Hourglass Squared

by K, S

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, doing my best to hold it together. "Thank you for taking care of her. Please keep me posted. I'll give Brooke a call later this afternoon and see if she's up for company. I really need to see her."

  I could practically hear the sigh of relief washing over Josh. "She'd love that."

  "I love you, Josh. I'm so glad you are by her side through all of this. Tell Brooke I love her too, and I'll see her soon.

  "Love you too, sis. See you tonight."

  The day dragged on as I watched each minute pass on the clock that hung over my office door. Not a fan of tomatoes, I plucked them out of my lunch salad before I covered it with chunky blue cheese dressing, just as Monica's assistant floated into my office.

  "Emergency meeting in the conference room, five minutes. Monica wants you there."

  I huffed and began shoveling my salad into my mouth before discarding the remnants into my trashcan and rushing off to the conference room. The room was packed, as if she'd summoned every employee in the building. I sat down, wondering what this was all about. Endless chatter filled the room as everyone began to speculate what was going on, but when Monica stepped in, the room fell silent, everyone's attention focused solely on her.

  She took a moment to look over the room before she started. "First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you. Without each person in this room, Hourglass would not be able to maintain the level of success we continue to achieve year after year, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for that. That being said, I know that I expect you all to produce at a level that can't be matched by our competition. In the next few months, I am going to ask you to work harder, stay later, give up your family time for this company, and I hope that each of you is on board."

  Chatter began to pick up around the room again as employees guessed at what we'd be working on, and Monica allowed it for a moment before she began speaking again.

  "I want to do a breast cancer awareness issue that will publish in October. We've never done this in the past, and, quite frankly, I'm not sure why not. Women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, and we at Hourglass need to let them know that we support them. I want celebrities who have survived this terrible disease. I want real women who battle with this every day featured on our cover. I want this issue to be seen by every person who walks this earth. My goal is to have husbands asking their wives if they've given themselves their monthly breast exam. I want grandsons asking their grandmothers if they've been squished. Women who have this disease shouldn't feel like their battle is over. I want them to feel like it's just beginning, and they are fully equipped to beat it. Each of you needs to take a day or two and think about how we can make this issue our best-selling issue in the history of our magazine. We'll reconvene on Friday to discuss your ideas."

  Monica dismissed the masses, and I remained seated, doing my best to hold back the tears as the crowd disseminated. Once the room cleared, I stood and walked over to Monica. "Thank you so much for doing this. Brooke is going to be beside herself when she hears about this."

  A sincere smile spread over Monica's face while she reached out delicately and rested her hand on my arm. "It's the least we can do for her. My mother lost her battle to breast cancer, so I know, firsthand, how difficult this road can be. Please let Brooke know if there is anything that we can do for her during all of this to please let us know. We are here, supporting her one hundred percent of the way."

  I smiled and quickly reached up to wipe the tears that were falling as Monica turned and marched off to her office.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Brooke

  "BROOKE, ARE YOU ready to go?" Josh called from the bathroom, where he'd just gotten out of the shower.

  I tugged the comforter over my head to block out the rising sun and his impending appearance. My body ached and refused to budge from the bed, yet I knew today I would have to. Today we went to meet with some oncologist Josh had called in who supposedly knew his stuff, was going to offer me some hope, and help pave the way to beating this.

  Time had passed in a blur this last week as each day the sun rose and filled my bedroom with light and then set again. I stayed in bed for countless days, unsure how to pull myself back together. Every mealtime Josh would slip in with a tray of food; each looked like a picture-perfect example for the food pyramid. Talking was nonexistent, despite Josh's, Savannah's, and Jake's best efforts. No matter how the conversation began each time, it would weave and wind its way to cancer, and I'd choke on my words as tears streamed down my face.

  The sheets were torn out of my grasp, and the cold air hit my body, making me curl up into a ball.

  "Come on, get up," Josh ordered, tugging me by my leg toward the edge of the bed.

