LIFE Interrupted

by Lee Wardlow

  Ross and Lo arrived next. She heard her brother’s loud voice booming throughout the house and she almost cried. Ross had always had this attitude that he could make everything better for his lil sis, but this was one thing that even he couldn’t change. Just like Josh, he would struggle with the helpless feeling that Sophie had cancer.

  Her brother entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her squeezing her hard. Ross was a big man where she was small. His hair was dark like hers, but his eyes were brown like their mothers not blue like Sophie’s and their dad.

  “Let me go, Ross. The noodles are going to stick.” She heard the catch in her voice and so did he.

  Ross turned her around and looked at her. “What’s up with you?” He was frowning at her.

  “Nothing, you, big lug. I love you, that’s all. Happy to see you.” Her eyes watered, and she wiped her face on her sleeve.

  “Now I know something is wrong. What is it, Soph?”

  “I’ll explain over dinner.”

  She pushed him away. “I love you, too,” he told her. He stepped away, but she knew he kept looking back at her with concern. Heath and Hannah arrived with Joshua. They were last, and everything was ready for dinner. “Let’s get this on the table,” she told Kai.

  Sophie had made her homemade meat sauce for spaghetti. Kai had grated parmesan cheese for her. She took the bread out of the oven while Sophie poured her sauce over the noodles. Josh grabbed the bowl out from under her and carried it to the table.

  “I’m not helpless,” she informed him, following him to the dining room.

  Josh sat the bowl in the middle of the table. He turned to her, cupping her face between his palms. “Don’t be so sensitive. I wasn’t implying anything by helping you.”

  She inhaled sharply. “It sucks, you know.”

  “I know.” He walked to the entrance of the living room and called everyone to eat.

  Sophie sat next to Josh at the head of the table. Her mother sat next to her. She gazed at her closely like she hadn’t seen her mom in months when she had been to her house just last week. Her parents and Josh’s both lived close. They saw them several times a week, another reason they liked living in Cooper.

  Her mom’s face was still nice for sixty-six. Her dark hair was white in just the front while her dad was completely white-haired. She smiled at them and leaned over to kiss her mother’s cheek. Daisy Ward, her mother seemed surprised by the gesture. “Sophie, are you okay?”

  She chuckled at her mom. Was she so unemotional that an act of kindness made them question her? Josh’s dad sat opposite her on the other side of the table. People began to take their seats. Maria Russack, sat next to his dad, then Heath next to her. Hannah by his side, holding Joshua who didn’t want to go in the high chair.

  She watched her son lean over and kiss their baby boy. She got teary eyed. Heath glanced across the table at her. “Hey Mom, we’re looking at buying a house in the spring.” He didn’t notice the tears. Sometimes, that was Heath.

  “That’s great, honey.” She busied herself trying to avoid the elephant in the room that only she, Josh, Kai and Roman knew about. They were all keeping quiet.

  “We might buy in Cooper. It would be nice to have help with Joshua when we leave work late.”

  She glanced at Josh. “We’d love that.”

  “We’re always here to help,” Kai jumped in and told him. Sophie met her gaze knowing it might be Kai and Roman helping more than her and Josh.

  “Hey, we aren’t too old to help, you know,” Maria, Josh’s mom informed the kids. “We’d love to have the baby too.”

  Hannah smiled at her son. “Joshua hates daycare. He cries every morning. It about breaks my heart when I leave him. They say he doesn’t cry long though.” Her son glanced up at her and Hannah kissed his nose, making him giggle.

  “I can’t go inside with them,” Heath explained. “I just make it worse.”

  “Micki is watching Alexander,” Kai told them. “She might take Joshua too if you want me to ask.”

  “That would be a lot for her, don’t you think?” Hannah replied.

  Kai chuckled. “She’s been raising six kids, Hannah. Nothing is too much for her when it comes to children. I can ask. She’ll say no if she doesn’t want to do it.”

  Sophie met the eyes of her brother. His arms were crossed over his chest. He knew something was wrong. Her sister-in-law, Lo was caressing his back, trying to calm him? Or preparing him for the worst?

