“Baby…”
I take her donut and set it on the paper bag beside mine. Leaning forward, I pull her into a gentle hug and hold onto the hurt that wants to break out of my body when my hands stop on her bony shoulder blades. She’s taller than me by several inches, but lighter. She’s too skinny. Too sick.
“He’s a stinky boy, and he’ll always regret blowing you off. He’ll always look at his future wife and wonder about you.”
“He won’t have to wonder,” she mumbles. “I’ll be sure to haunt him.”
“No you won’t,” I snap. “This is just another crappy speedbump. But we’re gonna ride it together, right? You’re not allowed to haunt anyone.”
Sitting back with a thoughtful pause, she picks up her donut and picks at the rainbow sprinkles on top. “Ya know, I always wonder why you keep coming back here.” She pulls back and studies my eyes. “If I was you, if I got my walking papers and tests that said I’d beat it, I’d run far, far away. I wouldn’t keep coming back here and risking the cancer germ.”
I reach out and take her hand, frowning as I go. “Cancer isn’t a cold that I can catch because I touch you, honey. It’s a journey that only the elite navigate. We need to fight together. I know with all my heart that when you’re my age, you’ll be doing the exact same thing, coming in here, bringing donuts, and talking about all your post-hospital plans.”
“You’re always so optimistic,” she grumbles. “It’s annoying.”
I laugh and pick my donut up again. “Sometimes we’re saddled with the most annoying friends, huh?”