the first time when she finally plopped into the comfortable seat of the plane. She had acted on impulse, leaving behind all her obligations and plans. She couldn’t explain what had made it so easy for her to decide to act the way she ha d . But it felt right, a sense of peace she hadn’t experienced in the longest time descending upon her as she snuggled deeper into the seat .
She had been shocked — and hoped she had hidden it well — when she spotted Laura waiting for her in the arrival area. She remembered Laura as a slim, dark haired girl with beautiful almond - shaped eyes and cheeks that were as smooth as satin. She might have worn glasses since grade three, but Laura was still one of the prettiest girls in school. Her shy smile and perfect complexion had won her plenty of admirers.
The young woman who stood at the barrier looked like a ghost of her former self, the pale cheeks and dark shadows under her eyes a stark reminder of the true reason for Jade’s visit. Her dark hair had been cropped short er , and her light pink dress hung loosely around her petite frame. Laura had been very slim at the best of times and had made jokes about envying Jade’s rather voluptuous chest. Jade’s eyes skimmed over Laura’s delicate features with the speed of light while debating what to say .
‘Laura, gosh , it ’ s good to see you.’ Hugging her friend close, her throat tightened as she felt the slimness of Laura’s body.
‘You too, Jadie . ’ A smile radiated all over Laura’s face , banish ing the shadows for a moment as she watched Jade, her dark eyes brimming with tears. ‘God, I ’ m pathetic , ’ she added swiftly, wiping away the moisture with one impatient move. ‘I promised myself not to make a show, you know . But I ’ m so happy to have you here. The last two weeks have been a nightmare . ’
A s time passed , Jade was careful to make sure that Laura had as many reasons to smile as possible. After all , she had come to cheer her on and to help her to battle th e treacherous disease that had reared its ugly head like an animal ready to pounce on its unexpected victim.
Today they were going to an orientation , where Laura would learn more about her treatment, the possible side effects, and the risks it would carry as she fought for her life. The meeting was obligatory , and as much as Laura complained about sitting with a bunch of people equally desperate and scared, she couldn’t just ignore it . Jade had tried to convince her of the benefits of such an appointment, quoting people who thrived on group support. She had d one a lot of Internet research and collected all the testimonies in a special folder, forcing Laura to read the more positive and hopeful ones and carefully editing the ones that fell short of her approval.
‘You just go in there , and don’t l et yourself be scared,’ she ordered , after finding she wasn’t allowed to accompany her friend inside the room. ‘I ’ ll just wait here for you and try to pick up some doctors. How about that?’
Laura giggled, her dark eyes mischievous . ‘ I didn’t know you fanc ied doctors . Good luck , girl.’
She disappeared behind the glass door , leaving Jade to fight the urge to follow her and offer the support her friend so obviously needed. Instead she picked up a magazine from the pile and leafed through the glossy pages. She found it impossible to concentrate on the story she had chosen, her thoughts as restless as a flock of swallows before a thunderstorm. She hoped the meeting would help Laura to shake off her almost paralyzing fear of surgery and the aftereffects of the chemo that she dreaded. The nurse who was running it looked pleasant enough ; Jade was glad to have taken a peek at the tall, forty - something woman with a maternal smile and reassuring face. She looked trustworthy and experienced, her booming laughter as she joked with some of the patients taking the edge off of the rather unpleasant experience.
Jade cast
She had been shocked — and hoped she had hidden it well — when she spotted Laura waiting for her in the arrival area. She remembered Laura as a slim, dark haired girl with beautiful almond - shaped eyes and cheeks that were as smooth as satin. She might have worn glasses since grade three, but Laura was still one of the prettiest girls in school. Her shy smile and perfect complexion had won her plenty of admirers.
The young woman who stood at the barrier looked like a ghost of her former self, the pale cheeks and dark shadows under her eyes a stark reminder of the true reason for Jade’s visit. Her dark hair had been cropped short er , and her light pink dress hung loosely around her petite frame. Laura had been very slim at the best of times and had made jokes about envying Jade’s rather voluptuous chest. Jade’s eyes skimmed over Laura’s delicate features with the speed of light while debating what to say .
‘Laura, gosh , it ’ s good to see you.’ Hugging her friend close, her throat tightened as she felt the slimness of Laura’s body.
‘You too, Jadie . ’ A smile radiated all over Laura’s face , banish ing the shadows for a moment as she watched Jade, her dark eyes brimming with tears. ‘God, I ’ m pathetic , ’ she added swiftly, wiping away the moisture with one impatient move. ‘I promised myself not to make a show, you know . But I ’ m so happy to have you here. The last two weeks have been a nightmare . ’
A s time passed , Jade was careful to make sure that Laura had as many reasons to smile as possible. After all , she had come to cheer her on and to help her to battle th e treacherous disease that had reared its ugly head like an animal ready to pounce on its unexpected victim.
Today they were going to an orientation , where Laura would learn more about her treatment, the possible side effects, and the risks it would carry as she fought for her life. The meeting was obligatory , and as much as Laura complained about sitting with a bunch of people equally desperate and scared, she couldn’t just ignore it . Jade had tried to convince her of the benefits of such an appointment, quoting people who thrived on group support. She had d one a lot of Internet research and collected all the testimonies in a special folder, forcing Laura to read the more positive and hopeful ones and carefully editing the ones that fell short of her approval.
‘You just go in there , and don’t l et yourself be scared,’ she ordered , after finding she wasn’t allowed to accompany her friend inside the room. ‘I ’ ll just wait here for you and try to pick up some doctors. How about that?’
Laura giggled, her dark eyes mischievous . ‘ I didn’t know you fanc ied doctors . Good luck , girl.’
She disappeared behind the glass door , leaving Jade to fight the urge to follow her and offer the support her friend so obviously needed. Instead she picked up a magazine from the pile and leafed through the glossy pages. She found it impossible to concentrate on the story she had chosen, her thoughts as restless as a flock of swallows before a thunderstorm. She hoped the meeting would help Laura to shake off her almost paralyzing fear of surgery and the aftereffects of the chemo that she dreaded. The nurse who was running it looked pleasant enough ; Jade was glad to have taken a peek at the tall, forty - something woman with a maternal smile and reassuring face. She looked trustworthy and experienced, her booming laughter as she joked with some of the patients taking the edge off of the rather unpleasant experience.
Jade cast
Similar Books
