“That’s fine. I can hold on for a few hours or so,” Bev reassured the woman with a quick shrug.
The woman smiled and returned her focus to the tablet.
Bev picked her way through the others until she found a seat at the back to wait. She flipped through the magazine left there to occupy her time. The number of persons waiting to see the doctor decreased gradually until it was her turn.
“Hi,” she greeted the woman sitting behind a mahogany desk with a welcoming smile.
“Hi, Mrs. Barton. It’s good to see you again. Please have a seat,” Dr. Panton said, gesturing to the chair across from her desk. Bev sat down.
“What’s the problem?” the woman asked, leaning back in her chair and joining her fingers across her chest.
“I’ve been having a lot of pain that radiates from the middle of my back and down my leg,” she explained.
Dr. Panton slowly nodded. “How long has this pain been affecting you?”
Bev tapped her chin in thought. “More than a week, maybe a week and a half.”
“Okay. That is troubling,” Dr. Panton spoke, her eyes widening with concern. “Before I observe you, can you tell me, is there any swelling?”
“Yes. My right knee feels a little tight,” Bev responded.
The woman nodded before rising from her chair and coming to stand before her. She took Bev’s knee in her hand as she lifted her foot. Bev winced at the pressure. When she finished, Dr. Panton went back to her seat. “It is as I feared. There’s a strong possibility you have rheumatoid arthritis,” she said with seriousness.
“What?” Bev’s eyes widened with surprise. “Arthritis? But I can’t,” she refused.
Dr. Panton sighed. “I know that isn’t what you were expecting. After we get the blood tests and x-ray, we’ll talk about your treatment going forward, but in the meantime, I’ll prescribe pain tablets and something to alleviate the pressure.”
As she exited the doctor’s office, her mind was a tsunami of worry. How had it come to this? She walked across the lot to her car. The rumbling in her stomach reminded her she needed to eat. She noticed in that instant the “Java Bistro” sign in the window of the shop just beside the bank. Abandoning her intention of going home, she approached the establishment.
She pushed open the door and entered. It was rather small for a bistro but quite cozy, in her opinion. Only a few tables were occupied, and the smell of coffee hit her nostrils and caused her to salivate at the rich aroma. There was a small line by the counter as a young woman with dirty-blond hair was moving from the cash register to the coffee machines with an adept speed she had never seen before.
“Hi, welcome to Java Bistro,” the young woman greeted with a wide grin that transformed her light-brown eyes, which seemed to draw Bev in. “What can I get you?”
ChapterSix
Tessa
“Ican't believe you actually wore it. Turn around, let me get a good look at you.”
Tessa made a face at her sister standing at her front door, gawking at her. “It's funny how you act like this is the first time I've ever dressed nicely.” Still, she twirled, giving her a 360-degree view of her outfit. The off-the-shoulder black dress hugged her curves and stopped a few inches above her knees. The strappy silver shoes drew attention to her long legs, and her hairstyle, which was half up and half down, made her neck look long and graceful.
She'd already done her own appraisal in the foyer's floor-length mirror, and she had to admit she did look great.
“No…but it is the first in a long time,” Kerry spoke softly.
Tessa averted her eyes. She knew what her sister was referring to— Don. A heaviness settled in her chest as she thought about all the times she’d agreed to go out with the girls just after an argument with him. She wished she could go back to those times. She would have chosen to stay home and work out their problems. She would have been more understanding. She would have been more supportive and forgiving. She would have loved him more.
“Tessa. Are you all right?”
A hand waved in front of her face, causing her to blink and dispel her thoughts. She looked over at her sister, who watched her with narrow-eyed scrutiny.
“Look. I’m sorry if I said something to upset you…” Kerry’s brow furrowed over her eyes, shining with concern.
“No. It’s fine.” Tessa smiled reassuringly. “I just got lost in my thoughts for a bit.”
“Okay,” Kerry spoke slowly, still watching her with concern. A smile suddenly curved her lips upward at the sound of a car horn. “That’s the girls. We’ve gotta go. Wait till they get ahold of your outfit.” Her smile broadened and mischief danced in her eyes as she spoke the latter statement.
Tessa gave her sister a tight smile, and with a shake of her head, she stepped onto the porch and followed her sister down the steps toward the large SUV where the others waited on them. Suddenly, she felt shy. She knew her outfit would get a tick of approval from the girls since they’d been telling her she needed to let her hair down more often and try to fit their aesthetics for fun, but she’d never tried to draw attention to herself— ever.
