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She huffed at him. He held the door for her. She hated that too. She wasn’t even strong enough to get the door open and keep it open for herself.
“You don’t have to be mad at me, Sophie.”
“I’m not,” she snapped back at him.
“Sure, you are,” her dad replied. He always had been good at calling her out. “You’ve been a little testy the last few weeks.”
She stopped and stared at her dad. “I have a right to be testy. My bones ache to the point that I can’t sleep at night. I can’t poop to save my life then when I can I have the runs. I can’t eat except Marcy’s rice pudding. No one else can seem to make it no matter how many times she shows you guys how to do it.”
Her father rolled his eyes at her tirade.
“Most of the time, my stomach feels like it’s twisting in knots. So even if my taste buds weren’t shot to hell my stomach is.”
“You do have every right to feel as you do, Sophie. I understand your frustration,” her father’s tone was filled with compassion, “but you don’t have a right to treat all the people who love and care for you badly which you have been.”
She twirled away from him, her brightly colored, knitted cape, a gift from Marcy’s mother-in-law whirled around her hips. “Baby girl, you can be mad at me all you want but everyone has been walking on egg shells while you snap their heads off. It needs to stop.”
She glared at her dad over her shoulder. She was tired of this life that was wearing her down. She was getting discouraged with three months to go still. She huffed the rest of the way through the center, her gym shoes making a squeaky sound on the polished, tile.
Madge greeted Sophie. “You are too pale and not eating still. Let’s get on the scale first. Doctor Roberts wants a weight on you before we pump you up.”
Sophie rolled her eyes at Madge. She hopped on the scale and Madge blinked at her. “You don’t really think I’m dumb enough to fall for that. Hand over that suitcase you carry.”
She held out the black, bag she carried everywhere. She needed the black hole, she called a purse. Her father chuckled at her. She glared over her shoulder. “You be quiet.”
Her dad was a handsome guy, she thought. His hair was dark at one time like hers. He was big like her brother. Still fit, like him too because he worked at being healthy. Her mom was more like her. Small but squishy from having two babies.
Sophie faced front. “Hand over the cape too. I’d like an accurate reading if you don’t mind.”
Sophie growled at Madge and draped her cape over Madge’s arm. She adjusted the weights on the scale until she had a weight that Madge was happy with.
“One hundred eight pounds. Kiddo, you need to start drinking more shakes or you’re going to disappear on us,” Madge told her.
“I’m trying.”
“No, you aren’t,” her dad corrected her. “You do nothing but complain about the shakes and the taste of food. The only thing you will eat is Marcy’s rice pudding and only she can make it to suit you.”
Sophie whirled around with tears in her eyes. “Maybe I should sit in the waiting room,” her father declared. “Madge, I’ll take those with me, so you and Sophie don’t have to bother with them.”
“Thanks Duke.” He took Sophie’s purse and her cape and turned away from them.
“Dad,” her father turned and looked at her. “I’m sorry.”
“Soph, just remember we’re all here to support you not become your whipping boy because you’re angry that cancer has turned your life upside down.”
She gasped. Then she stared at her father’s back as he walked away. “I’ve been a little hateful.”
Madge smiled at her. “Sophie, you’re dealing with a lot. No one can understand how hard this is who hasn’t gone through it. Even those that watch you go through it and see how hard it is don’t fully understand how bad it truly is.”
“I guess,” Sophie agreed.
Madge squeezed her hand. “Guess who is getting fluids today too?” She had no clue and wasn’t in the mood for guessing games. Madge tugged her off the scales. “Deandra. She’s hooked up and waiting on you.”
Sophie was excited to see her friend. She had talked to Deandra many times on the phone since their first meeting. In the infusion room, Sophie took a seat next to her.
“How’ve you been?” Deandra asked. “Now, that’s a dumb question, isn’t it?” She laughed at herself.
Sophie chuckled. “Ask my family? Kind of grumpy.”
