Nolan comes running down the hallway, holding his stuffed dragon above his head. “Uncle Weed!” He jumps up and down in front of me, the biggest smile lighting up his face. “Arwe we worwking on the deck today? I’ll go get my tools!”
I pick Nolan up, squeezing him gently against my chest. He’s okay. I’m sure Chase is okay too. “No, little man. Not today. Where’s your mommy?”
He points in the direction of the kitchen. “She’s weally sad. She keeps crwying.”
Carrying him with me, I continue down the hallway as he walks his dragon across my shoulder. “It’ll be okay,” I tell him, seeking comfort in my own words.
Mia, Beth, and Tessa are sitting in the small room just off the kitchen, huddled together on the couch, the two girls on either side of Mia. I watch the three of them slowly lift their heads when I step into view. Mia’s face is wet with tears, while Tessa and Beth look like they’re trying to keep themselves from breaking down.
I put Nolan on his feet, my chest tightening, every muscle in my body flexed. “Go play, Nolan. I’m going to talk to your mommy for a minute.” He runs back down the hallway and I step further into the room. “What the hell is going on?”
Mia stands from the couch. “Thank you so much for coming over. I hope it wasn’t a problem leaving work.”
“No, it wasn’t, but would you please tell me why you three look like that? I’m starting to freak out.”
She wipes her fingers across her cheeks, then pushes her dark hair back out of her face. “I found a lump in my breast last week when I was feeding Chase. I went to the doctors and had an ultrasound, and he suggested I get it biopsied because of my family history.” She pauses, pinching her lips together.
Beth and Tessa both stand, flanking Mia’s side in support, offering her comfort by each of them grabbing a hand.
I stare into Mia’s eyes, my stomach twisting, my chest burning. Thoughts of Mia’s mom dying from breast cancer two years ago flood my mind with panic.
“Did you?” I ask.
Mia nods. “A few days ago. We didn’t tell you guys because we didn’t want you to worry if it was nothing. We were supposed to get the results yesterday, but nobody called. Then we woke to a message really early this morning from someone at the office. They said my results were in, and for me to call back, but I can’t reach anybody. I’ve been calling them all day, and it just sends me to voicemail. It could be nothing, it could still be nothing, but I can’t get an answer.” Her chin trembles.
She pulls free from the girls and steps closer to me.
“Reed, Ben’s losing it. He seemed okay yesterday, but he was so angry we missed that call this morning. And then he blew up when they didn’t just tell us the results in the message. I told him they can’t legally do that, but he won’t listen to me. His mind is made up that something’s wrong. I can’t calm him down, I can’t talk to him. I told Luke to take him outside because I was afraid he would start scaring Nolan. I’ve never seen him like this. I don’t know what to do. You know how he is with me.”
I reach up, gripping my neck with both hands.
Shit, the whole fucking state knows how Ben is with Mia. He’d kill for her. He threatened to put my ass in the ground several times when I first met her and he thought I was making a play. I’ve never met anyone that insane over someone before, and it’s been like that since the beginning for Ben. If he lost her, I don’t know that he’d ever recover from that.
Shit, I don’t know if any of us would.
I wrap my arms around Mia, pulling her against my chest. Her tears wet my shirt.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m sure the doctor is just busy right now. And I think it’s good that they want to give you the results over the phone. If it was bad news, wouldn’t they want you to come into the office to discuss it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how my mom got her results.”
My stomach sinks. I grip Mia tighter.
“I’m so scared, Reed. What would happen to Ben? And the boys, I can’t,” she sniffs, her body shaking. “I can’t leave them.”
My eyes connect with Beth’s over the top of Mia’s head. She blinks, sending tears down her face as her lips try and give me that sweet smile of hers. They barely lift before she turns away to hide her emotions. Tessa’s face is buried in her hands.
Fuck. This can’t be happening. Not Mia. Not our Mia.
I press my mouth into Mia’s hair. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Ben’s going to be fine, those boys are going to be fine because nothing is taking you away from them. You’re strong, Mia. You need to stay strong right now, okay?”
Her head moves against my chest. Another whimper is muffled.
“I’m going to go outside and try and talk to Ben. Promise me you’ll stop thinking the worst.”
She leans back, dropping her arms from around my waist. “I promise.” Squeezing my hand, she looks up into my eyes. “Thank you for coming over.”