LIFE Interrupted

“I’m afraid I’ll lose my daughter,” her mother sniffed back her tears. “I gave birth to you. I held you in my arms when you couldn’t sleep because you were running a temperature. I feel so helpless because this is something I can’t fix for you or do for you.”

Sophie leaned into her mother and wrapped her arm around her. They were cheek to cheek. “I’m not going anywhere Mom. It’s treatable.”

“It’s scary, Sophie. My daughter has cancer.”

“I know, Mom.” She comforted her mother.

“If you need us, we just want you to let us know,” Maria informed her. “This isn’t going to be easy. I think the worst thing we can do is hover over you.”

Sophie glanced across the table at her mother-in-law. “I appreciate that.”

She felt the tears welling in her eyes. She had been through so many stages since she was first diagnosed. Tears and disbelief. She was starting to get angry and was ready to fight this bastard. She would need their help though.

Hannah and Heath returned to the dining room. Sophie knew that her son had shed a few tears although his eyes were dry now. Hannah went to her seat, but Heath walked around the table. He squatted by her chair and laid his head against her shoulder. Sophie turned away from her mother and kissed the top of his head.

“I love you, baby,” she told him.

“Love you too, Mom. I just wanted you to know that.”

“I do,” she whispered to him, holding him close.

“If you and Dad need help getting you to chemo we’re here to help too.” She glanced across the table and Hannah nodded.

“Thank you. We appreciate it.” He rose and kissed her cheek again then he wiped his face on his sleeve unashamed that he was crying once again.

“I think we need some happy news,” Sophie glanced around her mother at Kai. “What’s this baby?” She asked her friend.

Kai glanced at Roman. “Well,” she said. Then Roman put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “First of all, there are two surprises. Identical twins. Both girls.”

“Holy sh…Moses. You’re kidding?” Sophie thought she might st

art crying again.

“Nope, I’m not. I thought Doctor Ben and I were going to have to pick Roman up off the floor.”

He laughed but he gazed at her friend with so much love. Sophie’s eyes welled with tears she was so happy for her. “I can’t wait. Two little girls to torment Roman Garin for the next eighteen years.”

He laughed at Sophie.

She squeezed Josh’s hand. He understood. She wanted to be here to see it happen.

Chapter 9

Sophie

Inserting the port was a breeze. She came home afterwards and spent the afternoon lying around. She wanted to avoid the office to let Ally take control and be responsible. She would just get in the way. Josh went to the office to see how things were going on Jagger and Ally’s first day. It was the hardest thing Sophie had ever done was stay at home.

Letting go of control was a difficult, thing for Sophie to do. She watched television which she never did. She binged on a Netflix Original Series and decided it wasn’t so bad. She might be able to get used to this inactive life.

Who was she kidding? She needed something. Kai was at work. She called Micki. She had her hands full with the twins. They only talked for fifteen minutes but she promised Sophie she would come over next week. She would be there for her too.

Laying on the sofa, with her eyes closed she pictured a life without her in it. Josh sleeping in the king-sized bed alone for a while at least. Coming home to an empty house. He would eat out a lot at first, she knew him well. Would Ally just remain on at the landscaping business and take her place? Maybe? For a while at least, to help her dad out.

The baby. He wouldn’t remember her. She knew that she would be a name, a face in a picture that he would smile politely at when mentioned but he would have no true feelings for her. A tear slipped from beneath her lashes.

She didn’t know why she was doing this to herself. Doctor Roberts said her cancer was treatable. It had spread though. That was what was scaring her. Her mind would just continue to race with the possibilities until she was told she was cancer free. Sophie didn’t know how to turn it off.

Since the day that Doctor Ben had sent her to the Imaging Center she was walking through life with her brain turned off and feeling numb. She had to admit with Ally here, doing her job she didn’t have to worry about screwing something up. Before that, Josh had caught more than a few mistakes that she had made. Sophie felt scrambled.