Chances Are

by Abramson, Traci Hunter

  Cover image: Couple Enjoying Outdoors © Massimo Merlini & Three Colors House Front © Tobias Helbig, courtesy istockphoto.com

  Cover design copyright © 2014 by Covenant Communications, Inc.

  Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.

  American Fork, Utah

  Copyright © 2014 by Traci Hunter Abramson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format or in any medium without the written permission of the publisher, Covenant Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 416, American Fork, UT 84003. The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Covenant Communications, Inc., or any other entity.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are either products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real, or are used fictitiously.

  First Printing: March 2014

  ISBN 978-1-62108-770-0

  For all those who have fought the battle against cancer

  and for the people who love them through it.

  Acknowledgments

  My humble thanks to Rebecca Cummings for sharing not only her editing talents but also her struggles, many of which helped with the accuracy contained within these pages.

  Thank you to the Covenant family for supporting me in my many writing endeavors. A special thanks to Samantha Millburn for her incredible dedication and sacrifice to shepherd this book through the publication process and to Kathy Gordon and the rest of the publication committee for encouraging me to write the story that had to be written.

  Thank you to Tanner Wilson and Jared Smith for letting me borrow your names, even though you evolved from missionaries to doctors. And thank you to Jessica and Ian Kearl for helping me name even more nameless characters.

  My sincere appreciation to Jen Leigh, Amber Green, Darlene Sullivan, and Stephanie Read for carrying me through my crazy schedule and even providing chocolate chip cookies for breakfast when deadlines started crashing in. You’re all amazing!

  Finally, I want to thank my husband, Jonathan, and my children for their continued support. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams.

  Chapter 1

  Ben Evans stood in his apartment living room, a bat in his hands, his eyes on the television across the room. He watched the recording again, trying to remember everything: the pitcher’s release point, the spin on the ball, the way the catcher shifted behind him to the left. Then he watched the recorded image of himself cocking the bat above his head and chasing the low and outside pitch. That swing had ended the game and ended the Washington Nationals’ brief journey through the play-offs.

  His stomach clutched as he listened to the announcer’s comments that had aired moments before he had strode to the plate, the questions the man had posed of whether the team’s manager was making a mistake to leave Ben in. After all, rookie-of-the-year candidate or not, Ben Evans had never been in such a high-pressure situation before. Maybe it would be wiser to put someone with more experience in for that crucial moment. The commentator pointed out that Shawn Nills had a great history against this particular pitcher, and Lanski’s bat had been hot for the past several weeks.

  The comments weren’t new to Ben. Hadn’t Frank Petric suggested exactly the same thing when Ben had reached for his helmet and batting gloves? His manager, Jack Wheatley, had silenced the questions with a terse, “Go on, Evans. Grab a bat.”

  Ben remembered the anticipation of striding to the plate, the excitement of the fans. He also remembered the doubts. And he had let them matter.

  The doubts and what-ifs rattled through his brain until he couldn’t stand them any longer. He shut off the television and pulled on his shoes. Then he headed for the door and hoped that a long run would help him clear his head. Deep in his heart, though, he knew he would never forget.

  * * *

  Life wasn’t fair. Maya thought she’d understood that simple statement when she’d been forced to run away from her home in India at the tender age of the thirteen and again when her grandmother had died two weeks after Maya finished her junior year of high school. Now she sat in her doctor’s office and wondered if good luck really existed and, if so, why it never seemed to reach her.

  She thought of the challenges of her senior year—being forced to move to a new town, leaving her old friends behind, and living with a foster family who wanted nothing to do with her, a family who cared only about the check they received each month from the county. Her foster mother’s reaction had proven that when Maya had asked for money to restring her tennis racket. The woman had been cold and absolute, leaving no doubt that Maya wasn’t going to get anything from them other than a roof over her head.

  Her heart ached when she thought of the emerald ring her grandmother had left her, the one she had ultimately been forced to sell in order to provide for herself. She had started to think that just maybe the sacrifice had been worth it when the tennis coach from Vanderbilt took notice of her and offered her a full-ride scholarship.

  Throughout her freshman year of college, she had finally started feeling like she could build a future for herself. Her schooling was going well, and between her roommate, Kari, and the tennis team, her social life had been full and rewarding. She had even managed to work her way into a starting position on the team only a few weeks into the season.

  Her scholarship paid for her room and board, and a part-time job at the university bookstore kept spending money in her pocket.

  Then came the headaches. Part of her wished she had never listened to Kari when she’d insisted six months ago that Maya go see the doctor.

  At the time, she had expected some kind of prescription for migraines or maybe some allergy testing. Instead, she had been run through a gamut of tests, but none of them for allergies. An MRI, CT scans, the PET scan, and ultimately the scariest of them all—a biopsy. She knew enough about medicine to know that if the doctors were insisting on a biopsy and a PET scan, they pretty much already knew what they were dealing with. Cancer.

