Between Sisters

She studied the film, then looked up at the men. “I don’t see any tumor. ”

Dr. Weissman smiled. “I don’t, either. I think we got it all, Claire. ”

“Oh my God. ” She’d hoped for this, prayed for it. She’d even worked to believe it, but now she saw that her belief had stood on a shaky foundation.

“Initial lab reports indicate that it was a low-grade astrocytoma,” he said.

“Not a glioblastoma multiforme? Thank God. ”

“Yes, that was good news. Also, it was benign,” Dr. Weissman said.

One of the other doctors stepped forward. “You are a very lucky woman, Mrs. Austin. Dr. Weissman did an incredible job. However, as you know, most brain tumors will regenerate. Twenty-eight percent of all—”

“Stop!” Claire didn’t realize that she’d yelled out the word until she saw the startled looks on the doctors’ faces. She glanced at Meg, who nodded encouragingly. “I don’t want to hear your statistics. It was benign, right?”

“Yes,” the doctor said, “but benign in the brain is a rather misleading term. All brain tumors can ultimately be fatal, benign or not. ”

“Yeah. Yeah. Limited space in the head and all that,” Claire said. “But it’s not a cancer that’s going to spread through my body, right?”

“Correct. ”

“So it’s gone now and it was benign. That’s all I want to hear. You can talk to me about treatments from here on, but not about chances and survival rates. My sister immersed herself in your numbers. ” She smiled at Meg. “She thought I wasn’t listening, but I was. She had a file that she kept on the kitchen counter—a file she labeled Hope. In it, there were dozens of personal accounts of people who’d been diagnosed with brain tumors more than seven years ago and were still alive. You know what they all had in common?”

Only Dr. Weissman was smiling.

“They’d all been told they’d live less than six months. You guys are like Seattle weathermen in June. All you ever predict is rain. But I’m not taking an umbrella with me. My future is sunny. ”

Dr. Weissman’s smile grew. He crossed the room and bent down to her ear. “Good for you. ”

She looked up at him. “There are no words to thank you. ”

“Joe Wyatt is the man you should thank. Good luck to you, Claire. ”

As soon as she was back in her room, Claire broke down and cried. She couldn’t seem to stop. Bobby held her tightly, kissing her bald head, until finally she looked up at him. “I love you, Bobby. ”

He kissed her fiercely.

She clung to him, then whispered in his ear, “Go get our little girl. I want to tell her Mommy’s going to be okay. ”

He hurried out.

“You were amazing in there,” Meg said when they were alone.

“My new motto is: Don’t screw with Baldie. ”

“I won’t,” Meg grinned.

Claire reached for her sister’s hand, held it. “Thanks. ”

Meg kissed Claire’s screw-marked forehead and whispered, “We’re sisters. ” It was answer enough. “I’ll go get Mama now. She’ll probably bring a film crew. ” With a smile, Meghann left the room.

“The tumor is gone,” Claire practiced saying aloud to the empty room.

Then she laughed.

Meghann found everyone in the cafeteria. Bobby was already there, talking to Sam. Mama was at the food line, signing autographs. The Bluesers and Alison were sitting in the corner, talking quietly among themselves. The only one missing was Joe.

“An