by Sandi Lynn
“SHIT!” I yelled.
I heard my phone ringing, so I ran downstairs and saw Craig was calling.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Wyatt, it’s me. Listen, man, I don’t have much time and I know you must be freaking out right now because I know I would be. Laurel is here with me and Maddy.”
“Oh, thank God.” I let out a sigh of relief.
“She told me how she left and didn’t tell you. You’re my friend too and I don’t want you worrying about her. She’s safe.”
“I’m going to hop on the next flight.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Just give her some space. She’ll be back.”
“Something is going on with her, Craig, and I don’t know what to do.”
“I know. By everything she’s telling me, it just doesn’t sound like the Laurel we know. Maddy and I are talking to her. Just take comfort in the fact that she’s okay and give her some time. I’ll try to find out what’s going on.”
“Thanks, friend. I appreciate it.”
After ending the call, I sent a text message to Bella telling her that Laurel was in California and that she was fine. Then I went over to George’s apartment and we sat down, had a couple beers, and we talked about her and everything that was going on.
I went home, and as I was getting ready for bed, I took a seat on her side of the bed and ran my hands down my face. I couldn’t believe she took off to California. But then again, she was Laurel and nothing she did surprised me anymore, except for the cat.
I lay in bed with my hands tucked behind my head and stared up at the ceiling. How did we get to this point? I hadn’t a clue, and I was awake all night trying to figure it out.
Chapter Seventeen
Laurel
“I’m so sorry for just showing up like this,” I spoke to Craig and Maddy.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Laurel. We love having you here,” Maddy spoke as she hugged me.
“She’s right. You can pop in any time you want. We’re always here for you,” Craig spoke.
Maddy was tired, so she went to bed. Craig grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and we took them up on the deck and stared at the beautiful starry sky.
“Please tell me you’re not going to live on this boat when the baby comes.” I smirked.
“Actually, Maddy and I put an offer in on a house on the beach not too far from here.”
“Excellent.” I held up my beer bottle and Craig tapped his against it.
“It’s perfect. We should hear if we got it in a couple of days.”
“I’m sure you will.” I smiled.
“I noticed you aren’t wearing your ring.”
“I took it off. Wyatt told me that I was making him question his love for me. So, I figured why wear it. That ring was a symbol of his love and if he’s doubting it now, there’s no reason for it to stay on my finger.”
“He was angry, Laurel. People say things when they’re angry. The two of you will get through this. You both love each other very much.”
I tipped my beer bottle to my mouth and took a swig.
“Oh, by the way, you’re never in a million years going to guess who I sat next to on the flight here.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Jamieson Finn.” I smiled.
“Was he in New York?”
“Yeah. He was teaching there for a couple of days. We were talking, and I told him about the headaches I’d been having, and he wants me to come to the hospital tomorrow for an MRI.”
“Why?” His brows furrowed.
“He said it’s a good idea just to get things checked out. He wrote a script for me for some pain pills, but he won’t give me it unless I agreed to the MRI.”
“Aren’t you a little worried?” he asked with concern.
“No. I told him it’s from all the stress I’ve been under lately and he agreed, but he said it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“What stress, Laurel?”
“I don’t know. My parents’ divorce, and the fact that my brother hates me. Plus, things with Wyatt haven’t been so great lately.”
“Why haven’t things with Wyatt been so great?”
“Are you a shrink?” I smirked.
“No. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”
“I wish I knew.” I finished off my beer.
****
The next morning, Craig dropped me off at the hospital.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? Someone should be with you.”
“I’m sure. You need to get to the restaurant.” I gave him a smile. “Besides, I like doing things on my own, and Dr. Finn will be there.” I climbed out of the car.
“Call me when you’re finished, and I’ll come get you.”
“No need. I’ll call an Uber. Now go prep some amazing food for your customers.”
I walked into the hospital and was directed to the Radiology department.
“How can I help you?” the young girl behind the desk asked.
“My name is Laurel Holloway and I’m here for an MRI. Dr. Jamieson Finn asked that he be paged when I arrived.”
“Okay. I’ll page him now. Please have a seat and we’ll be with you shortly.”
I took a seat in one of the bright orange chairs and looked around at all the people that were also waiting to have some sort of test done. I actually couldn’t believe I was doing this because, as far as I was concerned, it wasn’t necessary. All I needed were those pills from Jamieson and I’d be fine.
I finally decided to turn on my phone, and a nervousness swept over me as I didn’t know what messages I’d find. I was up all night thinking about Wyatt and how I probably shouldn’t have left. A little too late now, and I was sure he was pissed as hell. My phone alerted me that I had one text message from him and I was hesitant to open it, but I did, after I took in a deep breath.
“I love you, Laurel.”
That was all it said, and I sat there as I could feel the tears stinging my eyes.
“Laurel.” Jamieson smiled as he walked into the waiting room. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I smiled and shoved my phone into my purse.
