Page 54 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
“I don’t want to go to school,” Sophie said with a pout.
“And I don’t want to go to work,” Arianna said. “But we both have to. Now, go brush your teeth.”
“But I haven’t had breakfast.”
“I know. You’re going to Sunny’s and she’s going to make you pancakes.”
“But I always brush my teeth after breakfast.”
“We have extra toothbrushes in the bathroom drawer. You can take one of those with you and brush your teeth at Sunny’s after breakfast. Okay? Now, come on, let’s hurry.”
Sophie didn’t know the meaning of the word, and Arianna had ground down her molars by the time they finally got out the door. It was a hasty drop-off and a heartfelt thank-you at Sunny’s house, then she was racing to the hospital, hoping to squeeze in a few moments with her mom before her shift started. It would be a very few.
Her mother was awake and looking haggard when Arianna popped into her room. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help with Sophie,” she said.
“It’s okay. She’s at Sunny’s house, eating pancakes. They won’t be as good as yours, though,” Arianna added.
Mia managed a weak smile. “Mine are nothing special.”
“Yes, they are.” Everything Mia did was special.
Great. Here came the tears again. “Oh, Mom.”
“Don’t cry. You’ll depress your patients,” said Mia.
Arianna gave her a watery smile and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back on my break.”
She was just leaving when Alden showed up. “I saw your mom was admitted last night. Didn’t get a chance to see her. How’s she doing?”
“Not good. She couldn’t swallow her food. I’ll know more when I talk to the doctor.”
He gave her arm a comforting rub. “Hang in there. You know she’s in good hands here.”
All Mia could do was nod.
“I’m done with my shift. I’ll stay with your mom for a while,” he said.
Probably all he wanted to do was go home and get some sleep, but she wasn’t about to turn down his offer. “Thanks.”
She hated to leave her mother, but at least Mia had someone to keep her company. Arianna left reluctantly.
“Oh, my gosh, Arianna, what are you doing here?” said her coworker Ginny when Arianna told her about Mia. “We can cover for you. Go sit with your mom. You don’t want to miss the doctor.”
She thanked Ginny, finished her rounds, then went to check on her mother. Alden had left but the doctor had arrived. Dr. Yao was one of her favorites. A petite woman with long thick hair, she was a powerhouse when it came to medicine and Arianna knew they couldn’t have been in better hands.
Still, it wasn’t a comforting conversation.
“I wish I had better news for you,” the doctor finished. “The tumor has taken hold and spread up the esophagus, creating nodules, and they’re too well-defined for surgery or radiation. But we can do chemo. We’ll be putting in the feeding tube today. Then the next step will be the port for chemo.”
A feeding tube. Chemo. They had a fight on their hands, a fight against both cancer and time. Arianna nodded, shoved away the panic coming at her.
But it kept coming, rushing toward her in waves as she stayed with her mother while they got her prepped for surgery. “We’ll get through this,” Arianna told herself as they wheeled Mia away. She only wished she could believe what she was saying.
The empty bed felt...ominous. She went in search of her supervisor.
“I need to take sick leave,” she finished. She had three weeks’ worth. It wasn’t much considering what they were facing, but it was better than nothing.
“Of course, you do,” said Karen.
