Through All the Music Comes the Dies Irae (28/29)
Title: Through All the Music Comes the Dies Irae
Part: 28/29
Author: outuendo_11
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda Leigh Johnson/ Sharon Raydor
Rating: M
Notes: Well, I had an awful afternoon, so I thought why not post. Maybe that will cheer you up...ha! This story is sadly coming to a close. All of your reviews have been much appreciated. Thank you for reading and please review. Let me know how you like this and there is still another chapter to come! :)
Chapter 28
Sharon was feeling much better. She wasn’t sure if it had been the sex, or the fact that Brenda Leigh loved her enough to put up with her, but ever since that evening, Sharon felt energized and she’d found strength she hadn’t realized she had. Brenda made Sharon want to live, to share her life, to get better.
So she was walking. Sharon was walking past houses she’d never even taken the time to look at or see. These were houses she’d lived next to for nearly six years, and she’d never taken the time out of her busy schedule to really look at them. Certainly she’d gone on long runs, but she’d always had so much on her mind. Work, Lucas’ schedule, the next deadline, the next case, Brenda Leigh…she’d always used her runs to sort through her life.
But suddenly her life felt much simpler, much easier. She was truly loved by a woman she had wanted to strangle several years ago. She found the situation humorous, but she supposed some of the best relationships might come out of rivalries.
Sharon rounded a corner, and realized she was smiling from ear-to-ear. Her smile seemed permanent as of late. She would normally frown at herself for feeling this way, but cancer had left her less of a cynic. Brenda was making her less of a cynic (if that was at all possible).
…
Sharon settled down in to the dimly lit theatre of her son’s high school. She instantly recalled her own high school experience and gladly smiled to herself that those days were gone and over with. She glanced around, noticing Gabrielle Suarez sitting several rows over with her very attractive husband who was a lawyer. They were the perfect little family; her daughter was even the principal violist in the orchestra. She was very talented and had already received early admittance in to an Ivy League school to study medicine. How very perfect, Sharon mused as the two women caught eyes. Gabrielle waved and Sharon waved back.
“Who’s that?” Jonathan, who was high out of his mind, leaned over and whispered.
“My doctor.” Sharon, who had shared some of the marijuana before they came, smiled over at him.
“Her husband’s hot.” Jonathan noted.
“Please don’t tell me you’re gay now,” Sharon flipped the page of her program.
“What, I can’t appreciate a man?” Jonathan laughed before his eyes collided with someone and he began waving.
“What are you doing? Who…?” Sharon turned to find that Brenda had just entered in to the auditorium. She was apprehensively glancing around, realizing how very lost she was in this big room with so many people. Sharon had to admit she was quite adorable when she looked perplexed. “I’ll get her.” Sharon pushed Jonathan’s hand’s down in to his lap and pulled herself up. She excused herself politely out of the row they were sitting in and moved to the back of the theatre.
Brenda finally met her eyes and she smiled. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No, it hasn’t started yet.” Sharon shook her head, unable to help the smile that was forming on her lips. “I can’t believe you came.”
“He invited me. I wanted to.” Brenda huffed, allowing Sharon to pull her out of the way of other parents trying to make their way in to the room.
It was apparent that Brenda wanted to kiss her, and Sharon, in turn, had every want to kiss her back, but she felt strange in this new environment. These people were people that she had known for practically six years. She knew she shouldn’t care about what they thought, and finally she decided that it didn’t matter. She pulled Brenda to her and pressed their lips together in a slightly heated, slightly chaste kiss. Brenda almost stumbled backwards in surprise and Sharon just straightened her blazer and grinned.
“Sharon Raydor, so good to see you. And who might this be?” Elizabeth Barker, the wife of one of Sharon’s detectives and the mother of a boy who had always given her Lucas hell, caught her arm.
“Elizabeth, so nice to see you.” Sharon smiled tightly. “This is Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. My girlfriend.” Sharon’s arm snaked around Brenda’s back, holding the blonde woman to her side closely.
