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EMMA
Helen’s house hadn’t changed since I’d been there. The cats greeted me out the front. Pepper gave Xavier a curious sniff, while Salt took one look at him and hid under the patio furniture.
Helen’s skin was pale and her eyes were sunken, but she broke into a smile as soon as she saw me, and pulled me in for a hug.
“How have you been?” she asked, squeezing me tightly. “I’ve been concerned about you.”
“About me?” I asked into her shoulder. She was taller than me, and her cardigan was itchy on my cheek, but I ignored the impulse to scratch it. “I’ve been worried about you!”
“I’m okay,” Helen said, pulling away from the hug to look wearily at Xavier.
“This is my friend, Xavier,” I said quickly. “He’s keeping me company for the day.” I knew Xavier must have looked intimidating, with his height, broad body, and beard, but Helen took it in her stride.
“Come on in,” she said to both of us. “I bought some new cookies to try.”
I hadn’t asked him to, but Xavier had covered himself up: he was wearing a long-sleeve buttoned shirt and jeans. His hands were firmly thrust in his pockets, except for the moment where he took the door from Helen to hold it open for me, and he’d buttoned the shirt high enough so it covered the tattoos on his neck. It was only in the kitchen, when he took over tea-making duties, that Helen noticed the tattoos on his hands and her eyebrows shot up.
“Xavier’s a tattoo artist,” I explained. “He owns the studio where they’re fixing mine.”
“Ah,” Helen said. “And why is he here?” She fetched the bag of cookies from the pantry and tore them open at the top edge. “Don’t get me wrong — I like the extra company, but I’m used to seeing you by yourself.”
I chewed my lower lip as she poured the cookies into a bowl.
“Nathan’s been stalking me.”
Helen looked alarmed.
“Oh dear. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I said, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat as I thought about the day before. “I am, thanks to these guys.”
“I thought he might have been your boyfriend,” Helen said. She sealed the packet and left it on the kitchen bench. “Remember what I said? You should find someone who makes you happy.”
Xavier had his back to us while he prepared the tea — he was pretending he couldn’t hear this conversation, but I knew he could. Cora’s words came back to me —why not make it happen?— and I pushed them away. I didn’t need ideas like that right now. Especially not while Helen still looked troubled.
“Are you sure everything’s alright?” I asked and squeezed her hand.
“Of course, I’m just tired,” Helen said. Aside from the spaces she’d cleared for our plates and cups, the table was covered with loose papers. One of the top ones was a letter from her general practitioner’s office, and I picked it up.
Dear Mrs. Williams. We recently saw you on Tuesday the 2ndof August. Please make an appointment to discuss your recent test results as soon as possible. Sincerely, Dr. Nikolas Russo.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Helen said. “I’m sure they’re just being cautious. A blur on the mammogram or something.”
I re-read the letter.
“I don’t think so,” I said, as fear tightened my chest. “This looks serious. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Helen looked at me as Xavier brought our tea over. Her gaze was steady, but her eyes were watery, as though she’d been crying.
“It’s just a doctor’s appointment,” she said lightly. “I’ve been to hundreds of them. I’ll be okay.”
“Still,” I said, not wanting to admit how I was feeling. “Would you like some company?”
I couldn’t handle it if Helen died. She was my favorite client, and she reminded me of my mom. It wasn’t like I could make her cancer go away, any more than I could make Nathan leave me alone. But I could be there with her, and try my hardest to make the process easier.
Helen smiled.
