So much for doctor-patient boundaries. Sometimes Taupo seemed even smaller than it actually was. She understood Keisha was deliberately delaying the conversation to come. So, ‘Marshall is Aimee’s father.’ No secret there. The man had made sure everyone at the medical centre knew, which meant hundreds of others were now aware of the fact, too. ‘I’ll make some coffee.’
She filled the coffee percolator and sat her guests down at the table. ‘How was Phuket? You’ve all got great suntans.’
Keisha answered. ‘We had a fabulous time. Right up until the moment we got home and heard the messages.’ She seemed stunned and yet simultaneously thinking about many things.
Toby added, ‘We had to come see you. No way could we wait until Monday.’
‘It’s truly all right,’ she tried to reassure the distressed couple, at the same time knowing exactly what they were going through. The shock, the fear and the many unanswerable questions. All very debilitating. Dropping onto a chair, she placed her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. ‘Keisha, your mammogram shows an abnormality. There’s a dense spot in your breast, like a lump. At the moment no one can say for sure what it is.’
The other woman’s face whitened. Toby took her hand and held on tight. Suspecting and knowing were miles apart. And at this point they hadn’t had confirmation that Keisha did have cancer.
Charlie continued quietly, ‘The radiology centre has left you a message, too.’
Keisha nodded. ‘I have to make an appointment for another mammogram. She said something about the X-rays of one breast not being very clear.’
‘That’s standard practice. The woman phoning is not a doctor so can’t tell you anything about your X-ray results.’ The coffee percolator made sucking sounds and she got up to turn it off. ‘Considering you were away, I thought it best we make you an appointment. Eleven o’clock on Monday. You can change the time if that doesn’t suit.’
‘We’ll be there,’ Toby growled.
‘The radiologist will give you an ultrasound scan. He’ll also take a tiny sample from the lump to send to the laboratory. Until he gets the results of that there’s nothing you can do.’
‘Except worry ourselves sick.’ Keisha leaned against her husband, her fingers now interlaced tightly in her lap. ‘How long will it take for the results to come back?’
‘A few days. I won’t deny that’ll be hard.’ Absolutely terrifying, if the truth be known. They wouldn’t get much sleep over those days. ‘If you want to talk about anything in that time, phone me. Or drop in. I really don’t mind.’
Gleeful shouts had them all turning to look out the window. Marshall had the boys kicking the ball at one end of the lawn while Aimee tottered around them in her wet swimsuit, laughing and chasing the ball.
‘He’s good with kids, your man,’ Toby said.
‘It’s all very new to him, this fatherhood stuff.’ He’d taken to Aimee like cheese to crackers. But try telling Marshall that.
Keisha watched them, her hungry gaze flicking from Calib to Zac, Calib to Zac. Tears gathered in her eyes. ‘My boys. Will they be all right? If…?’
‘Don’t go there.’ Yeah, right. Like she hadn’t? The moment she’d heard she had to have tests done she’d panicked and had spent every waking hour—which had been most of the days and nights leading up to getting her results—making numerous and varied plans for Aimee if the worst happened.
Keisha turned big, sorrow-filled eyes on her. ‘Yeah, right,’ she echoed unwittingly. ‘How did you manage…’ she wiggled her fingers in the air ‘…not to go there?’
‘I didn’t. It’s a very scary time.’ The not knowing had eaten away at her, as it did with anyone facing the same horrendous situation. ‘I suggest you try to take things one day at a time. You couldn’t have got an appointment any sooner. The lab will do their best to have answers quickly. They always do in these cases.’
‘I have to say it, Charlie.’ The woman drew a deep breath and spat it out. ‘Cancer.’
Toby blanched at his wife’s sudden directness. ‘Keisha, sweetheart…’
‘No, Toby, I’m saying it as it is. I have to. At the moment that’s what we’re looking at. This time next week we might be dancing in the street and celebrating a good result.’ Her voice lowered. ‘Or I might be baking and filling the freezer with meals for you to give the boys while I’m in hospital.’
Charlie dredged up a smile. ‘Why do women always start trying to sort out their family in times like this? That seems to be their first concern.’
‘Guess it’s the nurturing instinct in us.’ Her bottom lip trembled and Charlie reached across to squeeze her hand. Nothing she could say would make this go away.
Then a loud shriek from outside had Charlie leaping out of her chair. ‘Aimee?’ Loud sobs followed that she recognised as Aimee hurting, intermingled with a deep male voice talking lovingly.
‘Sorry, but I’ve got to go and see to Aimee.’
Toby’s words stopped her. ‘But Aimee’s dad’s with her.’
‘He isn’t used to comforting her when she’s hurt or upset.’
‘Give him a moment. Seems to me he’s doing his best.’ Toby stared her down. ‘Come on, Doc, let him show Aimee who he is to her.’
Slowly she inched back down onto the chair. ‘You’re right. But I want to be there for Aimee.’
Keisha nodded. ‘That nurturing thing. But Toby’s right. If Marshall hasn’t had much to do with kids, and especially with his daughter, then he’s doing really well. It’s gone quiet out there.’
Charlie blinked. ‘So it has.’ Pride swelled in her chest. Marshall was a fantastic dad. If only she could get him to see that, to believe it.
*
Marshall watched Toby gently help Keisha into the car and close the door with a soft click. ‘Poor bastard. He doesn’t have a clue what to do other than be right beside his wife every moment.’
Charlie grimaced. ‘Not much either of them can do right now. The waiting is horrible. They’ll be wondering if Keisha is going to die, if she’ll live and see her boys grow up, if she even has cancer or not. They’ll make plans for the boys in case the worst happens and then change them every five minutes.’
His heart thudded in his chest. Charlie was speaking from experience. If only he hadn’t changed his email address he’d have been here for her. Yeah—if the army had given him leave. ‘How long did you have to wait to find out your results?’
‘Ten days. Felt like ten years. I hardly slept that whole time. Spent hours just watching Aimee in her basinet, drinking in as much about her as possible. She was so tiny and vulnerable and I didn’t know how long I’d be there for her.’ Her voice caught and she slapped the back of her hand over her cheek.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he hauled her up against him. ‘But you are here, and the future’s looking good. Aimee’s happy, and lucky to have the best mom ever.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘You made it, Charlie. Hang onto that and try to let the past go.’
She sniffed against his shirt. ‘I’m trying, believe me. But having to tell Keisha she might have cancer threw me. I thought I’d manage but it seems I haven’t completely put it all behind me.’
‘You’re strong and getting stronger by the day.’ He put her away from him enough to be able to see her face. ‘Promise to let me know any time you feel you can’t manage. I can’t make up for not knowing but I can be sure to talk with you any time you’re worried. Okay?’
Her teeth left an indentation on her bottom lip as she nodded. ‘Okay. That would be good.’ She didn’t look overly convinced, though.
*
Hours later Marshall tucked a strand of Charlie’s hair behind her ear as she slept, curled up against him in her bed. He hadn’t had more than a catnap through the night, afraid to miss any moment holding Charlie to him. What she’d told him about her cancer had cut him deep. How had she coped with all the worry and fear it had brought while trying to look after a baby? At least she’d had
Brendon but Keisha was way better off having Toby with her at this time.