  The food was passed around. She was at least going to let them enjoy their meal first. Her parents asked Kai about her pregnancy. They were happy for her friend because of her history with Jake. Her PCOS had prevented her from having a baby with him. Funny how her life turned around. Her doctor, their doctor, Ben Hillard told her this sometimes happened to older women.

  All during the meal, Ross kept looking at her then whispering to his wife. He was making Sophie’s skin itchy with his constant staring and whispering.

  His sons had not come tonight. Not that she didn’t want them. Dillon was eighteen and away at college like Ally. Duke was at football practice till eight tonight. They had a big game this weekend against their local rivals.

  Driver, was only thirteen. Yes, her brother had named his final son, Driver. She still didn’t know what he was thinking. His kid, he loved the name though.

  Driver Ward was the most unique name in the universe, he often told his aunt. It gave him power to do whatever he wanted in life. She wanted to be here to see him do it. She turned her head to hide the tear that escaped her eye. Josh reached under the table and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze.

  The palm of Ross’s hand slapped against the table. “All right, Sophie. What is going on with you?”

  She couldn’t keep it from him any longer. Leave it to Ross to pick up on it before anyone else. He never got anything but this, the big lummox would see.

  She had been pregnant and throwing up and he missed that. Shocked as all get out, when she told him she didn’t have a never, ending stomach bug. She loved Ross, but he was thick-headed.

  Her mother was gazing at her now. Daisy Ward reached out to Sophie and covered her arm with her hand. Sophie turned to her. She swallowed. How did she tell them this? It hurt her and Josh. Kai too. She didn’t want them to all be worried about her.

  “I went for my annual earlier in the week. I was late for it.”

  “As usual,” Kai threw in.

  She leaned forward and scowled at Kai. “Thanks.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right, you don’t need condemnation right now.”

  Sophie licked her top lip. Then she continued, “Doc found a lump. He sent me for a diagnostic that same afternoon.”

  “A diagnostic what?” Her son asked.

  She chuckled. She had to remember that he didn’t know these things at only twenty-three. “Mammogram, Heath.”

  “Okay,” he said. Hannah moved Joshua to her other leg and took Heath’s hand. In that moment, Sophie loved that girl more than she ever had in her entire life and she loved Hannah a lot. Hannah Banana knew this was bad. Her eyes were glistening with tears.

  “Two days ago, I had an ultrasound on the lump and a biopsy. It’s cancer.”

  Her mother gasped. Then she repeated what Sophie herself had said, “But we don’t have cancer in our family.”

  She gazed at her mother and replied with what the woman who had done her diagnostic said, “I have two breasts Mom. That’s all I need to get breast cancer.”

  Her mother wiped her eyes on her napkin. The room was quiet. Ross got up from his chair and quietly left the room. “I’ll go talk to him,” Josh told her. She laid her hand on his arm stopping him.

  “Nope, I’ll go.”

  Sophie followed her brother outside. He was pacing in the drive, mumbling to himself. She reached out and touched him. He hadn’t heard her approach. Ross whirled on her with his eyes were glistening. He hadn’t cried but Ross Ward really wanted to.

&nb
sp; He scooped her up in his arms and squeezed her tight. “I can’t fix this,” he declared.

  “Nope, you can’t,” she whispered. “Ross, you’re squeezing a little too tightly.”

  “I’m afraid.” Her big brother, who never once had been afraid in his life, the one who made thunderstorms better, made bullies go away, beat the snot out of Todd Anders because he broke her seventh grader heart, was scared.

  Sophie kissed his cheek. “I’m afraid too,” she admitted. “So is Josh. I’m sure Mom and Dad and Kai is too. We just have to stick together and see what happens to me.”

  “How bad is it?” He asked. Now, he had questions. Ones she couldn’t answer, just yet.

  “I don’t know yet. I should know more in few days. I had to tell you guys, before you saw me and figured out something was wrong…like you did. You, who are always the last to figure out anything,” she teased him.

  He set her on the ground. Then he took her hands in his. “I have to die before you.”

