“I wish I had your faith.”
“It’s been borne out of years of history like this. I trust God, Jennifer, for a reason. He’s dependable in tough times like this. Maybe the answer will come through a miracle of sudden healing, or maybe it will come through the healing hands of good doctors. But it will come.”
“What if He says no?”
“God loves you. It’s His very nature to do good. He’s not going to say no unless it is truly for the best, and I don’t see how that could be. We’ve got a life together; you’ve got patients to love. For now, just do the thing right in front of you that makes sense, and let Him take it from there. There’s going to be a way through this.”
“At the very least,” she said against his chest, “I’ll be able to tell my patients I know what they mean when they talk about facing cancer.”
He rubbed her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her. “Breakfast, then the test, and then the doctor. The next step is to know the details of what we’re dealing with. Then I’m taking you out to celebrate our engagement.”
Jennifer closed the folder the doctor had given her and rubbed her aching eyes. She got up from the desk and walked through the quiet house to find her shoes. She’d promised Tom a call when she was ready to go for a late dinner. It helped, having the data in front of her. But it was grim, knowing she was the patient. The cancer was ahead of them. If it hadn’t touched her spine, maybe it would have been a clean fight . . . but there would be no easy decisions among the choices of surgery, chemo, and radiation. At least they had a plan for the next few days. Her doctor wanted a specialist at the Mayo Clinic to take a look at the tumor around her spine before they made final treatment decisions. So she’d fly to Chicago to see her family, tell them the news, and fly on to Mayo for a second opinion. She’d return to Chicago for the Fourth of July family gathering, and Tom would fly to Chicago to meet her there, meet her family. As much as Tom wanted to travel with her to Mayo, she’d convinced him she needed him to stay here even more, handling the details as her patients were transferred to seeing other doctors in her practice. The details were covered; now she only had to wonder at the outcomes ahead.
God, what about the other O’Malleys? How do I handle sharing this news with them? The conversation with God seemed to flow where it would tonight, the comfort tangible. The peace was returning, the shock of the last days fading. None of this made sense, but God was still there. Just knowing that was keeping her searching for answers.
“How do I simultaneously break bad news and also try to introduce my family to you? I’ve got to find the right words.”
The other O’Malleys had none of that comfort she knew and would only feel the fear of losing her in death to a disease none of them could see and could do nothing to stop. For a family of high achievers who believed in working together to deal with any problem, cancer was going to strike hard at the very heart of the group. They would want to share the journey with her. Every moment of it. For that was what it meant to be an O’Malley.
She tried to decide which one of them would be the hardest to talk with and thought maybe it would be Kate. Start with her first? Tell them as a group? Every possibility presented its own unique problems. Tom, the cancer, God. She had to figure it out and get it right.
“I wish you had given me an easier job,” she whispered to God. “I can’t afford to get this wrong. I want them to know you. That’s my heartfelt goal and the only way there is peace if the worst does come to pass.” Heaven lasted for an eternity, and that understanding was a weight on her shoulders tonight. Her family needed to believe.
Jennifer thought it might be better to simply start with the news about Tom and her engagement—the good news—then turn to the more difficult subjects. She looked at the ring Tom had given her, turning it to admire the diamond and the elegant swirled gold. He’d gone for classic and beautiful. She smiled just looking at it. She was going to love being his wife one day. It was time to get to Chicago and then Mayo and get through this journey. She wanted the joy that waited when it was done.
She picked up the phone. She was ready to celebrate her engagement and kiss her guy. He loved her. She deeply loved him. They would figure out how to get through this together. “Tom, I’m ready.”
Author’s Note
Jennifer’s story continues throughout the O’MALLEY series. Her arrival in Chicago, as well as Tom joining her for the Fourth of July family gathering, can be found in The Negotiator, Book One. I hope you enjoy the entire series.
Dee Henderson is the author of seventeen novels, including Full Disclosure, the acclaimed O’MALLEY series, and the UNCOMMON HEROES series. Her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, such as the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and the ECPA Gold Medallion. Dee is a lifelong resident of Illinois. Visit her at DeeHenderson.com.
Books by Dee Henderson
* * *
Danger in the Shadows
The Negotiator
The Guardian
The Truth Seeker
The Protector
The Healer
The Rescuer
True Devotion
True Valor
True Honor
Kidnapped
Before I Wake
The Witness
God’s Gift
The Marriage Wish
Full Disclosure
Jennifer: An O’Malley Love Story
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook
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