Elizabeth’s eye brow rose - perhaps for only a split second - but it moved in a rather shocked way. “Girlfriend, how very interesting. You must work with my husband, Detective Barker.” Elizabeth glanced at Brenda, her eyes seeming to scan over the blonde. Sharon didn’t like it.
Brenda had already dawned an equally annoyed smile. “I have heard of him.”
“Right, well I hope you two enjoy the concert. So nice to run in to you. I hope all is well?”
“Oh yes, it’s all coming right along.” Sharon nodded.
“I was so sorry to hear about it.” Elizabeth practically called over her shoulder as she walked down the aisle of the theatre.
“I’m sure you were, Bitch,” Sharon whispered under her breath.
“You called me your girlfriend.” Brenda beamed, turning in Sharon’s tight grasp to press their lips together again.
“I did.” The smile that had been apparent before Elizabeth’s rude interruption returned.
The lights began to dim and Sharon quickly realized they needed to get to their seats. “Come on,” she reached for Brenda’s hand, somehow no longer caring who saw or what people thought. Brenda was there for her, for her son. It was sweet, and she was going to hold her hand or kiss her if she damn well wanted to.
…
Sharon killed the ignition and glanced over at her oldest son.
“Are you going to survive without me?” He looked over at her.
Sharon glanced over at him and nodded. “I think I have enough to handle.”
“Oh I can imagine.” Jonathan smiled to himself and narrowly avoided the slap his mother sent in his direction. “Is it good?” He glanced back over at his mother.
Sharon shook her head. “Aren’t you going to miss your flight or something?”
“That good, huh?”
“Seriously, Jon. I think you have an unhealthy obsession with your mother’s sex life.” She took off her seatbelt.
“All right, fair point. I’ll leave it alone. But you know you’re going to miss me, right?”
Sharon turned back to her son, reaching out to place her hands on either side of his face. When had he gotten to be so old? So sweet? She was certainly proud of him. “Of course I will.” She leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead. “Now get out of my car, get out of my life. Come visit me over Christmas this year.”
“I’ll be there.” He laughed, “and I’m sure I’ll see you when Katie has her baby.”
“Oh yes, we’ll all be there.”
“Good.” And after helping him get his suitcase out of the back, he kissed her on the cheek and then disappeared in to the crowd of people walking in to LAX. Yes, Sharon would miss her oldest son. But she was glad that she felt almost normal again. The pain was subsiding, she didn’t need anyone to drive her around anymore, she didn’t need a babysitter. She gradually felt her independence returning and she liked it.
Even if she was a little sad to see her son go.
…
Sharon started walking. At first it was just around the block, but soon she was finding off road trails to hike in the early morning. She was beginning to feel healthy, normal again. The cancer just loomed in the back of her mind, only causing her minor panic attacks in the late night when no one was around.
She’d taken to calling Brenda when this panic set in. She’d never admit to why she’d really called, but it was always good to hear her voice.
“You okay?” Brenda’s voice was hoarse from sleep.
“Yeah…I, um…I’m sorry I woke you up.” Sharon whispered in to the phone.
“No, it’s s’okay.” Brenda yawned.
“No, you’re tired…you should go back to sleep.”
“Well now I’m up and want to talk to you.” Brenda insisted, her voice sounding a bit more alert.
Sharon smiled and leaned back in her bed. “Did you close the case?”
Brenda yawned again, “I did. Stupid idiot thought it was okay to kill a little girl and then leave fingerprints.”
“That sounds horrible.” Sharon turned over on her side, missing Brenda’s presence in her bed. But they had decided it was best for Brenda to go home sometimes, especially when she had late night cases. As nice as it was waking up with Brenda at her side, they both accepted that it was better to spend some time apart, too. Sharon understood how intense Brenda’s job was, and sometimes they could clash over the littlest things if they didn’t have some space, so they were selfless enough to give each other room some nights. Though it was nice when Sharon was having night panic attacks to have Brenda there. If Brenda were there, Sharon could simply cuddle in closer and feel secure again. When she was gone…it wasn’t so easy.
