“I’m stage IA, and the doctor assures me that we caught it early, but I start chemotherapy on Friday. I didn’t tell you sooner because you were dealing with everything and I didn’t know much. Just that the biopsy came back cancerous. I was going to tell you the weekend I was here, but . . .” He flinches, clearly not wanting to finish that sentence. “It’s only in the one lymph node, and they’re very optimistic that I’ll only need two rounds.” He sighs heavily. “If you don’t want to go through this, I understand. You just lost your—”
“We will fight, Oliver. We will stand together, and we will fight. I love you, and that doesn’t mean only when you’re healthy or happy. It means sickness and pain and everything between. I don’t choose you only when it’s convenient.”
As though I would ever let him do this alone. It will be hard, but it won’t be so unbearable if we do it together. I love him with everything inside me.
“You want to be there for me, even after just losing your dad?”
“I want to be there because you’re my heart. Now, tell me the plan and let’s prepare—together.”
“Stop being such a baby,” I tell him as I tuck him into his bed.
“You know I’m perfectly fine.”
“For now, but I am preparing in case that changes.”
Oliver grabs my wrist. “I may have no side effects or I may be miserable, but either way, we’ll be okay.”
My God, I love this man. Even after the first round of chemo, he’s worrying about me.
I thought this would be much harder to handle, but I’m actually okay. We spent a good amount of time with his doctor and delayed the start of his treatment by a week. Oliver and his doctor had discussed the possible complications of him having kids, but they never really planned to address it. So, after some consideration, Oliver opted to have a sample, er, frozen. In case we need it down the road, it’ll be there.
It also gave us—or me—time to come up with a very practical plan. I spoke with Mark and Jackson, explained the situation, and now have the ability to work from home. The only stipulations are that I will need to go to the office once a month for briefings, and they insisted on sending a team to Oliver’s cabin this week to install all kinds of security firewalls and satellite whatevers so our missions won’t be compromised.
For the rest of the month, though, I am on FMLA. Being married allowed me the opportunity to be here and care for him. More than that, it gives us some much-needed time to really see where this relationship stands.
My hand grazes his stubbly cheek. “Please rest.”
“I will.”
“Good. Now, I’m going to see your siblings, give them an update, and let you know what they say when I get back.”
He shakes his head. “Godspeed.”
I grin. “Go to sleep.”
This lake, the nature, peace, and silence does something to me. I feel more like myself when I’m here than I did the last time. It could also be that I’m with Oliver, but even when we were together at my house, it wasn’t the same as it is here.
The walk up to the resort takes about ten minutes, and I enjoy every second of it.
“Hey, Maren,” Jack says as he meets me on the trail.
“Hi.” Kinsley waves with a smile.
“Hey, you guys.”
“How’s Uncle Oliver?”
I smile. “He’s doing really well right now.”
She stares up at her father. “Can I go see him since he’s okay?”
Jack looks to me, and I nod.
It’s not as if he’s going to be asleep already, and it’ll give me a little peace that she’s there in case he needs help.
“I’ll keep watch!” she promises as she runs off.
“Those kids have always loved him the most.”
“He’s the fun one,” I say in agreement.
“He also spoils them beyond belief.”
Jack and I stay silent for a minute as we make our way up the path. “How is the custody agreement going?”
“It’s good. Samuel is a great guy, and ultimately, we all want what’s best for Kinsley, so there’s no fighting. We are just making it legal in case something happens to any of us.”
I know that all too well. “It’s smart. My mother died young, and I can remember worrying what would happen if I lost my dad too.”
“My mother died in a fire when I was a kid, and my dad might as well have died alongside her. It was the Parkersons who kept me afloat. I want Kinsley to have a family that will always be there for her. Much like you have.”
I nod with a smile. “They’re something.”
“You’ve had a really rough few months, Maren, and I hope you know this family is here for you as well. I know I’m the outsider, but trust me, my wife runs these guys.”
That’s very accurate. “I appreciate it. This family is really special, and I’m honored to be a part of it, especially after watching how everyone has stepped up to be there for Oliver if he needs help. I’m looking forward to spending this time with you all.”
All of it is working out the way I hoped it would. Finally, one plan is going right.
“We are all really happy you guys are happy. He’s one of the best men I know and deserves to have everything he wants. And this is none of my business, but what did you guys decide about the annulment?”
Ah, the stupid annulment. “We used it for the fire last night.”
Jack grins. “Good. I’m glad you guys figured that out before you wasted years being apart.”
“Me too.” I think about how hard those few days were and know that Oliver is who I want and need. “Me too.”
Thirty-Four
OLIVER
One Year Wedding Anniversary
She’s been blindfolded for the last thirty minutes and pissed off the entire time. Maren hates surprises, and I can only imagine how crazy her overactive imagination has been as we drove here. However, today matters more than she can ever know, and I want things to be perfect.
“This is ridiculous,” she complains as we approach the farmhouse.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t because unless you’re blindfolded, which I really hope you’re not since you’re driving, you can see where we are.”
“It’s called a surprise.”
Her head whips toward mine. “I loathe them.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell. You’ve been such a ray of sunshine this whole trip.”
If she could glare at me, I’m pretty sure she would be. “How much longer?” Her voice isn’t full of vinegar.
“Just a few more minutes. I promise that this is a good surprise.” I lean over, taking her hand in mine. “Trust me.”
“I do trust you, I just want to know.”
“Hence, the trust.”
Maren sighs heavily and leans her head back. I allowed Stella to tie the blindfold on me so I could make sure I couldn’t see anything through it. I couldn’t, which means Maren can’t either, so that has probably been the biggest point of frustration for my wife.
We take the twists in the road and arrive at the farmhouse. It’s a beautiful property with green hills, a little bridge that goes over the small creek that cuts across the fields, and a modest house that overlooks it all.
Anyone can understand why this farm was worth keeping. Maren and I came here for a week after my second round of chemo. It was exactly what we both needed—peace and quiet. I love my family, but they’ve been a pain in the ass. At least once a day, someone from my bloodline came to the cabin.