Leave The City (Book 8 of Adopted by the Josephs)

68. Samantha

It's not cancer. It's not cancer. I'm going to be okay. It's not cancer. Dylan isn't breaking up with me. I might be in the hospital and I might have a concussion but I'm not dying. I'm okay. I'm going to be okay. And I have a boyfriend who has seen me through a couple of really terrible things and he's still beside me. He could have left and not come back. He could have bailed when I was in a coma. He could have given up then. But he waited to see if and when I'd wake up. And then he asked me to be his girlfriend. After I was out of the hospital and home and back at school. And it felt right. It feels good. I feel safe with Dylan. I feel loved. Really. But obviously different from Mom and Dad. But I think I really love him. It sort of scares me, because I've never felt like this before.  Even with Blaine and Parker. I'd kind of had crushes on them. But. Well.

When we were waiting for the MRI results I was certain he'd use it as an excuse. I even tried to give him the out. I told him to break up with me before we got the results because I was certain that it was going to come back as cancer and I don't want chemo or radiation or surgery. If it had turned out to be cancer I would just let it do whatever. I'd spend my last months or whatever doing whatever I wanted. I'd travel as much as I could. Until I couldn't anymore. I'd make sure Junie, Rosie, and the new baby (Tommy) were taken care of.  Stanley's money would go pretty far if it got invested properly for them now.

But I don't have to do any of that now. I can travel whenever I want to. I can look forward. I can think of a future. And hopefully, that future includes Dylan. Although college worries me. What if we go to different schools and he finds someone else?

I can't worry about that. That isn't in my control. If he does, he does. What if I find someone else? It's the same thing, right? But right now, the future is wide open.

Dylan was staring at me as I nibbled on my brownie and sipped my coffee. Since I'd woken up (thanks Junie, I was having a really good dream) he's literally been sitting beside me. Mom moved for him and was sitting beside Aunt Sarah. Junie and Rosie were colouring on my tray table.

"If anyone's hungry, my mom sent sandwiches," Dylan said. "There's peanut butter and jam."

I watched Rosie and Junie's faces light up. They love peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

"Mama? Can I has a sammich?" Junie asked.

"Me too?" Rosie asked. Mom smiled.

"I don't see why not. If you're hungry, sure. Thank you, Dylan."

"I didn't make them," he smirked. "Believe me, I can barely toast bread."

"You'd better learn," I said. "I'm not a chef."

"Why would I need you to cook?" He looked at me with a mischievous grin.

I shrugged.

"I never said you did. I just said you'd better learn," I shrugged.

"For you, I will learn how to cook," he smiled at me as he pulled sandwiches wrapped in wax paper out of a cooler bag on the window ledge.

I raised my eyebrow at him.

"For me? Were you planning on existing on takeout and ramen and maybe toast for the rest of your life otherwise?"

"Well, no. Obviously my wife will do all the cooking. While she's barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. How else will I get my fourteen kids?"

I choked on my coffee.

"What happened to ten?"

"Hey, maybe there'll be some twins in there."

Mom and Dad were listening. Not sure if they were aware this was us joking or not. I couldn't quite read Dad's expression. 

After handing Junie and Rosie their sandwiches, Dylan came back over to me, leaned over me and smiling said: