“Okay—” He hangs up before I even have a chance to respond, and I stare at my phone wondering what in the heck that was about. Tossing my cell on the table, I walk back to my room and get dressed, putting on nothing more than an old, ratty pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt and a light jacket. When you have to sit in those horribly bumpy chairs for hours on end, it’s nice to at least be comfortable.
An hour later, I’m walking into the cancer treatment center and the secretary gives me a big wave. I’ve become a regular, yay for me! They all know me by name, and even though I hate coming in here, it’s nice to see their friendly faces. You can tell they’re all genuinely concerned about me because often times they’ll come back to the treatment room to see how I’m doing. That alone is a nice feeling.
“How are you today, Laney?” Rose says from behind the counter.
“I’m good, Rose. How are the kiddos?” She hands me a clipboard, and I fill in my information like I do every other time I come in.
“They’re rotten, like always.” She takes my card and the clipboard and does whatever it is she does before returning my card. “Head on back to get your blood drawn, and then we’ll get things started.”
Getting my blood drawn is the easy part. Within minutes, I’m being escorted back into the waiting room.
“I’ll let the girls know you’re here and ready for them.”
“Thank you, Rose.” I tuck my purse under my arm and take a seat in the waiting room. Usually, there are all sorts of people in here and I look at them and wonder what they’re here for, but today the waiting room is empty. I’ve talked to a few of the other patients from time to time, but I’ve yet to meet someone even close to my age.
“Laney.” I look up when I hear the familiar voice and find Harley standing in the doorway. She has my chart in her hand and she’s wearing a big, welcoming smile.
“Hey!” I walk over to her and she gives me a quick hug. “What are you doing down here?” I’ve only seen her here twice, and one of those times she’d just stopped by to check on me.
“I got pulled here, and when I saw your name on the schedule for today, I snagged you from another nurse,” she says, leading me back in the direction of the exam rooms. “How have you been? And how is Levi?” She giggles. “I never see him anymore and I assume that’s because of you.”
“I’ve been alright, and yes, you’re probably right,” I laugh. “I’m not sure we’ve spent a night apart in the past month.”
“That’s good. You deserve to be happy.” She opens the door to an exam room and ushers me in.
“Thank you. I feel like he’s the one that deserves to be happy, and I just hope that all of this”—I motion to the sterile room around me—“isn’t too much.”
“It isn’t.” Her words are said easily and without any hesitation. “Trust me, Levi would speak up if it was.”
“You’re probably right,” I agree, sitting down on the exam table.
“Okay, the doctor will be right in, and then I’ll see you in the treatment room.”
“Alright, see you soon.” I pull my phone out of my purse and shoot Levi a quick text.
Me: Waiting for the doc. What are you doing?
It isn’t at all surprising when my phone pings almost instantly. Levi is always quick to respond, especially when he knows I’m at the doctor.
Levi: Working. I hope it goes well. Who is there with you today?
Me: Don’t work too hard. No one. Here by myself, but I brought Nate.
Levi: Another book boyfriend?
Me: LOL. You know me too well ;)
Levi: You read too much. I’m constantly competing with an alpha male that has perfect hair, a perfect body and a piercing in a place that I’ll never get pierced.
Me: Never say never ;)
Levi: NEVER. Text me when you’re done with the doc.
Me: Will do. Love you <3
I quickly tuck my phone back in my purse so I won’t be disappointed when he doesn’t respond. I picked the perfect time too, because Dr. Hopkins knocks twice and walks into the room. “Good morning, Laney.” She gives me a tight hug and I return it effortlessly. The first time she hugged me, I was a little startled, but now I get it. My relationship with her is so much different than my relationship with my primary doctor—as it should be, since she’s seeing me through what will most likely be the hardest time in my life.
“Good morning.” I offer her an overly bright smile. She cocks an eyebrow and I wonder how in the world she always manages to see right through me.