Page 45 of Full Circle

Desiree sniffed dramatically, and it was clear from the way the four of us jumped that we had all momentarily forgotten her presence.

“Isn’t this just a little picture?” she sneered. “I guess it doesn’t matter that I’m your future wife, Doug!”

Mr. Hendricks sighed heavily and leaned forward to place a hearty kiss on her cheek. “Of course it does, sweetheart! I love you!”

Her eyes flashed dangerously. “And yet you didn’t turn to me at all! Can’t you imagine how this feels for me, Doug? The perfect wedding I was planning is now up in smoke! It’s so unfair!”

The bitch had brass balls, I’d give her that. Imagine being told that your fiancée was dying from a brain tumor and being more concerned with the wedding you’d have to cancel. I wasn’t sure how Mr. Hendricks could stomach having her in the same room, let alone offer her comfort like he was trying to do now. Desiree continued her crocodile teared, woe-is-me act, so I pulled Celeste away from the pair of them and crushed her to my chest.

She clutched to my shirt like a lifeline as I stroked her hair and murmured assurances in her ear that everything would be okay in the end. It was an empty promise because how the hell did I know how anything would turn out, but I felt better offering it to her all the same.

Nana came to stand beside us, gently rubbing Celeste’s shoulder as she cried into my shirt. It took mere seconds for the front to feel wet, but I didn’t care. If all I could be in this second for her was a snot rag, so be it.

After several tense minutes, all of the tears in the room ran dry. Desiree’s pouting apparently made her ruin her make up and she shuffled into the bathroom to fix it. Celeste drew back from me, hastily wiping her face with the back of her hand, and nodded when Nana asked her for assistance in locating the doctor out in the hall. That left Mr. Hendricks and myself alone in the room together.

He eyed me wearily. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all this,” Mr. Hendricks said quietly.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the burning in my chest. “You’ll never have to, Doug. I’m just so sorry. You don’t deserve this.”

As much as I hated them, my own tears began to fall. I quickly brushed them away with my shoulder, turning to look out the window in hopes of hiding my emotional turmoil from him.

“Just keep your promise to me from the other morning,” Mr. Hendricks reminded me. “That girl is my whole world. That’s how you can thank me.”

I nodded. He didn’t ever have to worry about that from me.

“Well now!” Desiree loudly burst into the room from the bathroom, with a fresh coat of red lipstick and a calm expression. “It’s time to plan ahead!”

Once the doctor returned, things started happening in hyper speed. Dr. Hassan explained that tumor’s location effected Mr. Hendricks impulse control and emotions (I tried so hard not to glance at the ring on Desiree’s finger), but it was starting to branch out into other areas of his brain. The doctor’s main concern was a part of the tumor that could potentially take away Mr. Hendricks’ eyesight. He wanted to begin an aggressive combination of Tumor Treating Fields therapy and chemotherapy before attempting the surgical route because of the size and location of the tumor. The hospital needed to monitor its growth closely, so Dr. Hassan advised it would be best for Doug to remain hospitalized for the time being while receiving treatment.

After an hour long discussion where the doctor used a series of computer renderings and videos to explain the treatment plan, Mr. Hendricks signed off on everything and shook Dr. Hassan’s hand in thanks. The doctor paused at the doorway, awkwardly shuffling the tablet in his hands.

“You may also want to consult with an attorney,” Dr. Hassan advised. “Patients often wait until it’s too late and their lucidity becomes an issue.” With a final nod, he swept from the room.

Nana shot Mr. Hendricks a stern look. “Before we do that, we need to figure out what’s gonna happen with these youngin’s while you’re up here getting treatment. Can’t have them failin’ school ‘cause of you.”

Desiree immediately drew herself up to her full height. “I need to take Celeste home to chaperone her. We can’t just let her run around with a teenage boy unsupervised.”

“And leave your beloved fiancé here fighting cancer by himself?” I asked, filling my voice with alarm. I knew she would take the bait and I was handsomely rewarded when Desiree paled and glanced at Doug in a panic.

“Yeah,” Nana chimed in next to me, no doubt catching on, “sounds kinda fishy, Desiree. Wouldn’t you want to stay by your man’s side as he fights for his life?” She gave me a wink so fast that I might have imagined it.

Desiree’s mouth open and closed as the gears in her head tried to work through her predicament. Did she want to play the role of loving bride-to-be or doting stepmother more?

Doug rubbed a hand over his eyes as though the conversation pained him. “Suzanne, would you be alright staying with Celeste back home? I know that’s asking a lot, but I’m not sure that it’s Desiree’s place to mind my daughter like that.”

“Darling—” Desiree started to protest, but Nana beat her to it.

“Celeste is my own flesh and blood! Of course I’m gonna do right by her!” She huffed at the suggestion she would do anything less.

He looked over to Desiree, the question clear in his eyes. “Des, are you gonna stay here with me or do you need to go back for Hillary and Jeremy? You’re their mama first and foremost.” It sickened me to see the uncertainty on his face as he asked the woman he pledged to marry to stand by his side.

For her part, Desiree still looked torn, weighing her options between what she wanted most. It was a calculated move because she needed to ensure she kept Mr. Hendricks roped in while also ensuring Hillary stayed right under my nose.

“I’ll call and see if my ex’s folks can keep Jeremy and Hillary a little while longer,” she finally said. “But we are absolutely getting a lawyer in here first thing, Doug Hendricks! There’s so much to consider in all this!”

He nodded gratefully and drew her hand up for a kiss.

“But what about what I want?” Celeste asked hysterically. Her voice was in the shrill octave I only ever heard her use once before when Desiree found us in bed together. “I’m not leaving you, Daddy!”

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