of beating out of my chest. I fucking hated trees after that day,” I grumble the last.
Her lips quirk. “I know. I saw how much it bothered you. You didn’t ever wonder why I stopped climbing trees all of a sudden?”
“I didn’t care why. I was only glad you stopped.”
Molly wraps her arms around my waist and snuggles her face against my chest. Tugging her closer with my arms around her shoulders, I drop my head until my nose is buried in her hair. I take a deep breath, pulling in the sweetness of her scent.
Remembering the day she fell from the tree has my thoughts moving to the results of her tests. I’ve never been a pessimist. The life I’ve shared with Molly has always been good. Yes, we’ve had our ups and downs, but I’ve never for a second doubted our love. However, with the unknowns we’re facing, and the symptoms Molly has been going through, I can’t stop myself from thinking the worst, because there is a possibility of a worst.
I hate those negative thoughts, and I feel guilty for having them.
No matter what we face, we’ll do it together.
Chapter Ten
MOLLY
“Baby, relax,” Lincoln says soothingly, resting his hand on my bouncing knee.
I force my heel to the floor. It’s the look in Lincoln’s eyes a moment later that makes me aware that my other knee is now bouncing. I suck in a steadying breath and press that heel to the floor as well.
“Everything is going to be okay.”
I don’t know who he’s trying to convince more; me or him. Lincoln puts on a brave front, but I know he’s just as worried as I am. Except for the flu when I was a kid, and the common cold, I haven’t been sick a day in my life. Now my body is failing me in some way.
The last two weeks have been hard to say the least. As much as it scares me to know what’s going on, I still hope we leave here with some answers. Not knowing has made everything worse. My own uncertainty is hard enough to handle, but knowing Lincoln is just as worried, if not more, has my anxiety going through the roof. I don’t even want to think about being in his shoes, knowing something was wrong with him, but not knowing what that something was.
I lace my fingers with his and force my mind away from the negative thoughts.
I stand on shaky legs when the nurse calls my name. Feeling Lincoln’s presence behind me helps my nerves as we’re led to the area where they check my weight and vitals. I frown when we bypass all of the patient rooms.
“Where—”
“Dr. Becker will be seeing you in his office today,” the nurse says before I can finish my question.
A knot forms in my stomach, and I pull in a shaky breath. I glance at Lincoln beside me and see the same worry on his face. My thoughts immediately move to all of the movies I’ve seen where someone gets bad news from their doctor. It always happens while the doctor sits behind a desk while the patient sits on the other side, clinging to their loved ones with tears streaming down their face.
The nurse gently taps on the door before pushing it the rest of the way open.
“Dr. Becker, Molly and Lincoln are ready.”
My doctor looks up from the laptop in front of him, the frown on his face disappearing when he sees us standing there.
“Please, come in and have a seat.” He gestures to the two chairs on the other side of his desk.
As we sit, my eyes zero in on the box of tissues sitting on the corner of his desk. Those tissues represent bad news, and I hate that they are there. I have a similar box in my own office at the vet clinic. Clients use them when we recommend their beloved animal be put down instead of continuing to suffer.
I don’t know who clutches whose hand tighter, me or Lincoln. As if sensing I need him closer, Lincoln scoots his chair over until the arm of his is touching mine, getting as close as he can.
Up until this point, I’ve avoided looking at Dr. Becker, fearful of what I might find in his eyes. When I finally meet his gaze, I know my fear wasn’t unfounded. He looks stressed. More stressed than I’ve ever seen him in the twenty-three years he’s been my doctor. I know in