’t see each other for a couple of weeks. Mr. Sheffield was busy with work; he even had to go out of town, although he did keep in touch with Fran. He returned and saw Fran the following weekend. When he came to pick her up he was surprised to see how big she had gotten. He realized that she really looked very pregnant. He didn’t want to strain her, so they went to the movies afterwards they had some dinner. After the meal he noticed Fran was tired so he took her home. When she got back to the apartment she went to bed right away.
Mr. Sheffield wanted to see Fran the next day. He was concerned about her, she shouldn’t be so tired. They went out to eat but came back early because it was a miserable day. When they got home Fran’s parents were out. She said they had a cousin’s party to attend. Fran said she wanted to show Mr. Sheffield her room. The paint was stripped since she wanted to have the room wallpapered for the baby. She asked Mr. Sheffield if he knew anyone that could do the job. Then all of a sudden Fran got a sharp pain in her back, instinctively she held Mr. Sheffield’s hand tightly. He looked into her eyes, stroking her hair, softly asking her if she was OK. She said she was alright, but started to cry. Mr. Sheffield stroked her cheek with his finger asking her what was wrong. She said she was just scared about having the baby. Then the baby started kicking, she took Mr. Sheffield’s hand and put it to her stomach. It was then that Mr. Sheffield finally realized it was his baby, he didn’t know how it had happened, but he needed to take care of them. He kissed Fran, told her not to worry that everything would be alright. They went into the living room to sit on the couch she put her arms around him then she put her head on his shoulder. Fran then felt so comfortable that she nearly fell asleep. He felt such a love for her. He stroked her hair then gave her a kiss on her forehead. Fran held his hand tightly; it felt so masculine; she knew she was definitely in love. He asked her if she was taking vitamins, she told him she didn’t have any left and her appointment with the clinic was only next week. Mr. Sheffield asked her why she wasn’t going to her regular doctor, and she told him that "she didn’t have the money". Then without hesitation he told her to make an appointment with Dr. Reynolds he would pay for it. Fran said she couldn’t do that, but Mr. Sheffield said that they would work something out after the baby came. They snuggled close holding each other, before they knew it they were passionately kissing. Later while they were relaxing Fran fell asleep. Mr. Sheffield told Fran to lie down for awhile so she went into her room for a nap. Meanwhile Mr. Sheffield watched some television. Since Fran needed her rest Mr. Sheffield decided he would go home. Before leaving he went into Fran’s room, he saw how uncomfortable she was in her small bed. Seeing this, he told her that he wanted her to come home with him; this room wasn’t good for her anymore. She would stay in her old room at the house. She asked him why he wanted to do this, he had told her to leave the house several months ago. He told her that he knew things now that he didn’t know earlier. Before they left Max called Niles and told him to make a nutritious meal because he was bring Fran home with him. When they arrived he told Fran to go to her room to get some rest. Meanwhile he told the kids that Fran was here, they would all have dinner together. They were excited to see Fran, but since she was sitting down they hardly noticed she was pregnant, but Niles did, although he said nothing. The conversation was animated, everyone was relaxed. Mr. Sheffield heard things his kids were doing that he didn’t know about. He knew Fran would be a good mother. After dinner he told the kids that something happened between them, now he and Fran were having a baby. Fran was going to stay with them; he wanted the baby to have the same things they did. Fran was upset that he didn’t say anything about them wanting them to be together, but he obviously did or else she would still be miserable at home.
The next day after breakfast Mr. Sheffield already noticed the difference in how Fran looked. He knew he made the right decision to bring her here. Now she was sure he wanted Fran and the baby to live here. He was going to get a room ready for the baby. Meanwhile Fran had an appointment with Dr. Reynolds, who told her the baby would be coming soon. She was glad since she was big and starting to get uncomfortable, she was surprised Mr. Sheffield wasn’t turned off by her. When she came back she told Mr. Sheffield that the doctor said the baby was coming soon, did he know anyone who could paint and wallpaper her room. She also needed to get clothes, furniture, who would go to the hospital with her? Fran was really nervous about everything. Mr. Sheffield told relax, everything would be taken care of. They would all help her. The next day he took off some time for them to go shopping. After awhile Fran seemed tired so he took her home right away. When they came back she knew she was really in love. She couldn’t think of anyone who would take care of her like he did. She also suspected that he was in love with her; why else would he do all this.
