Cherokee Stranger

Until now.

“How did you find out you had melanoma?” he asked.

“I went to my HMO doctor on another matter. I twisted my ankle and decided to have it x-rayed.” Avoiding his gaze, she glanced at the yard. A freshly fallen leaf stirred in the breeze, fluttering to the ground. The May weather was mild, but Emily’s emotions ran rampant. She dreaded the onset of summer, of challenging the sun, of being overly cautious every time she stepped outside. “My ankle was fine, but the doctor noticed a suspicious-looking mole on my leg.”

“Suspicious-looking?”

“The shape was irregular and the color was uneven. I never paid much attention to it. To me, it was just a mole. It had been there for years.” Emily steadied her voice, determined to make this sound more clinical. Less personal. She wanted to overcome her anxiety, to feel like herself again. “My doctor referred me to a skin care clinic in Lewiston. They removed the mole and got a pathology report.”

He waited for her to continue, but she paused to pull air into her lungs. She didn’t like discussing this with a stranger, a man she’d almost slept with.

He shifted his weight, making her much too aware of his body next to hers. Anxious to get this conversation over with, she went on. “There are different types of melanoma and the disease is diagnosed in stages, which is determined by the thickness of the cancer and how deeply it’s invaded the skin. Mine is considered stage one.”

“When is your surgery scheduled?”

Rather than gesture to the afflicted area, to the part of her that would soon be scarred, she kept her hands still. “Next Friday.”

James studied her, much too intensely. “What about recovery time?”

“It depends on the extent of your surgery and what kind of work you do. I’m taking a month off.” She wondered why he seemed determined to grill her, to acquire every last detail. “My boss offered me a few weeks sick pay, and I was going to take a vacation this summer anyway.” To spend some lazy days at the river, she thought. To bask in the sun. Something she could no longer do. “That will be more than enough time.”

“Is your family going to look after you?”

“My parents passed away.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his shadowed eyes meeting hers.

“Thank you.” Facing this without her mom and dad made her feel vulnerable, especially with James watching her so closely.

He cleared his throat and prompted her with another question. “Who’s taking you to the hospital?”

“A girlfriend. She’s going to keep an eye on me afterward, too.”

“I can help,” he said. “I can stop by when your friend isn’t available.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” He reached out to skim her cheek, to trace the contours of her face.

“Yes.” Emily refused to admit how nervous she was, how being diagnosed with cancer had changed her. “I won’t be bedridden.”

He ran his fingers along her jaw. “If you need me, all you have to do is call.”