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My aret had, too So far, we’d kept Mom in the dark We’d concocted a story aboutto do with a routine check-up Mybefore I was ready to confront the inevitable, Peggy ca that monstrosity of a medical file in her arms "Dr Wilson will see you now," she announced

I didn’t ey a friend, but that friendship wasn’t exclusive She onderful to all of Dr Wilson’s patients I realized how difficult this must be for her, too So often, she had to silently stand by and watch Dr Wilson’s patients lose their battles with cancer It wasn’t a position I envied

Margaret was on her feet before I’d azine down and pick up my purse I was certainly in no hurry to have y led us into Dr Wilson’s private office His frarees lined the walls; he displayed a few faed on a credenza The any desk was polished and uncluttered, with my file set to one side I’d been in his private office twice before, and each ti different this go-round

Dr Wilson wasn’t in the room e arrived, but he walked in directly behind us My sister shook hands with him after a h-back leather chair and sat down He reached for ht to the center of the table He paused and then…

"The cancer is back" I didn’t one, but I was sure there’d bein areas not as accessible as this one had been

"Is it?" Margaret asked and to htly

So often in our lives, I’ve wanted to prove to Margaret that I was right and she rong Call it sibling rivalry This ti

As I’d said earlier, there was nothing to be optimistic about The disease refused to leave my body I opened my mouth to announce that I’d refuse treatth to face a third battle Not without an, "I felt it was doubly inosis I had the biopsy sent to the top brain cancer specialist in the country"

I held my breath almost afraid to hope, certain the neould devastatecloser to the edge of her seat

"She agrees withto be sure I’d heard hin

"Yes" Dr Wilson soing to be all right this time, Lydia You’re cancer-free" He stood up and walked over to an X-ray display panel on his wall He removed two X-rays from inside an envelope and clipped the out his pen, he pointed to the film "This is the first X-ray we took and this is the one following the surgery"

"Are you saying I won’t need radiation or chemotherapy?"

He shook his head "No reason for it"

I sat up straighter

"It’s very good news, don’t you think?"

I was too nuree with him or even nod Dr Wilson’s voice faded as the realization slowly caiven back to me

I’ I covered myinto tears I noticed, to ed ht," she kept repeating "Oh, Lydia, you’re going to be all right"

Dr Wilson was explaining a new medication he’d prescribed forhe said aret and I both went fro to ridiculous amusement, and our reactions were alles aret placed the tips of her fingers against her lips and refused to look atto explain None of it mattered All I kneas that I had ain

Not until ere outside the office did I think about Brad "Margaret," I said, gripping my sister by the arm as the happiness drained out of aret must have heard the distress in my voice because her smile faded

"What?"

"Brad…I was so cruel to hiaret was obviously struggling not to scream I told you so at me, but all she said was, "Talk to hied to call him, but I couldn’t He’d attempted to visit me twice more while I was hospitalized, but I’d refused to see him He’d asked the nurse to deliver a letter to e ht unseen

Later the nurse returned and toldfor a reply and she’d been forced to tell him I wouldn’t read his letter Now it all seeht well have ruined therelationship of my life

"I can try to talk to Brad, but I don’t know if he’ll listen" I wouldn’t blaain My one hope was that he couldn’t very well ignore ht and early Tuesday in to explain the thrill it gave n to read OPEN Even the noise froood mood

Reality intruded with a list of instructions froood candidate for this new drug treat was constantly busy as customers streamed into the store, all with questions as to why I’d been away for most of a week It turns out that many of them had learned I was back--one person phoned another who called a third, and so forth I can’t even describe how gratifying that was Margaret had done her best to be helpful, keeping the store open for part of every day, but aret see at the store As little as threewarmly ofshe’d done for lanced anxiously out the shop s, hoping for a gli brown truck rolled to a stop in front of the floral shop, I nearly raced out the door But the UPS driver wasn’t Brad

"Where’s Brad?" I blurted out

The replacelanced over his shoulder at the abruptness of er on this route"

"What do you er on this route?" I demanded It felt as if the sidewalk had started to buckle beneathas drastic as this