Page 33 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

The waiting room hadanother woman there. Jane checked in with the desk and then sat in a chair beside me.

I sensed how nervous she was and patted her on the arm. “You’ve got this.”

“Jane Sweeny?” said a nurse, opening the door into the room.

Jane grabbed my hand. “Will you come with me?”

“Sure,” I said, rising to my feet and following Jane and the nurse to Dr. Perkins’ office.

“Dr. Perkins will be with you momentarily,” said the nurse.

Jane and I took seats and waited for what seemed like an hour, but it was, in truth, less than five minutes.

Dr. Perkins appeared out of breath and sat behind the wooden desk in front of us.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. But I have good news for you, Jane. The fluid from the cyst that we removed was analyzed, and we found the cyst to be complex with some debris in the fluid but nothing to be concerned about regarding cancer. Having cancer in the same area as a cyst is a coincidence. So, even with your history of having cancerous tissue in your breast removed, we don’t need to worry about this. However, with that history, you need to have any lump examined promptly.”

Jane blew out a long breath and struggled to speak while her eyes filled with tears of relief. “Thank you, Dr. Perkins. You don’t know how relieved I am to hear this news.”

Dr. Perkins gave her a sweet smile. “I believe I do know, which is why other doctors and I work so hard to try to get control of this disease.”

I shook hands with Dr. Perkins. “Thank you for seeing that Jane had such a quick response. This is supposed to be a special vacation for her and her friends.”

“You’re welcome, Ann. I’m so grateful for all you and Rhonda have done for the clinic.” She smiled at Jane again. “You have outstanding friends in Ann and Rhonda.”

“I’m very appreciative,” Jane said solemnly.

Dr. Perkins rose, and Jane and I followed.

As we left the office, I couldn’t help looking at the women waiting for news of their own situations, and I said a quick, quiet prayer that they would all be alright.

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Idrove Jane to theguesthouse and was surprised to see Henry at the front entrance talking with Caro.

“Henry, how nice to see you,” I said, joining them at the front entry.

“Thanks. When I heard there was a storm heading this way, I figured Caro and the other women in her group might need help.”

“When did you get in?” I asked him.

“Last night. Just after Slade took off with Amy,” he said. “I understand we’re to pull in the furniture from the lanai. Either that or throw some of the furniture in the pool to protect it from flying around and possibly breaking windows and doors.”

“Yes, that’s right. If you need any help, call the front desk and ask them to send someone over.” I gave Jane a hug. “Congratulations on your news.”

“Good news? That’s marvelous!” cried Caro, throwing her arms around Jane. “Later on, we have some bubbles to celebrate. I think this is my day to share.”

“Enjoy!” I said, intending to go home to take care of my own place. But first, I’d stop by to see Liz and the kids to make sure they were ready.

As I drove away from the hotel, I received a notice from Robbie’s school that they were sending the children home. Quickly changing directions, I headed to the school to pick him up. As usual, a long line of cars waited for the children to be released.

My next-door neighbor, Cindy Brigham, got out of her car and walked over to where I was parked. Cindy’s son, Brett, and Robbie were best friends. “Hi, there,” said Cindy. “Looks like the storm might be worse than we thought. I’m glad they’re sending the kids home. Better to be prepared than racing to get to them later.”

“I agree. Vaughn is away, and because I have to be at the hotel, I will take Robbie and Cindy to Liz’s house. I like knowing my family is together.”

“I understand, but you know Robbie is always welcome at our house. You too, Ann.” She looked up as the kids began to emerge from the school. “See you later. It’s been too long since we’ve had lunch together.”

“Yes, it has,” I said, waving so long. Worrisome times like this reminded me to slow down and enjoy doing things away from the hotel.

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