AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She had done nothing in her life, and now it was about to be over. Sure, she had some jobs, but they weren’t her family, people who loved you no matter what.
Cancer.
Tasha leaned into her with the baby in her arms. Natasha’s husband leaned over his wife and handed her a tissue. “Why are you crying? The service is not that good.”
“Nothing.” She wiped her cheeks and blew her nose quietly.
“Hormones,” Tasha stated with a nod but stayed leaned against her as she silently cried through the rest of the Easter Service.
Once the service was over, everyone got up and got out of the sanctuary as fast as possible in case the priest came back out. Tasha stayed, holding her sleeping baby in her arms. Tess stayed because her life would soon be over. She was dying. She needed God more today than any other day.
“Why are you crying?” Tasha asked, still in a whisper, even if there was nobody else there.
“I do not want to talk about it.”
“You have never cried in church before, so spill it,” her niece demanded quietly. They were still in church, and she was holding a sleeping baby.
“I am dying,” Tess whispered and covered her face with a tissue.
“What?”Tasha asked, her eyebrow raising in confusion.
“Cancer. I just have to find a doctor to confirm it.”
“Self-diagnosed?” Tasha questioned, her brow raising a little higher.
“No, Ilya mentioned it.” Because her older sister was a wise older woman, it had to be true.
“I do not think you have cancer, Tessy. Ilya can not know if you have cancer,” Tasha said.
“But I do. I thought I was going through menopause, but Ilya said I was too young. It has to be cancer,” Tess explained.
“So, cancer. Not the obvious other answer?” Tasha bumped her shoulder with hers.
She wiped her face with the tissue. “I do not know the obvious answer, Tasha.”
“Let’s see.” Tasha turned to her with the baby draped over her. She looked Tess up and down. “Puffy face, bigger boobs—I bet they are sensitive too. And you’re overly emotional. I haven’t seen you cry since we were kids, and this weekend it has happened twice.”
“So, what does that mean?” Tess demanded, slightly annoyed her niece was pointing out her weaknesses. How could she not cry when she saw her mom after so many months? Just because it had never happened before didn’t matter.
Tasha touched the cheek she claimed was puffy, saying, “I noticed it yesterday when you woke up. You’re knocked up.”
“I amnot,” she insisted. “It is cancer, Tasha. I am dying.”
Tasha just shook her head, “I can spot a pregnant Aleksandrov at a hundred feet. You have the look.”
“You countedmeas seven?” Tess demanded, not knowing who that last one could have been.
“Oh, yes. I assume it happened on your birthday after a night of drinking with your friends. With that guy who doesn’t like you,” Tasha stated, bouncing the baby to keep her asleep.
“That was the only time, but we used protection—the pill and a condom. This was not supposed to happen,” Tess insisted, bewildered.
Things like unwed pregnancy happened to others, not her. She was the smart one, the one to be dedicated to her job for the family. It was why cancer made sense with her symptoms, even the ones she didn’t tell Ilya about. But she had never been pregnant before, not even a scare. How was she supposed to know?
“Nor was this, but it happens. And I am so excited.” Tasha pointed to the baby in her arms.
“Mama and Papa will kill me.” Tess leaned back in the pew, hiding her face with her hands.
“You are not a kid, Tessy. They will be so excited to see you as a mom. They are not as strict as they used to be. They have mellowed. Mikhail will have a few words to say, but then they will all get over it. A baby helps with that.” Tasha maybe knew better. She was around them all the time.
