Choosing Hope

Jess nodded. “Yes, of course mom.”
After Cailin and Jess left, Maura looked at Jane as tears welled up in her eyes.
Jane rubbed her wife’s back in a feeble attempt at reassurance. “She’s okay Maur. She’s just
overdone herself.”
Maura shook her head. “I don’t think so Jane. She has a huge bruise on her shoulder blade.”
“Of course she does Maur. She slammed it into a basketball goal.”
“Yes, but even with that, it would not bruise immediately like that. Plus, she has that rash. That’s
not an allergic rash Jane. That is petechiae. The capillaries break underneath the skin. Without
enough platelets to seal those broken vessels, it causes them to make those tiny red marks that
resemble a rash . The fatigue also. What I am trying to say Jane, is she is exhibiting Leukemia
symptoms.”
Jane reached out and pulled her wife into her. “Hey, let’s not worry too much yet, okay? Try not
to jump to conclusions until she can get some tests.” Maura nodded as she buried her head into
Jane’s chest. The chances of her not worrying was zero, but she knew there was nothing more
she could do for Cailin tonight.
Later that night, as Maura got ready for bed, she sat down at her vanity and dialed her mom.
Hope answered on the second ring.
“Hey mom.”
“Hey Maura. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the twins birthday party today. I had an emergency
at the clinic.” When she was met with silence, Hope’s heart began to pound a bit. She knew her
daughter believed family comes above all work responsibilities. “Maura, it couldn’t be helped, I
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