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“I—”
She walks into the kitchen.
I follow her, and Queen Rox quickly dominates my attention, and…I let the thread of conversation go.
But I promise myself I’m going to get to the bottom of what is making her sad.
I’m just…
Going to do it after I get Stefan to spill his guts.
Twenty-Seven
Stefan
“I can’t advise delaying treatment,” my doctor says, turning the monitor so I can see the scan on it.
“You said it’s smaller,” I point out.
“That is true.” He touches the tip of his pen to a section of the screen. “This is looking great. I wouldn’t do anything further on it at this time, but this”—he taps a different spot—“this needs to be taken care of, Stefan, and it needs to be sooner rather than later.”
“I’m not saying that I’m not going to do the treatment,” I say. “I just need a little more time.”
Like when Brit is on that extended road trip coming up, and I can get it done and recover before she gets back.
“These kinds of things aren’t served well by taking more time,” he says.
My temple starts throbbing, and I sigh. “I know.” I meet his eyes. “Believe me, I know.”
My doctor studies me. “But you’re still going to take that time, aren’t you?”
Basically, you’re still going to be an idiotic dumbfuck, aren’t you?
I get where he’s coming from—absolutely, I do.
I lived and breathed this reality for years…for the last year.
So, the short answer is yes.
I am going to be a dumbfuck.
But just for a little while.
Then I’ll be smart again.
“Roxie needs me,” I say. “She’s recovering from surgery and I need to be there for her.”
My doctor shakes his head. “Look,” he says. “I understand where you’re coming from, but you need to remember that kids are resilient, so while I think it’s admirable to want to be there for your daughter”—he clicks his pen, tucks it into his pocket—“I also want you to consider that might not be the real reason you’re hitting the brakes now.”
Irritation begins to burn in my gut.
But he’s still talking.
“So, you need to think whether if this delay is really because you’re worried about your daughter? Or if it’s another reason…”
I brace, thinking he’s seen through me, that he knows exactly how long I want the delay and for what reason, especially as he seems to war with what he wants to say.
And I know he knows it’s not just about Rox.
