Page 61 of Housekeeping

33

Mason

I let Laura have her say and decided I had a few things of my own to say or I would explode. I could afford to give her the best treatment money can buy, but right now, she just wanted a friend and I was cool with that. They say money can’t buy love, but it buys a lot of other things, and that includes the best healthcare. It’s sad but true, and later I’d argue with her about it until she caved, because her health wasn’t something I was willing to play with.

She looked hesitant, like she wanted to let me off the hook and I wasn’t having it.

“You told me about partners and how the patients have to watch their loved ones suffering, but they never have to go through it themselves. That’s why they cry for them and wish they could take away the pain. I can sit and hate the idea that you’re going through so much pain, but I would never, ever in a million years understand it unless I contract cancer myself.”

She slumped down and as she sat she said, “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

The idea of Laura having any enemies brought a smile to my face. She had no idea how beautiful she was on the inside as well as the outside.

“I’m going to be a fucking pain in the arse from now on, Laura. I promise you that. I’m going to make you think, ‘Shut the fuck up Mason’, but I don’t care. I want the best for you and if I fucking cry in your arms, so be it. If I pay your bills and buy you treats, you’re going to take them, because when I couldn’t get hold of you and I didn’t have a fucking clue if you were alive or dead, that was far worse than being by your side. Trust me. I will do whatever it takes to keep you by my side from now on, my love, and nothing can change that or push me away.”

She pouted and she didn’t even think about disputing what I said to her. She smiled in the end and kissed me before she got up and headed to the shower. I was dressed, but I’d made sure my phone was off.

The last thing I needed was my dramatic family calling. I watched as she re-entered the room a few minutes later and started to get dressed. Before she’d have been shy around me. Now, it seemed almost natural for her to be naked in front of me and I smiled at it. She knew I was right and she was slowly and surely starting to trust me.

She nodded. “Let’s do this…”

Her voice was quivering, and I knew she was scared but she had no reason to be, because the whole time she was getting ready and dressed, I was praying. Me, Mason Thompson closed his eyes for a brief second and prayed for everything to be alright. It had to be. Laura came into my life for a reason, and it wasn’t for her to leave just as fast as she’d come into it.

I stood up and said, “Great.” I smiled with confidence knowing there was nothing to worry about. Then we walked out of the apartment and headed for my car. I still kept an eye on her in case she tried something silly like closing the door behind me and staying inside. So I made sure that she left first and I swiftly closed the door behind me. Laura listened to what I’d said and as she followed me to the car, I wrapped my arm around her waist and smiled. “It’s going to be alright.”

Again, she gently nodded as she sat down. This time I was sure she was smiling too.

“Which hospital is it?” I asked, putting on my seatbelt. “It should be in my GPS.”

She told me the name of the hospital, and my GPS brought up the directions and it was time for us to leave. I started the car, following the directions, and we seemed to arrive in no time at all. I glanced over at Laura who was clutching at the seatbelt and shaking. I sighed.

“Come on, Laura,” I encouraged. “You’ll get the news at some point, so you might as well get it over with.”

“But what if it’s bad news?” she protested weakly.

“It won’t be.” I wanted it to be true too much to think otherwise. “If we hear something that we don’t like then we’ll get a second opinion. Either way, you’re not doing this alone.”

I kissed her hand and that small smile, the nervous one that agreed with me appeared on her face. I got out first and went around to the side, opening the door for her. I leaned inside to undo her seatbelt and crouched down as I took both of her hands in mine.

“Just come in with me, okay? I’ll be with you the whole time if you’d like, and you can strangle my hand if it makes you feel better. Or my head?”

She laughed. “I can’t strangle your head…”

“Oh, you’ve tried it then. That’s why my head always feels funny in the morning.”

It changed both of our moods as I hit the lock on the car, and we headed for the hospital building. I didn’t know where exactly we were going, but Laura had clearly been there plenty of times. I was confused at the many turns we took, but she didn’t even stop to ask or check the directions. Finally, we came to a corridor with some plastic seats up against the wall, to the side of a door, and she stopped. I checked the nameplate.

“Dr. Matthew?” I asked.

Laura nodded. “She’s the doctor I’ve been seeing since I moved and started my routine visits here.”

I looked to some seats where a few other people were clearly waiting to go inside themselves. Laura sat in the closest empty seat and I sat down next to her. Across from us, there was a little plastic case put up against the wall with some pamphlets inside. Because I was bored, I decided to pick up one to read.

Oncology, huh…

I started from the front, occasionally checking on Laura sitting next to me. I held the pamphlet with one hand, the other staying firmly in both of Laura’s. By how tight she held me, it was obvious she was anxious about this. I learned more about oncology as we sat there waiting for her appointment.

“My sister, Emily, says you guys are friends. Does she know about this?”