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"I know these sound like silly excuses"

"Yes, they’re excuses," I replied quietly "There’s never a good ti shitty happen to you But to lock everyone out? That’s how you make it worse for everyone else--and for yourself Because by doing that, you made us more than helpless And whether you’d want to adht it would be a quick surgery and some radiation So I didn’t think it really necessary to bother anyone with it--"

I scowled I couldn’t help it Fucking cancer and she didn’t want to "bother" us with it

"Let’s not worry about the past, okay? It’s done Let’s talk about today Now Your mom needs to know She deserves to know And she deserves to hear it from you" The same way I deserved to hear it…

She shook her head "Don’t force this on me"

"I won’t But…think of it like this What if she had never told you about her cancer? You were away at school She could have kept it from you for months without a probleone through all that alone? She will find out, eventually You can’t hide this from her forever Please, Mia"

She pressed the palan to sob, her entire body shaking "I’m scared, Adam! Okay? I don’t knohich I’nancy"

I reached out and pulled one of her palers closed around hers "I’ll be there I’ll help you"

She was still and silent for a long moment Took a deep breath and, with her head bowed, finally nodded "Okay," she whispered, and her hand tightened aroundpause, I slowly reain A fewinto Peter’s driveway Kim had stayed over another day when I’d contacted her yesterday, asking her to Heath would be here shortly, too This was Eot out of the car, my muscles stiff with annoyance Adah-handed fashion he handled s--until he’d heeded my pleas to pull over But I hadn’t been prepared for his calentle pleas That was different…

I took a deep breath,nearby I stared at the red-tri ht into the middle of her life when she had just found a new love and things were starting to look up for her in her life "Giveaway and putting his hands in his pockets "Take the time you need"

Adam did have a point--it was ti when I could tell her and I’d kept putting it off Might as well get it over with in one quick and painful blow

A weight sank in htened in my chest as I nodded and he turned for the front door I numbly followed hi, like he always did and called inside "Hey, we’re here"

Mom was the first person I saw and Ada around my neck I could tell by her face that she didn’t know Her features were clouded with uncertain worry I’d like to think I’d knohat her face would look like if she knew about the diagnosis I’d seen that face a thousand tihts I never got past the first word or two before utterly breaking down at the thought of having to destroy her like this

I kne that had felt two years before when she’d gotten her diagnosis It had gutted me, and Mom was only very recently cancer-free herself What if the stress of ain?

I pulled away from Mom, unable to meet her eyes She put her hands on either side of et through it, okay? I’m here for you"

I looked into her brown eyes, so much like my own, and I couldn’t keep it inside anyain

Her arms wrapped around me We stood in the kitchen alone Adam had already stepped away I tiltedas best I could but I was shaking so hard I couldn’t even gather a thought, much less collect myself