She clenches her jaw and glances at the stunning view of the veranda and backyard before looking at me again. “I guess I have to wrap things up and somehow prepare for the end.”
My body goes numb, and my voice is barely audible as I ask, “How long do we have?”
Her face crumbles again, and her tone is thick with tears. “A few weeks. Two months if I’m lucky.”
“No!” I cry, shaking my head wildly. “There has to be something they can do. I thought, at the very least, we’d have a few years!”
The same dread I see etched into her beautiful features engulfs my heart.
Oh God, this is really happening, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
No. No. No. No. No.
Rachel is so young.
She’s all I have.
For a moment, my emotions spiral into chaos until I see the despair in her gray irises.
This isn’t about me. I have to be strong for Rachel, Lainey, and Easton.
I suck in a quivering breath, and as I stare at my friend, I do my best to shove all my feelings deep down so I can focus on her.
“What do you need me to do?” My voice sounds much stronger than I feel.
She shrugs while rubbing a hand over her face. “I don’t know how to tell Easton and Lainey.”
“When will Easton be back?”
“Not for another three months.”
I shake my head. “You have to call him, Rach. We don’t have time to wait for him to come home.”
“I know,” she whispers. “But ... what do I say to him?”
“Just tell him to come home. Say it’s important, but you can’t talk about it over the phone. Just like you did with me.”
She lets out an empty-sounding chuckle. “You’re so much easier to talk to.”
I rub her shoulder. “Where’s your phone?”
“In the kitchen.” When she climbs to her feet, I get up as well. As we walk toward the kitchen, she mentions, “If you want something to drink or eat, just help yourself. I want you to feel at home while you’re here.” Her eyes dart to mine, and her teeth tug at her bottom lip before she asks, “How long can you stay?”
“As long as you need me.”
Some relief eases the worried lines on her face. “The pooch parlor won’t miss you?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. Business has been quiet, so I quit.”
“And Trent?”
Every muscle in my body tenses at hearing his name. The anxiety and fear I always feel when just thinking of him blends with the horror of learning Rachel is terminally ill.
A tremble shudders through me, but somehow, I manage to shake my head and say, “It’s over between us.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Nova.” She leans in to give me a hug, then asks, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We ended things two days ago.” I leave out the part about Trent hurting me.Again.