“I’ll need you to change into this gown. By the way, you aren’t claustrophobic, are you?”
“No.” I lightly shook my head.
“So, you don’t think you’ll need to take something to help you relax while you’re in there?”
“I’ll meditate.” I smiled.
After changing into my gown, Jamieson led me into the attached room and told me to lie down on the table.
“I want to do a contrast solution, which will be given to you through an IV,” he spoke.
“An IV? Dr. Finn, is all this really necessary?” I asked as I sat up.
“The contrast solution will help me see all areas of your brain more clearly. It’s just best to get it done while you’re in there. It’s no big deal. Are you afraid of needles or something?”
“No. Needles don’t bother me.”
“Good, because I’m going to have Connie, here, put the IV in and then she’ll inject you with the dye. I’m going to be right on the other side of that glass, and there’s a microphone so we can talk during the MRI, but you have to stay very still.”
Jamieson walked out of the room and Connie put in my IV and then injected the dye. I could feel a slight burning sensation course through my body, which was a little uncomfortable.
“Are you ready, Laurel?” Jamieson asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The table started to move into the MRI machine, so I closed my eyes and tried to divert my mind somewhere else. I took myself back to the beach where Wyatt proposed to me.
“You doing okay in there, Laurel?” Jamieson asked.
“Yeah. How’s that brain of mine looking?”
“Very intelligent. I can see why you’re so smart. We’re almost done.”
A few moments later, the tab
le moved back to its original place and Connie walked over and removed my IV.
“Laurel, when you’re done getting dressed, I’ll have Connie bring you to my office.”
“Sure, Dr. Finn.”
I changed back into my clothes and walked with Connie up to the third floor where Jamieson’s office was located.
“Please, have a seat.” He gestured as he got up and closed his office door.
“So, what’s the verdict? I need to cut back on the stress, meditate more, yada yada?” I smiled.
“Laurel.” He paused for a moment. “The MRI showed a brain tumor located on the right frontal lobe of your brain,” he spoke with a serious tone.
“What?” My brows furrowed. “That’s not possible. Listen, Jamieson, if this is some kind of joke.”
He turned his computer screen so I could see my scans.
“See this area right here?” He pointed to the large shaded area. “This is the tumor and it’s about the size of a tennis ball. I’d say you’ve had it for about nine to ten years. It’s pressing down on your brain, which is causing the headaches and other symptoms you’ve been experiencing.”
“Nine to ten years? I don’t understand.”
“It wasn’t always this big. It took that many years to grow. Because of the size of it, it’s running out of room, and therefore, pressing down on your brain.”
“I’m twenty-eight years old. You’re saying that I’ve had this thing in my head since I was eighteen?”
“Judging from the size, yes. Now I don’t want you to worry, because it is not a cancerous tumor.”
“How can you tell? Don’t you need to biopsy it?”
He cocked his head and pursed his lips.
“You wrote an article on me. Am I not the best in my field?” His brow raised.
“You are.”
“So, then you trust me when I tell you that it’s not cancerous?”
“Now what?” I asked.
“I need to go in and remove it.”
I sat there and stared at him for a moment, trying to process everything he was telling me.
“When?” I asked.
“Next Friday. I’ll fly out to New York and perform the surgery at Mount Sinai. You’ll be more comfortable there and in your own home recovering. I do have to ask, you haven’t experienced any seizures, have you?”
“No.”
“I’m surprised by that. And with that being said, I’m going to put you on an anti-seizure medication just in case.”
I looked down at my hands, which were resting on my lap.
“I’m so sorry, Laurel. I know this is hard, and I thank God that we were on that plane together.”
“Did you suspect something? Is that why you had me come in for the MRI?”
“Yes. When you were telling me about your headaches, and then I saw the burn on your arm, and you mentioned not being able to remember the simplest of things, I suspected it was more than just stress.”
“I don’t understand. What does the burn on my arm have to do with it?”
“Because of the location of the tumor, it’s affecting your coordination. I’m not here to tell you what to do, but I think you might want to call Wyatt. If he wants to call me, I’d be more than happy to go over everything with him.”
“Yeah. Sure.” I slowly nodded.
“Okay. Here’s the prescription for the anti-seizure medication and for your headaches, like I promised. Once I take that tumor out, you won’t have any more bad headaches.”
“Thank you,” I spoke as I stood up from seat. “I think I’ll go call Wyatt now.”
He got up from his seat and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders.
“I know this is a shock, but you’re going to be fine. Trust me. You have my number. Text or call me any time you need to.”
Chapter Eighteen
Laurel
I took the elevator to the lobby and took a seat in a comfortable dark purple chair. Pulling out my phone, I stared at Wyatt’s name in my contact list, trying to work up the courage to call him. Finally, I hit the button and it started to ring.
“Laurel, thank God, sweetheart. I’ve been so worried,” he answered.
“Wyatt, I need you to come to California as soon as possible,” I spoke in a low voice.
