Look Back at Me (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 1)

Rocket Science

"I love your hair," he said and picked up a few strands.

He twisted the curl in his fingers, and Viola looked at the movement from the corner of her eye.

"I believe it's one of the first things you said to me," she murmured.

They lay on the B'n'B bed, her tucked into his side, her laptop on his legs.

"Did I?"

"I mean this time around," Viola explained with a chuckle. "In Nana's kitchen. You stared at me like I'd sprouted feathers and then just deadpanned that my hair was longer."

"It looks rad. Not that the short one wasn't good," he said. "But this is so bloody fit."

He pushed his hand into her hair and then slowly moved it away, letting her curls run between his fingers.

"You've always had a thing for long hair." Viola laughed. "I could tell by the actresses who you said were attractive."

"I suppose," he agreed lightly, still playing with her hair. "Just not as long as Fiona's."

"Too long?" Viola snorted.

He hummed and then turned and pressed a tender kiss to her temple. "Vi?"

"It's boring you, isn't it?" she said. "I told you From Up on Poppy Hill wouldn't be the best choice for you. It's soppy, and slow, and–"

"No, the cartoon is fine," he said, and then tapped the space button on her Mac, pausing the film. He then picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. His whiskers scraped at her knuckles, and then he kissed them again. "Can you tell what's going on? With your thing, and the bleeding, and–" He cleared his throat. "Just– how you feel, and what it means in terms of– you know. Just whatever you can tell me– want to tell me, I mean."

Viola couldn't help but chuckle. Good thing you speak 'Rhys uncomfortable mumbling' fluently, Viola.

"I'm in pain, and I'm bleeding, and we can't have sex for a while," she said. "And I'll need to see my doctor, and I might need a small surgery. And depending on the test results, there are quite a few different ways to proceed. I don't mind talking about it right now. You can ask."

"Right," he said in a dark voice. "And– what's the worst case scenario here?"

What a Rhys thing to ask, she thought entertained.

"A major surgery, possibly a hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy," she answered and met his questioning eyes. "If the removal of the endometriosis tissue doesn't work, or if the pain returns, they can just remove my uterus and my ovaries."

She could see him swallow, his throat bobbed.

"That is the worst case scenario," she reminded him.

"You're so calm about it," he said.

"I'm a doctor, love. They are just internal organs to me," she said. "And I'm still processing obviously. I think, if my life were different, if, say, I was married and trying to conceive, and then received this news, I'd be– less calm about it," she said. "And again, in my case, I hadn't had any symptoms up until now. They will probably start with hormonal therapy. If it fails, they will try a conservative surgery to try to remove the endometriosis tissue and to keep my uterus and ovaries. And of course, if the treatment goes well, they will start pushing me to have a baby, because the longer I wait, the less the chance. I'm also thirty six, never birthed a child, and have a low body mass, so my risk factor is pretty high. In some cases, having a baby lowers the risk of endometriosis tissues regrowing."