  She shook her head at him. Sophie put her hand on her hip and stared at him. She was only five feet two. Her brother was six feet three. She had to crane her neck to see his face. She scowled. “First of all, no one is dying. Yet. Secondly, who says?”

  He scowled at her. “Natural order. I’m the oldest.”

  She scoffed at him. “Oh well. You never did learn that being older doesn’t always mean that you always get your way.”

  He laughed. Her brother put his head back and roared. “You’re an ass,” she informed him.

  Then he stopped as suddenly as he started. “And you’re going to beat this,” Ross informed her.

  “I sure am going to try. I was sitting inside watching you, watch me.” She hesitated. Then she leaned into her brother, wanting to feel his strength. Ross put his beefy, arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “I was thinking about Driver and his universe talk…” Her brother chuckled.

  “I want to see that boy be great. Do great, things. I love your boys, you know that Ross, but Driver is going to be something, and I want to see it.”

  “You will, lil sis. I promise. I’ll light a candle at mass Sunday morning for you and every Sunday morning until they give you the all clear that you’ve kicked cancer’s butt.”

  She gazed at Ross. While she hadn’t exactly lost her faith, she hadn’t been to mass in years, not even midnight mass with Kai on Christmas Eve. “Thank you, Ross. That is sweet of you. Let’s go inside with everyone else.”

  Her brother didn’t release her when they walked into Sophie’s house. Everyone was still sitting at the table. There was an awkwardness that didn’t exist before. Ross sat down at the table where he had been by Lo while Sophie went to the chair by their mother where she had been.

  “Sophie, Josh has explained that you don’t really know anything yet. You’re waiting for the biopsy results. Maybe it isn’t cancer.” Her mother was reaching for hope.

  “Mom, it’s cancer.” She had to be firm, so her mother didn’t get her hopes up.

  “But how do you know if the results aren’t back?” Daisy asked her.

  She met Heath’s eyes and saw that he too had hope. Sophie sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. She couldn’t walk on eggshells to avoid hurting everyone’s feelings. She had to think about herself for now.

  “Because the oncologist knows what she’s talking about. The biopsy will tell them what stage I have and what caused it. I have cancer,” she had to be blunt. She didn’t like that she had to keep repeating the word cancer, but she knew that she had better get used to it. It was her reality now and they all needed to get used to it too.

  **

  Her last hurdle for the day was talking to Ally. Her usual weekly, nighttime Skype session with her daughter was always a happy time but it wouldn’t be tonight. She knew that Ally would have a harder time with it than anyone because she was in Columbus, one hundred miles away.

  Sophie was in her pajamas. The same Hello Kitty that Kai teased her about, but she was small, so she could wear kids’ clothes and she loved Hello Kitty.

  She sat at Josh’s desk, his laptop turned on and waiting for Ally’s call to come through. He leaned in the doorway, bare chested in his boxers. “Need anything?” Josh asked. “The kitchen is cleaned up and the dishwasher is running.”

  He looked exhausted. She smiled at him and shook her head no. “You look like death?”

  Josh chuckled. “Thanks. Kind of tired. I thought I would shower and wait for you in bed unless you want me to wait here with you.”

  “I’m okay. Go on.” She waved her hand at him.

  “You’re sure?”

  She nodded at him. “Go on, babe. I’ll be fine.” The laptop rang. Ally’s call was coming through. “Go,” she told him. Then she answered Ally’s call, but she watched Josh turn and leave.

  “Hi Mom.” Her daughter’s beautiful face appeared on screen. Her black hair like her own was slicked back from her face in a ponytail. She had her glasses on which was unusual for Ally. They hid her pale blue eyes, also like Sophie’s.

  “Hi Ally-Cat, how’s my girl?” She sounded tired. It had been a long day and the meal was exhausting and draining most of all. Her mother left in tears, unwilling to believe without the biopsy results that there wasn’t hope that she might not have cancer.

  Sophie felt bad because the news would only devastate her when it came back at what stage and how bad it really was going to be. Daisy Ward was in denial.