“Are you okay?” he immediately asked.
“I’ll explain everything when you get here. Text me when you land. I’ll be at Venice Beach.”
“Laurel, I love you and I miss you. What’s wrong?”
“I love you too. Just get here as soon as you can.”
I arranged for an Uber and had him take me to Venice Beach. There was no way I could go back to Craig’s place. I couldn’t tell him or Maddy about the tumor because Wyatt needed to be the first person to know. I could have just flown back to New York and told him, but I knew him, and he’d have a million questions, some of which I probably couldn’t answer. So, it was best that he came here so he could talk to Jamieson himself.
****
Wyatt
Thank God I decided to work from home today. I was able to secure a private jet, so I packed a bag and had Ryan drive me to the airport as quickly as possible. She sounded upset and horrible thoughts were racing through my head. In all the time I’d known her, I never heard the tone she used when she called, and it scared the living hell out of me.
****
Laurel
I was walking down the boardwalk, thinking, and still in disbelief that I had a brain tumor. But I was strong, and I could handle the news. Wyatt on the other hand, I wasn’t so sure. I didn’t know how I was going to tell him. He’d act strong for me, but inside, he’d suffer, and I couldn’t bear that. I loved him so much and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. I’d already hurt him enough with my erratic behavior.
I stopped at a tattoo shop that had flashing lights in the window. I walked inside. Was this the tumor making me do this or me? Now that I knew I had a brain tumor and reflected back on all the things I’d done, I couldn’t differentiate anymore.
“Hey, how can I help you?” a young man with a shaved head and a body filled with ink asked.
“I think I want a tattoo.”
“Have you ever gotten one before?” he asked.
“No.”
“Okay. You said you think you want one. Why do you think that?”
“I just found out an hour ago that I have a large brain tumor located in the right frontal lobe of my brain.”
“Gee. I’m sorry.” His brows knitted.
“So, see, I don’t know if it’s the tumor telling me to get a tattoo or if it’s authentically me wanting one.”
“Let me ask you this. Do you hate tattoos?”
“No. I actually considered getting one in college, but it was just to piss my mother off.” I lightly smiled.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I don’t know. I thought about it a lot, but I just never went and got one.”
“Well, if you thought once about getting one, then I think it’s safe to say that it’s you who wants one and not the tumor.”
“You’re possibly right.”
“Any idea what you want?” he asked.
“A monk once told me at the monastery I stayed at for a month that stars can’t shine without darkness. I was in a bad place at the time and I needed to find myself.”
“I like that.” He smiled. “By the way, I’m Billy.”
“Nice to meet you, Billy. I’m Laurel.” I placed my hand in his. “He said that every negative event we face in our life gives us the opportunity to grow and change. Every person on this earth is a star, and even in our darkest hours, we still shine brightly from our strength, hope, and perseverance.”
“Wow. That’s deep. I think you just made your decision.” The corners of his mouth curved upwards.
“I did. Let’s do it.” I nodded.
“Where do you want the tattoo?”
“I’m not sure. Where do you think I should get it?”
>
“Go have a seat over on the couch. I’m going to draw something up real quick and see if you like it.”
I did as Billy asked, and about ten minutes later, he walked over and handed me what he designed. A spray of small stars with the quote next to it.
“I love it.” I smiled.
“I thought you would. This would look really cool on the back of your shoulder. All you have to do is pick a side. But, if you want my suggestion, I’d do the right side since that’s the side your tumor is on. It’s kind of like telling the tumor to fuck off because, no matter what, you’re going to get through this.”
“Right side it is!”
“Great. All I need is for you to fill out this paperwork, sign it, and I’ll take you back to my room and we’ll get started.”
I handed him back the clipboard and laid down on the table. He began, and what I felt was nothing compared to the headaches I’d been having every day. Before I knew it, he was finished, and I couldn’t wait to see it.
“What do you think?” He grinned as he held up a mirror.
“I love it.” Tears started to form. “Thank you, Billy.” I gave him a hug.
“You’re welcome, Laurel. Good luck with everything. Remember, you’re a star.” He smiled.
After I paid him and gave him a large tip, I walked out of his shop and looked at the time on my phone, noticing I had a text message from Craig.
“Hey, how did everything go? Maddy texted me and said you didn’t come back to the boat yet. Everything okay?”
“I’m at Venice Beach taking in some sights. Wyatt is flying in. I’ll explain later.”
“That’s good he’s flying in, right?”
“Yeah. I miss him, and I asked him to come.”
“Good. Then we’ll see the both of you when you get here. By the way, how did your MRI go?”
“It was loud. I’ll tell you about it later.”
****
Wyatt
I pulled out my phone the moment the plane landed and sent Laurel a text message.
“I just landed. Where exactly are you?”
“Come to the Venice Beach boardwalk. I’ll be sitting on a bench outside a restaurant called American Burger.”
“I know exactly where it’s at. Stay put, I’ll be there soon.”