“It was hard.” Brenda admitted. Sharon had never realized how invested Brenda could be, how much she cared about the victims. She supposed she’d considered Brenda rather heartless, but she realized her blind passion about cases really came from doing the right thing, making it right for those who were wronged. She also realized that Brenda didn’t always let things roll off her back like Sharon had thought. Cases could really stick with her, especially cases involving children.
“I can imagine.” Sharon let her hand glide across her soft sheets.
“Are you having troubles sleepin’? You know you can talk to me ‘bout it.” Brenda cut to the chase.
Sharon hadn’t realized she was so transparent. “How did…”
“Sharon, when I’m there, I can feel when you wake up. I’m a very light sleeper. What’s wrong?”
“You…well,” Sharon swallowed, curling herself in to a ball.
“Are you scared?” Brenda was a very good at what she did. She could read people; Sharon hadn’t thought she would use this talent on her.
“Yes.” Sharon whispered.
“It’s going to be okay.” Brenda firmly responded.
“What if something happens, what if it comes back?” Sharon rolled on to her back and stared blankly at the ceiling.
“Well, we’ll deal with it then. Just think about now. Don’t you feel good now?” Brenda seemed oddly good at making her feel better.
“Yes, I do.” Sharon rubbed her forehead. “I walked almost four miles today.”
“Good heavens, that’s wonderful.” Brenda sounded genuinely impressed. “You’re gettin’ better, see?”
Sharon shrugged. “I suppose so.”
“You are.” Brenda insisted.
“When did you become so compassionate?” Sharon laughed.
“When I met you, it seems.”
“I’d beg to differ. You were quite the bitch when you met me.”
Brenda laughed, “well then when I started likin’ you.”
“I’m glad you started liking me. I’d hate to know how you’d be treating me now if you didn’t.”
Brenda laughed harder, before sighing. “I wish I was there.”
“Come over tomorrow.” Sharon grinned.
“I will. Dinner?”
“If a case doesn’t come up.” Sharon astutely pointed out.
“Right. We’ll play it by ear.”
“Go to sleep.” Sharon yawned, feeling settled again.
“You too. It’s going to be okay.” Brenda whispered.
“Okay,” Sharon let a sleepy smile play on her lips. “Goodnight, Brenda.”
“Goodnight, Sharon.”
…
It was nearly seven by the time Sharon got the call from Brenda. She’d spent the afternoon cooking, and was just about to pull a casserole out of the oven when her phone rang.
“A case came up?” She inquired, already knowing what Brenda was going to say before she said it.
“Ooooh, yes.” Brenda sounded thoroughly disappointed. “I hope you didn’t make somethin’ delicious.”
Sharon stared at her casserole, pulling off her oven mitts. “No, nothing too elaborate.”
“It’s something elaborate.” Sharon could hear the sweet blonde curse under her breath. “Save me some?” Brenda pleaded.
Sharon smiled, “I will.”
“When is that appointment that you kept talkin’ ‘bout?” Brenda suddenly thought to ask.
It caught Sharon quite off guard, “tomorrow, but you don’t have to worry about it.”
“What time,” Brenda’s voice was firm.
“It’s at eleven, but you’ll be busy. Please, it’s okay.” Sharon leaned up against the kitchen counter. She had hoped Brenda would be able to sneak away from work that evening to come and reassure her that the results of her latest mammogram would come out clean. But, in the LAPD, having a life was next to impossible. And Sharon really didn’t want Brenda to give up her love of her job to babysit her.
“I’m going to be there.” Brenda insisted.
Sharon rolled her eyes and smiled at Lucas as he walked in to the kitchen.
“Smells good.” He mouthed.
Sharon turned to reach for a plate out of the cabinet. “We’ll see.”
“I’ll be there.” Brenda had become a stubborn little girl.
“All right, then I’ll text you the address and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sharon felt her stomach sinking, hoping that Brenda would, actually, be there tomorrow.
“Brenda’s not coming?” Lucas inquired, taking a seat at the island counter; he’d pulled out some forks and napkins for them.
“No,” Sharon used a spatula to pile some casserole on to a plate and then handed it off to her son.
“Are you guys okay?” He awkwardly asked.
Sharon put her hand to her forehead and rubbed. “Yes, Luc, we’re fine.”
“Your appointment is tomorrow and you wanted her to be here?”
“Christ, am I suddenly transparent?” Sharon turned to look at her son with a plate of casserole for herself.
Lucas shrugged, “you’re not as hard to read as you think.” He grinned.
Sharon just smiled and joined him at the bar, glad to have her son around.
…
“From what I can see on the scans, it looks like the chemo has actively removed all traces of any spreadable cancer cells. After removing the breast, the cancer was removed from the system, so I can now recommend we cease the chemo and have several follow up visits scheduled for a later time.” A smile formed on Gabrielle’s lips as she looked over at the brunette who had already been through so much.
Sharon could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She hadn’t been expecting this. “Is it…it’s really gone?”
Gabrielle nodded. “It’s gone.”
Sharon opened her mouth to speak, but only a sob escaped. She covered her mouth, but quickly realized there were tears falling down her cheeks. A hand fell on her knee and an arm wrapped around her back.
Sharon glanced over in to warm, brown eyes. In that moment it felt like Sharon was waking form a very rude, horrible, painful dream. She realized that everything she had gone through in the past year had all been worth it, because in that moment she was as alive as ever. Brenda Leigh was actually beside her in the doctor’s office, hearing this news with her. They were together, not just a figment of her imagination. And what was more, she was cancer free.
The pain she had just endured had been rewarded. Her chest might feel tight and bras might still be uncomfortable, and she might still feel some jolts of pain now and again, but she had her life. She had everything she could possibly imagine and the tears just kept rolling down her cheeks.
“I’m okay,” she finally soothed the worried look that was wrinkling Brenda’s brow. “I’m okay.” She smiled through her tears and pulled Brenda to her, kissing her on the lips.
Part: 28/29
Author: outuendo_11
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda Leigh Johnson/ Sharon Raydor
Rating: M
Notes: Well, I had an awful afternoon, so I thought why not post. Maybe that will cheer you up...ha! This story is sadly coming to a close. All of your reviews have been much appreciated. Thank you for reading and please review. Let me know how you like this and there is still another chapter to come! :)
Chapter 28
Sharon was feeling much better. She wasn’t sure if it had been the sex, or the fact that Brenda Leigh loved her enough to put up with her, but ever since that evening, Sharon felt energized and she’d found strength she hadn’t realized she had. Brenda made Sharon want to live, to share her life, to get better.
So she was walking. Sharon was walking past houses she’d never even taken the time to look at or see. These were houses she’d lived next to for nearly six years, and she’d never taken the time out of her busy schedule to really look at them. Certainly she’d gone on long runs, but she’d always had so much on her mind. Work, Lucas’ schedule, the next deadline, the next case, Brenda Leigh…she’d always used her runs to sort through her life.
But suddenly her life felt much simpler, much easier. She was truly loved by a woman she had wanted to strangle several years ago. She found the situation humorous, but she supposed some of the best relationships might come out of rivalries.
Sharon rounded a corner, and realized she was smiling from ear-to-ear. Her smile seemed permanent as of late. She would normally frown at herself for feeling this way, but cancer had left her less of a cynic. Brenda was making her less of a cynic (if that was at all possible).
…
Sharon settled down in to the dimly lit theatre of her son’s high school. She instantly recalled her own high school experience and gladly smiled to herself that those days were gone and over with. She glanced around, noticing Gabrielle Suarez sitting several rows over with her very attractive husband who was a lawyer. They were the perfect little family; her daughter was even the principal violist in the orchestra. She was very talented and had already received early admittance in to an Ivy League school to study medicine. How very perfect, Sharon mused as the two women caught eyes. Gabrielle waved and Sharon waved back.
