Romance: New Beginnings (Young Adult and Adult Romance, Christian Christmas Fiction book as a Love Story) (Second Chances Trilogy 3) Read Free Page A

hours for it to wear off. I knew I couldn’t drive her today, so she’s missing – again. She’s missed so many days of school this year…”
    Grace watched the weary woman, remembering how sick the chemo had made her own mom. The cancer had been bad; but the chemicals used to treat it had been even worse. Causing mind-wrenching body aches, joint swelling, and overwhelming nausea. All combined together they were horrid. And then came the massive headaches. Worse than any migraine, and almost untreatable without completely being knocked unconscious.
    She watched Victoria and knew instantly she was near her breaking point. She needed to take something to make the pain go away while her body absorbed the load of chemicals it had received yesterday.
    “Victoria, I know you don’t know me, but I would be happy to run Emily to school for you. That way you could take your pain meds and get some relief before this afternoon.” She could see the woman about to refuse and then softly laid a hand upon her arm, “Please. We both know you need to rest. And Emily’s pretty worried about you. Who’s going to care for her if you get so ill they have to put you in the hospital?”
    “She sleeps in the room with me. We’ve already been down that road when I had my surgery. I’m a registered nurse. Before I got sick, I worked on the oncology ward, treating women just like myself. I never in a million years thought I’d be on the receiving end.
    “When I had my surgery, several friends tried to get Emily to leave the hospital with them, but she adamantly refused to go. My co-workers did what they could – setting up a cot in the employee lounge, but Emily refused to leave my side, so they set up a cot in the room for her to use.”
    “What about school?” Grace asked.
    “She goes when I can take her. The bus doesn’t come here because we’re too close to the school, but I can’t let a nine-year old walk two miles each way!”
    “She seems very intelligent,” Grace offered, wondering which school the young girl attended. Simpson Preparatory Academy, along with three public schools, was within the two-mile distance Victoria had mentioned. It would be great if she went to the same school as Dani.
    “She is. They were talking about trying to move her ahead in her studies, but now, she’ll be lucky if she can move to the next grade.” Tears filled Victoria’s eyes as the impact her illness was having on her daughter was once again revealed. “I hate this!”
    Grace was close to tears as well. Having done the single mother thing and just come through a horrible scare with her own daughter, she could understand where Victoria’s emotion was coming from. Her heart had stopped when there had been a possibility that Daniella might have leukemia. When the tests had come back negative, she’d been so relieved and thankful, she would never forget that moment. It was as if her life had been given back to her.
    “I don’t have time right now, but I would love to spend more time talking to you. Why don’t I take Emily to school today, and pick her up this afternoon as well? That will give you a chance to let the chemicals wear off.”
    Victoria looked at the woman sitting beside her bed and decided she must be some sort of angel sent to save her and her daughter. She was so used to doing everything on her own; she didn’t have any idea of how to accept the kind offer without breaking down in tears. You don’t have to do this on your own today!
    Unable to keep the emotion at bay, she let the tears fall from her eyes and nodded, “Thank you. I know I shouldn’t do this, but something tells me I can trust you.”
    Grace nodded her head, lying a gentle hand upon her arm, “You can. I’ll watch over Emily as if she were my own. I promise.”
    Victoria nodded, “I believe you.”
    “Which school does Emily attend?” Grace asked, already trying to calculate how late Daniella was going to be now.
    “Simpson Preparatory