Fran was getting closer to her due date, she was getting scared and cranky. One day C.C. reminded Mr. Sheffield that they had to go out of town later that week. Mr. Sheffield said he couldn’t go because Fran was having her baby soon. C.C. said that he is acting more like Fran is his wife, than his nanny, girlfriend or whatever. He couldn’t believe it took C.C. for him to realize he wanted to marry Fran. Immediately he told C.C. he had to take the afternoon off. He went to the jewelry store to get Fran a necklace, a small engagement and wedding ring. He would ask her to marry him tomorrow night. Instead, when he came home he saw Fran sitting on the couch, she seemed uncomfortable and depressed. He sat next to her and kissed her, she immediately felt better. Then he felt so in love, he held her hands and said to Fran, "let’s get married". She asked why, he told her that he wanted them to be a family, but Fran said that wasn’t enough for her to say yes, then puts his hands over hers telling Fran "I love you Fran, I want us all to be together." He kisses her then put a beautiful diamond heart on her neck. He also gave her a small engagement ring; he said he would get another one after the baby. Fran slid closer over to him on the couch holding him tightly and cried. He told Fran he wanted them to be married before the baby came; so he made the arrangements for a wedding on the weekend, he hoped that was OK. She was so overwhelmed, so many things were happening at once. She just held onto Max, telling him that she loves him so much, and how good he is to her, how can she ever repay him. Meanwhile she felt the baby move hoping it wouldn’t come before they got married.
The next day Fran called Val, to apologize to her, she was right, Max her asked to marry him this weekend, could she be at the wedding. Fran also called her mother, and told her, she said, "finally". They told the kids who were so happy; finally Fran would permanently be part of their lives. With so little time Fran went to pick out a dress for her wedding, but she thought she looked fat in everything she tried on. Finally Val and her mother picked out a dress, Fran wasn’t happy about how it looked, but what could she do. Before she knew it, her wedding day was here, she was hurrying get ready. On her way to the judge’s office Fran’s couldn’t believe she is getting married to Max, the love of her life, she was so excited, she just wished she wasn’t having a baby any day.
They had a simple ceremony with just Niles, C.C., Val, the kids and Fran’s parents. They went to an elegant restaurant for the reception. Afterwards they went home. Fran was having pains off and on all day, she hoped the baby wasn’t coming just yet. They went to bed that night and Max told Fran to come their room, her heart was beating fast she was so excited. She wanted to make love to him so much, but that would have to wait awhile.
The next couple of days were tense for Fran because was so big and uncomfortable. She just wanted the baby to come. C.C. said Max was acting like an expectant father, he said what was he supposed to do, that’s what he was. One day Fran became impatient so she decided to go out for lunch with Val. When they were done with lunch, they went window shopping, but Val noticed that Fran was not acting right, she asked her if she was going into labor, she practically screamed yes. They were near the house; Val barely got Fran in the door. Thankfully Maggie was there, she could tell Fran was writhing in pain. She ran into her father’s office and told him that Fran was in labor, they had to get her to the hospital. Max was nervous, so Maggie and Brighton had to help him get Fran’s things together and get her into the car. They were finally on the way, but Fran was still in a lot pain on the way to the hospital, she was practically squeezing Max’s hand. She told him that she loves him so much he was the only person that she wanted to be with right now. They kissed but Fran was in pain again. When they got to the hospital Max filled out the papers and Fran went into a room, no problem. Then Max called Fran’s mother to tell her the baby was coming, she was so excited. Later after a long labor Fran had a boy, they named him David. Fran said that David looked like his father which made Max happy. He told Fran that he loves her and the baby very much. Fran never felt this happy in her life.
A couple of days later Fran and her son came home. Everyone was excited to see him. The girls were cuddling him; even Brighton was excited to have another brother. They decided to have circumcision for David at home. Fran got a new suit for the party but she thought it made her look fat. Niles had a lot of work preparing the food, but he didn’t mind doing something different now that Max and Fran were married. Later that week they had the ceremony and party. Afterwards Fran was tired; she just wanted things to get back to normal so she could enjoy her son. Before they went to bed that night Max gave Fran another engagement ring. It was so big that Fran was speechless.