“Who’s that?” Jonathan, who was high out of his mind, leaned over and whispered.
“My doctor.” Sharon, who had shared some of the marijuana before they came, smiled over at him.
“Her husband’s hot.” Jonathan noted.
“Please don’t tell me you’re gay now,” Sharon flipped the page of her program.
“What, I can’t appreciate a man?” Jonathan laughed before his eyes collided with someone and he began waving.
“What are you doing? Who…?” Sharon turned to find that Brenda had just entered in to the auditorium. She was apprehensively glancing around, realizing how very lost she was in this big room with so many people. Sharon had to admit she was quite adorable when she looked perplexed. “I’ll get her.” Sharon pushed Jonathan’s hand’s down in to his lap and pulled herself up. She excused herself politely out of the row they were sitting in and moved to the back of the theatre.
Brenda finally met her eyes and she smiled. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No, it hasn’t started yet.” Sharon shook her head, unable to help the smile that was forming on her lips. “I can’t believe you came.”
“He invited me. I wanted to.” Brenda huffed, allowing Sharon to pull her out of the way of other parents trying to make their way in to the room.
It was apparent that Brenda wanted to kiss her, and Sharon, in turn, had every want to kiss her back, but she felt strange in this new environment. These people were people that she had known for practically six years. She knew she shouldn’t care about what they thought, and finally she decided that it didn’t matter. She pulled Brenda to her and pressed their lips together in a slightly heated, slightly chaste kiss. Brenda almost stumbled backwards in surprise and Sharon just straightened her blazer and grinned.
“Sharon Raydor, so good to see you. And who might this be?” Elizabeth Barker, the wife of one of Sharon’s detectives and the mother of a boy who had always given her Lucas hell, caught her arm.
“Elizabeth, so nice to see you.” Sharon smiled tightly. “This is Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. My girlfriend.” Sharon’s arm snaked around Brenda’s back, holding the blonde woman to her side closely.
Elizabeth’s eye brow rose - perhaps for only a split second - but it moved in a rather shocked way. “Girlfriend, how very interesting. You must work with my husband, Detective Barker.” Elizabeth glanced at Brenda, her eyes seeming to scan over the blonde. Sharon didn’t like it.
Brenda had already dawned an equally annoyed smile. “I have heard of him.”
“Right, well I hope you two enjoy the concert. So nice to run in to you. I hope all is well?”
“Oh yes, it’s all coming right along.” Sharon nodded.
“I was so sorry to hear about it.” Elizabeth practically called over her shoulder as she walked down the aisle of the theatre.
“I’m sure you were, Bitch,” Sharon whispered under her breath.
“You called me your girlfriend.” Brenda beamed, turning in Sharon’s tight grasp to press their lips together again.
“I did.” The smile that had been apparent before Elizabeth’s rude interruption returned.
The lights began to dim and Sharon quickly realized they needed to get to their seats. “Come on,” she reached for Brenda’s hand, somehow no longer caring who saw or what people thought. Brenda was there for her, for her son. It was sweet, and she was going to hold her hand or kiss her if she damn well wanted to.
…
Sharon killed the ignition and glanced over at her oldest son.
“Are you going to survive without me?” He looked over at her.
Sharon glanced over at him and nodded. “I think I have enough to handle.”
“Oh I can imagine.” Jonathan smiled to himself and narrowly avoided the slap his mother sent in his direction. “Is it good?” He glanced back over at his mother.
Sharon shook her head. “Aren’t you going to miss your flight or something?”
“That good, huh?”
“Seriously, Jon. I think you have an unhealthy obsession with your mother’s sex life.” She took off her seatbelt.
“All right, fair point. I’ll leave it alone. But you know you’re going to miss me, right?”
Sharon turned back to her son, reaching out to place her hands on either side of his face. When had he gotten to be so old? So sweet? She was certainly proud of him. “Of course I will.” She leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead. “Now get out of my car, get out of my life. Come visit me over Christmas this year.”
