But standing in that hospital hallway, holding medical papers that proved Sophie had been battling something far worse than I imagined, every excuse I’d used to survive the past two months collapsed.
Dr. Keller cleared his throat softly.
“Sophie needs to return to her room,” he said. “She had a procedure this morning. She shouldn’t be standing this long.”
“What kind of procedure?” I asked.
Sophie’s gaze dropped again.
Dr. Keller looked at her, waiting for permission.
After a long moment, she gave the smallest nod.
“A biopsy,” he said. “And additional imaging. We’re monitoring a few complications, but she’s stable.”
Stable.
That word should have comforted me. Instead, it felt terrifyingly thin.
“Is it cancer?” I asked.
Sophie closed her eyes.
Dr. Keller didn’t answer right away, and that pause told me enough.
“We don’t have final pathology yet,” he said. “Some findings are concerning. We’re waiting on results.”
