A Love Like This

New Normal

August 27, One week since diagnosis
Scout: 11
Sage: 8

Link's treatment began today. He would do rounds of chemo while at work to avoid the kids seeing it.

Link was insistent that Scout and Sage have no idea about his illness unless it became terminal. Terminal was what Amelia and Link feared the most.

"Okay we are ready to begin when you are Dr. Lincoln." The oncologist said.

"Ready." Link said.

"Can I sit with you?" Amelia asked.

"Of course." Link smiled. The nurse stuck the needle in his arms and Amelia cringed internally as the drip began.

"Okay let's talk, silence is weird." Link insisted.

"Sage has a soccer game tomorrow and Scout has baseball tonight, I'll take them or Maggie will." Amelia said.

"No I will take them. I told you Mills, I want to make this as normal as we can, we don't say anything until we can't hide it anymore if it comes to that." Link said.

"Shouldn't we prepare them for the worse?" Amelia wondered.

"No. We aren't going to panic them because all kids associate cancer with is death." Link said.

"Did you at least tell your parents?" Amelia asked.

"Yes. And they aren't going to panic unless we have to." Link said.

"How are you so relaxed, I'm a mess." Amelia rambled.

"Because me and my parents have been through the whole cancer thing before. Granted it was different but I've been in this chair before." Link said.

"I hate this is happening." Amelia shuddered.

"Everything happens for a reason and I'm going to be fine." Link smiled.

"This is cancer, I'll never get how you are so optimistic about fucking cancer." Amelia sighed.

"Because I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that I'm gonna die yet. It's probably nothing, Ill do some treatment, clear it up and I'm good." Link said.

"I hope you're right about this one." Amelia said grabbing his hand.

"I will be, damn this is slow." Link complained.

"So what exactly are we going to tell the kids?" Amelia asked again.

"Daddy isn't feeling the best, but he's still daddy." Link said.

"That doesn't tell them anything." Amelia sighed.

"It tells them all they need to know for the time being." Link smiled.

Amelia bit her lip which she always did when she was anxious or scared. Link tightened his grip on her hand and kissed her cheek.

"I'm going to be okay. I've got this." Link smiled.

-

Link drove to the front of the school. The oncologist told him to take it easy after chemo but Link didn't agree.

Taking it easy gave too much away and Link insisted to Amelia he wouldn't panic the kids until they had to.

"Daddy." Sage smiled as she hopped in the backseat.

"Hi Sagey. How was your day?" Link smiled.

"It was super good." Sage said buckling her seatbelt.

"Where's your brother?" Link asked.

"He's coming, the hallway on his end always takes longer." Sage shrugged.

"Hi Atticus." A man with dark hair walked up to the side of the car.

"Hey Marcus. How's everybody?" Link smiled.

Sage smiled. Her daddy knew everyone and everyone liked her daddy. She hasn't found one person who didn't speak well of him. Sage wanted to be loved by people like he was.

"They're good. Abby misses Sage we gotta get Sage over sometime." Marcus said

"You guys could come over this weekend. Abby can play with Sage and I'm sure Scout would love to see Tyler." Link smiled.

Scout hopped in the front seat and buckled his seatbelt.

"Hi Mr. Garrison." Scout smiled.

"Hi Scout. Tyler wants to see you soon." Marcus waved.

"Daddy can Tyler come over this weekend after our game?" Scout asked.

"Sure buddy, we gotta ask mom but I'm sure she'd love to have them over." Link smiled.

"I'm gonna let you go but we gotta have a guys night soon." Marcus smiled.

"See you. It was great to chat." Link smiled putting the car in drive.

"Dad guess what?" Scout said.

"What bud?" Link smiled.

"I have a project for history, we have to write about a historical figure who we admire." Scout said.

"That's neat buddy. Who are you going to pick?" Link asked.

"I'm not sure but I think Babe Ruth." Scout shrugged.

"That's a good one." Link smiled.

"Okay Sagey, I'm taking you to soccer and Scout I'm taking you to baseball. We have an hour to get ready and get in the car." Link said.

Link let the kids in the house and grabbed his prescriptions from underneath the driver's seat.

He put them in the locker cabinet and cut up apples with peanut butter for Scout and Sage.

Sage ran down the stairs in her soccer uniform.

"Daddy will you do my hair?" Sage asked cutely.

"Yes I will Sagey. Sit on the floor in front of the couch and eat your snack while I do your hair." Link smiled.

Sage sat watching TV while Link did two french braids down the back of Sage's hair. Scout came down in his baseball uniform and grabbed his snack.

"You look good buddy." Link smiled.

"Thanks dad." Scout said sitting next to Link.

-

"How was dropping the kids off?" Amelia asked when she got home.

"Mills, I'm fine. I feel fine." Link smiled throwing bell pepper into the hot pot.

"Did you pick up your medicine?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, it's in the cabinet for me to begin tomorrow." Link said.

"Well then what are you making handsome?" Amelia asked wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Steaks and sautéed bell pepper with some rice." Link smiled.

"Yummy." Amelia grinned.

"How was work, how was Koracick and all the people on what was the patient? The hippie one, Melody, Tambourine umm Xylophone?" Link teased.

"Melody. And she's good dummy." Amelia said nudging his shoulder.

"How are the kids getting home?" Amelia wondered.

"Marcus is dropping them off. Speaking of which can we have him and Donna and the kids over this weekend to hang out." Link said.

"Are you up for it?" Amelia asked.

"Babe. This is our new normal. I'm okay." Link said kissing Amelia to make her be quiet.