All Chapters of Diagnosis: Love: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

EMMA"Donnie Crew, what's a robust specimen of mankind like you doing in my hospital?" I paused in the doorway of the hospital room, pretending to glare at the man who was perched on the edge of the bed. Donnie grinned back at me. "Just taking up space, Emma. You know me, I can't get enough of this place!" He chuckled and waved his hand. "Come in, come in. Don't linger in the doorway, or the fairies will get you. At least, that's what my grammy used to say." I strolled inside, tucking my tablet into the crook of my arm. "My gran says the same thing. The fairies and the wee people live in the in-between spaces, like thresholds and window sills." "Must be something to it, then. Sit down and stay awhile." Donnie pointed to the chair next to the bed. "I'm just here for the night. I've been in remission long enough, and I'm healthy enough, that I qualified for what that Dr. Alison calls an exciting and promising new study. Maybe something to get rid of this cancer once and for al

EMMA I'd been a football fan since I was a little girl, watching the Philadelphia games with my dad in our living room or sometimes even going to the stadium, if Dad had time. When I was in junior high, one of my father's patients was the wife of the team's assistant coach. She recovered fully from her battle with breast cancer, and thereafter, we had a standing invitation to request tickets for any home game. It was pretty sweet. But attending a game in Philadelphia, even as a guest of the assistant coach, was nothing like being at the Tampa stadium in the box that hosted the players' families. I stood near the bar, holding my second glass of wine, a vague smile pasted on my face in case anyone happened to look my way. I didn't know a soul here, and I felt awkward, self-conscious and utterly out of place. Noah's parents hadn't arrived yet-he'd texted me this afternoon that their flight had been delayed, thanks to a snowstorm in Madison. Jenny had dropped me off at the stadium ab

EMMA"Finally. I was starting to get worried." Noah was there already, leaning against the counter. His suit jacket was draped over a nearby chair, and he'd tugged loose his tie. "Dad, did you get lost?" "I did not." Mr. Spencer bristled. "I just got a little turned around. I think they changed the road somewhere-and did they put in a new bridge?" "No, Dad. No new bridges." Noah pushed himself away from the counter and gave his mom a hug before offering his hand to his dad. "I'm so glad you guys got to come tonight. Thanks for making the trip down.""It was a pleasure, son. You know that. No place else we'd rather be." Mrs. Spencer beamed at her son. "And we had a lovely time talking with Emma, too." Noah slid his eyes to me. "Hey, Em." He bent to kiss my cheek. "What did you think of the game? And did you get to see the interview?" "I did." I reached out to squeeze his arm. Somehow, being with him centered me again, easing some of the sense of panic. "The game was fantastic-

DEACONWell, now the decision of whether to stay or go had been made for me. Once Miss Sissie, my Sunday School teacher of old and one of my grandmother's dearest friends, had seen me, there was no way to make a quick escape. It was time to man up and face the music. I turned off the car, slid the keys out of the ignition and opened my door. Miss Sissie stepped back to give me room, and once I'd stood up and slammed the car door, she opened her arms. "Boy, if you aren't a sight for sore eyes," she murmured in my ear as I bent to hug her. "You've been gone too long. Why, this is the best Christmas present for Anna and Jimmy! They're going to be so tickled to see you." I eased out of her tight hug and straightened up. "Are you sure about that? I'm kind of feeling like the Prodigal Son, Miss Sissie. Like you could just slap me up on your flannel board with the pigs and teach a Sunday School class about bad choices."She tilted her head and skewered me with the same bright eyes tha

EMMA "Well, that was an interesting party." Noah kept his eyes on the road as we drove along the road that connected the farm with my cabin. "Lots of surprises." "Really?" I stared out my window. "I thought there was only the one." "You mean Deacon showing up, right?"I made a small noise in the back of my throat. "Yeah." I couldn't manage any more words. I'd been holding myself together by the thinnest of threads for several hours, and it felt as though I was on the verge of shattering. "That was the big one," Noah agreed. "But I was also kind of shocked by how calmly Jimmy and Anna took the news. And by the fact that he never ended up coming back downstairs. I mean, he's been away for over a year, and he comes home and takes a long nap?" Anna had gone upstairs to check on her grandson about an hour after he'd left Noah and me in the kitchen. She'd come back downstairs moments later, her face placid. "Poor thing's exhausted. He was on his bed in just a towel-I'm assuming