“It just takes time, patience, and love,” Mom said with a warm smile.
“Maegan, have you guys picked out a wedding date?” Daphne asked.
“Not yet,” Maegan replied.
“Having second thoughts?” Jack teased.
“Never,” Maegan said seriously, shaking her head. “My brother is also recently engaged, and we don’t want to encroach on one another’s special day.”
I snorted. “For once.”
Maegan laughed then told my family about her rivalry with her twin brother. “So, you can see Elijah isn’t exaggerating.”
“Your mother must be so excited, Maegan,” Dad said.
“She is ecstatic and claims to be the luckiest mother in the entire world because she will have the most amazing sons-in-law.”
“I can’t wait to meet your family, Freckles,” Dad said. “They sound like a hoot.” I expected my dad to be a little hesitant about Milo’s drag queen alter ego, but it only made him laugh. He thought the Dolly and Kenny duet was an awesome touch.
After dinner, Jack and I somehow got roped into doing dishes too. When we were finished, I went looking for my lady because it was time we headed home to prepare for the next week. I found her fast asleep in Dad’s recliner while the rest of the family enjoyed the crisp, cool air.
I heard the front door open, but not as loud as it was before Jack greased the damn thing with WD-40. “Elijah, can I see you in the kitchen?” Mom whispered.
I ran my hand over Maegan’s hair then followed my mom out of the room. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Mom,” I said, guessing the reason for our chat. “I should’ve spared Maegan the heartache of having to tell you.”
“Maegan isn’t the kind of girl who wants or needs you to fight her battles for her,” Mom said gently. “I didn’t call you in here to give you a hard time. I wanted to say I am so proud of you. To hear how Maegan speaks about you just makes this mother’s heart swell with pride.”
“I don’t see it as doing anything spectacular. I just love her.”
“That, my son, is why you’re so damn special.”
Mom bagged up containers of leftovers for us to take home with us while I woke up my sleeping beauty. She looked surprised she’d fallen asleep in the recliner when Dad told her she could give it a test drive.
“No wonder your dad won’t part with this thing,” Maegan said, stretching. “One minute we were talking and the next thing I know, you’re shaking me awake.”
“Ready to go home?” I asked.
“Pooh Bear, I am home anytime I’m with you,” she said adoringly while accepting my outstretched hand to assist her out of the chair.
Okay, maybe the new nickname wasn’t so bad.
MY ANNUAL CONSULTATION WITH MYoncologist was scheduled for after the first of the year, but my lack of energy and exhaustion drove me to call and move it up. I could chalk up my symptoms to having a hectic summer and the excitement of solving the mystery of Anthony’s disappearance, but in my heart, I knew something else was going on. My life was always hectic, and not only was I used to the chaos, I loved it. I thrived on it. Lately, it was all I could do to stay up past 9 p.m. Falling asleep in Jack’s recliner was the deciding factor. Sure, it was surprisingly comfy, but I wasn’t the kind of person who could easily fall asleep away from home.
I knew Elijah noticed my growing fatigue, and I knew he was afraid to say something because speaking it out loud made it a real problem. It’s why I called Dr. Lovett’s office on Monday morning and snagged the first available appointment which luckily was Wednesday afternoon, so I didn’t have to ask anyone to shuffle their plans to accommodate me. The request would’ve been met with questions I didn’t want to answer.
I had many people in my life who would’ve come with me to offer moral support, but it was something I wanted to do on my own rather than worrying people needlessly. Fatigue didn’t mean my cancer was back, it just meant my body was going through changes. Dr. Lovett was the best person to work up a full blood panel to help determine what I might be facing. I’d only been under her care for a few years, but I really liked the time she dedicated to her patients. I never felt rushed when I had questions or concerns.
My first stop was the lab where they took blood samples to run various tests. In most cases, Dr. Lovett had results before she entered my room. On some occasions, she had to wait a day or so for additional results to come back. I hoped I fell into the former category rather than the latter. A wave of nerves made me nauseous, and I regretted not telling anyone about my visit. I considered myself to be an independent, strong woman, but I wasn’t ashamed to admit I’d love to be holding Elijah’s hand right about then. Luckily, Dr. Lovett swept into the room before I could get too worked up.
“Maegan,” she said in her typical cheerful voice. Her red curls bounced as she crossed the room to shake my hand. “I didn’t expect to see you for a few more months. Is everything okay?”
“You tell me,” I said wryly. “By now you probably already have my blood test results.”
Dr. Lovett sat down at the computer and wiggled the mouse to wake it up. “Let’s see what we have back,” she said while typing quickly. “In the meantime, tell me what prompted your visit.”
“It’s mostly fatigue and lack of energy,” I told her. “I’m sleeping eight to nine hours each night and waking up feeling as tired as when I went to bed. I’m taking naps on days off when before I never needed to, and it just feels like I’m chasing my tail.”
“Changes to your diet?” she asked while searching the screen.
