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She smiled at him sadly. She didn’t want to. The doctor told her they had a good success rate with her kind of cancer but nothing in life was ever guaranteed. Sophie had never felt more vulnerable in her life than this moment waiting for her treatments to begin.
“I’ll try not to. I want to grow old with you. I want you to still be chasing me around the house when we’re seventy like you promised.”
He rested his forehead against hers. Then he kissed her again. “Come on. You have your interview in forty-five minutes.”
He nodded then he shut her door.
**
Sophie greeted the young man who walked in the door of Russack Landscaping. Blonde, blue eyed. Nothing but trouble, she thought. Broad shoulders. Built like he worked out. Tan, so he was probably used to working outdoors, she deduced.
“Sophie Russack,” she introduced herself as she stood behind her desk. She extended her hand to him.
“Jagger Crosby,” he shook her hand as he told her his name.
She couldn’t help it. She knew her eyebrows raised at his name. She was surprised by the unusualness.
“Mom loves the Rolling Stones,” he replied giving her a big smile. Flirtatious too. She shook her head at him.
“My husband, Josh is waiting for you. Follow me.” Sophie stepped around her, solid oak desk. Everything in the receptionist area was light and airy.
“Thanks,” he replied.
She glanced over her shoulder as she led him down a short, hallway to Josh’s office where he was busy, reviewing a contract for a new opportunity. More work. More that they didn’t need but Josh didn’t turn anything down.
“Josh,” she said his name. He glanced up from the contract. “Jagger Crosby is here to see you.”
“Great.” She stepped out of the doorway, into Josh’s office allowing Jagger to come into the small space with her.
The two men were about the same height. Six feet three. Josh still worked out even though he was no longer an athlete. She guaranteed that Jagger did as well. They shook hands. Josh glanced at Sophie. “Are you staying?” He asked not that he cared if she stayed.
“Nope, this is your territory. Not mine.”
He laughed as she backed out of the office and shut his door. She wondered what the new manager should look like? Not a guy with a surfer haircut, long and blonde. A laid back, easy going guy. She hadn’t even seen Jagger’s resume, so she didn’t know his credentials. Obviously, Josh had never seen him before so something about his resume and his phone call with the guy appealed to her husband because this was the only interview Josh had for the position.
Sophie went back to the front desk and went to work. She had invoices to pay. Letters to send out about fall clean-up. She turned and glanced out the picture window behind her. The leaves were just starting to turn color. Soon, they would wither and blanket the ground in variegated colors of yellow, red and green.
Six months, she would receive chemotherapy. March, when winter was winding down but still could be cold and possibly snowy, she would be done. Then they would move to the next step. Surgery and or radiation. She didn’t feel bad. That was what was so unnerving about this disease. It wasn’t like it had any signs once it started in your body. She appeared healthy to anyone looking at her.
It wasn’t painful. There was just this lump. She couldn’t feel it since the biopsy. Every time she showered now she felt her breasts. She was paranoid. Sophie leaned back in her chair and stared up at the heavens outside. The sky was blue and the clouds fluffy white.
Why me? I had a good life.
There was no response.
Was it because I stopped going to church?
Still no response.
Did I not appreciate my life enough? Did I take it too much for granted? I know how good I had it.
Then she thought about the children who get this disease and it made her angry. Why them? Why anyone? Why cancer? She didn’t understand it, a nasty disease.
She was talking to God, but he wasn’t listening to her. Not yet anyway.
Is this my punishment?
She needed to talk to Father Paddy. He would know the right words to ease her mind. He kept their small church opened from seven in the morning until eleven at night, so people could come in and pray. Light a candle for a loved one. She texted Josh and told him that she was running an errand.
