Winner Takes All: Checkmate, #7
Page 39
What happened next nearly broke me.
A woman was fondling my chest for mere seconds. She found the lump and made the world’s most obviously smothered ‘eep’ noise I’d ever heard. I don’t think she expected to find anything. I’m only 31, and have no history of breast cancer in my family, so when she found it, and found it so fast, it surprised her.
Ordered to put my clothes back on, she wrote up a referral for a mammogram and an ultrasound, and though she tried to act casual, she made sure I knew she wanted me to book that in right there and then.
So I did. I sat in my car in the parking lot, dialed with shaking hands, and I made the call. They wouldn’t be able to see me for three days, which kind of sucked, but it was all they could do, so I took the appointment and hung up.
Then I cried.
Because it was like I knew it was coming. I knew this would be my reality. It was never a matter of IF, but WHEN.
At the time of writing this, I await my mammogram, but I still had work to do, so instead of writing fiction, I figured I could take this chance to remind you all that denial is stupid. If you’ve been hesitant to get a check up, maybe you could make that call right now. And if you get bad news, contact me, and we can cry together. When you’re cleared, contact me, and we can cry together. When, if you got bad news, you get your treatment and kick cancer’s ass, contact me, and we can cry together.
Basically, I want to know I’m not alone, but more than that, I want you to know you’re not alone.
So there it is. Abigail Rosa’s book, the booby book, will always be the time in my life I was scared half to death. It’ll be that time I had to have breast screening done at only 31 years old because I thought that timebomb inside my body had finally reached the end of its timer. It’ll be a marker in my history of that time I thought it was all crashing down, but instead, in the fire, I found who I am, I found what I’m made of, I was reminded just how much my husband loves me, and I remembered how very much I fucking hate cancer.
Get your boobies checked, ladies.
We didn’t come this far to only come this far.
P.S. two weeks later and a whole lot of worry, my scans came back clear. It wasn’t a pimple, but it wasn’t cancer either.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for joining me on another crazy ride. Twenty-four books and counting, and these people are still whispering in my ear. Thank you for coming along with us. It wouldn’t be as much fun if I didn’t have someone to share these people with.
I want to thank my best friends and main cheerleaders – Tink and Mac. I love you both very much. Thank you for being mine.
My betas – Debbie and Siddhi – thank you for your hard work. I appreciate every scrap of feedback you give.
My cover designer – Amy Q – I seriously adore your work! Thank you.
My editor – Jen from Bird’s Eye Books. Welcome aboard. It was wonderful working with you. Thank you for making my babies shine.
My proofreader - Lindsi - you always make these guys shine. Except that one time where you missed the typo on your own name. HA!
My crew – I love you guys so much. Thank you for your unending and super passionate support.
And to my husband and babies – thank you. I love you all so much.
Also by Emilia Finn
(in reading order)
The Rollin On Series
Finding Home
Finding Victory
Finding Forever
Finding Peace
Finding Redemption
Finding Hope
The Survivor Series
Because of You
Surviving You
Without You
Rewriting You
Always You
Take A Chance On Me
The Checkmate Series
Pawns In The Bishop’s Game
Till The Sun Dies
Castling The Rook
Playing For Keeps
Rise Of The King
Sacrifice The Knight
Winner Takes All
Rollin On Novellas
(Do not read before finishing the Rollin On Series)
Begin Again – A Short Story
Written in the Stars – A Short Story
Full Circle – A Short Story
Worth Fighting For – A Bobby & Kit Novella
Looking To Connect?
Website: www.emiliafinn.com
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Email: emilia@emiliafinn.com
The Crew: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therollincrew/
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