That sick feeling is back in the pit of my stomach, and I get the distinct feeling I shouldn’t answer, that it’s going to change the course of this evening. But I have to. I need to know what’s going on.
“Ivy?” I answer.
Her voice trembles as she says, “It’s cancer. And it’s worse than we thought.”
I close my eyes as if that’ll end this nightmare.
We always think we have this unlimited amount of time. I’ll get closer with my mom when I move back to Chicagonext year. I’ll go with her to her weekly facials. Maybe I’ll get her to do a mani-pedi appointment with me once in a while.
We don’t realize it’s too late until it’s too late.
“How bad?” I whisper, and Maverick’s eyes whip to mine. The elevator doors open, and he ushers me on.
“The PET scan showed all these mets on her bones and—”
“Mets?” I ask. I feel Maverick’s eyes on me.
“Metastases. The biopsy confirmed it started in her breast and has metastasized to her bones.”
“Oh my God,” I murmur, my eyes filling with tears. “So what’s the treatment plan?”
“It’s stage four, and for what she has…there’s not really a cure. It’s just about keeping her comfortable at this point. Maybe giving her some more time,” she says, her voice breaking.
I have a million questions. How’s she doing? How did it get so bad so fast? But I ask the one that seems to press hardest into me. “How long does she have?”
“They don’t know. The doctor said it’s likely a year. Maybe less.”
I feel myself starting to break down at that. How my little sister can hold it together while she tells me this…well, maybe she’s stronger than me.
I’m going to lose my mom in a year or less, and I’m stuck here in Vegas for the next year, stuck with a man I hardly know yet I’m falling for, stuck in a job that will open all sorts of doors for my future.
Just stuck.
“Thanks for letting me know. If there’s anything I can do…” I trail off.
“Yeah. We’re all sort of at a loss. I’m here if you need me,” she says, the little sister taking care of her big sister.
“Thanks, Ivy. Love you.” We don’t say that enough.
“I love you, too.”
We hang up, and as much as I don’t want to break down in front of Maverick, I just worked my ass off to keep it together over the phone with my sister. The second I end the call, the dam bursts.
He pulls me into his chest and holds me, and somehow, it’s exactly what I need. He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t press. I’m sure he could hear Ivy’s voice telling me the bad news anyway.
We get off the elevator, and he ushers me toward my condo. I unlock the door, and he follows me in. I realize it’s the first time he’s actually been in here.
He doesn’t take the time to look around or see what he can learn about me from my décor. Instead, he sweeps me into his arms and carries me to the couch as if I’m a child, and he sits with me on his lap while I cry into his chest.
This isn’t something I ever wanted to bond with someone over, but I guess we’re both losing our moms, and the sad reality of that feels like a knife through my chest.
And maybe I’m stuck here as we live this new reality, but being stuck here in Maverick’s arms feels a lot better than I ever imagined it would.
CHAPTER 27: Everleigh Bradley
Back to Square One
“Come with me,” he says, and he holds his hand out to me.
