AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I make a strangled sound in my throat at my father’s words, but he continues before I can correct him.
“The truth is, sweetheart, it’s a relief to see you settled with someone. It isn’t the way I would’ve wanted but it makes me happy to know you have someone to support you.”
The tone of my father’s voice causes a sudden tension in my belly. His speech has an end-of-days quality about it that sets my teeth on edge.
“I have support. I have you and my friends. Why would me marrying Hudson make a difference?”
My mother lets out a sob and I go to her, crouching at her feet and taking her hands in mine. I look at her properly now and see the dark circles around her eyes. The pale translucent quality of her skin. It’s so at odds with the classy, glamorous woman I’ve known all my life.
“Mom, tell me what’s going on?”
She looks at me, her eyes shimmering with tears, and then to my father and shakes her head. “I can’t. I can’t say it, John.”
My father pats her hand and nods. “It’s okay. It will be alright.”
My heart is almost beating out of my chest now, panic holding me in its crippling claws. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
“I have cancer.”
The bottom of my world falls away at my father’s words. Unnatural silence fills the room and I’m sure my heart is going to pound right out of my chest. I shake my head as I sit back on my heels, all the energy wiped out of me like someone has pulled the plug.
“No.” I shake my head as if denying the words will make them go away.
My dad reaches for my hands, and I let him take them, a sense of panic filling me, like I need to go back and undo something but it’s too late.
“Sweetheart, listen to me. I have stage three Myeloma, which is a type of blood cancer.”
“But how? When?”
I stare at the man who has been my rock, the man who I always look to when things are too much, who dries my tears and doesn’t ask questions.
“We found out a few weeks ago. I’ve been getting a few chest infections, so they did some blood work.”
“Are you going to die, Daddy?”
My father cups his big hands over my cheeks and looks at me with a ferocious, yet tender gaze. “We’re all going to die, Audrey, but my prognosis suggests I have about six months to a year.”
That isn’t enough. I’m not ready to lose my father. I never will be. I want him to be there for all my highs, to watch me conquer every dream I ever had.
“We have time, sweetheart, but it does mine and your mother’s heart good to know you have the love of a good man.”
“What?”
“Hudson. Your husband.”
Shame coils inside me as I realize that I’ve robbed my father out of walking me down the aisle. I have to tell them it’s all a lie and break their hearts when they’re already battling with this. As I go to admit the truth, that my marriage is a drunken shame, I find myself doing the exact opposite. “He is a good man. I love him and he loves me. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
As the lie leaves my mouth, I try not to acknowledge how much truth might be in my loving him, because it’s a wound that would tear me apart if I opened my heart to it right now.
“We can’t wait to meet him either, sweetheart. Maybe you can bring him over for dinner this week. We’d really like to get to know our new son-in-law. Even if he didn’t come with you today.”
My father’s frown makes me smile. He wants what’s best for me, but he’ll definitely give Hudson a hard time for letting me face this alone as he sees it.
“He had to see a client. You know what it’s like, Daddy. The law stops for no man or woman.”
“I do. Now, why don’t you tell us all about him.”
“Audrey.”
