Page 27 of Truly, Madly, Deeply
Tommy wanted to correct the man. Javier had helped save two people. He had run toward the inferno at Ground Zero not once but twice. But Tommy stopped himself. No matter how Javier’s story had played out and even though the man knew the Lord had spared him for a reason, his regret remained. Javier should’ve gone down with his fellow firefighters. That’s what he still thought, however wrong.
“I used to take Christmas gifts to the kids, children of my buddies who died that day. Now I take presents to some oftheirkids.” Javier stood a little straighter. “We help each other. It’s a brotherhood that way. No one wholost a daddy or a brother or a husband or a son that day is ever really alone. Not with the FDNY.” He sighed and after a minute he took a deep breath. “Nice talking to you, Tommy.”
Tommy shook the man’s hand. “Thank you. For sharing.”
Javier pointed at him. “Keep telling the stories, Tommy. Learn more about your grandfather. Leave a message for the survivors.” He smiled, and his countenance lifted a little. “It happened. Don’t ever forget.”
And then as if he’d done what he’d come to do, Javier nodded at Tommy and walked off. Tommy watched him until the man reached the busy street and turned down the sidewalk. Off on whatever mission God might give him next.
Tommy spotted his parents and his aunt and uncle. He couldn’t wait to tell them about his conversation with Javier Sanchez. But first Tommy put his hand on the memorial plaque and closed his eyes.
Welling within him was a desire he hadn’t known before today, an urgency so strong it took his breath. He could fight fires, definitely. But he felt God calling him to the other part of first responder work. The one Javier would choose if he had it to do over again. And the words echoing in the hallways of his soul came like a directive straight from heaven.
Tommy Baxter, you will be a police officer.
The words were almost audible.Yes, God. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll be a police officer.
Determination like a living force built within him. He would get the training and wear the badge and uniform, and he would prove to everyone that most cops were good. He would stop traffickers in Indianapolis and keep bad guys from infiltrating the streets. And he would put an end to drugs that destroyed so many families. He would run toward danger when everyone else ran the other way. Yes, he wanted to be a police officer, Tommy was sure. And he wanted something else, something that had been in the back of his mind every minute since he left Indiana.
Annalee’s test results.
10
The doctor’s call came in that Monday half an hour after Annalee got home from school. Tommy had a shoot-around with his basketball team, and Annalee had chosen to skip choir practice.
Mostly because she wanted to be home when the news hit. Good or bad.
She was sitting with her mother on the living room sofa, each of them sipping a cup of green tea.I’m not that tired,she told herself.It’s just a virus. Already the doctor had given them her blood results. Whatever was making Annalee tired, it wasn’t mononucleosis.
By now they knew it was something, though. Because an email had come through Friday stating that her blood count was off. The white count was too high… or maybe the platelets were low. Something.
Annalee had tried not to think about it. She and her mom were watching a rerun ofTouched by an Angelwhen her mother’s cell phone lit up. Annalee had asked the doctor to talk to her mother about the results. So immediately her mom took the phone tothe next room. As if she knew. “It’s the doctor.” She looked over her shoulder at Annalee. Then she was gone.
Five long minutes passed and her mom returned. As soon as Annalee saw her face, her heart sank. Her mother shook her head, tears already spilling onto her cheeks. “Annalee. I’m sorry, honey. It isn’t good.”
She sat on the sofa and pulled Annalee into her arms. Then for more than a minute the two clung to each other. Finally, Annalee eased back. She locked eyes with her mom. “Tell me. What… what is it?”
Her mother shook her head. “They… found a mass on your… chest wall, baby.”
No.Annalee released her mother’s hand. She wouldn’t sit here and listen to this. How could the doctor tell her mom that? She had a… what was it? A mass on her chest wall? “My chest feels fine.”
“It isn’t.” Her mother’s tears fell harder. “With your blood results and the scan… they think it might be non—” She put her hand to her face.
“Mom… they think what?” Annalee’s heart was racing now. “Tell me.”
Her mother took hold of both her hands. “Lymphoma.” The word was barely loud enough to hear. “Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Stage 4.”
If it wasnon,then it couldn’t be that bad, right? Annalee stood. She could feel herself getting faint. But stage 4? “Is… that serious?”
“Yes.” Her mom was on her feet, too. “Annalee… it’s cancer.”
But before Annalee could hear another word or draw another breath, she ran to the stairs. This wasn’t possible. She was tired, not dealing with… She couldn’t think it. Couldn’t say it. She was halfway up the stairs when she heard her mom call to her. It wasn’t her mother’s fault, but Annalee couldn’t stand there and talk about this.
Not when it felt like the worst possible nightmare.
She reached the top of the stairs, darted into her room and slammed the door behind her. How could this be happening? Annalee flung herself on her bed and buried her face in the pillow. How could she have cancer? All of life was laid out before Tommy and her.
They were going to college and then they were going to help rescue trafficked children. She was going to make an app and market it till all the world used it to stop crimes against kids. And Tommy was going to help lock up the worst of the worst in society. That was his plan, the one he had told her about after he returned home from New York City.
