Rain Again (Completed)

Epilogue

"Frustrating it is..." Dr. Gonzalves had been muttering under his breath, looking tense and irritated. The unemotional genius looked up from the reports in his hand at the sound of Victor clearing his throat.

Kate let out a long sigh.

She knew that look on the doctor's face. She had seen it before once.

There was an obvious doom awaiting her again.

She put her palm on Victor's fisted hand on the armchair next to her. The guy had become a ball of nerves.

"It has relapsed," the doctor said. "The tumor, and it's cancerous, yes."

The very breath left from Kate's lungs.

"What!" Victor's voice filled with disbelief wrenched at her heart.

Last time, when she was in this same doctor's chamber, receiving the same news — there was a sick, disturbing wish within her to find all solutions and pleasure in the chance of breathing her last.

Kate found that missing inside her now.

Delivering forgiveness had relieved her. Then, bringing Owen into her life after the long adoption process filled her life with colors.

Her career also flourished.

She had completed a couple of novels.

Kate was in love with her life now and everything that this beautiful world had to offer her.

This time, she had so much to lose.

And this time, she had to face the irony of being allowed less of what we want the most.

--

Years passed...

The sea looked vast from Kate's bedroom window. Vast and blue and endless - like the battle she had been fighting to survive for five years now.

Between the window and her, Owen slept peacefully next to her. 

The boy was tired after coming back from school.

Kate ran her fingers softly through the silky locks of her little boy. Looking at his sleeping face, she wondered how fast he had grown up. 

Hearing the doorbell ringing, she sat up slowly and fixed her small boy-cut hair as much as possible with her hands. She preferred this length now, even after they had grown back up.

After her cancer had relapsed, and they started chemo on her again, all her hair fell off. She was back to being bald again. But then they let her know that this time, there was a ninety-eight percent chance she would die from the side effects of chemo faster than the cancer. Her body couldn't take the same burden twice. She was basically depleted despite all her confidence and effort. They estimated she would get nearly five to ten years (if she was lucky or followed all the rules given by them, like the bible) to live.

So, she chose to live without the torture of chemo. 

It was Alex, she discovered, opening the door. She was not surprised, however.

His appearing a few times a month was a regular these days.

She knew it was difficult for him to re-establish his business after the blow of bankruptcy it went through. Yet, still, he would find the time to travel all the way to Asthel from South Hills.

"When did you come to Asthel?" She asked, stepping aside from the doorway to let him walk in.

He walked in, giving her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just now," he replied.