CLANDESTINE | HS |

TWENTY ONE

Logan

"Diane Banks."

Standing up from the vinyl chair in the waiting room, I follow the strongest woman I know through the lobby.

Back behind the double doors, a nurse with golden hair pulled back smiles at us, the dark blue of her scrubs making her light eyes pop.

"Oh! I was hoping we would see you today." Excited and as optimistic as ever, my mom smiles wide at her. "I wrote out that recipe we talked about last time."

Danielle smiles. "You did?! That's so funny because I was just talking to my fiancé about it a couple of days ago."

"It's just so good." Taking a seat in the oversized chair, my mom gives her the smile of a lifetime. "Logan used to come over every single time I made it when she first moved out."

I take her bag from her as she gets settled into the chair and watch as Danielle gets everything ready to start her treatment. "Are you talking about chicken pot pie?"

Just thinking about it made my stomach growl.

"We were talking about it the last time I was here." Settling back in the chair, she smiles at me.

"It really is one of the best recipes on the planet." Looking over at Danielle, she slips a pair of gloves on her hands before getting everything set up. "Learning how to make it changed the trajectory of my life."

All three of us fall into a conversation about easy recipes as she begins to administer her treatment.

Most days I'm at work and Warren can come with her, but today I have my own appointment later so I took off for the day to come with her.

We always have the same routine every single time I come with her.

I take one wireless headphone while she takes the other and she picks a movie to watch from my iPad as it rests on the lap table in front of us.

While we listen to a movie and casually pay attention, both of us work on our own laptops at the same time.

I work on things for the museum.

She works on things for the local children's cancer organizations.

When she was diagnosed and had to leave her job when she got sick, it was devastating to see.

Mom was always someone who threw herself into work and loved what she did with her entire being. Having to sit back and watch her life get turned upside by a disease that riddles her body wasn't fair — it's still not fair.

Once she felt like she could handle it, she reached out to some local places and started working with kids who are also fighting cancer.

Seeing her be able to put herself back into something felt good.

It felt right.

Working in silence, when my phone buzzes on the table next to me, I reach for it and can't help but smile at Harry's name on my screen.

Harry
Want to meet for a late lunch?

Logan
I can't! I'm with my mom at her appointment and then I have a doctor's appointment about an hour after I take her back home.

Harry
Are you alright?

Logan
I'm fine.

What I don't tell him is that my appointment is the one that I dread going to, one I would rather skip every single year.

Harry
Want some company?