Send Me a Sign

Chapter 6.6

“I’m waiting at the airport for my parents. They’re coming back from visiting Louisa and her new baby. I had a few minutes and figured I’d call.” Lauren was an eleven-years-younger-than- her-sister oops.

 “You didn’t go?” I asked.

 “Nope. It’s all baby gushing and I’d worry about dropping him. I’ll see him when he’s bigger. Plus, no parents equals parties. I wish you’d been here, it was insane. So, how’s Connecticut?”

 “Fine. Boring.”

“Yeah right. I’m totally convinced the reason you’ve stayed so long is you found some gorgeous preppy with his own yacht and you’re acting out a Nicholas Sparks summer romance.”

“What?” I laughed. Only Lauren. As long as I shut my eyes, I could pretend I wasn’t in a hospital room with Mr. Russo and Dad discussing football a few feet away. Pretend this was a normal conversation.

“It would be a hundred percent okay if you met someone. It’s not like you and Ryan are exclusive.”

“I know that.” This was a sore point and she knew it. Why would she bring it up, unless . . . “Wait, has he?”

 “Not in front of me. He’d be crazy to do anything while we were at Chris’s house—Hil would castrate him for you. But I think every girl on the beach knew his name. I mean, are you surprised? You disappear for a lifetime and you know he’s a man-whore.”

 “Thanks, Laur.” I smacked the bed in frustration—sick of being stuck and forgotten.

 “What? Would you rather not know? Geez, shoot the messenger. He did ask about you, and if you’d been there, I’m sure it would’ve been the Mia-Ryan show.”

 I was teetering between hanging up and clinging to this bit of normal. I was angry: at myself for being here, at Lauren for prattling on about the “stupid no-boyfriends pact,” at Ryan for being Ryan, at my life for not being what I’d planned and worked so hard for.

“Everything’s falling apart.” It was a whisper. A confession. If Lauren had pressed, I would’ve spilled everything.

“Okay, drama queen.” I could practically hear the eye roll in her voice. “If you’re sick of Ryan’s games, move on. So anyway . . .”

I didn’t hang up. Just sighed and half listened as she told me about the “mutiny-worthy guy” who worked at Scoops, launching into rhapsodies about his ability to make a frappe and complaining about the weight she’d put on drinking them. I tried to feel connected, tried to care, but it all felt so foreign. My contributions to the conversation were minimal and awkward.

“Oh, here are my parents. I’ve got to go. Come home soon!” I said good-bye and opened my eyes. No parties. No cute ice cream scoopers. Just sterile white walls and stacks of photos of them having fun without me.

                                                                                       *** 

 The pain became tolerable.

The nausea bearable.

The boredom wasn’t.

Gyver finished all our summer reading. I’d never known a month could feel so long; I’d run out of things to say to my parents weeks ago.

Mom’s refrain was: “I think you look better. Do you feel better?”

Dad’s was: “Can I get you anything? Want to play Go Fish?”

There was never enough time for Gyver to visit or enough contact with the outside world. I missed the Calendar Girls. I missed Jinx. I missed Ryan, cheering, and my life.

I could handle the shots, the bone marrow tests; it was the waiting that was the worst.

                                                                                        *** 

 It had been an eternity. A shapeless eternity where days and nights blurred with pain, boredom, and repetition. Where my body belonged more to the doctors and blood counts than me. Where life outside the hospital seemed like another world, one I was no longer a part of.

Then, five weeks later, it ended.

“Your numbers are looking good and holding steady. It’s time we sent you home. Though we’re not done with you just yet. We’ll see you in late September for your first round of consolidation therapy. And, of course, sooner if you’re feeling at all . . .”

Dr. Kevin continued to lecture me on limitations, statistics; Dad took notes.

My mind locked on the word “home” and tuned out the rest.

                                                                                ***

This is the end of the section of SEND ME A SIGN my publisher has given me permission to share on Wattpad :(

If you'd like to find out what happens when Mia returns home (where it's A LOT harder to hide what's going on...), with her health, with Gyver, Ryan, the Single Senior Year, and all the Calendar Girls' drama,  the full novel is available in ebook and paperback. Check your local bookstores and libraries.

Thanks for reading and all your likes and feedback. It's been a blast sharing these chapters with you <3

If you do read the rest of Send Me a Sign, I'd love to hear what you think! xo, Tiffany