  She didn’t want to think about the bills piling up, her lack of adequate insurance, or the struggles with her family. At the moment, all she cared about was what she had to do to beat this thing.

  The round of chemo had done little for her besides zap her energy and leave her in a daze. Now she was sitting here listening to the scan results after her first, and hopefully only, round of radiation.

  Maya listened to the doctor speak, certain this must be another extension of her bad dream. He read through the technical jargon of the report while Maya waited for the bottom line: whether the treatments had succeeded in shrinking the tumor at the base of her skull, the tumor that threatened to leave her paralyzed or worse.

  “The good news is that the cancer still appears to be contained to the primary tumor.”

  “You said the same thing six months ago,” Maya said, her Indian accent still noticeable, even after six years in the United States. She drew a deep breath and forced herself to ask the question. “What’s the bad news?”

  “The growth of the tumor has slowed . . .” He trailed off.

  “But you still can’t operate,” she finished for him.

  He shook his head. “No. Unless we can figure out a way to shrink the tumor, we can’t operate with any degree of success.”

  She gritted her teeth against the despair struggling to surface. She forced herself to draw a steadying breath and then asked, “What happens if we can’t shrink the tumor?”

  “Then the cancer will run its course.”

  “Meaning, I’m going to die.” Tears formed in her eyes, and she tried to blink them back. “How long do I have?”

  “Untreated, you’d be luc
ky to make it another year, but I’m not ready to give you an expiration date quite yet,” Dr. Smith said gently. “There is one more option I think you should try. It’s experimental, but the doctors running the trial have already had some success.”

  “Doctor, I’m only twenty years old. I want a chance to live, whatever it takes.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

  * * *

  Kari stood the moment Maya walked into the waiting room, and she searched her friend’s face intently. They had become instant friends when Maya transferred to her high school during their senior year, both girls heavily involved with the tennis team. Maya’s talent had outshined everyone else’s, but Kari had appreciated her quiet confidence as well as her constant willingness to stay after practice to work with her.

  Maya’s dark eyes met hers now, but Kari was too impatient to try to read her expression. “Well? What did the doctor say?”

  “I’ll tell you when we get home.”

  Kari glanced at the handful of others in the waiting room. As Maya headed for the door, Kari couldn’t help but notice that her friend had gone from petite to downright thin over the past few weeks. Her dark hair fell well past her shoulders, and even though Maya said it had thinned a bit from the chemo and at the spot where she’d had radiation, Kari still couldn’t tell the difference.

  Impatiently, Kari unlocked her car and waited for Maya to climb in before turning to her. “Okay, we’re alone now. Tell me what he said.”

  Maya lifted her hands to cover her mouth, a gesture she often made when she was trying to settle her emotions so she wouldn’t cry. This wasn’t a good sign.

  “Just tell me,” Kari pressed.

  “They still can’t operate.”

  “Are they doing more chemo or radiation?”

  “No. The chemo didn’t work, and the radiation didn’t work well enough.”

  “There has to be something the doctors can do,” Kari insisted, panic lacing her voice.

  Maya’s shoulders lifted and fell with a sigh. “Dr. Smith said there is a developmental treatment they’ve had some good success with. . .”

  “That’s great!” Kari said with renewed enthusiasm. “What do you have to do to get into it?”

  “Move to Washington, DC.”

  “What?”

  “They’re conducting the trial out of George Washington University Hospital in DC. Not only that—the treatments can last anywhere from three to six months.” She shook her head. “We both know there’s no way I can afford to live there for that long. I don’t have the energy to work full-time anymore.”

  “You could take out a loan,” Kari said desperately.

  Maya shook her head. “I already tried that. Bankers are really funny about lending money to people they think are dying.”

  “Credit cards?”

  Again, she shook her head. “I’ve already maxed out the three I have with my medical expenses. I can barely keep up with the minimum payments on those.”

  “We’re going to figure something out,” Kari insisted, already thinking about her brother’s apartment in DC, the one that was currently sitting empty. She still wasn’t sure if Ben had decided to live in LA during his off-season because he wanted to be closer to his girlfriend or because he wanted to get away from the memories of his last game in the play-offs. Regardless, she thought his decision could very well work in Maya’s favor.

  Kari slid the key into the ignition and drove to their apartment. As soon as they were inside, she said, “I’ll be right back. I need to make a phone call.”

  Maya’s only response was to lower herself onto the living room couch.

  Kari pulled out her cell phone and headed for her bedroom, where she called her brother.

  “Hey, Kar. What’s up?” Ben asked in his typically relaxed voice.

  “The usual: studying, preparing for a real career in life.”

  “Baseball is a real career,” Ben said, and Kari could hear the humor in his voice. “It’s just a fun career.”

  “Yeah, so you’ve said,” Kari said, enjoying the familiar banter. “So how are things going in California? Are you really going to stay there for your whole off-season to train?”

  “That’s the current plan.”

