Spencer obliged. “Well, I’m going with a group to hike the Appalachian Trail this weekend. I invited Emily, but you guys are welcome to come along.”
Anne watched her daughter’s reaction. Her eyes were a little wide. Had she really agreed to go on the hike? She didn’t usually go for outdoor activities, except for skiing.
“Thanks Spencer,” said Steven. “We’ll get back to you on that.” He looked back to Anne and indicated her food with his eyes.
Her mind wandered while Spencer explained about the upcoming hike and the group that was going. She took another bite of food and suppressed a shudder as she swallowed. Maybe Steven was right. She’d tried to ignore the symptoms that had plagued her off and on over the past month or so.
After she married Steven Gherring, she’d felt more relaxed and stress-free than she had for years. Her appetite had been great. But recently she’d had stomach pain and nausea. She hadn’t been on a scale, but her pants were hanging loosely on her hips. She’d estimate she’d lost at least ten pounds, probably more. But she’d tried not to think about it, because she had a nagging fear. Would she meet the same fate as her mom?
Her mother had lost a battle to stomach cancer when Anne was only three years old, and her father had never married again. She tried to tell herself her symptoms were different, but they matched the information she’d found on the website. She knew she shouldn’t wait. It was important to diagnose cancer as early as possible. But she couldn’t bear the thought of Steven suffering through what her father had. It wasn’t fair. Steven had been alone for fifty years. She couldn’t leave him alone again. On the other hand, it might only be an ulcer. She berated herself for assuming the worst.
She gazed at her husband as he chatted with the kids. He was so handsome. His dark hair was peppered with grey, his blue eyes intense. His face was chiseled with a strong jaw, but softened with deep dimples that appeared even when he wasn’t smiling. She loved him so much. She couldn’t tell him until she knew for sure, because she didn’t want him to be worried if it wasn’t true. But she wouldn’t put it off any longer—she’d see a doctor right away. If it was cancer, she’d fight for her life. And she’d beat it somehow. She wouldn’t leav
e him alone again.
Determined to call the doctor and make an appointment as soon as lunch was over, she pushed the food around on her plate to make it appear emptier.
“Anne?” All the levity disappeared from Steven’s voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”
At his words and the severity of his tone, she felt the blood drain from her face.
“Nothing. Nothing, I just… uhmm… I was trying to remember something.” She rose from the table, scrambling for an excuse. “I remember what it was. I forgot to mail our RSVP for the wedding. You know Sam and Tanner’s wedding? I’ve got to get it in the mail before it’s too late.”
“Anne!” Steven rose from his chair and pinned her with his glare. “Stop avoiding my question. What is it?”
“Nothing. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just...”
She watched in confusion as the sides of the room turned black and closed in on Steven’s face. Then she saw the floor coming toward her. Then she saw nothing.
Forcing her eyes open, Anne gradually focused on Steven’s worried face.
“You’re in an ambulance. Stop trying to push the mask off your face. It’s oxygen.”
An ambulance. She was going to the hospital. She had to tell him—he couldn’t find out from the doctors. He’d be so angry. She struggled to speak, her words muffled by the mask.
“She’s trying to say something,” Steven told the paramedic. “Can she move the mask?”
“Sure, we can take it off for a minute.”
How could she break the news to him? Her eyes filled with tears, and she sobbed out the words.
“I th-think it m-may be cancer.”
“No, sweetheart, no.” He soothed her, pushing a stray strand of hair off her face. “It’s not cancer. It’s probably not a big deal. Maybe it’s appendicitis.”
“No. M-my mother died from it—stomach cancer. And now I have the symptoms. I didn’t want to tell you...”
“No! That’s not it. You have something else wrong with you. It’s not serious.” His brows creased, and his jaw flexed.
“But, my mom...”
“No! It isn’t cancer!” He blinked rapidly and rubbed at his eyes. “It isn’t—it can’t be. Not now, when I’ve only just found you. It can’t be that...” He kissed her all over her face, saying, “No, no, no, no...”
Anne sobbed even harder and grasped his neck in desperation. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to do this to you.”
“Stop. You didn’t do anything, and we don’t know anything. We’ll just do tests and see what the doctor says. It’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Anne knew the words he repeated to comfort her were his futile attempt to convince himself.