How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

She turned her head, her gaze steady and calm. "If the surgery goes perfectly, if

the prognosis is good and they manage to remove all the tumor and cancer cells,

and if I can walk away whole-that would be the best-case scenario. But the truth

is, no one can make that promise."

Given how far her illness had progressed, and the earlier miscarriage that forced

her into surgery, it was clear she'd been through more than anyone should have

to bear.

"Jarrod, you really don't have to-"

"I reached out to some specialists in Europe," he interrupted, his voice low.

"They're working together to come up with the best possible treatment plan." He

turned away, grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl, and started peeling it with

careful, deliberate motions. He didn't look at her, focusing instead on removing

every strand of pith from each segment. If you looked closely, though, his hands

were trembling ever so slightly.

He'd cut her off before she could finish.

Elodie stared at him, silent. She didn't want to give him false hope-she wasn't

even sure what to hope for herself. No matter how she looked at it, the road

ahead was bleak.

In the best-case scenario, the surgery would be a success. She'd need regular

checkups, but her daily life and everything else would go back to normal. But

also the chance the operation would

just two, maybe

they'd have to remove her uterus entirely. She'd never have

own.

else was a

to carry.

being realistic, she told herself. Jarrod wasn't

But with something as serious as this,

was dangerous-for him and for

held out a segment

mouth, and he simply

to withdraw.

they were locked in

last, Elodie let out

there's a

heart and your

to admit it,

see me as a

was right about

feels

But

line things might

don't want to end

one-sided

best if

really not willing to try with me?" he said,

segment to her lips.

ask me if I

mouth as she finally

no pretense. "Is any

Jarrod

you," he said, his

emotion. His

with pain as

pale, fragile face.

way,