Chapter 6 - WHAT THE MASS REALLY WAS
The next forty-eight hours felt like weeks.
Sophie was admitted.
Specialists reviewed the scan.
More imaging followed.
More bloodwork.
No one gave us certainty until they had enough evidence.
Eric slept in a waiting-room chair.
Daniel went home once to shower and returned with Sophie’s favorite pajamas, a charger, and Cloud’s missing blue ribbon.
Nobody mentioned their fight.
Then Dr. Ortiz came in with a pediatric oncologist named Dr. Hannah Wells.
That word—oncologist—changed the air.
Sophie noticed too.
“Just tell me.”
She sounded older than thirteen.
Dr. Wells sat.
“The mass appears consistent with an ovarian germ-cell tumor.”
Sophie gripped the rabbit.
“Cancer?”
“We need pathology for absolute confirmation, but yes, that is our leading concern.”
My chest tightened.
Then Dr. Wells continued before fear could consume the room.
“These tumors in young patients can be very treatable, especially when identified and managed appropriately.”
I held onto that sentence.
Treatable.
Not harmless.
Not easy.
Treatable.
Eric began asking questions too fast.
Stage.
Spread.
Survival.
Timeline.
Daniel put one hand on his shoulder.
Not aggressively.
Just enough.
“One at a time.”
Eric stopped.
For once, he let someone slow him down.
Sophie looked at me.
“So the pregnancy test…”
“The hormone was produced by the tumor,” Dr. Wells explained.
“I was never pregnant.”
“No.”
Sophie exhaled.
And then, unexpectedly, began sobbing.
Not because of the tumor.
Because of the accusation.
“I knew I wasn’t.”
I wrapped both arms around her.
“I know.”
“Dad looked at Daniel like—”
Eric stood.
His face collapsed.
“Sophie.”
She looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
No excuses this time.
No “I was scared.”
No “you have to understand.”
“I was wrong. I scared you. And I accused Daniel before listening to you.”
Sophie cried into my shoulder.
Eric waited.
Finally she said:
“You embarrassed me.”
“I know.”
“In front of everyone.”
“I know.”
“You’re supposed to believe me.”
Eric looked like she had struck him.
“Yes.”
Then he said quietly:
“I should have.”
May you like
That did not repair everything.
But it was the first honest brick.