The next couple of weeks were tiring with the new baby, Fran was up at night a lot, but then things settled down. She was just enjoying being in the same bed at night with Max. Once or twice Niles heard the baby cry, and neither Max or Fran got up, he figured they just wanted to be together so he took care of David.
Soon Fran was trying to get ready for her religious wedding ceremony. Max had promised her that they would have another wedding and a reception that she would plan. They decided to keep it small, but it was still a lot of work. Fran got a new dress for the wedding she thought she still looked fat. She couldn’t wait till she lost all the weight, she would get some new clothes, but only on sale, Max had spent so much money on her already, she didn’t want to go overboard.
Finally it was Fran’s second wedding day, she was a nervous wreck. She still didn’t like the way she looked in her dress, but Max said she looked gorgeous. This time Val was the maid of honor, the girls were bridesmaids. They were both glad when Max broke the glass and the ceremony was over. This time Max held Fran tight and gave her a romantic kiss. Fran was in heaven. She was thinking back to her marriage three months before when she was so big that Max couldn’t put his hand around her waist. The reception was very elegant but small. Both of them didn’t want a big wedding since they were already married. At the reception they enjoyed themselves dancing the night away. Fran couldn’t believe she felt so happy, she knew Max felt the same way.
Later that week they went on a honeymoon to Florida. They took Niles with them to look after David. Of course they wanted to be alone some of the time. It was a relaxing week, Fran hadn’t been this happy in a long time. Even Max seemed different, the tension from his body was nearly gone, Fran knew this hardly ever happened. Fran and the baby made him felt like he had a real family which he didn’t have in years.
When they came back home Max went back to work, Fran was busy taking care of her son. About six weeks later Fran started feeling tired and out of sorts. She didn’t know what was it was. One day Max came home from a meeting, he found Fran sleeping on the couch. He asked her if she was feeling OK, Fran said, not really. Max said to her, could she be pregnant again, because that is how she felt the last time. Fran got nervous hoping Max wasn’t right. Fran tried to ignore how she felt, but she wasn’t getting better. She decided to get a pregnancy test, which she went all the way to Queens to get. Even though she was married now she didn’t want anyone to see her. She took the test and it was positive. Fran was surprised, but decided to see Dr. Reynolds, who confirmed that she was having another baby. Fran practically went into shock. Her son was only five months old, here she was pregnant again. She was nervous about what Max would think. For now she would keep the news to herself, but that wouldn’t be for long. A couple of weeks later Maggie came home for the weekend, she asked Fran if she was pregnant again. Fran said "shush" to Maggie since she hadn’t told anyone yet. Maggie said she couldn’t keep it a secret much longer. She noticed even Niles was starting to look at her a little funny. A few days later Fran had another doctor appointment. Dr. Reynolds. Afterwards the exam she called her into her office to give her the news that she was having twins. Fran didn’t know what to think. She still had a little baby at home, now she would be having two more babies in short time. She didn’t know how she was going to manage it; much less what would Max think. Now Fran knew she had to tell him. That night in bed, she told him they were going to have another baby, she wasn’t ready to tell him that they were having twins. He kissed her then touched her stomach and felt the bulge. He smiled, saying that at least this time he knew it was his baby, but he was surprised that Fran was pregnant again so soon, David was only six months old.
Not long after Fran told Max that she is pregnant, she starts wearing maternity clothes. She hadn’t told Grace and Brighton yet, but they were bound to notice soon. Niles was even was looking at her stomach since she hadn’t told him yet, but she was entering her fifth month of pregnancy. One morning Fran came down to breakfast, Niles was looking at her she said to him, "OK Niles, I’m pregnant again, as though you didn’t know". He said, "That was certainly fast, Mrs. Sheffield". She hadn’t yet told her mother, she knew she had to, otherwise she would get a shock at seeing her like this; she was much bigger than last time.
