Page 184 of Halo

She looks down at the supplies.

“I keep getting the adhesive stuck together.”

“Okay.”

After a long hesitation, she holds one side toward me.

“Just hold this part. And don’t look.”

I pinch it carefully between my fingers. “Like this?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

She takes a shaky breath and starts again.

And this time, we do it together.

We finish the bag together, and when the last edge is finally sealed, Leah stares down at it like she doesn’t quite trust that it’s going to stay.

Her cheeks are still pink when she pulls her shirt down.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

I turn on the faucet and wash my hands. “No sweat, darlin’. You’ll get the hang of it.”

“I still hate it.”

“You’re allowed to hate it.”

Her phone starts ringing from the bedroom.

She closes her eyes. “Can you grab that?”

I glance over my shoulder with a grin. “Look at you asking for help.”

“Don’t ruin it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I jog into the bedroom and grab her phone from the nightstand, but the smile disappears when I see the name on the screen.

Her oncologist’s office.

When I walk back into the bathroom, Leah takes one look at my face.

“Is that them?”

I nod.

For a second, neither of us moves.

Then I hand her the phone.

I motion toward the hallway, silently asking if she wants privacy, but she immediately shakes her head.

“Stay.”