Love story

61

"Mummy," Jake's quiet voice came from the other side of the room and my mood was instantly lifted, he didn't talk much so when he did it made me feel all kinds of happy.

"Yes Jakey," I bent over and tickled his stomach, he erupted in high pitched giggles, waving his chubby arms in the air wildly. I smiled.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned around immediately, my breath caught in my throat. But when I looked up it was Toby's face that I saw, laughing at how shocked I was. I hit him playfully and turned back to Jake who still had a huge smile plastered on his face.

"He's got the most precious little laugh," I whispered to Toby, he turned around and kissed my lips softly. His warm, soft lips parted against mine.

"You know what the best feeling is?" I said, pulling away- but only slightly so our faces were still just centimetres apart,
"When I'm kissing you and I feel you smiling, and I know that you're truly happy,"

We stood there for a moment in each other's embrace, then the spell was broken,

"Oh, crap, Spence we gotta get going!" Toby glanced at his watch, "I'll go wake Poppy and you get Jake strapped in in the car,"

Half an hour later Toby and I were sat opposite an official looking doctor with jet black hair and a short moustache. We had dropped Poppy and Jake off at one of my friends houses and arrived at the hospital a few minutes later.

"Hello Mr and Mrs Cavanaugh," The doctor said, "How are you both today?"

Toby laced his fingers in mine and glanced up at me, his eyes filled with nervous intensity, before looking at the doctor.

"I don't mean to be rude doctor but could you just skip the small talk and tell us. Tell us that she's ok. Just tell us that our daughter is ok." Toby said quickly, he was twisting his wedding ring round and around on his finger- a gesture which was common when he was anxious.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that," The doctor's words made my blood run cold, "Im afraid we have found a lump on Poppy's abdomen, we are going to have to run a few more tests but we believe that the lump could very well be cancerous,"

All my breath left my body at once and the pale blue hospital walls seemed to crumble around me. I shook my head repeatedly, hot tears stung my eyes and blurred my vision. Toby grabbed my hand and squeezed it with unnecessary force but I barely felt it because my limbs had gone numb.

"I'm so sorry Mr and Mrs Cavanaugh, we think that your daughter has cancer,"