The next time Fran had a doctor appointment she told Max he needed to come with her. He asked if she was OK, she said yes. Max took the afternoon, C.C. asked him why; he said he had to go to the doctor with Fran. Since Fran hardly ever asked him to go to a doctor appointment, he asked her if there was anything wrong, she said not really but wanted him to be there. Max was very uncomfortable in the waiting room. Finally they called her into the examination room. Waiting till he is called into the doctor’s office is making Max very nervous. Finally Fran is done, they call him into the office and the doctor shows Max the sonogram. Dr. Reynolds tells them that Fran is having twins. Max is shocked, asking how that can happen. The doctor said Fran told him that twins run in her family. Max says that he is concerned that Fran will be OK, the doctor said as long as she is careful Fran shouldn’t be a problem. They get home Max straight goes into his office. He can’t believe it, they just had a baby; soon they would be having two more. He is wondering what he got himself into, but he told Fran he wanted a family, that is certainly what he is getting. Later Fran came into the office, she asked if he was OK, Max said not really. Fran asked him if she should take her things and leave, Max says nothing. Fran runs out of the office crying, suddenly Max notices that Fran isn’t there. He doesn’t see her so he runs upstairs, the bedroom door is closed. He opens the door, where Fran is on the bed crying. He sits on the bed next to her, kisses her, he tells her just to take it easy everything will be alright. He was just shocked by the news, why didn’t she tell him before. Fran said it was easier if the doctor told him.
A few weeks later Fran saw her mother. She told her that she was having another baby. Her mother said she was crazy, she still had small baby at home. She told Fran that she better be careful that she doesn’t lose her husband looking like this. Fran said, he had no problem with it.
Another couple of months passed was Fran’s stomach was quiet swollen. She was doing a lot of shopping for the twins’ arrival, besides taking care of David. In fact it was getting hard for her to lift her son. She didn’t know how much longer she could do it.
Another month passed, Fran’s stomach was absolutely huge. One day C.C. saw Fran and said to her, "If this was what marriage does do you, I’ll never get married, not that I want to". Fran said nothing. She just couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the last couple of years. Next month she would be married for one year, but have three children. Shortly after that even Max noticed how Fran looked; he told her she should take it easy because she is so big.
The babies would be coming soon so they decided to make David’s birthday party a little early. Fran was hardly in any shape to have a party now, but it would even be worse in a few weeks when the babies were due. Niles had to do most of the work because Fran stomach was so big that her back was starting to arch. When C.C. saw Fran again she laughed, saying she certainly glad she wasn’t in her position. For a change Fran actually thought C.C. was right.
The party it was a success but everyone was surprised how Fran looked. Her mother asked her if she had a bowling ball in her stomach. She finally said to her mother, Ma, I’m having twins, she replied "Oy vey."
Shortly after that Max and Fran celebrated their first anniversary. It certainly wasn’t the way Fran had anticipated it. Niles made them a romantic dinner. Later they snuggled and watched a movie. Fran was uncomfortable the entire evening but tried to enjoy it anyway. About a week after their anniversary Fran’s stomach was so huge she could barely walk or move. When she did walk, it was more like a waddle. One day Max noticed that Fran hadn’t gotten out of bed at all. The next morning Fran didn’t come down for breakfast. Brighton had gone upstairs to his room when all of a sudden he heard a moaning noise from his parents’ bedroom. He rushed in to find Fran having contractions. He ran down the stairs as fast as he could, to get his father. He told him Fran was having serious contractions and they better get her to the hospital as fast as possible. Max asked him how he knew about this; he said that he was in high school now, he wasn’t a baby anymore. Max rushed upstairs, he found Fran in bed in a lot of pain. Brighton had to help Max get Fran out of bed. Then Max helped Fran to put on some clothes, she was in such pain that he even had to brush her hair. Even though she was very uncomfortable she knew how much Max loved her the way he cared for her. By the time they were in the car Fran’s contractions were getting close together, Max was hoping that they would make it to the hospital in time. Thankfully there wasn’t much traffic. When they got to the hospital Fran was rushed to a room. Not too much later Fran had the twins, a boy and a girl, they named Marc and Michelle. They were big babies and weighed over six pounds each. Afterwards he asked Fran why she didn’t tell him sooner that the babies were coming, she said that she was afraid. Then Max gave her a kiss telling her he loves her, he was there to help her, not for her to be afraid of him. They both agreed that the babies were beautiful and how much they loved each other.
