Page 79 of Riding the Edge

Chapter Twenty-four

“Whatever happens it’s you and me, Lady,” Al murmurs, mindlessly.

After spending the night at his house, he took me home where I showered and dressed for my doctor’s appointment. Somewhere between last night and this morning, it became clear I was not doing this on my own and there was no question of whether Al would be taking me to the appointment or not. Now, he holds my hand tightly as we wait for the doctor to deliver my fate and I’m not sure who is more worried.

“Gonna need to hear the words,” he says, turning to me.

“Whatever happens it’s you and me, Al,” I assure him.

He gives me a nod and lifts our joined hands, brushing his lips across my knuckles. The door opens behind us causing us both to glance over our shoulders. Dr. Kennedy walks in first and is followed by the radiologist and a man dressed in a lab coat that I’ve never seen before.

“Mrs. Bianci,” Dr. Kennedy greets, taking a seat across from me. The radiologist and the other doctor both pull chairs on either side of her. Once everyone is seated, she places my closed chart on top of the desk and folds her hands.

“This is Dr. Peterson, the head of oncology here at the hospital.”

Tearing my eyes away from the trio of doctors, I turn to Al and watch him close his eyes briefly. Instinctively his hand squeezes mine. Opening his eyes, he meets my gaze and his words ring loud and clear.

You’re not alone.

I’ve got you.

It’s you and me, Lady.

You and me.

“The results of the biopsy conclude that there are two malignant tumors in your right breast. One is measuring at three centimeters and the other is approximately four centimeters,” Dr. Kennedy reveals.

“What does that mean?” I ask hoarsely.

Even though I already know the answer to my question, I need to hear her say it for it to sink in. For this nightmare to become my reality, I need to hear the dreaded word.

“I’m sorry Maria,” she says softly. “It’s stage two breast cancer.”

Breast cancer.

You’re not alone.

I’ve got you.

It’s you and me, Lady.

You and me.

“The good news is, it seems we caught it early. There was no trace of cancer cells in the lymph nodes we tested, and it’s contained to the right breast.”

I open my mouth to speak, to ask one of the million questions running through my mind but nothing comes out. My body goes rigid, and it takes every ounce of strength to keep my tears at bay.

“Okay,” Al murmurs. “So, where do we go from here? What are her options?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name,” Dr. Kennedy says.

“Al,” he replies. “Now that we got that out of the way, tell us how we beat it.”

You’re not alone.

I’ve got you.

It’s you and me, Lady.

---