Page 74 of Toxic Hope
“We have your back, no matter what,” Easton whispers. All I can do is nod, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak. Somehow, when I wasn’t paying attention, she became the center of my life. I can’t let her go. I won’t.
Once the doctor sits across from us at his desk, the patience Emma’s shown so far dissolves. “How’s it looking?” she asks, leaning forward, her hands folded in her lap. All I can do is close a hand around her knee to silently remind her she’s not alone.
The doctor doesn’t keep us waiting long and thank god for that. When he smiles, I can breathe again. “I have to say I’m impressed.”
Easton and I look at each other behind the back of Emma’s head. “And that’s a good thing for me?” she whispers shakily.
“It’s a very good thing.” His smile is wide and reassuring, and the best thing I’ve seen yet today. “All of your markers are looking great. Exactly what I was hoping for at this point, if not a little better. You are on the right path with your treatment, Emma. I’m so happy to be able to give you this news today.”
Easton sits back, releasing a long breath and closing his eyes. I know how he feels. But it’s Emma’s sudden outburst of laughter that stands out above everything else. “Really? This is really happening? I’m getting better?”
“You are,” the doctor confirms with a wide smile. “You can believe it. I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s keep doing what we’re doing.”
“Whatever you say,” she agrees, laughing again. “I was hoping for this, but I was afraid at the same time. I don’t even know what to think.” She’s shaking, I realize, before I put my arm around her and pull her close.
“You’ve got this,” I tell her, closing my eyes the way Easton did, soaking in the relief of this moment. It isn’t over, but there’s hope. She’s going in the right direction.
And we are here with her, ready to stay by her side, no matter what the future holds.
“Thank you.” Her eyes shine up at me before she turns and cups Easton’s cheek. “Thank you both.… I don’t know what I would…”
Before she breaks down, I clear my throat. “Now that we have the good news, I think we need to go out and celebrate.”
“It’s 11 o’clock in the morning,” Emma points out with a laugh as we leave the doctor’s office. She’s still reeling, obviously—a little breathless, a little shaky. “And besides, I feel like we should go to the house so I can tell Grandma.”
“And how do you know that’s not exactly what I had in mind?” Throwing an arm around her shoulders as we walk down the hall, I cock an eyebrow at my brother. “What do you think? Should we pick up brunch and take it over?”
“You’re reading my mind,” he says, winking at Emma. “We have a lot to be thankful for today.”
Today? As far as I’m concerned, I’ll be thankful for the rest of my life, and all because of the girl standing between us as we wait for the elevator. The girl who changed our lives for the better. Forever.
And now that we have good news, forever is looking like a real possibility.
EPILOGUE
EMMA
One year later
“You must feel amazing.” Wren reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “Remission. It’s like a miracle.” I kept my sickness a secret for months before I finally confided in our friend circle. I’m glad I did because now they can celebrate with me.
“That’s a good word for it.” And I still haven’t completely wrapped my head around it. Remission. I can hardly believe it. It’s what I’ve been wishing and hoping for for so long. I always believed deep down inside I would get to this place—it’s just that there were a few scary days there for a while, when everything seemed dark and uncertain.
But then I had my guys with me to remind me there was life to be lived, and they gave me the hope it took to carry on. And thanks to them, I’ve come out on the other side in one piece. Better than ever.
“You look fantastic,” Maya tells me with a thumbs up. “I was just thinking the other day about how great you’ve been looking. Healthy.”
I lift my hand and run in through my short hair. I’m a little self-conscious about the pixie cut, but the guys and everyone assure me it looks cute on me.
“All I know is, I can’t wait to get back to life without thinking about the cancer. I almost wonder how I’m going to fill up my time now, you know?”
“I’m pretty sure we can fill up your time.” Easton nudges me from my right. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
No, I don’t, and I couldn’t be happier about that. They are the reason I’ve gotten through the past fifteen months as well as I have. They are the reason for all of the good things in my life now. Grandma is thriving in assisted living, finally able to rebuild a little something for herself—as long as I promise to visit constantly, which I do.
And in the meantime, the Scotts have taken me in as another member of their family. “I know the three of you would like to live on your own together, but there are a few hard and fast rules I have to enforce,” their dad said once it was clear the three of us were in a relationship. “I want my sons under my roof until they graduate. There’s plenty of time after graduation to worry about bills and mortgages and upkeep of a home. Now isn’t the time to worry about that.”
Which means I have my own room in the house, even if I usually end up sleeping with the guys. Sometimes Sarah and I have little sleepovers, too, which is a nice break. As much as I love them, there are days when I still crave a little time to myself. Sarah is like the sister I never had now, and between them and the girls sitting with us in the cafeteria, I have more support than I ever imagined I would.
