Hannah smiled at her son. “Joshua hates daycare. He cries every morning. It about breaks my heart when I leave him. They say he doesn’t cry long though.” Her son glanced up at her and Hannah kissed his nose, making him giggle.
“I can’t go inside with them,” Heath explained. “I just make it worse.”
“Micki is watching Alexander,” Kai told them. “She might take Joshua too if you want me to ask.”
“That would be a lot for her, don’t you think?” Hannah replied.
Kai chuckled. “She’s been raising six kids, Hannah. Nothing is too much for her when it comes to children. I can ask. She’ll say no if she doesn’t want to do it.”
Sophie met the eyes of her brother. His arms were crossed over his chest. He knew something was wrong. Her sister-in-law, Lo was caressing his back, trying to calm him? Or preparing him for the worst?
The food was passed around. She was at least going to let them enjoy their meal first. Her parents asked Kai about her pregnancy. They were happy for her friend because of her history with Jake. Her PCOS had prevented her from having a baby with him. Funny how her life turned around. Her doctor, their doctor, Ben Hillard told her this sometimes happened to older women.
All during the meal, Ross kept looking at her then whispering to his wife. He was making Sophie’s skin itchy with his constant staring and whispering.
His sons had not come tonight. Not that she didn’t want them. Dillon was eighteen and away at college like Ally. Duke was at football practice till eight tonight. They had a big game this weekend against their local rivals.
Driver, was only thirteen. Yes, her brother had named his final son, Driver. She still didn’t know what he was thinking. His kid, he loved the name though.
Driver Ward was the most unique name in the universe, he often told his aunt. It gave him power to do whatever he wanted in life. She wanted to be here to see him do it. She turned her head to hide the tear that escaped her eye. Josh reached under the table and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze.
The palm of Ross’s hand slapped against the table. “All right, Sophie. What is going on with you?”
She couldn’t keep it from him any longer. Leave it to Ross to pick up on it before anyone else. He never got anything but this, the big lummox would see.
She had been pregnant and throwing up and he missed that. Shocked as all get out, when she told him she didn’t have a never, ending stomach bug. She loved Ross, but he was thick-headed.
Her mother was gazing at her now. Daisy Ward reached out to Sophie and covered her arm with her hand. Sophie turned to her. She swallowed. How did she tell them this? It hurt her and Josh. Kai too. She didn’t want them to all be worried about her.
“I went for my annual earlier in the week. I was late for it.”
“As usual,” Kai threw in.
She leaned forward and scowled at Kai. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right, you don’t need condemnation right now.”
Sophie licked her top lip. Then she continued, “Doc found a lump. He sent me for a diagnostic that same afternoon.”
“A diagnostic what?” Her son asked.
She chuckled. She had to remember that he didn’t know these things at only twenty-three. “Mammogram, Heath.”
“Okay,” he said. Hannah moved Joshua to her other leg and took Heath’s hand. In that moment, Sophie loved that girl more than she ever had in her entire life and she loved Hannah a lot. Hannah Banana knew this was bad. Her eyes were glistening with tears.
“Two days ago, I had an ultrasound on the lump and a biopsy. It’s cancer.”
Her mother gasped. Then she repeated what Sophie herself had said, “But we don’t have cancer in our family.”
She gazed at her mother and replied with what the woman who had done her diagnostic said, “I have two breasts Mom. That’s all I need to get breast cancer.”
Her mother wiped her eyes on her napkin. The room was quiet. Ross got up from his chair and quietly left the room. “I’ll go talk to him,” Josh told her. She laid her hand on his arm stopping him.
“Nope, I’ll go.”
Sophie followed her brother outside. He was pacing in the drive, mumbling to himself. She reached out and touched him. He hadn’t heard her approach. Ross whirled on her with his eyes were glistening. He hadn’t cried but Ross Ward really wanted to.
&nb