  “In that case, I have a favor to ask you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “My roommate, Maya, and I were thinking about taking a trip to DC this weekend. Any chance we can crash at your place?”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you could do that. When are you planning on leaving?”

  “Probably Thursday or Friday.”

  “I’ll go ahead and FedEx my spare key to you to make sure you have it by Wednesday.”

  “Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate it.”

  “Just don’t go throwing any wild parties.”

  “Oh, all right,” Kari said with mock exasperation. She heard his low chuckle as she hung up the phone, and she rubbed her hands together. That was almost too easy. She supposed eventually she might have to break down and tell her brother that Maya was staying longer, but she could give him those minor details later. One thing at a time.

  * * *

  Maya heard Kari’s bedroom door open, but she kept her eyes closed in the hopes that Kari would think she was sleeping. She didn’t want to face this latest reality, and she knew that if she had to face Kari’s problem-solving personality, she was going to completely lose it.

  “I’ve got it all planned out,” Kari announced, clearly not buying her sleeping act.

  Reluctantly, Maya opened her eyes. As always, Kari’s green eyes were alive with enthusiasm, her tall, toned body the picture of health. “You’ve got what planned out?”

  “How you’re going to be able to afford to live in DC.”

  A little seed of hope sprouted. “How?”

  “You know my brother, Ben, right?”

  “Kind of. I met him when he came home for Christmas last year, and we went on a few runs together, but it’s not like we exchanged phone numbers or anything. If you remember, his girlfriend kept him on a pretty short leash.” Maya didn’t add how disappointed she had been when she had discovered Ben had a girlfriend last Christmas. He was someone she would have loved spending more time with.

  “That doesn’t matter,” Kari said briskly. “What matters is that my brother decided to spend his off-season working out in California.”

  “So?”

  “So his apartment in Washington is going to be empty.” Kari tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. “I just talked to him, and he said we can stay there when we go to DC.”

  Maya looked at Kari blankly. “I think I’m missing something. Why would you be going to DC?”

  “My accountant said I need some more business expenses this year.”

  “Kari, you’re a student, and you do your own taxes.”

  “I know,” Kari said without missing a beat. “What I’m telling you is that my brother is going to let you live in his apartment since it’s just sitting there empty. That way you’ll have a place to stay for the next three to four months.”

  “What happens if my treatments take the full six months?”

  “I think you should apply for another credit card. I know it’s not the ideal, but if you do need it, you can use a cash advance to pay for a place for the extra couple of months.”

  Maya stared at her, hope and possibilities bringing her back to life. “So I would be able to get the treatments?”

  “Yes. You’ll be able to get the treatments.” Kari nodded. “I think you should call your doctor right now to see what you have to do to get into the trial. My brother is sending me his keys. We could be there as early as Friday.”

  “Friday? But what about school?”

  “I think this is more important,” Kari said, stating the obvious. “It won’t be hard to withdraw from your classes, and the sooner you get started with treatments, the longer you’ll have a free place to stay.”

 
; “I’ll call right now.”

  “Hey, Maya,” Kari said, interrupting her before she could dial. “You are going to beat this.”

  Maya drew a shaky breath. “I hope you’re right.”

  Chapter 2

  Kari paid the cab driver and then reached for Maya’s largest suitcase.

  “I can get that,” Maya insisted.

  Kari shot her a knowing look but didn’t say anything. Instead, she grabbed her own bag with her free hand and led the way to the apartment building, pulling the two suitcases behind her. She reached the door and set one of the cases on its end so she could search for the key. She was still digging through her purse when the door opened.

  A man in his early thirties emerged, his dark hair cut short, his goatee neatly trimmed. His dark eyebrows lifted, and he looked at Kari and Maya with a combination of curiosity and wariness. “Can I help you?”

  “No, thanks. I’m just going to my brother’s apartment.”

  “Who’s your brother?”

  Instantly guarded, Kari fumbled for an explanation. She didn’t want to give her brother’s name, fully aware of how private he was about keeping his address out of the public eye.

  Apparently sensing her hesitation, he said, “I’m Ian Harris. I manage this complex.”

  Kari’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I’m Kari Evans.”

  “Oh, Ben’s sister.” Kari could tell Ian understood her dilemma. “Well, it’s good to meet you. How long are you staying?”

  “I’m only here until Sunday night, but Maya here will be staying for a few months.” Kari noticed the skepticism on Ian’s face and added, “Don’t worry. Maya’s not the type to throw wild parties.”

  “That’s good to know.” Ian dug out his wallet and grabbed a business card. “Here’s my number in case you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” Maya took the card he offered.

  “No problem.” He held the door and waited for them to pass through. Then, as an afterthought, he asked, “Hey, Maya. Do you have a car here?”

  “No, I don’t. Why?”

  “I was going to make sure you knew the code to the garage,” Ian said. “If you ever get in a bind and need a ride, let me know. My wife or I should usually be able to help you out.”