Lincoln
I saw the shock roll over Amelia’s face the moment she caught my stare. She looked petrified, yet somehow still steadfast in her strength. I wanted to ask her when she’d been diagnosed the first time. I wanted to ask her what type of cancer she had. I wanted to sit next to her and take her hand and listen to what the doctor had to say. I wanted to walk her through her treatment and support her. I wanted to let her know we would get through this—that she would do just fine getting through it.
I wanted her to know I wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was her job.
“Lincoln?” she asked.
“How long have you been sick?” I asked.
“I-I, uh…”
“Why don’t you come in and sit down, Mr. Collins is it?” the nurse asked.
I walked over to the seat beside Amelia and sat down. Her eyes were wide and brimming with tears. My hand mindlessly wandered to Amelia’s arm, my fingertips running up and down her skin. I couldn’t look over at her. If I did, I would lose myself. I would lose myself in her eyes and my heart would burst. I would cry with her—that much was certain.
“Mr. Collins, I’m Sadie. I’m one of the nurses that treated Amelia the first time around,” she said.
“When was she sick the last time?” I asked.
“About six, seven years ago. We usually stop having patients for in for regular check-ups five years after they hit remission, but Amelia has stayed on top of them and kept testing for personal reasons.”
The time frame hit me like a bomb, and all of a sudden I felt her fingertips curl around my hand. I looked over at her and studied the tears streaming down her face. Everything she wanted to communicate to me was swimming in her eyes. Those beautiful eyes I’d gotten lost in a couple weeks ago.
Those eyes I’d gotten lost in years ago.
Now, it all made sense. Why she held onto the abandonment. Why her body had been so frail. Why she hadn’t enjoyed an alcoholic drink with me despite my protests. She had stuck to virgin cocktails that night, drunk in the joy I was providing for her. She was still going through treatments, and was probably still sick. She was probably feeling ugly, vulnerable, and alone. The comfort I provided and the attention I slathered her with was enough to make her euphoric.
“I’m so sorry, Lincoln,” she whispered.
“Shh—What type of cancer is it?” I asked.
“Renal cell carcinoma,” she said.
“Kidney cancer,” Sadie translated.
“How bad it is?” I asked.
“Treatable,” she said. “They’re suggesting surgery as well as four months of chemo and radiation.”
“You’ll have all the time you need off work,” I said. “And the insurance you have through us is wonderful. It’ll cover most of your treatments.”
“Even at this facility?” she asked.
“Especially this facility. Besides, they better be putting my twenty percent to good use,” I said.
“Wait, what?” she asked.
“Ten percent is way too little for a place like this, Amelia. It won’t even scratch the surface of their operating costs. Drew’s talking to someone right now, but I’m changing the percentage to twenty percent of our annual revenue after tax write offs.”
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Amelia, I’m so sorry for being so selfish. I’ve been caught up in my own bullshit for so long that I think it’s iced me out of reality. I had my head up my ass because I had no idea how to navigate the new dynamic we’d found ourselves in after that dinner. Especially since I had no idea how to navigate the dynamic before that damn dinner, either,” I said.
“What dinner?” Sadie asked.
“You’re more than just an employee, Amelia. You’re—the life breath of this project. You’re the reason the investors are on board now more than ever. You’re the reason Drew is so excited about this project, and you’re the reason I am so confused.”
“Thanks. I think?” she asked.
“You’re more than just the CEO of my hotel chain, Amelia. And you’re not going to do this alone. I’m going to be here every step of the way, if you’ll let me. We’re gonna get through this together and come out the other end stronger,” I said.
“You’ve never been just a boss to me, Lincoln,” she said.
Her eyes lit up and a smile finally crossed her face. I felt her link her fingers with mine, and that’s when I realized she was shaking. In that very moment, nothing else mattered. Amelia was about to battle for her life a second time around, and nothing was going to stand in my way. I was going to hold her hand throughout this entire thing. She could work if she wanted, and Drew could take care of the rest. That job was tailor-made for her, I just didn’t know it until Drew hired her onto the team.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to work through all of it,” she said.
“Then, Drew and I will handle things. You can come to meetings, or we can even come to you when you’re not up for it. We’ll keep you in the loop and you’ll still be consulted on decisions. I hired you to do a job, and I’m sure you’ll do it no matter what,” I said.
I looked into her eyes and saw her swimming in fear and panic. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through right now, but in that very moment I felt clearer than I’d felt in a long time. I knew exactly what she needed, and what she needed was to sit here and process things.
So, I took the conversation by the horns and turned my attention back to Sadie.
“So, Nurse Sadie. Talk to me. Where do we go from here?”