CNF-Cancer

"She can't know! I'm serious; it would kill her if she ever found out."

"Honey, I'm not going to tell her, I promise." I can hear him let out a sigh.

What are they talking about? My parents are never secretive; they usually tell us what is going on. My body starts to stiffen, like a wooden board.

"What are we going to do Jason? We can't let the kids find out, they wouldn't deal with it well.  We both know that." My mom's voice is shaking.  Something is really wrong.  Mother is the strong one.  She always helps people in need and knows just what to say in every situation.  But she doesn't know what to do now?

My body begins to tremble.  I want to see what's going on, maybe if I lie down on the floor and crawl up to their door I can see under the door?  I look underneath the door, but all I can see is shadows.  My mom is pacing back and fourth, my dad just sitting completely still on the bed.

"It's going to be okay.  We are going to get through this, as a family.  You can fight this.  I know you can.  I believe in you."  There is a little tremble in his voice.  Is he starting to cry? My dad?  Crying? "The doctors know what they are doing, and have so much  they can do to help.  Babe we just have to trust in them, and everything is going to be fine!"  I could hear the strength in his voice, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than my mom.

"I know that, but it's still cancer.  I can't have cancer at 32, I just can't.  It's not possible!" She starts to weep.  I hear her to try catch her breath, but the moment she does she starts to cry again.

My mom has cancer! What? No, that can't be!  We all just went out to the movies.  She was fine last week, she was fine last month, and hell she was fine last night.  The doctors must be wrong; they make mistakes all the time.  Right?

I see my mom's shadow stop pacing and go over to where my dad was sitting on the bed.  The two shadows become one.  My mom starts to cry hysterically in my dad's arms.  "You are going to survive.  Our family is going to be fine.  The doctors will make it all go away.  We will be fine.  You will be fine." He strokes her hair gently. "It's okay.  We are okay."