AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, I don’t. I get that it’s going to be hard, but death would be harder. I don’t want to lose you. Maybe it’s me being selfish, but I can’t just accept you not fighting for your life.”
“Well… you don’t have a choice. It’s my life, my body, my decision. And my decision is to forget I even found out the shit returned.”
“It’s not just your life that this choice affects, Faith,” he reminded, releasing her. She leaned against the wall, avoiding his eyes. “It affects mine too. You’re my wife, my life partner. Are you seriously telling me I have no say in this?”
Her head shook, and she barely gave it a second of thought before saying, “I’m sorry, but no. You don’t. I’m not going through with another round of chemo. I’m sorry.”
Clenching his jaw, Sincere released a hard breath with a nod. He stared at her for a few seconds before entering their bedroom to get his keys. If he didn’t get away from her, there would be no guarantee that he wouldn’t say or do something that he would regret. It was one thing for him to have to accept the fact that his wife had cancer, but now she wanted him to accept the fact that she didn’t plan to fight it too?
3
Faith
The past weekhad been tough. Faith didn’t know what she was expecting when she told her husband about the cancer, but she wasn’t expecting him to shut down on her. While she wanted to go into victim mode and swear he was acting just like her first husband, this was her doing. Sincere had offered to go above and beyond for her—to be there for whatever she needed—but the moment she reiterated not wanting to undergo treatment, their bond was broken.
Though she stood behind her choice, Faith was willing to discuss it again for Sincere’s sake. She didn’t know how much time she had, and she certainly didn’t want to spend it at war with her husband. Without treatment, she could live five months or five years, there was no way to say. A part of Faith wanted to spend every day she had left with Sincere, but the other part of her wanted to leave him now and spare him the pain of watching her deteriorate.
With a slow breath, she grabbed the to-go box of food that she’d purchased him for lunch and got out of her Toyota Camry. It didn’t take her long to make her way across the parking lot to get to his building. When she walked inside, she greeted the receptionist then headed back to Sincere’s office. When he went to law school, he had no intention of becoming a real estate lawyer, but after interning at a real estate law firm all throughout college, he fell in love with the field.
After tapping the door softly, Faith opened, smiling at the sight of her handsome husband. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving him. But there was no doubt in her mind that he’d be able to move on if he allowed himself to. She also knew it would be hard as hell for him to open his big heart up to another woman after she’d harvested such a garden of love there. All she could do was pray he allowed himself the grace and luxury to move on and receive the love he deserved.
“Hi, Attorney Miles,” she greeted with a smile, closing the door behind her.
“Hey,” he greeted, relaxing in his seat. It wasn’t the excited tone and smile he usually had when he saw her, but that was okay. Hopefully, by the end of her visit, that would change.
“I brought you lunch. Is now a good time?”
Sincere nodded as he stood. He took his glasses off, giving her a better view of his beautiful brown eyes. Because he was a few inches taller than her, he had to lower himself to kiss her… and even that felt different. Usually, she’d lose herself in his plump, bowtie-shaped lips, but this time, he didn’t give her a chance to.
“What’s this?” Sincere asked, taking the box with one hand and rubbing the faded waves atop his head with the other.
“Buffalo chicken salad.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Faith watched as he sat down, placing the salad on the edge of his desk.
“Something on your mind?”
She nodded, sitting across from him on the opposite side of his desk. “Yes.” She swallowed hard, eyes roaming his acorn-colored face. “Things have been weird between us, and I was hoping we could talk.”
He chuckled softly. “Nowyou want to talk?”
Her eyes rolled as she sat up in her seat. “I guess I deserve that, but yes, I want us to talk. I don’t like how distant you’ve been, and I know that’s really hypocritical, but it’s the truth.”
“What do you expect, Faith? You tell me that you’re sick on an inhale and that you aren’t going to try and get well as you exhale. What am I supposed to do with that, bae?”
Faith looked down at her hands cupped in her lap. “Accept that it’s what’s best for both of us.”
Sincere sucked his teeth. “You don’t get to decide what’s best for me; I do. How is losing you what’s best for me?”
“I’m not saying losing me is for the best, but if you love me and want me at peace, you would accept my choice. This may seem selfish, but I’m doing this for you too. I don’t want you to have to take care of me, see me suffer, be the bearer of my hurt and ill feelings. You don’t deserve to suffer through this with me…”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He stood and walked over to her side of the desk. “When I made the vow to love you and stand by you through sickness and in health, I meant that shit, Faith. If it takes a couple of months or a year or more to fight this, I’m willing to be by your side every step of the way. Whatever it takes for us to buy some more time. I would never give up on you, and I need you to have that same energy too.”
“Will you be content with me agreeing to think about it and discuss this later? Maybe when you get home?” she asked softly, standing and stepping between his legs. Faith placed a quick kiss to his lips, unable to resist. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she confessed, “I miss you.”
