Page 19 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout
“Sienna,” Dr. Barron began, “I’ve told you this before. You can’t look for a problem that doesn’t exist. That won’t do youorGrace any favors.”
Last time I wasn’t looking for a problem, and there ended up being one.Sienna bounced her leg, uncomfortably recalling her daughter’s last brief remission. If she had it her way, Sienna would ask Dr. Barron to run a full blood panel on Grace every week.Is this who I am now? Wanting to drag my daughter to a lab to stick her with a needle just for my own peace of mind?
Dr. Barron stood from her chair and moved around her desk, leaning against it. “Sienna, how long have we known each other?”
“No offense, but it’s been too long,” Sienna said dryly.
“We’ve been with each other through some high highs and low lows,” Dr. Barron said. “And what do I always tell you? Celebrate the highs—”
“So that she will too,” Sienna finished with a sigh.
Dr. Barron reached out, squeezing Sienna’s shoulder. “It’s time you go back to being the mom of a healthy kid. And you’re far too young for frown lines.”
Sienna rubbed her forehead as she stood. “Can you write me a prescription for Botox so insurance covers it?”
Laughing, Dr. Barron shook her head. “I’ll see you in six months. And I hope not a moment sooner, but you know the protocol.”
I know it too well.
Sienna entered the hospital hallway she knew like the back of her hand.Grace had her treatments on the third floor. Urgent Care was on the first, and the ICU—where Grace ended up intubated, fighting a serious infection for ten long days—on the seventh. Oncology—where Grace had celebrated two Halloweens with all the other kids—on the twelfth. They had worn costumes over their ports, their IVs, and instead of superhero masks, many had medical ones over their mouth and nose as a preventive measure to protect whatever little of their immune systems remained.
She tried to ignore the little boy who got off the elevator with his parents—the sunken circles under his eyes, the frail bones of his wrist, the roundness of his bald head. But what Sienna couldn’t ignore was the curt, distracted nod of his father, the hurriedness of his mother’s steps, and the worry that flowed freely off them. But the smile on the little boy’s face made Sienna smile back, and she remembered all of Grace’s smirks and grins, her cheekiness popping through even her sickest of moments.
And if she could be like that back then,Sienna thought,why can’t I be like thatnow?
Sienna got off the elevator, hanging a right. She jumped when a warm body knocked into her.
“Oh, thank you for all the Sparks stuff!” It was Luella, Sienna’s secret favorite nurse. “You’re going to make my son very happy.” Luella released Sienna, patting her on the cheek. “He wants to be just like that Beau Walker. What do they call him? The flying receiver? He’s loved him since he was seven years old.”
Him and me both,Sienna added in thought. “I’m glad he’ll like them. How have you been, Luella?”
Luella straightened her stethoscope. “Well, I’m better now that I got to see my sweet Grace. Can’t believe how well she’s doing. And she’s grown, my goodness! She’ll be catching up to her mama soon enough. You know, we love when they leave and don’t have to come back. But I’ll tell you a secret.” Luella leaned forward and whispered, “We love to see them come backthriving, too.”
Sienna’s heart twisted. If there was anything positive that came out of Grace’s cancer journey, it was that Sienna quickly learned that angels did walk on earth. They happened to be trapped in the bodies of nurses who somehow made every needle stick hurt less, who washed your daughter’s hair after she threw up on it, who placed catheters and changed sheets, all while pulling laughter out of terribly sick children.
“We’ll be better about visiting,” she told Luella. “Who is she bothering now?”
“She’s sitting with Molly. Your girl put a big smile on that one’s face. She’s over in isolation. Fever today.”
Oh, Molly.
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t tire her out. Thanks, Luella.”
Sienna rounded another corner and caught sight of Grace down the hall, pressing her hand on the glass that kept Molly safe from the outside world where the common cold could kill her.
Grace laughed. “No, but seriously, number seven’s butt in real life is out of this world. TV doesn’t do it justice.”
Sienna couldn’t hear Molly’s response but rolled her eyes as her daughter continued.
“Do you want to go to a game next season? I told you my mom used to date Beau Walker, right? He could get us VIP treatment again. She was totally in love—”
“Grace!”
Gasping, Grace let out a giggle. “I have to go. I’ll text you.”
Sienna sighed with a heavy heart.Friendship shouldn’t be this way. Kids shouldn’t have to live this way.
A few minutes later, Sienna and Grace rode the elevator down to the lobby.
