Page 19 of Captiva Book Club

She sent a text to Lauren, Beth, Christopher and Michael, and asked them to join her in a group phone call. The joke had always been that whenever a group video or phone call was needed, a Code Red would signal something distressing or an emergency. It was their mother’s way of getting everyone to pay attention.

Sarah didn’t use the Code Red announcement but explained in her text that it was serious.

She paced the living room, the phone clutched tightly in her hand. The familiar ringtone of each sibling joining the call brought a mix of relief and anxiety.

“Hey, Sarah, what’s going on?” Lauren’s voice was the first to break the silence.

“Is everything okay?” Beth asked.

“Becca and I are over at Brea and Michael’s, so we’ve got you on speaker phone,” Christopher added.

“I didn’t want to worry you all, but I couldn’t keep this to myself any longer. Mom found a lump under her armpit. She’s going in for a biopsy tomorrow.”

There was a collective intake of breath, followed by a heavy silence.

“Oh no,” Lauren whispered, her voice breaking.

“Do you think it’s…is it the cancer again?”

“We don’t know yet,” Sarah replied, her voice trembling. “But, given her history, the doctor is taking it seriously. Mom sent me a text this morning that the doctor’s office had called and they scheduled her for the biopsy tomorrow. That’s all I know right now.”

“Should we call her?” Michael asked. “We’re all going to be there for Christmas in two weeks. Maybe we should wait for the biopsy results before making any changes to our plans?”

“What are you suggesting?” Lauren asked.

“Well, I don’t mind going down earlier than originally planned.”

“Becca and I are leaving in four days, so we’ll probably be there when she gets the results of the biopsy,” Christopher said.

“Yeah, we’ll be there for her if she needs anything at all. We were planning on getting there a week before you all, so that we can sneak in a little vacation before the baby comes,” Becca added.

“I’ll call Mom tonight,” Beth said. “I want her to know that I’m thinking of her. I don’t have to say anything about you telling us Sarah. I’m surprised she didn’t call us,” Beth said.

“Really, Beth? You know Mom. She wouldn’t want to upset us,” Lauren said. “I’ll call her tonight too, I’ll keep it light and just check in.”

“Me too,” Michael said.

“Don’t you think she’ll be suspicious that we are all calling her on the same day?” Beth asked.

“We can just tell her that we were all together today and talking about Christmas and how much fun it’s going to be, and we thought we’d call and talk about it,” Michael explained.

They all spent the next hour discussing their concerns, sharing their feelings, and comforting each other. They reminisced about their mother’s strength, her previous battle with cancer, and how she had emerged victorious. They laughed about her insistence on Code Red calls and how it always managed to bring them together, no matter what.

As the call came to an end, Sarah felt so much better. Whatever they had ahead of them, they’d deal with it together. They had always counted on each other in difficult times, and this time would be no different.

Sarah sat in a chair in the corner of the living room and looked out the window. If she was still in Massachusetts, snow would fall, and she’d be drinking hot chocolate. A Captiva Christmas was anything but traditional, but at least the balsam fir candle made the room smell like Christmas.

Sarah thought back to previous years’ Christmas when they were all together in Massachusetts. She could picture the scene clearly. The family gathered around the large Christmas tree in their living room. Smells of freshly baked cookies filled the air, and the sound of carols playing softly in the background. Her mother beamed with happiness, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, a look of pure joy on her face.

This year, they would create new memories, no matter what the biopsy results revealed. Sarah was determined to make it a Christmas to remember, filled with the same love and joy as always.

She envisioned the laughter of her siblings filling the house, the kids playing together, and the comforting presence of her family giving them all strength.

Whatever her mother’s prognosis, the medicine would remain the same as always. Support and love from family and friends that never wavered, no matter what life threw in her path.

Maggie Wheeler Moretti was truly loved, but more than that, her ability to love others was the true medicine, and no cancer could ever take that away from her.

Maggie read the book description again.

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