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Serena? What’s my ex-wife doing here unannounced?
“OK, send her in.”
I sit up in my chair and adjust my tie and wait for Serena to enter, which she does a few moments later.
Her blonde-headed lean frame walks into the large room that is my office and looks around. Her long hair swishes around her as she takes the room in.
“I can see you redecorated recently…” A stiff smile appears on her face.
I look around my office, which has remained unchanged between now and the last time she was here. The Persian rug beneath my mahogany desk, my tasteful blue drapes, and both my bookshelves crammed with medical volumes, various awards and knickknacks are all the same. I immediately know something is up.
I stand up, walk around my desk and give her a hug. I motion for her to take a seat and we both sit down.
Serena and I divorced around the time I startedMed-Fields. At the time she resented me for quitting medicine. She had told me that one of the reasons she had been attracted to me in the first place was because I was going to be a doctor. Apparently she had always seen herself being married to a doctor. Which is why I was shocked to my core when five years later, she married a struggling artist, Robert “Bob” Lazarus.
From what I can tell, over the last decade or so, Bob’s career has taken off. So I am glad that he can provide for her now.
Although it took some doing, Serena and I are friends now. After a difficult divorce, we both decided that it was best for Sophie if we found a way to co-parent in peace and not drag her into the middle of our shit. I am proud to say that we manage to do that and are genuinely friends now.
“So, what’s up?” I ask.
She smiles. “Am I that obvious?”
I returned her smile. “Actually, you are.”
She shrugs and sighs. “Well, I might as well get to it.”
“Please do.”
“So…I have some bad news.” She flips her hair over her shoulder then looks down into her lap, where she is playing with her hands.
“Serena…” She remains silent, but doesn’t look up at me. “Serena, please look at me.”
She takes a deep breath then raises her eyes to mine. I hold her gaze and try to give her as assuring of a smile as I can.
She takes another deep breath then says, “A few months ago, I felt a lump in my breast and went to the doctor.” My heart drops. “They ran some tests and diagnosed me with breast cancer.”
I don’t know what I was expecting her to confess, but this was definitely not it. All of a sudden I feel my eyes moisten, but I hold back the emotion. This is not a time for Serena to be worried about taking care of me. So I sit back in my chair, steeple my hands in front of my mouth and try to remain as stone-faced as I can and listen to her.
“The doctors were optimistic because we caught it early. They told me that chemo was my best option, so that’s what I did.” I can’t help it. My eyes shoot to the top of her head where her hair grows out of her skull and she chuckles. “It turns out I’m one of those people who don’t lose their hair as a result of chemo.” She laughs then continues. “Anyway, the chemo didn’t work.”
I can see fear on her face as she casts her eyes downward again.
“So what’s going to happen now?” I ask.
“They are suggesting a double mastectomy.”
“Wow… That’s extreme.”
“Yeah, it is. The doctors are worried that the cancer didn’t respond to the chemo, so they think the nuclear option would be best. I agree.”
I stand up, walk around my desk and stop by Serena. “Please, stand up.”
She doesn’t move for a few moments then she looks up at me. Tears begin to fall from her eyes. Then she climbs to her feet. As soon as she does, I wrap my arms around her and she starts bawling into my chest.
“Serena, you’re going to be just fine. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be OK. We are all here for you.”
“Oh, that’s actually why I am here.” She pulls back from me and fishes a tissue out of her purse and dabs her eyes as she sniffles. “You know Bob and I don’t have medical insurance and the chemo wiped out most of our savings. I don’t know how much the surgery is going to cost, but I came to ask if you would be able to help should we need that help. I promise, it would be a loan.”
