Page 129 of Already Home

Dragon took Jenna’s hand in his. “Mom has stage-four pancreaticcancer. It’s gone into nearly all her organs. She was diagnosed about fourmonths ago. She was already pretty far gone. Aggressive treatment was an option,but she didn’t want it. She said she refused to live her last few monthsvomiting while she was poisoned by medicine that wouldn’t have a prayer ofcuring her.”

Tears filled his eyes. “I’m sorry. This is what she wanted. Tocome see you. To give you a chance to know her before she went.”

Jenna heard the words but couldn’t absorb them. How could anyof this make sense?

“No,” she said slowly. “No. I don’t believe it. Pancreaticcancer? That was the universe telling her to get in touch with me?”

“I’m sorry,” Dragon said again.

She was aware that his pain was greater than hers. That she waslosing someone she’d only known a few months while he was losing his mother. Butshe couldn’t seem to get any of the information to stick. It was like swimmingthrough thick water. Nothing sounded right, nothing felt right.

She pulled free of him and walked to the end of the corridor.As she turned, she saw him standing there, looking lost and broken. Quickly, shestepped into a waiting area and called Violet at the store.

“Shut it down,” she told her friend. “Put up a sign sayingthere’s a family emergency. Then please come here.”

“Give me half an hour,” Violet said before hanging up.

Jenna appreciated that she didn’t ask a lot of questions. Shewasn’t sure what she could say.

As she moved out of the waiting room, she saw Serenity beingwheeled back to her room.

“That’s the last of it,” Serenity was saying. “No more tests.No more probing. I may be ready to go, but I’m not going to let you make me feeleven more miserable.”

She turned and saw Jenna standing by the waiting room. Hermouth twisted.

“Tom called. I told him not to, but he said you had the rightto know. I thought it would be better for you to find out after.”

Jenna stared at her, not believing what she was hearing. After?As in after Serenity was dead?

Jenna turned and walked to the elevator. After pushing the downbutton, she waited impatiently for the doors to open. She jumped inside andpushed another floor. She didn’t even know which one it was, nor did she care.It was only when the doors opened again that she realized she was on the mainfloor. She hurried through the lobby and stepped out into the late-morninglight.

A thousand thoughts and sensations coursed through her. Shehurt, she wanted to throw up, and she wanted to scream. This couldn’t behappening. Not like this. Not with no warning. She turned slowly, unable tofocus.

Then familiar arms steadied her. She hung on to her mother andlet herself cry.

“I don’t understand,” she said between sobs.

“I know,” Beth told her. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

Jenna straightened. “Who does this? How dare she blow back intomy life, make me care about her, then turn around and die? It’s not right.”

Beth’s blue eyes were dark with unshed tears. “It’s a uniquepath, but that’s always what Serenity has chosen.”

“Did you know?” Jenna demanded.

“No. How could I?”

“They knew,” she snapped. “Dragon, Tom, Wolf. Even Jasmine.They all knew and kept it from me. I sat in their house, at their table as theyshowed me what their happy family was like and the whole time she was dying andno one told me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jenna wished everyone would stop apologizing.

She pulled free of her mother’s gentle hold and pulled out hercell phone. But who was there to call? What was she supposed to say?

“Why did they do this?” she asked desperately. “Why did theytry so damn hard?”

“It’s what Serenity wanted,” Beth said quietly. “To know youbefore she died.”

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