Page 62 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

The overnight hours passed,with nurses and doctors coming to check on my daughter. She remained remarkably resilient,perking up whenever Holt or my father entertained her, then dozing when the exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Around eight the next morning, the unit secretary appeared in the doorway. “Dr. Robbins would like to speak with Luna’s parents.”

My heart stuttered. The results.

Holt stood immediately, but hesitated, looking at my father.

“I’ll stay with Luna,” my dad offered. “She’ll be more comfortable with me here.”

Surprise flickered across Holt’s face, followed by gratitude.

Dr. Robbins was waiting in a small consultation room, a folder in her hands. Her expression was guarded as we entered, but something in her eyes told me what was coming.

“Please, sit,” she said, gesturing to the chairs across from her. “I have Luna’s test results.”

I gripped Holt’s hand, his fingers interlacing with mine as we sat.

“The bone marrow aspiration confirms what we suspected from the blood work,” Dr. Robbins continued. “Luna has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I believe Dr. Patel told you it’s also referred to as ALL.”

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands.Leukemia. My baby had cancer.

“I know this is devastating news,” Dr. Robbins said gently. “But I want to emphasize that ALL has one of the highest childhood cancer survival rates. With proper care, successful remission rates are approximately ninety-eight percent.”

“Care?” Holt asked, his voice steadier than I could have managed.

“We’ll start chemotherapy as soon as possible. The protocol for ALL involves several phases. The first phase—induction—is the most intensive, aiming to achieve remission within the first month. For that, we’ll keep her here at the hospital. Once we’resure she’s handling it okay, you’ll be able to take her home. After that, the subsequent rounds can be handled on an outpatient basis.”

The clinical terms blended together as I struggled to process them.

“Will she lose her hair?” I asked, the question slipping out unbidden.

“Yes, it will cause hair loss. But children are remarkably resilient—often more so than we adults expect.”

The doctor continued explaining the potential side effects and success rates, but I could barely focus. Holt’s arm slipped around my shoulders, pulling me against his side when I started to tremble.

“I’ll let the two of you talk,” Dr. Robbins finally said. “I’ll be right outside if you have any questions. The nurse will have an information packet waiting in Luna’s room that explains everything in detail. We’ll meet again later to discuss the next steps.”

When the door closed behind her, I finally broke down. Holt held me, reminding me of the odds and assuring me that Luna would face this with her characteristic curiosity rather than fear.

Eventually, the storm passed, leaving me drained but calm enough to return to Luna’s room. I needed to be strong for my daughter. She’d take her cues from me.

When we walked in, my father took one look at my face and knew. His eyes filled, but he blinked the tears away before turning to face Luna, who was happily drawing more pictures.

“Look what I made!” she exclaimed, holding up a picture. “It’s Sparkles and me at the hospital. See the butterflies coming to visit?”

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “It’s beautiful, baby.”

“I’m going to hang it up so the doctors can see it,” she announced.

A nurse appeared with tape, helping Luna place her artwork on the wall beside her bed. My father used the distraction to pull me into the hallway.

“How bad is it?” he asked quietly.

“The doctor says the survival rate of the type of cancer she has is high—ninety-eight percent.”

“We will get through this,mija. All of us.”

My father’s gaze shifted to Holt, who was helping Luna with another drawing.

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