My stomach flips like a rollercoaster. Oh fuck.
I perch on the edge of my bed, my knees giving out because I physically can’t stand anymore. My teeth clamp down on my lip so hard I taste blood in my mouth.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Pick up the phone, Dad,” I heave, dropping my head into my hands. “Pick up.”
The line cuts, and I hear his voice. “Hi, son.”
“Dad?” I gasp, lifting my head and staring straight at the wall. “Is Mum okay? What happened? Did something happen?”
Every question I want to ask falls from my lips. All I can think about is Mum. My eyeballs burn, and I shake my head. My father breathes, and I grit my fist together. “JJ—” he starts. “Everything is okay.”
I exhale a breath of relief. “Okay?” My voice wobbles.
“More than okay, in fact,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
My chest blooms with warmth.
“Tell me,” I beg.
“The new treatment the hospital has been trying with mum,” he says slowly. “She’s been showing results. Good results.”
Tears gather in my eyes. “Really?” I whisper under a shuddering breath. “Oh my god.”
“Amazing, isn’t it? We’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s a start, and she’s been fighting.” My dad’s voice cracks, but there is so much happiness and relief behind the words. “She’s always been a fighter, and us being here, supporting her every step ofthe way, is exactly what she needs right now. She needs as much optimism as possible.”
I drop my head into my hands and release a small sob. “Fuck,” I curse because I don’t know what else to say. My chest feels a thousand times lighter than it did before. The most amazing news I could possibly hear. “She’s getting better?”
My dad hums softly. “They say it’s very promising. They’ll have more to report next week. That way they can see what exactly the treatment is doing, but they’re certain it’s going in the right direction.”
“Can I talk to her? Is she there?” I mumble out my words, wiping my face free of tears.
“Of course,” he says before I hear a muffled sound on the other line.
I clutch my phone tight to my ear, desperate to hear my mother’s voice. “JJ?”
I’m crying again, cheeks damp and vision blurry. “Mum,” I rasp as I shatter into pieces. “How are you?”
“I’m doing okay, my boy. And you?”
My head shakes. I don’t want to talk about myself. This is about her. “Fine,” I say as I straighten my spine. “I heard about the treatment. That’s amazing, Mum. So amazing. I can’t wait to see you. I miss you.”
I hear her sniffle, and my lungs painfully squeeze. “I miss you too, so much,” she says, as if she’s trying not to cry herself. “I’m so proud of you, you know that? I’ve always been so proud of you. I hope you’re having a lovely summer away. Be sure to send pictures. You haven’t sent any!”
A laugh rumbles from deep inside my chest. “Okay, okay.” I grin. “I will. Sorry.”
“What’s been going on with you? Tell me, I want to hear what you’ve been up to.”
“I met someone.” I smile.
My mother gasps. “You have?”
“Yeah, and she’s great.”
“Oh, JJ,” she swoons. “That’s amazing. What is she like?”
I bite my bottom lip as Ivy flashes through my mind. “She’s beautiful, and she’s lovely, and she makes me so happy.”
