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“Are you all set?” I check afterward.
“Yes.”
“Do you need anything? Can I do something for you?”
“You’ve done so much for me already. Everyone has. I don’t know how I will repay them or you.”
“We don’t need a repayment. Just get better.”
While we were busy, the weather turned gray, and soon, it starts to rain. I stand at the terrace windows and watch as water rolls down the glass, mesmerized by the movements of the droplets. Olivia touches my shoulder. I’d been avoiding looking in her eyes because I know the fear that she feels. I was afraid that the strength I was trying to provide would crumble away once she stared too long at my face.
“Lucian?”
“Yes, sweetheart?” I ask without turning.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m just thinking. I have a lot to do.”
She pauses. “I’m afraid.”
“I know, but I’m here.”
Circling me, she places her head against my chest. I embrace her, relishing the warmth of her body against mine. Her scent is still the same, sweet and enticing I bury my nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. A bolt of fear shoots through me at the remembrance of doing this very thing when Cassie was dying.
Despite all I tried to do keeping Cassie in the forefront of my mind, she was fading. I couldn’t remember her distinct smell, though if I came upon it again, I would inevitably be reminded of her. I couldn’t retain the softness of her hair or the exact color. In the end, she had little of it as the chemo treatments stripped every follicle down to the root.
My eyes start to water as I hold Olivia, her fragile body only adding to my distress. My tears fall faster. My body silently shakes, causing Olivia to untangle herself from me.
“Don’t cry. Please don’t.”
“I can’t lose you, Olivia. I need you in my life.”
She reaches up and wipes my cheeks with her hand. I kiss her forehead and say a silent prayer. I couldn’t go through another loss even though Olivia was not mine. But we had a possibility, and I didn’t want to lose that chance.
“I’m not going anywhere. The doctor at Chicago General said I have stage one. Once I see Dr. Carlyle, he can make a plan for treatment. If it hasn’t spread, I won’t need chemo. I’ll just have to recover from surgery.”
“How long would that be?”
“I won’t know. Everyone is different. I hope it’s quick because I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“You never could. I’d take care of you as long as it takes.”
“Lucian, why are you so good to me? I wasn’t very kind to you when I left.”
“You were only reacting to my behavior. I can’t fault you for that. We both made mistakes, but we have a chance to fix them.”
“I have to ask a favor of you, and I feel horrible to do it.”
“Anything.”
“Since I sublet my apartment for six months, I need a place to stay until November… I hate to ask.”
“You can stay here as long as you need.”
“Thank you, Lucian. I hope I can make it up to you.”
I frown at her. “No repayment necessary, like I told you.”
On Wednesday, I accompany Olivia to Sloan. Dr. Carlyle is a pleasant man with white hair and kind brown eyes. He reviews Olivia’s records from Chicago General and tells her he wants to run a few other tests. After the results come back, they would schedule her for treatment, which could be surgery and possibly chemo, but he doubted she would need further intervention.
I take her to lunch, but neither of us eats much. The fact that everything was up in the air with her health was unsettling. She would have her tests by Friday, meaning by Wednesday, she would have answers.
After lunch, I take her shopping to replace some of the clothing she hadn’t been able to retrieve from Joshua’s place. If he had been decent, he would have packed up any of her belongings and mailed them to her. But it wasn’t a big surprise that when she called him, he hung up on her.
She received several screaming calls from his family about her treatment of him. I grew so angry listening to her sob filled conversations that I eventually pried the phone from her hand, let out my own curse laced brand of justice, and threw her cell across the room. It shattered into several pieces and left a dent in the drywall of the foyer.
I was apologetic when I saw her eyes widen with horror. I took her to get a new phone, and we changed her number. I didn’t want Joshua’s evil family calling again to upset Olivia, or there would be a repeat of the cell flinging incident. I was having a hard time controlling myself when it came to treatment of her. I wanted to protect her.
