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Jeni and Logan sat on either side of him for a while, but nothing they said seemed to make a dent in his foul mood. Finally, Jeni decided to call in reinforcements.
Jeni:You busy? It’s Andrew.
Lauren:No, what’s wrong? Did he hear about the scan already?
Jeni:Yeah. I guess they didn’t get it all. We’re at McNellie’s.
Jeni watched the dots dance along the screen, hoping Lauren would say something comforting, like, Don’t worry, that’s normal. We can still cure him. Or, He’ll be okay, I promise. Lauren had been a great resource for Andrew and their family through this whole ordeal, and Jeni trusted her knowledge on the subject.
Lauren: Be there soon as I can.
Jeni’s stomach dropped, and she turned her phone face down on the bar top. It wasn’t long before Lauren’s feminine voice sounded from behind them.
“Andrew?”
He flipped around on the stool, and the look on his face the second he saw Lauren pulled at Jeni’s heartstrings. He was so obviously enamored with her, and she immediately walked into his open arms.
Andrew leaned forward a little as he hugged Lauren, giving Jeni a clear view of Logan. Logan’s gaze was on Jeni, singular and focused, like she was the center of his entire world, and she felt warm all over. A weight settled on her chest but in a way that was soothing, not unpleasant. Logan slid his hand along the bar, and Jeni met him. They briefly touched, skin to skin, behind Andrew’s back. Jeni pulled back quickly, her fingers tingling.
Andrew stood and excused himself to the restroom and said he and Lauren were leaving afterward. Lauren slid onto Andrew’s vacated barstool.
“Don’t worry. I’m driving,” she said to no one in particular.
“Thanks for coming,” Jeni said. “You’re obviously the only one he wants to talk to.”
“Hey,” Logan protested. “He was talking to me before you got here.”
Jeni raised an eyebrow. “About his feelings and stuff?”
He deflated. “Not really. It was more me talking to myself than a two-way conversation but still. He called me first.”
Logan pouting was adorable as hell, and Jeni stored it in her memory bank. She turned to Lauren, focusing on the serious matter at hand. “What does this mean? Did the chemo not work?”
“Not necessarily. Since I’m with a different service at the cancer center I can’t ask his oncologist about it, even though I desperately wanted to call her when you texted me. I haven’t seen the scan report, so I’m not sure how bad it was. But with his stage of lymphoma it’s relatively common for there to be a little bit of residual disease after four cycles of chemo, and we have to give two more to get it all. I’m hoping that’s all it is.”
Logan nodded. “That’s what he said when I met him here. Dr. Patel said he needed a little more of the same chemo.”
“That’s good, then,” Lauren said. “If things looked worse, they’d be changing the plan completely.” She put an arm around Jeni’s shoulders, and she felt a little better.
When Andrew and Lauren left, Jeni and Logan moved to a booth in the back corner and sat on the same side of the table.
“I can’t see you very well to talk to you like this,” Jeni complained.
Logan tucked her close against his side. “But I can’t touch you when you’re across the table. This is better.”
He leaned over and kissed her neck, sending goosebumps down her arm.
Okay, it was better like this.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. I just hate this for Andrew. I’ve gone with him to every single chemo appointment. He puts on a brave face, but I know he hates it. I just wish it was over.”
“Me too. Hopefully it will be soon.” He squeezed her shoulder. “You’re a good sister. He’s lucky to have you with him, supporting him.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Logan smiled, but his eyes seemed sad. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he’d ever wanted biological siblings or if he’d become close with fellow foster kids, but he quickly moved on. “When are we going to tell Andrew about us now?”
