Chapter 67
CHAPTER
SIXTY-SEVEN
“I don’t know what,” Dr. Alvarez says, her gaze darting from me to Elijah, “or who convinced you to change your mind, but I’m happy you brought your family this time.”
“Does that mean this is good news?” Mummy asks, jumping ahead, as usual.
My leg bounces beneath the glass table, nerves making me tingle in all the wrong ways as I fight not to replay the first time I was in this office. I just hope this time, the news is better.
Elijah’s hand presses down on my thigh, stopping my movements as he leans in to whisper in my ear. “It doesn’t matter what happens here today. We’ll get through it together, okay?” I nod once.
“Adhira.” He says my name like a plea. “I need verbal communication for this, yeah?”
I flick my gaze to his and take his hand in mine, squeezing gently.
“Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together,” I answer, and I mean it.
The weight of the world no longer resides on my shoulders alone.
I can share it all with my friends and family, with the man who has become my other half, and knowing that, it’s what pushes me to speak my next words with far less fear than I felt all those months ago.
“I’d like to know what the results are now,” I say, speaking up over Mummy, who’s already pestering Dr. Alvarez with questions.
She smiles brightly, her eyes twinkling as she reaches across the table to extend a hand to me, and like the first time, I take it, my other one remaining firmly in Elijah’s.
“You’re in remission, Adhira. Treatment was successful, and your scans show full revision of your Hodgkin's lymphoma.” Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and mine? They pour over like a damn waterfall.
My mind has no time to catch up to all the movement and sound surrounding me before my body is propelled towards a hard chest, arms circling me.
Mummy’s sobs, Papa falling to his knees in prayers and gratitude, and Dr. Alvarez rushing around her desk to make sure he’s okay, offering everyone tissues.
Among all the chaos, my heart is full.
I’m surrounded by people who love me, people who support me, and whether this went how it had or not, I wouldn’t change a single thing because these people would still be here to support me. In the good times and the bad. I am nobody’s burden.
“You’re in remission,” Elijah whispers against my ear, the words wet and cracking, lips pressing a million kisses to my cheek, my temple, my hair.
My chest aches from the fullness of it all. Joy, love, and, above all else, gratitude.
There’s a loud knock at the door before it bursts open, our six closest friends literally falling inside.
“She’s in remission, right?” Chelsea asks, eyes wide, fingers digging into Nakoa’s bicep. At the same time, Elise says, “She has to be. Please, please tell us it’s good news.”
Dr. Alvarez’s mouth hangs open, blinking for a beat too long, the room growing silent as she fights to regain her composure.
“I want to cry happy tears too. Come on, doc, put us out of our misery,” Letty rushes.
“Y-yes, she’s, she is in remission!” Dr. Alvarez finally announces after regaining her bearings, and me?
I’m crushed under a pile of my friends, none of them letting the others speak as they talk over each other, gushing about how thankful they are.
I have never felt so unbelievably loved as I do in this moment, and I can finally tell Elijah just how much he means to me.
Ignoring the bodies pressing in around us, I shift in his lap, cupping his cheeks in my palms. As I press my forehead to his, our eyes lock.
“I love you, Elijah Elliott, and I am in love with you.”
His eyes flare for a moment before he clenches them shut, a choked sob wrenching from his throat.
In a split second, his mouth is on mine, taking desperate, sipping kisses as if savouring this moment.
He murmurs his love and adoration for me between every press of his lips to mine, and I have never felt so right. So home. So safe.