Page 11 of Ransom

I brace myself, knowing what's coming.

"You need to start stepping in more," Maggie says, her voice gentle but firm. "If... this doesn't go the way I hope it does, you're going to have to do this every night. It'll be easier on Max if you're already part of the routine."

The matter-of-fact way she talks about her death sends a chill through me. I want to argue, to tell her she's going to be fine, but the words die on my lips. We both know what the doctors said.Stage 4. Twenty percent chance. Affairs in order. Stay hopeful.

"I know," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I know, Mags. It's just... tonight, I couldn't. I'm sorry."

Maggie pulls me into a hug, and I bury my face in her shoulder, fighting back tears. "It's okay, honey. I understand. But we need to start preparing. You and Max, you're going to have to form your own little family without me."

She says it like it's inevitable, and for a second, my throat closes up. I pull back, meeting her gaze. The calm acceptance in her eyes both amazes and terrifies me. "How can you be so... okay with this?"

She smiles, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I'm not okay with it, Blair. But I've made my peace with it. I've had more opportunities than most to come to terms with my mortality. Now, I just want to make sure you and Max are taken care of, if this is it."

I want to fight her, to convince her that she'll beat this like she has before. But the words stick in my throat. We bothknow the odds. The cancer's spread farther, faster than anyone imagined.

"I'm scared, Mags," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to do this without you."

Maggie cups my face in her hands, her touch gentle. "You're stronger than you think, Blair McKenna. You've been doing it already, more than you realize. Max adores you. You're already his family."

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Maggie pulls me close again, and I let myself sink into her embrace, savoring the comfort while I still can. I know I’m supposed to be comforting her, but tonight, I can’t.

I just can’t.

"We'll take it one day at a time," Maggie murmurs. "That's all any of us can do."

I pull away from Maggie's embrace, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. My chest feels tight, a mixture of fear and hope warring inside me.

"What about... what about that new trial they mentioned last time?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we could?—"

Maggie's gentle laugh cuts me off. "Blair, honey, we've been down this road before. There's no magic cure hiding in some lab."

I feel my face flush with embarrassment. Of course, she's right. We've explored every option, chased down every lead. But still, I can't help but hope.

"I know, I just..." I trail off, unable to finish the thought.

Maggie takes my hand, her grip warm and familiar. "It's okay. I know you want to fix this. But sometimes, we have to accept what we can't change."

"But you're not giving up."

Something shifts in her face, just for a second. Then she gives me a small smile. "I'm not giving up. I'm just being realistic." Then she shakes herself. "You know," Maggie says, a hint of her usual serenity in her eyes, "I've got a pretty good idea of what's waiting for me on the other side. My faith's gotten me through a lot, Blair. It'll get me through this, too."

I manage a weak smile. Even now, facing death, Maggie's still steady.

"I wish I had your faith," I admit. "But I don't know anything anymore."

Maggie squeezes my hand. "You've got your own kind of faith, Blair. I've seen it. In the way you love Max, in how you've stuck by me through all of this. That's its own kind of belief."

I open my mouth to respond, but the words catch in my throat as I see Maggie's eyes well up. Her calm facade cracks, and suddenly she looks so vulnerable, so scared.

"Blair," she says, her voice fierce despite the tears. "I need you. I need to know you'll be okay. That Max will be okay."

The raw emotion in her voice hits me like a physical blow. I've known Maggie since we were kids, and have seen her through every up and down. Most of the time, I would give her shit about her tears. Most of the time, she cries over stupid shit, like commercials and flowers.

This kind of tears, the sad scared kind, scares the shit out of me.

"Mags," I choke out, pulling her into a tight hug. "We'll be okay. I promise. I'll take care of Max. I'll... I'll figure it out." And I will. I have to. Because no way do I want to let her down. She and the kid are my family. I love them both.

But I need Maggie in a way I don’t need anyone else. She’s my rock. My best friend. The sister I didn’t know I needed.

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