Sip by Sip

Chapter Forty-Two: Early Stages

    "I can't." Matt said, and Noah's heart sunk.

    "What? Why not?"

    Noah could hear Matt fighting to keep his voice steady. "Family troubles."

    "Is everything okay?"

    "It's Rachel. She's been diagnosed again."

    Noah was silent. Rachel was Matt's sister, someone he had grown close to over their shared childhood.

    "I'm sorry-"

    "It's not fucking fair, Noah. She's been through enough as it is, she has already fought for her life once, and for what? Just to fucking suffer through it again?"

    "Is it the same . . . ?"

    "At least it is in the early stages. But it's progressing fast. I don't . . . I can't loose her." Matt's voice cracked sharply, and he cleared his throat on the other line. "I gotta go."

    "Do you want me to come up?"

    "No, it's fine." Matt spoke quietly. "Talk later?"

    "Yeah." Noah hung up, staring at the phone, and then back at Gemma.

    Her eyes were twisting with pity, worry dulling the brightness of her eyes. Noah sunk lower in his seat, exhausted by the news. They had almost lost Rachel before. They had almost lost her. And they might nearly loose her again.

    "Gemma . . . " He struggled with how to tell her what he heard. "Matt, his sister . . . "

And she struggled for words, to assure him everything would be fine. But she wasn't keen on making any promises she couldn't keep.