At eighty my stomach grew so large my family got frightened. The scan found something — and then a twelve-year-old record with my late husband’s name on it, and a folder called PROJECT AGNES.

Dr. Opoku was extremely careful with me about this part, and I made that woman say all of it twice, and the second time I had Dov in the room.

If that thing had been found at four or five centimeters, it is a straightforward day case.

In at eight, home by six. A week taking it easy. A scar you would need telling about.

At thirty-eight centimeters, at eighty years of age, it was four hours of surgery, a vertical incision from the breastbone down, and nine days on a ward.

It was found. I am all right.

I want that said plainly before anything else, because I have a great-granddaughter who is four and who is going to read this one day.

But there is a question sitting underneath it, which Dr. Opoku asked me gently and which is the entire reason any of the rest came out.