  Sophie watched her daughter, listening to her tell her about her week so far. Ally’s smile lit up her face when she talked about the college football team’s quarterback who she met in the library. They had hit it off. Not dating or anything. Both were focused on school and their respective sports, but they did have breakfast, lunch and dinner, together whenever they could. Sophie almost laughed at her. Ally was in denial. She hoped her daughter didn’t get hurt.

  She tilted her head and gazed at her young daughter. Her whole life was ahead of her. Ally was a freshman. Only eighteen. There were so many more boys she could fall in love with given the opportunity. Sophie wanted Ally to concentrate on school and soccer.

  “How old is he?” Sophie knew nothing about him. She didn’t follow sports.

  “He’s twenty. A junior. It’s a big deal to be friends with him. They are number two in the nation right now, Mom.”

  Sophie chuckled and shook her head. “Is that why you’re friends with him, Ally?” It wasn’t like her kid to be swayed by prestige.

  Ally rolled her eyes. “Get serious, Mom. That’s why he likes me. I could care less who he is. I didn’t even know who he was when he first sat beside me. We had talked for hours before he finally told me who he was. I still wasn’t impressed which impressed him.”

  Sophie burst out laughing. She had needed this. A distraction from her drama. Her disease. What was coming for her as far as treatments.

  “So, what’s new with you? How’s Kai doing with the second pregnancy? The twins okay? How’s my nephew? I miss them. I miss everyone,” Ally added. She didn’t give her a chance to respond between questions.

  They were all talking about going to her next game, but Sophie didn’t know about that now. She didn’t know if she could make it. Her future seemed so uncertain right now until she knew what came next and when.

  “Kai is glowing just like with Alexander. Her ultrasound is next week, I think. I’m sure they will find out what it is. She likes being prepared.”

  Ally nodded. “Are you going?”

  “Not this time, sweetheart.”

  Ally frowned at her mom.

  “The kids are all growing like weeds,” Sophie continued. “You won’t recognize them when you come home for Thanksgiving.”

  “That seems so far away,” Ally murmured. She was leaning on the desk in front of her. Her shoulders hunched as she stared at the screen. “What’s wrong, Mom? You seem stressed or distracted? Upset, maybe all three?”

  That was her Ally-Cat. She got it
when no one else did besides Kai. She picked up on her moods or her unhappiness when Josh and Heath would take a little longer.

  She sighed. Sophie hated telling her this way when she was so far away and couldn’t comfort her. “Ally, I went to see Doctor Ben…”

  “Dad finally prodded you until you caved,” Ally teased her.

  Sophie smiled. “He did. “He hounded me like he always does.”

  “Everything okay?”

  She could see the concern on Ally’s face now. Sophie nervously rubbed her hands along the edge of the screen of the laptop and her eyes looked everywhere but at Ally. “No honey, it’s not.”

  Ally chewed on her lower lip. She frowned just like Sophie did too when she was concerned about something. It was like looking in a mirror, twenty years ago. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  “Doctor Ben found a lump in my breast. I had a biopsy a few days ago. They told me it was cancer.” Sophie was choosing her words carefully, so she didn’t have the argument that she had with her mother. She kept going even though she could see Ally growing more and more upset. “The biopsy will tell them what stage I’m at and what caused my cancer. Then I’ll have an appointment with my oncologist and we’ll discuss…”

  “Mom, stop,” Ally interrupted her.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Give me a minute,” Ally declared.

  Her daughter leaned back in her chair then she hopped up and left Sophie sitting in front of her screen all alone. Sophie nibbled nervously on her thumbnail while she stared at her daughter’s empty chair. She couldn’t really tell where Ally had gone. She couldn’t do anything but stare at the blank screen until Ally returned.

  Ally sat down in front of her laptop.

  “Okay, first when will you get your results?” Ally had been crying, Sophie could tell. That is why she had stepped away. Her voice was soft now and she wouldn’t look at the screen because she was afraid she would cry again.

  “Sometime in the next three days,” Sophie responded.

  Ally inhaled. “What do you need me to do?”