The day of Larry’s post-surgery check-up arrived quicker than Lauren expected.
It had been weeks since the transplant, and though Larry was growing stronger every day, a part of her still braced for bad news.
She circled the appointment date on the calendar. She checked it twice. She set alarms. Margaret and Emily insisted they didn’t need to remind her—but she wasn’t taking any chances.
Larry pretended not to notice how much she worried.
“Lauren, it’s just a check-up,” he told her that morning, watching as she flitted around the room, gathering things he didn’t even need. “You’re acting like they’re going to tell me I have two weeks left to live.”
She shot him a sharp glare. “That’s not funny.”
“Sorry.” He smiled at her, soft but teasing. “But seriously, you need to relax.”
She sig
