Bette and Kit both got up and walked over to his bed. Each standing on either side.

“Daddy, cancer is killing you. Why don’t you give the treatment a little more time? There are other protocols that they can try.” Bette pleaded.

“Don’t start that again Baby sis.” Kit admonished her sister.

***

It was only two months ago, that everything fell apart. Melvin was taken to the hospital after collapsing at the Planet. Kit had made the frantic call to her sister to meet her there while the ambulance rushed him to the emergency room. They’d called ahead and Dr. Millikan was waiting to admit him.

After years in remission his cancer had returned. They’d started an aggressive chemo and radiation therapy but after two weeks Melvin felt worst and refused any further treatment. He wanted to be released from the hospital and transitioned to hospice care.

He knew he was never going home again, at least not to the house in Beverly Hills. Soon he would be home with his Lord and Savior. The recommendation was to make him as comfortable as possible in the remaining weeks. With Peggy’s help they found a beautiful hospice facility that felt more like a resort than a place where terminal patients went to die.

Week after week Bette tried to stay strong but then she’d have these breakdowns and refuse to leave her father. She’d stay in his room overnight and sit all day not giving up hope that the doctors were wrong. Tina allowed Bette her space to grieve and come to terms in her own way. If that meant bringing Bette food and a change of clothes every now and then so be it.

***

Kit on the other hand wouldn’t indulge her sister. She’d made peace with the fact that they would be burying their father soon. She was trying her best to get Bette to think about making final arrangements.

“We need to think about next steps, and we can’t do it while you’re hold up in this room. You need to come home so you, me, Peggy, David, Danny, Tina and Angus can discuss it as a family and figure out what is best.”