Cathy’s reflections were somber as she plated a serving of salad for each of them. Her life was so screwed up. She wondered if it would ever be straightened out. Realizing how defeated her thoughts were, she squared her shoulders. It would take awhile, but eventually everything would be all right. She had to believe that. The first thing that was going to change was Chloe’s condition. She and Pam together were going to see to it.
Pam returned, wearing a three-quarter sleeve cardigan over her blouse. “I had to open a couple of drawers before I found your sweaters. Your taste in undies has sure changed! I guess that’s Michael’s influence?”
Heat scorched Cathy’s face. Too bad she wasn’t standing in front of the open oven, she thought caustically. She had completely forgotten that Winter’s things were in her dresser. “Uh—yeah. Michael likes Victoria’s Secret.”
Pam’s brows rose. Then she grinned. “I’d say that Michael is a very discriminating male.”
“Shut up, Pam,” Cathy said mildly. It was actually kind of nice to have her sister teasing her. It felt normal. When Pam laughed at her, Cathy felt warmed down to her toes. “Let’s eat.”
After they had finished the green salad and shared the baked marinated chicken, they cleaned up the kitchen. Pam kissed Cathy, said good night, and went to bed. Left alone with her thoughts, Cathy curled up, having changed into her comfortable sweats, on the sofa with a cup of hot green tea. She balanced the cup on her knee and sighed, letting her head fall back onto the sofa back. It was good to have Pam with her. She had been so unbearably thankful when Pam had agreed to be tested as a candidate for the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. When Pam had turned out to be an almost perfect match, Cathy had cried.
Cathy slowly drew in her breath, just as slowly releasing it. Chloe might really have the chance that she needed to finally, finally heal.
She lifted her head and raised the cup to her lips, thinking about the text that she had received earlier. The text was in response to the voice mail she had left Michael, to inform him of her sister’s visit and that she would not be able to see him until after her sister’s week-long visit had ended. Michael’s text had been short and to the point. It was apparent to Cathy that he had not liked that she would not be available, but he had understood. Discretion was key to their relationship, after all.
Michael had also texted that he had an unexpected overseas trip. He wanted to see her as soon as possible before his departure. She had agreed to a date for the following week. Pam would already be gone before she saw Michael again, and that was a good thing. If Pam was still there when Cathy went out to meet Michael, she did not think that she could have staved off her sister’s rampant curiosity.
Of course, she had not divulged to Michael the reason behind her sister’s visit.
Cathy gave a tiny sigh and cupped her fingers around the warm mug. Yes, discretion was important. She did not want Michael to know anything about her or her life that might lead him to discover who she really was. She didn’t want her daughter exposed to the kind of relationship that she had with Michael.
When things were over between them, she wanted to be able to simply walk away. When that time came, she would naturally never see Michael again. A strangely hollow feeling opened up in her chest. She shook her head. That hollowness meant nothing, nothing at all.
Cathy ushered her sister into Chloe’s hospital room. “Hey, baby! Look who is here! Aunt Pammy came to see you.”
“Aunt Pammy!”
“Hi, sugar.”
Cathy stood aside to let her sister approach the hospital bed. She watched Pam gather Chloe into a careful hug.
“I haven’t seen you in a long, long time.”