Taylor tried to hold in her tears as she kept her posture in the brightly lit room, filled with walls of faces of smiling children - both of survivors and angels, as her world began to collapse. Her heart was breaking over and over again a thousand times. A heartbreak that no one could ever undo, that time could heal or new laughter to fix. Ed's heart was breaking too, as he gripped her hand from where the pair sat looking back across the desk at the doctor, not wanting to look outside at the playground full of happy children on a beautiful spring day. He was so apologetic yet hopeful to the couple, who knew at the moment their lives could be losing so much light.
He glanced from the doctor to the area nearby where their three children sat playing on a carpet - he couldn't picture life without any of them, the day he started living was the day their eldest was born. He thought living was the day that he had first kissed his wife, but the love and joy he felt for her multiplied immensely with his three children.
He knew that now, his pain was so superficial compared to what his children would be feeling - the eldest, Amelia, especially, but the doctors said it was best case out of the worst case scenario. That there were aggressive plans in place for their daughter, that it was caught early enough for hope of a full recovery.
Leukemia.
The word sounded like vomit, a gun shot wound. Glancing back at his wife, she gripped his hand a little tighter. She didn't often cry in public, or even him but she just nodded at the doctor's words. Tests were set up, appointments made, and procedures scheduled. In her mind, she was already thinking of the large check to donate to the Children's Hospital they were in, for a wing or a playroom in her daughter's honor. Ed and Taylor gathered their family, putting the toys into a bag and taking them by the hand - they thanked the doctor and left. Their children cooperated putting on jackets and through the process of getting into the car, but as soon as doors were shut the questions and complaints began. They were well behaved children; polite, thankful, respectful, funny, and understanding of people know about their family in public.
Taylor tried not to cry as she explained as best she could, than Amy would be spending a lot of time here soon but she'll be okay - she prayed in her mind as words of comfort left her mind that she'd hold the promise true to her two youngest. Ed moved his hand off the wheel, reaching for Taylor's. She could see tears in his eyes too - this nightmare that began less than a month ago, all spiraling too fast for this young family.
