CHAPTER 53
Summer
I’m frozen in terror during the ride back to the hospital.
There’s no other way to describe it.
Frozen.
Every scenario plays out in my head.Every hope and every fear are duking it out in my imagination as the car winds its way through the crowded city streets.
“I want to know the results, but at the same time, I’m good not knowing.”I don’t recognize my voice when I say this.I sound like a little kid who got lost at the Travis Ranch Summer Fair.Scared.Powerless.“I want to stay in this moment forever.Texas barbecue.Adventures with you.”
“Me, too, Summer.But we have to get through the rough to get to the easy.”
I take off my seat belt and slide over on the car seat to be closer to him.Declan wraps an arm around me, and I rest my head against his chest.“But what if this is the easy, and we’re about to walk through those doors and find ourselves in the rough?”
He doesn’t answer me.I let it go.
When we arrive, Declan opens the door for me and helps me out.I lean on him the entire way to Dr.Goldberg’s office.Nurse Wendy is waiting for us there, and she knocks twice on the office door before she opens it.
Inside, Dr.Goldberg is waiting for us.I’m surprised at how young he is.Not much older than Declan, really.He’s wearing a lab coat, and his tie features a colorful selection of chocolate bars.I appreciate his attempt at cheerfulness in what must be a real downer of a job.
And he’s smiling.
“It’s exactly the results I was hoping for,” he says immediately.“Not to worry.You’ll be fine.”
“What?”Declan squeezes my hand.My mouth falls open.
“Please take a seat,” the doctor says, and we do.“Would you like to see the MRI images?I’m happy to share but some patients prefer not to see them.”
“I’m one of those patients,” I say.“I don’t want to know what’s inside me.But can we go back to the part about me being fine?What do you mean?”
His smile expands.“Ms.Stevens, you have a very rare condition that looks a lot like ovarian cancer on CT scans, but it’snotcancer.”
“Not… it’snotcancer?”I’m barely able to say the words.
“She doesn’t have cancer?”Declan shouts.
“She doesnothave cancer.”
I jump to a stand and burst into tears.Declan leaps up and wraps his arms tight around me, lifting me off my feet.He’s crying too.
“Mr.MacLaine.Ms.Stevens.”
We separate at the doctor’s serious tone.
“It’s very good news, I agree, but we should have a conversation about whatisgoing on.So if you wouldn’t mind?”He gestures for us to sit down.
Declan returns to his chair, wiping his eyes.He’s squeezing my hand so tightly that he’s cutting off my circulation.
“Ms.Stevens—”
“Please call me Summer.”I’m trying to be polite and formal but I’m about ready to jump out of my skin and run through the halls screaming, “holy fuckballs!”
Dr.Goldberg smiles again.I guess the guy is glad to have some good news for a change.“Summer, on your left ovary you have something called a Brenner tumor.It’s completely harmless in ninety-eight percent of cases.What I’m going to recommend is that we go ahead and take that puppy out first thing tomorrow morning, and after that you can go on with your life.”
“What?”Declan says again.
