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“I’d scale back. Maybe switch out some of the running for walking and turn down the intensity on the lifting. Might want to skip the boxing.”
“Okay, anything else?”
“There are medications we can try, but there’s a few more issues going on.”
I stop listening to the doctor when she starts to talk about cervical mucus. I focus on Maggie instead. Each new thing is like a strike to the face. She’s bearing it with incredible strength, but I know she’s crumbling inside.
When the doctor finishes, Maggie says, “So you’re saying this is unlikely.”
I move my eyes over to Dr. Curtis who I imagine has conversations like this multiple times a day. She says gently, “Without aggressive interventions, I’d say it’s very unlikely. With interventions, it will be a long road.”
Maggie deflates in her seat. I want nothing more than to touch her – to comfort her. She stands up and straightens her shirt.
“Thank you, Dr. Curtis. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” She extends her hand. Dr. Curtis shakes it, and Maggie exits the room without another word. I follow her to the elevator in silence. We ride down to the bottom floor in silence.
“Maggie...” I say as soon as we step outside. I reach to pull her into a hug, but she flinches and holds up her hands. “I can’t.”
I nod.
She looks across the street. “I want to walk around the park.”
“Okay.”
We cross the road, and I let her take the lead. She doesn’t say anything as we walk along the path, but her face is like stone – her eyes so sad it hurts to look at them.
After about fifteen minutes, she sits down on a bench. I sit beside her. “Can I put my arm around you?” I ask.
She nods. As soon as my arm touches her shoulder, she leans into me and starts crying – sobbing. I wrap both arms around her and pull her close. I wish I could say something to make her feel better or do something to fix this, but I can’t. There’s no fixing it. There are no words that will make this better, so I hold her and let her cry.
She cries for ten minutes and then pulls back. Neither of us has any tissues, she wipes her face with her sleeve. Just as I’m about to suggest we head back home; I hear my name – and then Maggie’s. We both jerk our heads up to see Will and Olivia walking toward us – Ansley in the stroller. They live on the other side of this park. We shouldn’t have been so careless. I dart my eyes to Maggie, she’s completely pale, panic in her eyes.
“Maggie, are you okay?” Olivia asks, her face is full of concern. Will is looking from me to Maggie and back again in confusion. Maggie looks over to me, desperate for me to say something.
I stand up and say, “Maggie had something happen at work. Just a bad day, that’s all.”
Will’s head is tilted slightly to the side, a line has formed between his brows.
“Why are you here? I didn’t even know you were in the country,” he says, coolly.
I clear my throat. “Yeah. I’m between trips.”
I look down at Maggie. She’s just staring at Ansley in the stroller with a look of despair. I whisper, “I’ll be right back.”
I motion for Will and Olivia to follow me. Once we are far enough away, Will says, “Declan, what the hell is going on?”
Olivia just looks nervously at me and then back in Maggie’s direction.
“It’s fine, really. Just a work thing.”
Will gestures toward Maggie. “She’s crying that hard over a work thing? Did she get fired? I don’t understand.”
“No. Nothing like that. It’s all I can say.”
His nostrils flare and then he says, “That's a bunch of bullshit, and we both know it.”
I just shrug.
He stares at the huge wet splotch on my shirt from Maggie’s tears and then says, “Why the hell would she call you anyway?”