“I’ll be there.” He laughed, “and I’m sure I’ll see you when Katie has her baby.”
“Oh yes, we’ll all be there.”
“Good.” And after helping him get his suitcase out of the back, he kissed her on the cheek and then disappeared in to the crowd of people walking in to LAX. Yes, Sharon would miss her oldest son. But she was glad that she felt almost normal again. The pain was subsiding, she didn’t need anyone to drive her around anymore, she didn’t need a babysitter. She gradually felt her independence returning and she liked it.
Even if she was a little sad to see her son go.
…
Sharon started walking. At first it was just around the block, but soon she was finding off road trails to hike in the early morning. She was beginning to feel healthy, normal again. The cancer just loomed in the back of her mind, only causing her minor panic attacks in the late night when no one was around.
She’d taken to calling Brenda when this panic set in. She’d never admit to why she’d really called, but it was always good to hear her voice.
“You okay?” Brenda’s voice was hoarse from sleep.
“Yeah…I, um…I’m sorry I woke you up.” Sharon whispered in to the phone.
“No, it’s s’okay.” Brenda yawned.
“No, you’re tired…you should go back to sleep.”
“Well now I’m up and want to talk to you.” Brenda insisted, her voice sounding a bit more alert.
Sharon smiled and leaned back in her bed. “Did you close the case?”
Brenda yawned again, “I did. Stupid idiot thought it was okay to kill a little girl and then leave fingerprints.”
“That sounds horrible.” Sharon turned over on her side, missing Brenda’s presence in her bed. But they had decided it was best for Brenda to go home sometimes, especially when she had late night cases. As nice as it was waking up with Brenda at her side, they both accepted that it was better to spend some time apart, too. Sharon understood how intense Brenda’s job was, and sometimes they could clash over the littlest things if they didn’t have some space, so they were selfless enough to give each other room some nights. Though it was nice when Sharon was having night panic attacks to have Brenda there. If Brenda were there, Sharon could simply cuddle in closer and feel secure again. When she was gone…it wasn’t so easy.
“It was hard.” Brenda admitted. Sharon had never realized how invested Brenda could be, how much she cared about the victims. She supposed she’d considered Brenda rather heartless, but she realized her blind passion about cases really came from doing the right thing, making it right for those who were wronged. She also realized that Brenda didn’t always let things roll off her back like Sharon had thought. Cases could really stick with her, especially cases involving children.
“I can imagine.” Sharon let her hand glide across her soft sheets.
“Are you having troubles sleepin’? You know you can talk to me ‘bout it.” Brenda cut to the chase.
Sharon hadn’t realized she was so transparent. “How did…”
“Sharon, when I’m there, I can feel when you wake up. I’m a very light sleeper. What’s wrong?”
“You…well,” Sharon swallowed, curling herself in to a ball.
“Are you scared?” Brenda was a very good at what she did. She could read people; Sharon hadn’t thought she would use this talent on her.
“Yes.” Sharon whispered.
“It’s going to be okay.” Brenda firmly responded.
“What if something happens, what if it comes back?” Sharon rolled on to her back and stared blankly at the ceiling.
“Well, we’ll deal with it then. Just think about now. Don’t you feel good now?” Brenda seemed oddly good at making her feel better.
“Yes, I do.” Sharon rubbed her forehead. “I walked almost four miles today.”
“Good heavens, that’s wonderful.” Brenda sounded genuinely impressed. “You’re gettin’ better, see?”
Sharon shrugged. “I suppose so.”
“You are.” Brenda insisted.
“When did you become so compassionate?” Sharon laughed.
“When I met you, it seems.”
“I’d beg to differ. You were quite the bitch when you met me.”
Brenda laughed, “well then when I started likin’ you.”
“I’m glad you started liking me. I’d hate to know how you’d be treating me now if you didn’t.”
Brenda laughed harder, before sighing. “I wish I was there.”
“Come over tomorrow.” Sharon grinned.
“I will. Dinner?”
“If a case doesn’t come up.” Sharon astutely pointed out.
