Never Left Me (Completed)

Thirteen

Magenta and Felicity are both thrown off by their mother's appearance. Tempest has always been the high-maintenance type even when she was a project chick. Her hair's always laid, makeup done, dressed to the nines, and her long acrylic nails done up painted in their classic candle Apple red. If you saw her looking any less than that there's a problem because that never happens. Cancelled appointment? She has a backup person. She'll call in sick if she has to.

In a PINK loungewear set with her real hair in a ponytail and no makeup, Tempest has a look of sorrow. She wasn't quite living up to her nickname of Sunshine because even when she smiled it came off forced. Gen glances at Choice who wears a serious look.

Both daughters hug their mother before sitting. "What's going on?" Felicity asks.

"I have something I need to tell you all." Sitting in an armchair Tempest leans forward holding her hands in her lap. "Well, my doctor suggested I start getting mammograms last year when I turned the big 4-0, but I didn't." Magenta already doesn't like where this is going... "I had my first one this year."

"Ma," Felicity says wanting her to just say it and rip the band-aid off.

"I have Stage 0 Breast Cancer, a type called Ductal carcinoma."

When you think cancer, you think the worst. At that point, Gen felt like the walls were closing in on her as Tempest went on like this was nothing...

"I didn't want to tell you two until I knew what's going on, especially with you both being away at school. I had a lumpectomy that Choice came with me to. That was the first surgery. The good news is I'm still at stage 0. The bad news is the cancer is still there. I have two options for my DCIS, a mastectomy to remove the entire breast or radiation. Now, I done had these bad boys since I was 11," she tries to lighten the heavy topic. "So, I'm going to start radiation 5 days a week daily for the next several weeks to see how that goes."

"Wait, wait, wait," Felicity waves her arms and hands trying to process all this information. Magenta was still stuck on the first sentence of her saying she has cancer. "When did you find out?"

"A few weeks ago. Everything's been happening so fast with the appointments. Choice was a big help though." Magenta looks at Choice. She saw him homecoming week when he came to the football game and he said nothing.

"She's been strong," he nods his head. "Tell them the other part."

Tempest gives him a look as if not wanting to. She sighs then admits, "Also, Savino and I are getting a divorce," she mentions her husband.

"What?!" Felicity and Magenta say at the same time.

"He left me maybe two weeks ago. It was too much for him, I guess," Tempest shrugs.

"How can he leave you at the time you need him most?" Gen asks with furrowed eyebrows.

"It's easy when you found someone younger and healthier.."

"Oh, hell no! This is too much. I can't handle all this." They can already hear the tears in Felicity's throat as she gets up to walk off. They're used to it. Gen thought she was emotional, but Tink always had her beat. "Obviously we're gonna have to sell this house. Even if I get it in the divorce, spousal support won't be enough to keep it. I was only able to live like this because of him."

And this is why Magenta never wanted to put her all into a man. They can support you and have you in a nice lifestyle one minute then the next you're back at square one because you relied on them too heavily.