Dr. Martin grimaced. “We’re going to get a complete blood count and follow that up with a bone marrow aspiration; you’ll feel some pressure as the needle is inserted, but the aspiration site will be numbed with a local anesthetic and shouldn’t be too painful.”
Jack was sitting in his chair watching television with Hailey when Nora and Grant arrived back home. Hearing the door open, Jack flipped the television off with the remote control. “There y’all are,” he said as he stood. He looked at his watch. “I didn’t think it would take so long to…” he began, but, as he caught his first glimpse of Nora’s tear-stained face, he stopped. “Nora, what is it?” he gulped.
Nora rubbed Grant’s arm as Hailey stood up from the couch. “Randy dropped us off here and went to talk to the rest of the family at Granny’s. Grant wanted to talk to Hailey first.”
“Grant, what did Dr. Martin say?” Hailey asked softly.
“I have an appointment with Dr. Lassiter in the morning,” Grant said, his eyes still fixed on the floor.
“What sort of doctor is he?” Hailey asked.
“He’s an oncologist, Hailey,” Grant said, and his voice cracked as his eyes met Hailey’s for the first time.
“An oncologist?” Hailey repeated, shaking her head unconsciously, as if willing Grant to take the words back. “But an oncologist is…”
“A cancer doctor,” Grant nodded as he reached for Hailey’s hand.
Hailey stared back at him, and the tears that lined the bottoms of his eyes made her heart race. “Grant, I don’t understand,” she sighed. “They think you might have cancer?”
Grant started to speak, then he paused.
Jack put his arms around Nora, and the longer Grant’s pause lingered the more Jack could feel Nora’s entire body tremble against his.
“You’re scaring me,” Hailey said in a voice that was meek and afraid. “I told you that you should have let me go with you.”
“I didn’t want you to go,” Grant shook his head. “I wanted to be able to come home and give you the good news that everything was going to be fine.”
“What are you saying?” Hailey cried, knowing the answer to her own question.
“Hailey, I have Leukemia,” Grant said slowly, as if testing each word.
“No…” the frightened whimper jumped from Hailey’s mouth.
“No,” Jack repeated.
“Yes,” Nora cried, letting her tears flow freely now, as if she and Grant had made a pact that she had to remain strong until he was able to tell Hailey the news that would change all their lives.
Hailey grabbed hold of Grant, and she held him as she heaved with tears. Grant stared blankly over her shoulder, stuck in the trance of utter disbelief that had taken him over ever since he had learned a deadly disease was attacking his body with unrelenting brutality.
Hailey sat at her mother’s grave, her knees pulled to her chest, and her tears streaming down her face.
“Hailey,” Grant said softly, and, still, it startled her.
He sat down next to her and put his arm around her.
“It’s freezing out here.” Hailey closed her eyes. “You shouldn’t be out here.”
“What are you doing?” Grant asked.
“Just thinking,” Hailey said as she eased Grant’s head into her lap and gently rubbed the back of his jacket.
“May I ask you a question?” Grant said, as he stared at the headstone in front of him. “How did your mother…”
“She had cancer,” Hailey cried before he could finish the question.
Grant sat up and took Hailey in his arms. “I’m gonna be okay, Hails,” he promised as he tenderly kissed the top of her head. She wept quietly as he held her, and she listened to his hopeful words. “You taught me about having faith, Hailey. You taught me that there are things in this world worth believing in, and I believe that we can beat this …together.”
Hailey frowned. “How is it that you’re the one who’s sick, and, yet, you’re still the one being strong for me?”
“I know you’re scared,” Grant nodded.
“I’m really scared,” Hailey gulped.
“I am too,” Grant sighed.
“So, what do we do next?” Hailey asked as she wiped her tears.
“I made them let me come home and tell you here…away from the hospital,” Grant confessed. “They’re going to admit me…we’ll start treatment, and we’ll pray for the best.”
“You remember when we were just getting to know each other, and I told you my scariest moment?” Hailey cried.
“Yeah, mine just got trumped too,” Grant exhaled as he kissed the top of Hailey’s head again.