“Right. We’ll play it by ear.”
“Go to sleep.” Sharon yawned, feeling settled again.
“You too. It’s going to be okay.” Brenda whispered.
“Okay,” Sharon let a sleepy smile play on her lips. “Goodnight, Brenda.”
“Goodnight, Sharon.”
…
It was nearly seven by the time Sharon got the call from Brenda. She’d spent the afternoon cooking, and was just about to pull a casserole out of the oven when her phone rang.
“A case came up?” She inquired, already knowing what Brenda was going to say before she said it.
“Ooooh, yes.” Brenda sounded thoroughly disappointed. “I hope you didn’t make somethin’ delicious.”
Sharon stared at her casserole, pulling off her oven mitts. “No, nothing too elaborate.”
“It’s something elaborate.” Sharon could hear the sweet blonde curse under her breath. “Save me some?” Brenda pleaded.
Sharon smiled, “I will.”
“When is that appointment that you kept talkin’ ‘bout?” Brenda suddenly thought to ask.
It caught Sharon quite off guard, “tomorrow, but you don’t have to worry about it.”
“What time,” Brenda’s voice was firm.
“It’s at eleven, but you’ll be busy. Please, it’s okay.” Sharon leaned up against the kitchen counter. She had hoped Brenda would be able to sneak away from work that evening to come and reassure her that the results of her latest mammogram would come out clean. But, in the LAPD, having a life was next to impossible. And Sharon really didn’t want Brenda to give up her love of her job to babysit her.
“I’m going to be there.” Brenda insisted.
Sharon rolled her eyes and smiled at Lucas as he walked in to the kitchen.
“Smells good.” He mouthed.
Sharon turned to reach for a plate out of the cabinet. “We’ll see.”
“I’ll be there.” Brenda had become a stubborn little girl.
“All right, then I’ll text you the address and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sharon felt her stomach sinking, hoping that Brenda would, actually, be there tomorrow.
“Brenda’s not coming?” Lucas inquired, taking a seat at the island counter; he’d pulled out some forks and napkins for them.
“No,” Sharon used a spatula to pile some casserole on to a plate and then handed it off to her son.
“Are you guys okay?” He awkwardly asked.
Sharon put her hand to her forehead and rubbed. “Yes, Luc, we’re fine.”
“Your appointment is tomorrow and you wanted her to be here?”
“Christ, am I suddenly transparent?” Sharon turned to look at her son with a plate of casserole for herself.
Lucas shrugged, “you’re not as hard to read as you think.” He grinned.
Sharon just smiled and joined him at the bar, glad to have her son around.
…
“From what I can see on the scans, it looks like the chemo has actively removed all traces of any spreadable cancer cells. After removing the breast, the cancer was removed from the system, so I can now recommend we cease the chemo and have several follow up visits scheduled for a later time.” A smile formed on Gabrielle’s lips as she looked over at the brunette who had already been through so much.
Sharon could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She hadn’t been expecting this. “Is it…it’s really gone?”
Gabrielle nodded. “It’s gone.”
Sharon opened her mouth to speak, but only a sob escaped. She covered her mouth, but quickly realized there were tears falling down her cheeks. A hand fell on her knee and an arm wrapped around her back.
Sharon glanced over in to warm, brown eyes. In that moment it felt like Sharon was waking form a very rude, horrible, painful dream. She realized that everything she had gone through in the past year had all been worth it, because in that moment she was as alive as ever. Brenda Leigh was actually beside her in the doctor’s office, hearing this news with her. They were together, not just a figment of her imagination. And what was more, she was cancer free.
The pain she had just endured had been rewarded. Her chest might feel tight and bras might still be uncomfortable, and she might still feel some jolts of pain now and again, but she had her life. She had everything she could possibly imagine and the tears just kept rolling down her cheeks.
“I’m okay,” she finally soothed the worried look that was wrinkling Brenda’s brow. “I’m okay.” She smiled through her tears and pulled Brenda to her, kissing her on the lips.