Chapter 3

Declan opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He carried Madeline out the door.

Blood dripped onto the counter—hers or mine, I couldn't tell.

Pain from my body and the sting on my cheek blurred together.

Darkness closed in, and I collapsed.

After that night, I was fired.

I didn't want to cause trouble for the owner, so I accepted it quietly.

When my last round of chemo finished, I sat in the hospital hallway waiting for the results.

Across from me sat a mother and her daughter.

The mother held her daughter's hand tightly. "It's okay. You're going to…