  "Josh," I whined, kicking at him with my free leg. "Stop."

  "Guys! I need reinforcements!" he called over his shoulder.

  Great. He'd called in the cavalry. Jake and Savannah came bounding in the room, each dressed in bright pink shirts that had the words, BROOKE'S BOOBIE BRA-WLERS in a scroll font.

  "You're getting fat," I shot out, irritated that these people were all so peppy and filled with hope when I'd given up after hearing the word cancer.

  "Hey, not nice!" Jake pouted, putting his hands on his hips. "I really thought pink was my color."

  Not missing as he took ahold of Savannah's hand and gave it a squeeze, I could see her swallow back tears as she looked to him, then me.

  "Well, my dear, dear friend, that is because I am pregnant with not one but two squatters. Hate to be the bearer of bad news." She paused as tears flooded my vision. Bad news seemed to be the norm these days, and I hated it. I felt the bed dip as Savannah's perfume enveloped me. "You're pregnant too." She took my hand and placed it on the small bump that had finally started to blossom. "Come on, let's go kick cancer's ass." She gave me a shove and then walked into my closet to find me an outfit.

  We all rode to the doctor's together. Savannah put "Roar" by Katy Perry on repeat and sang off tune at the top of her lungs until I joined her. By the time we pulled in to the brick office complex, we were all smiling and singing together, and for just a moment I could breathe and feel an ounce of hope. As I looked out the windshield the bold word ONCOLOGIST slayed any positive energy I had started to feel.

  "Well, let's go hear how we are going to beat this." I announced, hoping to keep the mood upbeat despite the gloom taking over my heart. No need to bring them all down with me. We all strode into the waiting area. The doctor Josh had called, waiting for us up at the front counter, waved us through and to his office to talk.

  "Mrs. Worthington, I'm Dr. Rothchild. I have had some time to review your imaging studies as well as your bloodwork. I see that you are twenty-four weeks along, so we will take that into account through your treatment. Do you know what you are having?"

  His question threw me. I had been nodding along to his review of my case. It had been so clean cut and clinical, giving me no idea what he thought my chances were.

  "We don't know." This from Josh seated beside me. "We chose to not find out."

  Forcing a smile, I nodded in agreement.

  "Oh well, that'll be a nice surprise." Dr. Rothchild smiled as he went back to looking at his notes. "So, I want to get some more imaging, but by looking at the tissue-sampling results, I can tell you it is an invasive cancer. I will be ordering an MRI—"

  "But the baby!" My voice startled even me.

  I heard what he was saying. I had been getting up in the middle of the night and researching everything I could on the Internet. Invasive was bad; it meant it was more than just the breast tissue was being affected. It lowered my chance of survival because it was more to fight. And on top of all of that, I was carrying Josh's baby. I had to protect him or her for at least another four months. Most things I'd read talked about the dangers to the baby from the radiation and chemo, and if I did nothing else, I would protect this precious gift with everything I am, in case it was t
he last gift I could give him.

  "While there is some risk to the fetus—"

  "Baby," I argued.

  "The baby. We can take precautions but, Brooke, you need to think of yourself as well. We need to see what we are up against. You are a week away from your third trimester, so the risks decrease since the baby is doing more growing now instead of developing."

  After scheduling an MRI, we left the doctor's office, more waiting in my future it would seem, until we came up with a plan.

  As we stepped outside, I shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight. A black sedan was waiting outside the door parked beside Josh's car.

  "Alright, boys." Savannah's bubbly voice came from behind me, causing me to turn and face her.

  Jake, beside her, was gnawing on his bottom lip as she pecked him on the cheek.

  "Don't pout, Jake. You'll see later."

  My head went back and forth between them, trying to figure out what they were up to.

  Josh sneaked up beside me and pulled me into him. "You okay?"

  I nodded in response, still avidly watching Jake and Savannah converse back and forth silently with head tilts and eyebrow lifts.

  "What's going on with these two?" I knew he'd be in the loop and knew what the deal was, and even if he didn't, he spoke twin so he could figure it out.

