Cancer.
It's a curse.
It turns people's lives upside down and ruins their relationships.
Brynne Foster is a perfect example.
After being diagnosed with leukemia at age 17, Brynne's family struggles to accept her decision of refusing chemotherapy...
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"Brynne!"
Elise's familiar voice fills the hallway outside of my hospital room. My heart skips a beat once I see all of my girlfriends.
Elise enters the room with the biggest smile on her face. Closely following are Amber, Rory, and McKenna.
Rory is carrying a large suitcase which scares me, but I put my anxieties aside and greet my friends.
"Hi, girls! I've missed you all so much," I exclaim while giving each of them a long hug.
Since I haven't seen them in a while, the atmosphere is a bit awkward.
Amber looks shocked that the entirety of this situation is real. She's my friend from the dance studio where I used to teach. We both taught a group of six-year-old girls, and those are some of my best memories. We never had a dull moment while hanging out with each other. Her eyes dart from all the machines in the room to the scar on my neck. She reaches for another hug.
"I'm so glad you're doing okay," Amber sweetly whispers. Her usual scent of apples and cinnamon is still as perfect as I remember. Sending her a smile, I allow Elise to embrace me as well.
She wastes no time and immediately asks for all the juicy details between Blake and me.
I chuckle and tell her that those will all come in good time.
Besides, it would take forever to list all of the juicy details.
McKenna lingers behind Amber in a state of shyness.
"Come here, girl." I wave to her in an attempt to ease her apprehensiveness. This seems to work because she immediately gives me a sweet hug, and tells me how much they've missed me on the track team.
Shortly after, Rory does the same and hands me a card with signatures from the entire football team.
"Your pretty popular with the guys now, Brynnie," Elise exaggerates, "The football team even wore orange socks to their last game to spread awareness for leukemia."
I didn't realize that everyone cared so much.
My heart fills when Elise talks about the people who have asked how I'm doing. She even promised them she'd send me their good wishes.
I begin to tell the girls about Blake and how wonderful he is. They ask for a picture, so I show them one of him on our beach trip. I swear I heard Rory's breath hitch once she got a good look at him, but I can't blame her. He is one attractive man.
Sometimes I wonder why he chose me over hundreds of pretty girls at our school.
McKenna asks me what the ball is for, and I tell them it is for his father's business, which is technically not a lie.
"So!" Rory starts, "Are you ready for us to turn you into a sexy babe?"
I nudge her shoulder while the rest of the girls giggle.
