Page 121 of Fighting a Riot

Completely Over the Top

Nora

One year later…

“Your hair is gorgeous,” my nurse said after she took my blood pressure.

I smiled. “Yes. It seems straighter than before the chemo. It had been wavy and I’d hoped it would come back curly.”

She smiled. “Many of our patients say that, but my sister-in-law has naturally curly hair. She tells me it’s a pain to fight frizz all the time, especially with this humidity.”

I nodded.

She held out a thermometer, I opened my mouth. “And for what it’s worth, your hair might get back whatever wave it had beforehand.”

Ten minutes later, my oncologist came in with a smile. “I’m thrilled to tell you, your scans are all clean, Nora. You’re in remission.”

I smiled. “That is fantastic news.”

He glanced at my file and back to me. “Given your age, I would advise you to wait at least six months before getting pregnant, and if you’re trying to start a family, waiting two to five years might be better.”

“Okay,” I said, surprised to hear how disappointed I sounded.

He grinned. “Mother Nature has a way of determining the timing of pregnancies, though. We simply advise waiting six months to be sure damaged eggs are fully out of your system.”

“I understand.”

“Great. Other than that, keep up with your monthly self-exams and be certain to get your annual mammogram.”

Yak stood at the kitchen counter eating a sandwich. “So, what’d they say?”

I hung my wristlet on a wall hook. “I’m in remission, and I need to do my monthly breast exams.”

After he swallowed the last bite of his sandwich, he said, “Fan-fuckin’-tastic, baby!”

I smiled. “Yeah, it is. The only bad thing he said was that we have to wait at least six months to try for a baby, though two years would be better.”

He nodded slowly. “That’s still doable, and your mom would be happier since we’re not officially married.”

We weren’t, but Yak had given me a cut that declared me to be his property. It told everyone I belonged to him. Eighteen months ago, I wouldn’t have been cool with that, but after spending time with the Riot MC, I loved wearing it.

“You’re right. Plus, as the doctor pointed out, Mother Nature has her own timing.”

He nodded. “I got church in half an hour, Nora. Want to take the bike? Weather should be good.”

I smiled. “You know my answer, Noah. I always want to take the bike.”

My hunch was that Yak always wanted to see me in my cut.

Over an hour later, the brothers were holding church and Mallory, Andrea, Abby, and I were having a cocktail in the common room. A prospect poured Trixie a beer and she joined us on an adjacent sofa.

“Yo, bitches! How’s it hanging?” Trixie greeted us.

I heard a door open down the hall, and then the brothers filed into the room.

Yak squeezed in next to me, forcing me closer to Abby. Mallory sat on the far end, and to give us all space, she went to sit next to Trixie.

“You’re just in time,” Abby said, grinning.

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