When they brought the twins home everyone said how cute they were. Fran was thrilled that her babies were so beautiful, but she knew they would be a lot of work. For the first couple of weeks Fran hired a nurse to take care of the children. During that time Fran tried to rest, she wanted spend some time with Max because she knew how busy she would be. As Fran grew stronger she decided she could take care of the twins and David by herself, so she let the nurse go. From that time on she spent most of her time with the kids. She was even sleeping in the twins’ room for part of the night. Since she was so busy during the day, Max was also working they hardly saw each other. On the weekends Max seemed to be going out more with C.C.
One night Max went to a business function with C.C., he didn’t come home till almost 3:00 am. All of a sudden Fran was afraid she was losing her husband. She was exhausted, overweight and dumpy looking. Fran realized she had to do something before it was too late. The next morning Fran tries to set aside some time to have breakfast with Max, she asks him if she can go out with him, she has been home with the twins for weeks, she misses being with her husband. He tells her there is something the next weekend, but he doesn’t think he wants to go because he is tired of attending these things with C.C. Fran says she would like to go with him, would it be OK, he said sure. Fran noticed Max didn’t really seem enthusiastic about it. Now she was really worried that her marriage was in trouble, she realizes she has to spend more time with her husband or he might actually leave her for C.C.. Then she tells Max she hasn’t had much time for herself since she started taking care of the twins by herself, she still has to look after David who is becoming a handful, she needed someone to help her take care of the kids. Max said to her that getting someone to help her is a good idea; he didn’t understand why she let the nurse go. Fran said she though that she could handle everything herself, now she is realizing that she can’t. Then she tells Max she wants to spend more time with him, she kisses him. He responds giving her a passionate kiss back, he notices that her hair is a mess, she needs a makeover. He tells her that she looks tired, he wants her to take care of herself, she should get her hair done, maybe go to a spa. He tells her she should get a new dress for the occasion. Fran tells him, OK, she hasn’t gotten anything new in a while. Fran knew that she had a lot of work to do, if she wanted to keep her marriage afloat. She starts on this project right away because she knows that she doesn’t have any time to lose. Immediately she starts dieting, then a few days later she hires a nanny, then she goes to a spa for a day, lastly she gets a personal trainer, she hates to exercise, but she has no choice. Fran knows she isn’t spending much time with her children lately, but if she doesn’t want to lose the love of her life she had better get into shape. She also knew that all of these things were going to cost a fortune, but she didn’t care. A couple of days before the dinner Fran got a spectacular dress and had her hair done. When she came home Fran wanted to show off her new hairdo to Max but he didn’t get home till midnight. When she asked him where he was, he said he was out with C.C. Again Fran reminded him that she was going with him to the dinner the next day, he said it was fine. C.C. was getting on his nerves; she was trying to get him to leave home to be with her. Fran was not surprised by this, but was shocked that Max actually told her. She asked her husband if he ever considered this, and he didn’t answer her. Fran knew she had to seriously step up to the plate or her marriage was history. Max told Fran that C.C. would also be at the dinner. Fran said it was OK since it was business.
Finally it was the day of the dinner. Fran took most of the day to get ready. She even had someone come to the house to help her with her hair and makeup. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. As she was putting on the finishing touches Max was calling her. She let him wait a couple of minutes but not longer, she couldn’t afford to get him angry. When he saw Fran his eyes popped and gave her a kiss. He took Fran into his arms telling her that she looked beautiful. This was the first time he had done that since the twins were born. Then Max told her that her gown was the nicest one she ever had. Fran knew the dress had cost a lot of money, but she was trying to save her marriage; it was definitely worth it. When they arrived at the dinner, she noticed people were looking at them. Later they were mingling for awhile Max noticed that Fran was very quiet. Usually she was vivacious and chatty, but not tonight. He even had to get her to speak. Later they met C.C. She was annoyed to see Fran. She really thought that Max was going to leave Fran and they would have a relationship. Now C.C. wasn’t so sure since she saw Max cozy with his wife. C.C. thought if Fran messed up tonight that she still had a chance, so she decided not to get upset. Later in the evening the party was slowing down so Max and Fran decided to leave. It wasn’t that late yet so he took her to a club. When the evening ended it seemed they were back together again, later when they went to bed they even made love. Fran was happy that things seemed to be getting better but she still had work to do.
