“Hey, you.” Jenna said from behind me.

Not turning to look at her I said, “Hey.” I couldn’t look at her. If I did she would see something was wrong. She knew me.

“Need any help?” Jenna took a few steps closer.

“Nope, I got everything out here.”

“Hmm. Cobie told me you could use my help.”

“Oh. I don’t know why she told you that but I have everything under control.”

“Gage, what’s wrong?”

I chanced looking at her. She looked huge. She had almost three months left before she was due but from the look of her I didn’t give her more than a month.

Pasting a fake smile on my face I said, “Nothing. Why would something be wrong?”

“I don’t know, but something is up. When Cobie called last night she said we had to come out. She wouldn’t tell us anything more. I swear if you two did something stupid like run off and get married I will kill you.”

Nearly dropping my glass beer bottle I choked out, “No. We sure as shit didn’t get married. Damn, Jenna. Could you have a little faith in me?”

Laying her head on my shoulder she sighed. “I know, I’m sorry Gage. I just want to know why we are here.”

“You will find out soon. We are just waiting for my parents and her mom. They should be here in a few hours. Until then let’s just enjoy the day.”

“Ok. I will go get you a plate for the burgers.”

Walking into the living room I saw my parents sitting together on the couch, Carrie was on the floor with Evie, Gramps was sitting in the rocking chair, Jenna was on Larkin’s lap in the chair and Cobie was curled in the corner of the loveseat. Her resolve was fading. Her smile wasn’t as bright as it had been earlier and her eyes were showing more pain than happiness. She looked like she could break at any moment.

Taking a seat next to Cobie I pulled her to my side. Leaning down I whispered, “Ready?”

She nodded.

Jenna scooted around on Larkin’s lap, uncomfortably. “Ok. So, we are all here. Will one of you please tell us why?”

Leave it to Jenna to not so subtly ask what the hell was going on.

She already had tears running down her face. Jenna looked from Cobie to me then back to Cobie. “Please tell me what is going on. Now I’m getting really scared. Don’t tell me you lost the baby. That can’t be true.”

Both Cobie and I shook our heads. I pulled her closer to me. “I will tell them.”

She looked up at me. “No, I have to. I need to.”

I kissed her nose. “I understand.”

Sitting straight, she reached for my hand. Wrapping my hand around hers I rested my other hand around her shoulders, keeping her close to me.

“I’m sure everyone is wondering why we made y’all come here so quick. No, we didn’t lose the baby. She is still healthy and perfect. I am the one that isn’t.”

Cobie’s mom walked on her knees so she was sitting directly in front of us. “What are you saying, sweetie?”

I squeezed her hand letting her know I was there. I would always be there.

“I had to have routine blood drawn two weeks ago. After they got the results they sent me to a specialist…”

Larkin cut in, “A specialist? For what? Cobie, cut the shit and just tell us what the fuck is going on.”

She pinched her eyes shut and spoke softly, “I have cancer.”

I barely heard her but the room fell silent. Everyone had heard.

Jenna gasped, smashing her hand over her mouth. “Cancer?”

My mom burst into tears.

Cobie’s Gramps asked, “What are they going to do.”

She couldn’t speak. I spoke for her, “Nothing. Cobie and I made the decision against treatment. Treatment meant losing Londyn and that was not an option for us.” I brushed a tear away. “We are going to cherish these next few months and enjoying being a family.”

Carrie wrapped her arms around Cobie’s legs. “Few months?”

Cobie took a few deep breaths and between cries said, “Yes, mom. I have Osteosarcoma. It is a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. I have a year at most but Dr. Emmons said with my pregnancy the cancer would most likely progress faster than normal.”

“How long Cobie?” Larkin asked, his voice weak.

“Dr. Emmons thinks maybe a few months after Londyn is born.”

Larkin wrapped Jenna in his arms as they both cried. Jenna looked up, her eyes meeting mine. For the first time it didn’t hurt to look at her. What hurt was knowing the girl I had my arms wrapped around wouldn’t be here this time next year. I thought my heart was broken when Jenna left. No. That pain was nothing compared to what I’ve been feeling these past few weeks.

Carrie covered her face. “No. I don’t believe it. You’re too damn young. I already lost your father. I can’t lose you too. There has to be something.”

Cobie ran her hand over her mom’s shaking head. “Mom, stop. I don’t want to spend these next few months angry. I have every right to be pissed at the world and turn my back on God. But, then I look at all of you and I feel Londyn moving around and I can’t be upset. I’m surrounded by those I love and I’m going to be a mom. That is something I always wanted and I get it. I’m scared. We all are. That won’t change anything. What’s going to happen will happen weather we are sad, mad, or glad. The fact is- Cobie’s voice shook- I’m going to die, soon. I want the months I do have to be good, happy memories. I don’t want cancer defining my life.”

My dad had been quiet the whole time, slowly rubbing my mom’s back. His deep voice startled me when he said, “Okay then. That is what we will do.” My dad looked at everyone is this room before he went on, “This isn’t about us. And, we would be selfish assholes if we didn’t respect what you’re asking. We all love you and Gage and support whatever decisions you two make.”

Smiling my thank you to my dad I added, “We both understand what we just threw at you. We are still trying to cope with it. We don’t want cancer to be our focus. We want life and Londyn to be are focus.

Cancer.

That one single word destroyed my family, my life. I hated it. It wasn’t fair. No one should have to go through this. Especially a young, healthy, beautiful women who was about to have my baby. I wanted everyone to believe that I was accepting reality. But, truth was, my anger was only growing.

The night was spent discussing what Dr. Emmons had told us and what our plans were.

We were all hurt. We were all pissed. We were all angry. We were all confused.

Fuck Cancer.  

10

Cobie

I needed to get away, I needed to think. There was so much going on and it was only going to get worse. After everyone left all my emotions came to the surface. I needed some air. Somehow Gage and I would have to figure this out.

“Cobie, wait up!” I heard Gage yelling.

Stopping I kicked a few rocks with my boots, waiting for him to catch up.

Once he was close he started walking and dug his hand into his jeans pocket. Pulling out a small velvet box. He handed it to me but never said a word.

Taking the box from Gage I slowly opened it and was surprised to find a gorgeous ring inside. Snapping it shut I handed it back to him, shaking my head profusely. “Gage, what the hell are you thinking? We aren’t even dating!”

Gage smiled. “Cobie, relax! I know we are not together, we are friends. This is a promise ring. Not like the usual promise of one day I’ll marry you but a promise that I will always be here.”

Gage opened the box again and slid the ring out. It was a simple platinum band covered in pave setting diamonds with a round garnet that was surrounded by diamonds. “Co, I promise that no matter what we are in this together. I promise to you and our daughter to be the father she deserves. I promise that whatever happens our daughter will come first. Cobie, we may not be in love but we will share a love that no one else ever will. We have the love of our baby and I promise to love you both until they put my old cranky ass in the ground. I promise- Gage’s voice broke- that when you’re gone I will share silly stories with our baby. She will know how beautiful her mom was and what an amazing person he mom was. I promise to never let her go a day without telling her how much you love her.”

Gage lifted my left hand and slipped the ring onto my ring finger. Holding both his hands I said, “Gage, thank you. I don’t know how I would have done this or gone through this without you. You had every chance to run but you stayed. Very easily you can have said screw it and walked away. Knowing I will be leaving our daughter with you makes this journey a little easier. I will always be with you helping you raise her.” Looking at my ring, shining bright in the setting sun I asked, “Why did you get a red stone?”