Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 137 - Sharing the News

For the second time that week, Greg and Susan stood on the walk outside Dr. Bowers' office blinking in the bright sun.

"What do you think? Coffee or the beach?" Greg asked.

Susan thought for a moment. "How about coffee, then the beach?" she asked. "I feel like we need to talk ... but I also need to pray."

"Understandable ... so do I," Greg told her. "I expect we will also be going to the beach tomorrow while we are at Richard and Marion's, celebrating the 4th of July."

"Yes, I know. But that will be time spent with family and friends. I want that to be a good memory ... the last opportunity for us to do that all together. I don't want it to be a day filled with sorrow," Susan reminded her husband. "The time on the beach I need right now is just for me and the Lord ... or maybe I should go early tomorrow morning, when we have some hope of being alone. The beach is probably crowded this time of day, given its summer."

"We can do both, go now and in the morning if you'd like," Greg told her.

Susan smiled weakly. "Thank you."

"As for the coffee, can I convince you to come with me?" Greg asked. "You're right. We do need to talk."

"Okay."

c

The couple drove to the nearby Starbucks where they ordered an afternoon coffee and sot out a booth in a corner they could share.

"What are you thinking, Greg?" Susan asked after they sat down, their coffees in their hands.

"I am thinking the Lord didn't intend to give us a choice. Anything we choose to actively do to fight what is killing her will make Melody's time left on Earth more miserable than it would be otherwise. If, on the other hand, we simply accept the means He has chosen to take her, if we were to make the obvious decision to do nothing to fight her disease, her passing will be relatively pain free and peaceful," Greg said.

"The means He has chosen to take her," Susan repeated the phrase Greg used. "I suppose that is what it is. We as humans like to give a name to everything, and so we call it disease ... or cancer ... or Burkett's-like non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. But what it is, is a relatively pain-free, silently effective means the Lord has at his disposal to take her home."

"Yes," Greg said. "It is difficult to take in that we must simply accept it. That we must do as the doctor suggests and devote ourselves to enjoying the time with her she has left instead of actively fighting her disease."

"And from what he was saying, there isn't much time left," Susan said.

"Less than two months," Greg said. "Given today is July 3rd, that means it is likely to happen sometime this summer ... before Labor Day or the first of September."

"From what Dr. Bowers was saying, it may be sooner than that," Susan cautioned. "If her cell count has truly doubled in the past week ... I wonder if she'll even make it through much of August."

"If she does not, she will be gone before my scheduled trip to Israel," Greg said.

"When do you have to be there?" Susan asked.

"No later than the last week in August, through the first two weeks of September. I was so hoping she would be recovered and we could take her with us for a vacation ahead of that. I think she would enjoy seeing John and Karen's children again," Greg shared.

"She would enjoy it, but would she be up to it?" Susan said. "I think Melody is much too weak to travel."

"I wasn't suggesting we change our plans so she can go. I was only lamenting the fact that she won't be able to," Greg replied. "Chances are she will be gone before I have to leave myself. The Lord seems to be going out of His way to ensure it happens like that."