For the next few weeks Max and Fran seemed to be closer again. Fran was going to the spa, while still dieting. She stopped going to the personal trainer because it was too much work. Then one weekend Max came home, he told Fran he had to go California to work on a project. He would be gone for several weeks, C.C. would be coming also. Fran said she didn’t really want him to leave, but Max said he really wanted to do this project. It would also give him so time to think about their relationship. Fran got scared so she asked him if he wanted to end their marriage. Max said he just needed some time think about things. Since they got married things had changed a lot. He told her not to worry; he would see how things were when they came back.
Max got ready to go to California. The weekend before he left Max took Fran for a romantic weekend to Connecticut. They did some antiquing, went for quiet walks and made love. She knew that having the twins put a strain on their marriage, but she hoped everything would work out now.
It was time for Max to leave and C.C. came to pick him up. Max told C.C. to wait outside. Before he left Max kissed his children, then hugged them tightly. He gave Fran a romantic kiss. She told him that she loves him, and he kissed her back, but didn’t say that he loves her. Fran didn’t know what to think. For the next few days Fran didn’t hear anything from Max, she hoped that nothing happened to him, or that he already decided their marriage was over. Finally he called her apologizing saying that he was very busy and with the time difference it was hard to call. Fran asked him if she could call him, Max said sure no problem. After that they spoke to each other almost every day. When they spoke a couple of weeks later when they spoke Fran realized that Max had a cold. She told him to take some medicine for it. After a week or so it seemed that he wasn’t getting any better so Fran told him to take some time off. Max said he couldn’t do that because they had a deadline to meet.
After that Fran didn’t hear from her husband in a few days, so she calls to find out if he is Ok. C.C. answers the phone, telling her that she wants to speak to Max. C.C. tells him Max is sick in bed with pneumonia, so she had to get a nurse to take care of him. C.C. told Fran that he was coughing so much she even she couldn’t stand it any more so she had to force him to go to the doctor. Fran told C.C. she was grateful for trying to help Max, but she should have called her to let her know Max was sick. C.C. said she was sorry but everything happened so fast that she didn’t have time to call. Fran said that she was coming to California to see to with her husband. C.C. said it wasn’t necessary, plus who would take care of the kids, but Fran said she needed to be with her husband if he was sick. Fran said she had a nanny to help her, plus Niles was there, also older kids would have to be help out. Fran said she was going pack her bags to get the first flight out to California that she could. She immediately calls the older kids telling them to come home because their father was sick in California. She had to get out there as soon as possible. When they arrive home Fran tells them that their father has pneumonia so she has to go out to California to take care of him. The kids are worried and ask Fran if he will be alright. Fran says he should be OK, but she can’t guarantee it. Grace is very upset that her father is sick and asks Fran if she can go with her. Fran says no, she doesn’t think it is a good idea; she should stay home to help take care of the kids. But Grace becomes very upset saying she want to go to California with Fran so she decides that it is OK for Grace to come along. Fran thought she was the one who wanted Max to get closer to his kids, so who is she to deny Grace seeing her father. Then she tells Grace to get ready to leave immediately.
They had to wait a few hours but were able to get on a plane. Grace felt like was she was getting motion sickness but the flight attendant was able to help Grace so she was OK. Fran was actually glad that Grace was with her. She was very nervous about what she would find in California. After a long flight they finally arrived where there was car waiting to take them to the house. It was a long ride, both Grace and Fran were anxious to get there. Finally they arrived, Fran rang the doorbell, C.C. opened the door and Fran asked where Max was. C.C. noticed that Fran was angry so she just took her to Max’s room. When she entered Fran saw a smile on Max’s face. He said to her, "I’m so happy to see you Fran, darling, I tried to call you, but I couldn’t reach you, I guess you were coming to see me, I missed you so much." The nurses’ aide said, "So this is Fran, he was calling your name all night." She asked Fran who she was, Fran answered, "I’m his wife." The nurse said she thought C.C. was his girlfriend. Fran said, no, that she was his business partner. She said that explains why she wasn’t interested in taking care of him.
