“I’ll make a call and get right back to you,” he says.
“Thank you so much.”
“Good idea to call in favors,” Wyatt says. “Her immune system is compromised from the treatment.”
“I feel so bad that she’s dealing with this when she’s already had so many setbacks.”
“Cancer treatment is like that. Hell, a lot of treatment is like that. It was for me. One step forward, three steps backward until there was nowhere left to go but on the transplant list.”
“What do you think will happen for my mom?”
“They’ll start her on broad-spectrum antibiotics.”
“What if that doesn’t work?”
“They may have to remove the port and put in a new one after she recovers from the removal.”
My heart sinks. That’d be two more surgeries.
“But port removal is rare. Try not to worry about that until you have to.”
Thankfully, he offered to drive because I can’t see through my tears.
His hand covers mine, infusing me with comfort.
“I hate to drag you to a hospital on a day off,” I say. “If you don’t want to come—”
“I’m with you, kid. It’s all good.”
“It’s all good because you’re here with me.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“It was so heartbreaking just now… helping her in the shower.” I wipe away the tears that slide down my cheeks. “She’s so embarrassed to need the help.”
“I remember what that was like, too. I was twelve or thirteen, and my dad was helping me in the hospital, and I was just dying from embarrassment. You know what he said?”
“What?”
“That he and I have all the same parts and that I shouldn’t be embarrassed about him seeing me. I needed to pretend we were just a couple of guys in a locker room doing what guys do.”
“That’s so sweet. Your dad knew just what you needed to hear.”
“He did. After that, it wasn’t as weird to let him help me. Better than my mom, anyway.”
I laugh at the grimace he adds to the end of that sentence. “I’m sure.”
“Bottom line—as someone who’s been where your mom is, you appreciate the help even if you wish you didn’t need it. Having you guys around while she’s going through this makes all the difference, even when it’s hard.”
“I’m so thankful I can be here to help them both through it. My dad is so heartbroken she’s sick that all he does is weep when she suffers. Part of what we’re doing is keeping him busy, too. Nico and Milo take him golfing at least once a week, and I’m hoping to get him out on the water again soon. He doesn’t want to be unreachable, so that’s why we haven’t done it before now. And Uncle Vin is planning to take him to some of Austin’s games this summer. We’re all doing what we can.”
“They’re fortunate to have so many people looking out for them. Believe it or not, someday when your mom is back to full health, you’ll look back at this very intense time as a blip in the grand scheme of things.”
“I look forward to that day. Do you think she’ll fully recover?”
“There’s no way to know for sure, but someone very wise once told me we have to stay positive and hope for the best.”
I smile at him, which is miraculous when you consider how low I was feeling only a minute ago. “She must be very wise.”
“One of the wisest people I’ve ever met.”
“Surely that’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. She makes me believe anything is possible—even things I used to think were impossible.”
“And you make me feel much calmer than I would if you weren’t here to tell me my mom is going to be okay.”
“It’s hard to stay calm when the setbacks happen, but my therapist used to tell me that each setback was a step forward on the overall journey. It took me a while to wrap my head around that, but with hindsight, I could see she was right.”
“That perspective must mean so much to your patients.”
“I think it helps. Knowing I’ve been there, done that makes them feel like I get what they’re going through. I want to write a book about going from a transplant patient to a cardiothoracic surgeon.”
“You totally should. That would be an amazing story.”
“It’s on my bucket list.”
As we’re driving into the hospital parking lot, Jason calls me back. “Hey, ask for Dr. Simmons, and he’ll get you right in. He also reached out to your mom’s oncologist to let him know you’re on your way in.”
“Thank you so much, Jason.”
“Keep us posted on how she’s doing.”
“I will.”
Dr. Simmons takes Mom straight back to a room, examines the port area and orders the IV antibiotics. We send Dad to the cafeteria to get coffees for everyone to give him something to do besides fret over Mom. Milo tags along with him.
“Thanks for sending him on an errand,” Mom says when she, Wyatt and I are alone. “He makes me so nervous with how upset he gets over everything.”
“It’s hard for him to watch you suffer,” Wyatt says. “I remember what that was like for my parents when I was sick. Sometimes I felt like it was harder on them than it was on me.”
Mom eyes him with new appreciation. “So, a heart transplant, huh? Way to one-up breast cancer.”
Wyatt tips his head back to laugh. “It’s not a competition. It all sucks equally.”
She pats the side of the bed. “Come sit with me.”
He glances briefly at me before he accepts her invitation.
She takes hold of his hand. “You seem like a lovely young man.”
“Oh, thank you. That’s nice of you to say.”
“My Dee is an extraordinary person.”
“I agree. I think she’s amazing.” He leans in to add, “And super pretty.”
Mom smiles as big as I’ve seen her smile since this nightmare began. “I know I’m biased, but I think my girls are the prettiest girls in the whole world.”
“You won’t hear me arguing about that,” he says, winking at me.
Could he be any cuter?
“I want you to know something,” she says, continuing to hold his hand. “Before I got sick, I probably would’ve told Dee not to take this chance with you. They say the odds aren’t too good for you, right?”
“That’s right. I’m about six years past the average survival rate.”
“But you feel good?”
“I feel great, especially since I met Dee.”
“Being sick like this… It changes how you look at things. Did that happen to you, too?”
“It did. You have a new appreciation for every good day.”
“That’s what I was going to say. And I want you to enjoy every good day you have left with my Dee.”
“That’s our plan.”
When he extends his free hand to me, I grab hold of it while trying not to lose my composure once again.
“Dee’s convinced me that I need to know what it’s like to be in love.”