“Should I remember that name?”
“It’s the sales agent for the house. The one we messaged back at the apartment.”
“Oh, yeah.” She plucks the letter from among the others surrounding it, and another falls and lands on the floor.
The stamp in the corner shows it’s from the local hospital.
Pretty features stand out as her face pales. She bends and picks it up, handing the others to Shane, whose stubby fingers immediately jab at the seal of that top letter.
Dollie freezes.
Shane doesn’t even notice how her body stiffens, how her eyes gloss slightly with a feeling I recognize instantly. Worry.
“This one’s from the hospital.” She stands, her legs ready to give out.
“Routine checkup, maybe?”
“Or my lum—” she stops talking, eyeing me to see how much I’ve heard.
All of it, and I need to hear more.
What lump?I wonder.
She lets the table take her weight as she peels open the envelope. Her eyes quickly move from one side of the paper in hand to the other, scanning the important words that many doctors always seem to bury amongst pointless dribble.
“I have an appointment next month,” she tells Shane. “Can you take me?”
“Depends on what day and time it is?”
“On the seventh at eleven.”
Four weeks from now.
“I have work, and I have to be careful with taking time off because of my own appointments. I booked a few days off this week, so I’m not sure if I can take more.”
“Oh, okay. Well, maybe Annabelle will be able to take me.”
“Yeah, hopefully. If not, at least there’s only one hospital in town, so you won’t have to worry about going to the wrong place this time.” He laughs. She doesn’t.
Tapping the table to get her attention, I silently offer,I can take you.
I don’t even consider my shifts because she’s much more important.
“You drive?” Shane asks with a condescending look on his face.
Keeping my attention solely on Dollie, I nod and sign,I can take you.
“I don’t want to put you out.”
You won’t.
A flick of her eyes look at Shane for permission.
Before he can answer, because it isn’t his fucking place to, I stand, grabbing her attention.
I’ll take you,I tell her, then give my hands something else to do by collecting all my mess and cleaning this kitchen.
“Well, it is an important appointment.”