Mama Tiger

Chapter 13.

Chapter 13.

Stef pulled her covers over her head, shielding herself from the bright morning sun. She squeezed her eyes shut as the alarm clock on the bedside table went off, and a sense of dread filled her gut.

Next to her, she felt Lena stir, reaching out to shut the clock off. "Stef, honey," she whispered. "Time to get up."

With a sigh, Stef emerged from under the blanket and stretched. It was the Monday after her surgery, and the morning of her first chemotherapy treatment.

"How are you feeling?" Lena asked, touching her cheek lovingly. "Be honest."

"Scared," Stef replied, laughing nervously. "I wish you were coming with me."

"So do I," Lena admitted. "But I'm glad Sharon is going to be there with you." She wished she could be there to support her wife every minute of every day, but morning appointments conflicted with her work. That was another reason why she was so grateful for Sharon's presence; she was becoming indispensable. She almost didn't know what they would do when her mother-in-law finally left. Sharon was the mother she'd always wanted.

"It kind of freaks me out," Stef confided, rising out of bed with a shudder. "The thought of poisons pumping through my body." She shrugged out of her nightshirt, and began digging through her dresser for a comfortable shirt to wear. As she slowly dressed, she became aware of her wife watching her, her eyes sweeping over her bandaged chest.

When Lena realized Stef had noticed her watching, she politely looked away. "I'm sorry, honey," she apologized. "I didn't mean to stare."

"It's okay if you look," Stef told her, coming closer. "I don't mind. I mean, we both have to accept it, don't we?"

Lena nodded, then reached forward, and put her hands on either of Stef's arms; her touch warmed her exposed skin, which was covered in goosebumps. "Does is feel strange?" she asked, quietly.

Stef blinked back tears, somehow managing to look Lena in the eye and hold her gaze without breaking down. "It... it feels like it's still there," she confided. "Sometimes, I forget it isn't." She knew that feeling was normal; she was told in the hospital that she would feel phantom sensations where her breast once was. "Mostly, it feels numb there. And sort of tingly, under my arm."

Lena carefully took Stef in her arms and hugged her, petting the back of her head. Stef clung to her tight; she hadn't even realized how much she needed a hug. Then, they faced each other, their eyes mirroring one another. Their lips met in a soft kiss before they fell back into each other's arms.

After she was dressed, Stef went into the bathroom and stood before the sink. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then she picked up her hairbrush, and began slowly brushing her hair, staring blankly at her reflection; if she didn't look at herself to hard, she wouldn't really see the bags under her eyes, or the hair she'd soon lose. She was pulled out of her trance when she heard some shuffling in the hall, and looked up to see Brandon watching her from his bedroom doorway. He slammed his door angrily, and stormed off toward the stairs.

"B.!" she called, going after him.

Brandon paused and turned around, his mouth set in a frown.

"What was that all about?" she asked. "You know we don't slam doors."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, glancing back at the stairs impatiently. "It won't happen again."

Stef nodded. "Thank you, Sweetheart." She gave him a sympathetic look, tilting her head to the side. "So, do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"