Chapter 101: Chapter 15

CADEN

I’m just sitting here when the doctor pulls out an iPad, showing me the scans. Eva, Nate, and Jessie are all in the room with me. They manage to remove most of the tumor, but there are these little “feelers”—what a technical term—that are tangled up in the part of my brain that controls speech.

So, they leave those behind, hoping to take care of them with chemo and radiation.

“The surgery went better than expected,” the doctor says. “But we’ll need to keep a close eye on your heart. The cardiologist wants you to stay for a few days so they can run more tests to see how well your heart is performing.”

I nod my understanding as he leaves the room. Not long after, Eva’s phone rings. I hear her say a few okay’s and then something about “eliminating the problem.”

I can’t help but stare at her, wide-eyed, when she turns back to me with a smile.

“We implemented ‘Broken Wing’ since we didn’t know what was going to happen. Apparently, there was a leak about someone feeding info to the media. So, I took care of it!” she says.

I beckon her closer with a come-hither look, and when she leans in, I whisper, “You are so fucking lucky the boys are here and I can’t get my heart too excited!”

“Seriously, what the fuck, Dad! Jessie and I don’t want to hear that shit!” Nate exclaims.

I hadn’t realized I was speaking that loudly. “We’ll just have to wait till I’m back home!” I retort.

“Dude, I am out of here! Come on, Jessie! I don’t want to be fucking scarred knowing my parents are still fucking each other!” Nate says, and they both leave the room.

But not before Jessie turns back and gives me two thumbs up. Hey, if you’ve still got it, might as well use it, right?

I feel Eva climb up onto the gurney and snuggle in next to me. I can’t thank the doctors enough for taking the risk and getting it out. Am I in pain? Yes. Will I survive? Yes.

I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if I hadn’t woken up on this side. The family would be beyond devastated. But now, we have to figure out who the mastermind is. Who would be behind all of this?

MASON

I’m lying here with Sasha and the babies when I hear a faint knock, and then the door opens. I see Dad make his way around the curtain and I instantly become anxious, waiting for news.

“Grandpa is fine! He’s recovering and will need to do treatments, but it went better than expected,” Dad says.

I hear a sigh of relief coming from Sasha, and I can’t blame her—I let out one myself. Nate walks over, smiling, and holds out his arms. I hand over both of the babies, and I see him look down as a tear slides down his face.

“I can’t believe I’m finally a grandpa,” he says.

That statement hits me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t consider the ripple effect this decision would have. Dad is now a grandpa, which makes Grandpa a great-grandpa.

Holy shit! Grandpa is now a great-grandpa. What a crazy forty-eight hours this has been. We sit and watch my dad holding our boys and think, this can’t get any worse, right? Right?

EVA

I’m lying next to Caden while he rests when I hear the door open. I see the doctor motion for me to come outside and I can’t help but wonder what could possibly be going on now.

I stand up, get off the gurney, and make my way quietly outside. I just stare at the doctor.

“Mrs. Maxwell, we got the results of the biopsy, and it’s not good. It came back as Glioblastoma. Even with treatments, we may prolong his life, but it is terminal. He will die from it. As for a timeline, I can’t give one,” he says.

I look at Caden through the window, sleeping so peacefully, and I can’t help but think about what the future will look like. How do I break the news to him? And to the kids? It could be months, maybe years if we’re lucky.

I feel the tears slip down my face as I nod at the doctor and he leaves. I see Caden stir and slowly sit up, looking for me. Our eyes meet through the window. He knows something is wrong, and he just looks away, lying back down.

I take a deep breath and slowly walk back in, sitting on the bed at his feet. What do I say? How do I say it? My heart is breaking for this man. The man who rescued Nate and me, who made us his without question.

He gave us a life I could have only dreamed of, and now it’s crashing down around us. We were on such a high, and now we’ve dropped to the lowest low.

“Let me guess, the results came back and it isn’t good,” Caden says.

“I wish it was otherwise, Caden. They can’t give us a timeline,” I reply.

“Eva, it’s okay! You’ll be just fine! I had already come to terms that this could be the end,” he says.

“Caden! I can’t do this without you!” I exclaim.

Caden takes a deep breath. “Eva, I always wanted to do something with my life. To leave a legacy behind. And I did, with Nate, Jocelyn, and Jace! All because you sent me a text. You made me the happiest man that day. I’ve never regretted anything in my life. Now, we cherish each moment I’m able to wake up and be next to you. I’ll do the treatments for as long as I can, until they say enough is enough. I want you there, lying next to me when I take my final breath. Right now, let’s just relax and rest. We have a long road ahead of us, with our biggest battle ever.”