The first thing Fran did was tell C.C. to take Grace out for something to eat so she could be alone with Max. The nurses’ aide was on a break. Fran went into the room and touched Max’s forehead, telling him she loves him. He squeezes her hand tightly. She asks Max if there is anything she can do for him. He tells her he just wants her to stay with him for a while. They just relax, watch TV and talk. Then Max falls asleep. In the meantime Grace and C.C. come back. Fran hears the door then goes to meet them. She immediately tells C.C. that she has to leave the house as soon as possible. C.C. usually doesn’t pay attention to Fran but she knows that this time Fran is annoyed with her so she just collects her things and goes.
A little while later Fran and Grace go to Max’s room. They talk for awhile then Fran goes out so Max can spend some time with Grace. Afterwards the nurses’ aide gives Max some more treatments. In the evening the have dinner together. Later Max walks around with Fran, then Grace.
The next few days are hard. The nurse tells Fran she can give Max the treatments herself, so she shows her how to do it. For the next couple of weeks Fran devotes most of her time to taking care of her husband. She had to prepare food for him, clean up, give him his treatments, while staying in touch with the family at home. Fran even has to give Max a sponge bath which she finds romantic, but she notices how much weight her husband has lost. Fran has to get Grace to help her because taking care of everything is a lot work. The next week Fran takes Max to the doctor. After the appointment Max tells Fran that he is much better and should be able to go home soon. He said the doctor is surprised that he recovered so quickly. Max said he told the doctor his wife had come to California to take care of him; he said that explains why he is doing recovered so quickly. Fran is definitely relieved. Now Max is able to get around more so Fran has less work. They become closer again since they are able to spend more time together. They realize how much they love each other. Even though they can’t be intimate they still cuddle with each other. Max always knew how much he loves Fran but being alone in and sick in California he realizes just how much he wants to be with his wife. He knows it was a sacrifice for Fran to come to California to take care of him, especially when they have three small children at home. All of a sudden he realizes how much he misses is family. When they got married, he told Fran he wanted a family, then when he had one Max wasn’t sure if he wanted that either. Now that he had been away from home for over a month he was glad he has that family to come home to.
Fran has always been in love with Max, but his being sick made her realize it would be hard for her to go on with life if something happened to him. Finally Max feels better and they are able to go home. When they arrive everyone was overjoyed to see Max. He was overwhelmed, people usually never made a fuss about him. Even the younger kids were happy to see their father, but Fran didn’t want Max to play with them just yet. During the next couple of weeks Max continued to rest and try to enjoy his kids. He even went out with Fran to a movie or dinner in the neighborhood Max didn’t watch what he ate. Not long after that Max went back to work and C.C. came back to the house. Fran told him not to put in such long hours yet he still needed to get his strength back.
It took awhile but finally Max was back to his old self. Fran still told him to watch his hours and not overdo it. He tried to listen to her as much as possible. He decided he wanted to have dinner with the family a few nights a week. Now that he was back normal Max noticed that Fran seemed very tired. He knew she had been through a lot lately, she was extremely busy with the kids since they came back from California. He had put the last details of his project on hold, now he was thinking of going back to California to finish it. He wondered if everyone wanted to come with him he certainly didn’t want to go back there alone.
One evening when everyone was in bed he talked to Fran about the idea. He said the weather would probably be good, the house was light and airy. He said the older kids could come if they wanted to also. It was an opportunity for David to explore things. He hoped that Fran would be able to rest. She said with three little kids you don’t get to rest much. Fran realized that Max wanted to do this so she said OK.
They go out to California; it was enjoyable for a few weeks but then Fran wants to go home. When they get back everything seems to be going well. Her marriage is back on track, she lost a lot of weight, and Max is more involved with the kids. But there is only one thing bothering Fran, she has that tired run down feeling again, and is beginning to wonder if she is pregnant again.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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