How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 509

"Lie down over there. I need to take a look," Elias said, gesturing toward the examination table behind him.

Elodie nodded and climbed up, settling herself as Elias came over and met her gaze. "No need to be nervous. You can lift your shirt a little."

She knew this was just a routine checkup, so she didn't fuss-she simply unbuttoned her blouse a bit, baring her abdomen.

Elias's expression turned serious as he worked. His fingertips pressed gently but firmly on her lower belly, expertly feeling for any abnormalities.

From the palpation, he got a general sense of her current condition.

When he glanced up, he saw Elodie lying there with her eyes squeezed shut and her lips pressed tightly together, as if bracing herself for impact.

Almost like she was giving herself a pep talk.

For some reason, Elias suddenly remembered Naylor Whitaker, who used to pester him with stories about Elodie-painting her as capable, fearless, almost invincible. Even with Naylor's scattered anecdotes, Elias could imagine exactly what Elodie had been like back then.

But now...

He looked again at Elodie, forcing herself to relax, eyes closed tight.

She seemed, for once, like any other young woman her age.

tugged at his lips as he shook his head and finally drew his hand back. "That's it. Everything looks all

breath, relief plain on her face. She pulled

of these exams -half expecting each time the pressure would make her break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately,

news." Elias took a seat, his tone lightening. "The new medication is doing well in trials. If all goes smoothly, you could start next week. It's targeted for your type of cancer-should help keep things stable for a while. That means you'll have more flexibility to plan the surgery

up, genuine surprise flickering across

as things could

she would have

time she so

the doctors could say was "operate as

risk

the desk, then added, almost as

If I tell you

in fact, the first time he'd said

he was. He'd always say, "I'll do my best." There were simply too many uncertainties in

But with Elodie...

her real

locked away inside. No one could

quiet certainty

it felt like