  "A surprise," he taunted with a wink, before kissing me swiftly and dragging his brother to the car.

  Savannah grasped my hand and led me toward the sedan. Once we were by its side, she whipped the door open and shoved me gently into the car.

  After a short drive, we pulled up to a new office complex that had a sign offering 3D imaging. We walked inside the lobby, and Savannah checked us in. The pink vinyl chair creaked as I sat down beside her as she furiously scribbled in the information on the two forms.

  "Sign here," she commanded as she shoved the clipboard at me.

  The pen held firmly in my hand, I placed the tip down before pausing to look back up at my best friend. "Why are we here?" I asked, perplexed. I'd just had an ultrasound a month earlier, and the guys weren't here, so this all just confused me.

  "You need to remember what you're fighting for." Her response was so simple. So honest. My best friend knew me like no other; she could see my struggles even when I couldn't voice them out loud.

  We were moved back to an ultrasound room, and in moments the screen was filled with images of my little baby squirming around in my belly. My eyes filled with tears, blurring my vision. This reason had never left my heart; it was the biggest thing I was fighting for. The nurse wrote down the gender of the baby and sealed it in an envelope, passing it over to a beaming Savannah. As she wiped the jelly of my belly, I could see Savannah bouncing around in her chair, filled with excitement.

  Once I was off the table, Savannah jumped on and laid back. "Seriously, you didn't think this was all about you, did you?" she joked, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

  "Of course not." The ultrasound went off much the same, except everything was times two, and her babies were even tinier than my own. Three envelopes were now in my hand, and I clung to them tightly, wondering what Savannah's next adventure was as she led me out with a coy smile on her face.

  The day was filled with manicures and pedicures, and a trip to a trendy maternity boutique to pick out new dresses. Savannah insisted we wear them out, and I felt happy. I'd forgotten about how my morning had started.

  Finally, we ended back to my house where both Jake and Josh were waiting for us. As soon as we walked in the door, both men attacked, scooping us up and kissing us as if we'd been away for months.

  "So, who's ready to find out which gender will be outnumbered in this family? Three babies cooking, so somebody will be short a vote in future arguments!" Savannah waved the envelopes in the air like a checkered flag, and we all chased after her to get the results.

  For just one night, forgetting the dark future looming over us all.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Savannah

  I LAUGHED LOUDLY as Brooke, Josh, and Jake chased me through the house while I waved the sealed envelopes in the air. Finally running out of breath, I stopped mid-sprint, and Jake flung his arms around me, scooping me up into his arms and carrying me into the living room where Brooke and Josh were now seated, eager to hear the results.

  Jake collapsed onto the oversized couch and pulled me down next to him. He wrapped his arm around my hips as I criss-crossed my legs.

  Breathing heavily, I looked over at Brooke. "Holy crap, you're right. I am getting fat. Damn squatters," I said, nudging my belly.

  She and Josh laughed while Jake leaned over and kissed my belly. "Quit being mean to my babies."

  I gave him a playful elbow to the ribcage before bringing back everyone's attention to the envelopes. I slapped them against my hand and glanced at each person in the room. "Are you all sure about this? There's no going back once we open these envelopes. We'll know the gender of all three babies, but we won't know who is having what."

  Josh grabbed Brooke's hand and gave her a squeeze, while Jake leaned into my neck and groaned. "Get on with it already."

  Giddy as could be, I tore the first envelope open and closed my eyes as I slipped my fingers inside and pulled out the first piece of paper. Upon opening my eyes, I saw the color pink. Lifting the piece of paper into the air, I screamed, "It's a girl!"

  Jake's and Josh's face beamed with excitement as Brooke's eyes welled up with tears. I watched her as she did her best to keep them under control before she nodded, signaling me to move onto the next envelope.

  This time I didn't hesitate and ripped it right open. "Another girl!" I shouted.

  Jake leaned in to me and kissed my cheek. "Hurry up, I can't take much more of this."

