Page 126 of Never Stop

I closed my eyes briefly to process his words.

Claw hand.

Droopy eye.

Fuck my life.

“Okay,” I said, knowing I needed another surgery to remove the tumor.

“Okay?” Dr. Simon asked as if he didn’t believe I was on board.

I shrugged the best I could. “Well, I don’t want to lose my arm. How soon are we talking about doing the surgery? A week? A month?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“It’s better we do everything now while you’re here.”

“Tomorrow. Another surgery.” It wasn’t a question. I still wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly and I hoped the drugs in my system were making me hallucinate everything.

“Tomorrow.”

I was starting to get used to the fact that not everything went as planned, especially when my mother and Stan walked into my hospital room.

“Hey, honey,” Mother greeted.

I looked to Easton and glared at him. His eyes widened and he shook his head as if it wasn’t him that called her. I was going to kill my sister. “Hi, Mom. Stan,” I greeted in return.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Stan responded. I cringed a little at his term of endearment for me. I barely knew the guy.

My mother walked over and brushed hair away from my face. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

“Have you talked to the doctor yet?”

I nodded. “He left not too long ago.”

“So you know?” She smiled tightly.

“That I need another surgery?”

She nodded.

“Yeah, I know. Should be soon too.”

“We’re going to stay as long as you’re in the hospital.” She looked to Stan and he nodded agreeing with her.

I was surprised she would, but then again, maybe she was turning a new leaf. “Thanks, Mom.”

The next few hours, people came in and out of my room. Bailee, Nicole, Avery, Jimmy, Jane and, of course, Cheyenne. They couldn’t all be in my room at one time so they rotated. I didn’t pay them much attention as I frequently took naps, but we told them all my news about my arm. Not a single one held in their emotions, but I shrugged it off each and every time. It was easier for me. If I told them how scared I was, they wouldn’t drop the situation and then it would get me thinking again.

I didn’t want to think about it any longer.

Before I knew it, four nurses walked into my room too. Maybe they weren’t all nurses, but enough that make my small room even smaller.

“You ready to go Brooke?”

I looked to Easton before responded. I wasn’t ready, but I had no choice. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I smiled trying to hide my fear.

My family and friends each took turns wishing me luck and letting me know they’d be here when I got out. Since the room was small, they squeezed in and stood waiting for me to be taken out. When it was my mother’s turn, she leaned in and gave me a hug. When she pulled away, I saw that she was starting to cry.

“Don’t cry, you’re gonna make me cry,” I said.

“I can’t help it. I’m sorry.” She turned and Stan pulled her to him.

Easton stepped up and I was certain I would definitely cry. My throat was starting to close, my eyes started to sting and I swallowed over and over trying to keep my emotions in check. Easton was looking at me as though he wanted to trade places with me, take my pain away. He was my rock, my world, my heart and I would never stop loving this man.

He leaned down, kissed my lips and whispered into my ear so no one else could hear, “When life knocks you down, it doesn’t matter how hard you fall. What matters is how many times you get back up swinging.”