Jessica leaned forward immediately, her face lighting up with excitement. “Are you pregnant?” she asked.
A few chuckles filled the room.
“If that’s true, they surely got a jumpstart on things,” Jack added, laughing.
For a split second, I wished thatwasthe news.
I felt Jiya’s hand tighten in mine.
I looked at her and saw it—the way her shoulders shrank slightly, the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“No, that’s not it,” I said, exhaling slowly. “I don’t have good news, unfortunately.”
The room fell silent.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asked, his voice edged with concern. “Is everything alright?”
I swallowed.
There was no easy way to say it.
“I have cancer… stage four liver cancer.”
I watched as every face in the room changed at once.
Eyes widened.
Jaws dropped.
Shock spread across them like a ripple.
“How… What… When?” Liam stuttered.
I kept my grip on Jiya’s hand as I explained everything.
The first visit.
The second opinion.
The tests.
The diagnosis.
The prognosis.
As I spoke, I kept glancing at Liam.
I could see the fear in his eyes, the same fear I had seen years ago when we had stood side by side watching our parents fade.
“What about a third opinion?” Liam asked quickly. “I know a great doctor in the city.”
“I’ve done that already,” I said, shaking my head. “We saw another doctor. Same diagnosis.”
“Well, what’s the treatment?” Jack asked, his voice quieter now.
I suddenly felt exhausted. The strength I had been holding onto slipped just enough that I needed to sit down. I told them everything as I lowered myself onto a chair.
“Well, I don’t agree,” Liam said, his voice rising with urgency. “I think you should consider the treatment. Jiya, don’t you think?—”