  I held out the last envelope toward Brooke. "You want to open this one?" I asked, praying she was as excited as the rest of us.

  She hesitated momentarily then snatched the envelope out of my hand and tore into it even quicker than I had.

  "It looks like the girls still outnumber the boys, four to three." Raising a blue piece of paper into the air, she waved it around with a smile on her face.

  Josh wrapped Brooke in his arms and began kissing her all over her face. Her beautiful laugh erupting from deep within was music to my ears as it had been so long since I'd heard it.

  Jake and I looked on as the two of them exuded the deepest kind of love there is, and all I could do was pray that the four of us would be doing the very same thing, minus the pregnancies, fifty years down the road.

  Not allowing bad thoughts to take over the perfect day, I snapped out of it and piped up. "Okay, we all need our rest. It's been a long day. Tomorrow, you and I go shopping for baby clothes." I pointed to Brooke, and she winked at me.

  "You got it."

  We all stood and said our goodbyes. I hugged Brooke as tight as I could without squishing her. "I love you, Brooke. Get some rest tonight. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. You are almost six months along, and you haven't even picked out a nursery set."

  She rolled her eyes. "You're going to kill me before this cancer does."

  My heart stopped, and I physically had to grab Jake's arm to keep myself from falling over. I pointed in her face, "Don't ever say that again, Brooke." Pulling her back into a hug, I whispered into her ear, "You're not going anywhere."

  She sighed. "I know, I know. You've all got this covered."

  I held her at arm's length and rubbed her arms. "You can bet your sweet ass we do."

  I spent the car ride home telling Jake all about our day after we'd left him and Josh. "It was so nice having the old Brooke back, even if she was just putting on a show."

  His hand slid over to me and laced our fingers together.

  When we got home, all I wanted to do was go for a quick run before settling down for bed, but Jake was in no way going to allow me to head out at that hour of the night, "Tomorrow morning. I promise I'll wake up early with you, and we'll run as lo
ng as you want."

  I shook my head. "Brooke is right. I'm getting fat. I haven't told anyone this besides her and one of the models, but the other night I had to wear a size two because the zero wouldn't fit." I lifted my shirt up and pretended to shake my belly. "Do you see what these squatters are doing to my figure?"

  Jake leaned back, a boisterous laugh ripping through him. "You're ridiculous. Your body is perfect. You get even more beautiful every day."

  I shook my head and slipped out of my dress, rifling through my closet for my yoga pants and hoodie. "You won't be saying that when I've got two basketballs shoved underneath my shirt, and I can't see my toes. You realize that I have the potential to get so big I won't be able to properly manicure my nether regions."

  Jake stepped into the closet with me and wrapped his arms around my hips. Leaning down, he kissed my lips. "I volunteer. I'll shave anything and everything you need shaved when you get fat." He winked at me, and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

  I bent over and pulled on my socks and then my running shoes, and Jake slapped my ass.

  "I see I'm not getting out of this?" he questioned as he reached for his workout gear.

  "Not tonight. But I promise when we get home I'll repay you in wild-crazy-baby-momma sex." I stepped out of the closet and left him to change as I headed into the kitchen and began filling our water bottles.

  The light breeze made for a perfect run as Jake and I discussed the babies the entire twelve miles. "You think your wish will come true, and we'll get a boy and a girl?" he asked.

  I picked up the pace a bit. "I hope so, because I don't think I'm going to do this again. Two babies are enough for me. After I deliver, you can just have the nurses wheel me into the operating room for liposuction, a boob job, and a tummy tuck."

  Jake's head turned fast, and he shot me a nasty look. "Now you're just talking out of your ass."

  I grinned and winked up at him.

  Back at the house I'd showered and was now lying comfortably in our giant bed, waiting for Jake to get off the phone so we could go to sleep. I could hear him talking with Josh, discussing work. We'd all been so preoccupied lately that all of our responsibilities had fallen to the wayside. I heard Jake respond.