Page 345 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

Across the table, Leonard smiled at him. “You seem distracted.”

“Work.”

“Oh—bad things?”

“No, just things to think about,” John returned.

“That happens. That thing I’d mentioned—I was hoping you might make time to meet with someone for me.”

That had John’s full attention.

“Who?” he asked.

“A friend,” Leonard replied. “I think he could help you with things that perhaps, I cannot.”

“You help.”

“I might not always be able to, though.”

John took more than a few seconds to reply to that. “Why?”

The silence grew longer.

Heavy.

It wasn’t like Leonard.

John didn’t like it at all.

Eventually, his therapist said, “I’m sick, John. Bladder cancer. My first treatment was two weeks ago, but I wanted to wait until everything was settled with you before I brought it up. I hope you understand.”

Why—when everything in his life seemed to be going so well—did the world have to come crashing down around him?