If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols

Author:Linda Nichols [Linda Nichols]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781441260086
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

Twenty-seven

Lenore called her gynecologist first thing Monday morning.

“Come in right away,” Dr. Forrest said and worked Lenore in that afternoon. The doctor hadn’t liked the feel of the lump, either, and what followed was two weeks of mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies.

Edie went with her to the appointment with the surgeon after all the tests had been completed.

“There’s no metastasis,” he said. “That’s good news. The bad news is the multiple foci.”

He looked her in the eye. Lenore nodded. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to recommend.

“Translate all this for me,” Edie said sharply. She sounded impatient, almost angry.

“The cancer hasn’t spread,” the doctor said. “But we found more than one tumor. That’s not a good thing,” he said, his voice gentle.

“Oh.” Edie’s voice went from angry to small.

“What do you recommend?” Lenore asked him. She was surprised at her own reaction. She seemed to be moving and making decisions on some level above her emotions.

“Because of the multiple foci, and with your family history, I’d recommend a mastectomy. But waiting a few weeks probably won’t affect the outcome if you’d like to get another opinion.”

“No,” she said. She had had days to think, and ever since the mammogram had shown there was more than one tumor, she had known what the outcome would be. The important thing wasn’t whether she had one breast or two. The important thing was Scott. She needed to be here for him. “I’ll accept your recommendation.” Her voice shook, and that was the closest she came to losing her control.

Edie squeezed her hand.

Dr. Simons said nothing, just looked at her with large, sad eyes and nodded.

****

Scott was in the kitchen making nachos when she arrived home.

It was only four in the afternoon, but more than anything she wanted to crawl into her bed and pull the covers over her head, as she had done when she had first arrived in Seattle. Instead, she told Scott about the cancer. She let him keep fussing with the nachos instead of making him sit down and look her in the eye. It was easier for him to talk if he was doing something with his hands.

“Do you have any questions?” she asked when she was finished.

“No.” He drizzled melted Velveeta cheese over the tortilla chips. “Not really.”

“Well, if you do, or you want to talk . . .” Lenore’s voice trailed off.

Scott poked at a packed can of green chili peppers with the tip of his fork, and they fell out onto his nachos still in the shape of the can. He began to spread them over the chips and cheese. He didn’t answer. Lenore didn’t have the energy to press the issue. She went over to him, stood on tiptoes to reach his cheek, and kissed him softly, feeling his body rigid like a board.

She called her mother and sister, who reacted about as she’d expected. Her mother offered to come and seemed intensely relieved when Lenore thanked her and said no. Leslie

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