Page 47 of Lies and Lullabies
I took another peek. “Yes.”
“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Kiki, do you remember when you told me that you were pregnant? You said, ‘I need to tell you something, and I need you not to freak out.’”
“I remember.”
There was a brief silence, and then Adam took a breath. “I need to tell you something, and I need you not to freak out. And what’s more, there’s no reason to freak out, okay?”
My heart lurched. “You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t put off telling you any longer. Last week a doctor told me that I have testicular cancer. He also said that it’s going to be okay.”
“No!” I gasped, and then took care to lower my voice. “That’s impossible.”
“Unfortunately, it isn’t. However, the survival rate is between ninety-six and ninety-nine percent. Basically, if you ever get the big C, you want to have it in one of your nuts.”
Ninety-six to ninety-nine percent. It was hard to deny it sounded survivable, but my eyes filled with tears anyway. “Are you sure? You’re too young to have cancer.”
“I’m sure. And it’s guys fifteen to thirty-four who typically get it,” he said. “I’m right on schedule.”
Ugh. “Do youpromisethose are the odds? You didn’t just say that so I wouldn’t get hysterical?”
Without taking his eyes off the road, Adam reached over and gave my elbow a squeeze. “I promise, Kiki. It’s going to suck. But then I’ll be okay again. I have to have surgery.”
“Are you in any pain?”
He shook his head. “Nope. There are no symptoms, except for a lump where there shouldn’t be a lump. And I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon to get pre-surgical bloodwork done. The surgery is really pretty simple, too. It’s not supposed to be any worse than a bad root canal.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “The dentist never asks me to drop my pants, Adam.”
He chuckled, too. And after a couple of seconds, both of us were trying not to completely bust a gut. Just two full-grown adults, trying to drive down a country road while cracking up over a cancer joke.
Adam let out an ill-timed hiccup, which only set off another round of giggling.
“Oh my God,” I gasped. “We’ve gone off the deep end.”
“Yup,” Adam said, flicking a mirthful tear from his face. “This shall be known as The Weekend Of Overabundant Drama.”
“That spells WOOD.”
Adam snorted. “There are so many jokes in there just waiting for their chance to shine.”
I blew out a breath. “Adam, how can I help you? Can I come to your doctor’s appointment?”
“Today’s appointment is just a needle stick. But I have others this week, because I’m getting a second opinion. You can tag along and hear what they have to say.”
“How soon will you have the surgery?”
He shrugged. “Within the next two weeks, I think.”
“Okay,” I said. “Maybe I won’t go to this concert. Whatever. Let’s just focus on getting you through this. Let me know as soon as you schedule the procedure. I can cancel some shifts at work.”
“Thank you,” my brother said quietly. “I knew I could count on you.”
“Always.”
We both settled into our private thoughts as the miles went by. No wonder Adam had been acting strangely. According to Jonas, he’d been smoking. That had to mean that he was more worried than he let on. “I’m sorry,” I blurted into the silence.
“What for?”
