Red String 2 {h.s}

Chapter 18

The next few days, Amy attends all of her mom's chemotherapy appointments. Sandra is now halfway through her four week cycle of treatment and then will rest for a few weeks before continuing. Each day, her mom sits in the chair and Amy sits close by. One day they watch a show on Amy's laptop. Another day, Amy reads to her from a book. On the third day, her mom starts talking.

"How is Harry?"

"He's doing good. He is having a lot of fun on his holiday," Amy says with not much enthusiasm and not meeting her mom's eyes. Her mom watches her for only a second before figuring it out. Amy's not the only one with super human intuition.

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

Amy looks up at her mom and her eyes assessing her. Amy doesn't realize that she gets her instincts from her mom. That she unconsciously watched her mom decipher people's intentions and motives her entire life. That her mom used her gut instincts in finance instead of the arts, but that she possessed them just the same as Amy.

"How did you know?"

"You two are inseparable. And I don't believe for one second that Harry wouldn't be here, by your side, supporting you."

Amy sighs, looking out the window at the drizzling rain outside. The weather matches her mood. Gloomy.

"He deserves a break. A rest. It won't change anything if he comes now."

"It's okay to need people, Amy. It's not weak to say you want him here. You don't need to hold it together. He wouldn't want you to keep this from him."

"His trip ends in a few days. I'll tell him then," she says.

"Why were you mad at all of us when you found out?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Why did you get so upset when you found out?"

"I was mad because I would have been here sooner if I had known."

As she says the words she understands what her mom is pointing out to her. That just like she was mad about being kept in the dark, Harry will probably be upset with her for the same reason.

"He lost his stepdad to cancer. I don't want this to trigger any bad memories for him," Amy admits.

"Or," her mom drags out the word, "he would want to be here for you because he knows exactly what it's like to sit in a hospital room with your parent."

"Mom, I'm doing fine. He can be here for me in a couple days."

"Amy, I haven't seen you smile since you got here. You spend all your time focused on me. You never eat, just drink bad hospital coffee. I haven't seen you draw or doodle once. You haven't taken any pictures. I don't know if you forgot that I can see you. Really see you. You're not fooling me."

When they get home from the hospital, Amy has her once daily phone call with Harry. He tells her about his day and she listens, making sure to comment or laugh at the right moments. Harry can tell there is something off with her. He has never felt this way, like she isn't telling him something. But he wonders if it's just the distance that is making him feel like that. He always feels different when he's not close to her. Like all his good feelings start and end with her.

On the fifth day after Amy had left, Sarah decides she has had enough of Amy's refusal to tell Harry and calls him.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's Sarah."

"Is everything okay? Is Amy okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I mean, physically I guess she's doing okay."