“I had to say it.” She regained her composure, sat up straight. “She’ll be a business owner before she’s twenty-one.”
“If she sticks with me, she just might,” Remi said. “I’ve already written her a check for the work she put in.”
“It’s really coming together for you, Rem. Congratulations. I had no doubt that it would,” Bianca said.
Remi took a seat in the chair adjacent to Bianca. There was a relaxed silence between them for a moment, only the sound of cicadas humming loudly.
“Did you have dinner?” Remi asked her.
“Mila whipped up a pot of homemade soup for me. Used some ingredients from the garden. She’s getting pretty good in the kitchen.”
Remi had noticed that too, and usually the thought of it unnerved her, but not tonight. She was still reeling from her evening.
“I’m not surprised. She’s a chip off the old block. Or should I sayblocks.” She said it casually, masking her true feelings about it. Then she changed the tone of the conversation. “You know that little vintage candy shop you love so much … downtown?”
“The one with the wine-tasting bar?” Bianca asked and closed her eyes for a moment, appearing to be savoring the thought of it. “Oh my God, those darn wine truffles. They are to die for.”
“I had Leo stop by there, right before they closed their doors for the night.” Remi grinned. “I got you some of those truffles.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did. They’re in the kitchen,” Remi said. “And if I were you, I’d hide them. Because if they’re still there in the morning, they’re fair game.”
“Well, I’d better hide them right away,” Bianca teased.
“You’d better.”
Bianca settled into the wicker love seat. “Not that it’s any of my business, but you and Leo seem to be getting kinda close lately.”
“You’re right. It’s not your business,” Remi replied with a small smile. “But if you must know, we’re just two friends—one helping the other through a difficult time. That’s it.”
Bianca nodded slowly. “That’s good. But if it ever turned into something more … I just want you to know you deserve all the happiness in the world, Rem. And fuck any judgment from anyone.”
Remi let the words sink in. They were comforting. Her thoughts moved to the kiss she had shared with Leo. There should’ve been guilt that followed, but there wasn’t.
She didn’t reply, just stood and headed toward the door. “You need anything before I head up?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” Bianca said. “I’ll be going up soon too. Got an early morning.”
“Radiation tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, we’re doing it together.”
Bianca nodded a yes. “Good night, Rem.”
“Good night,” Remi said softly.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Bianca
She stood in front of the mirror, eyes fixed on her chest—the spot that was marked during her simulation appointment. The ink—this vivid tattoo—would remain, long after the radiation was over, a permanent reminder of what she’d been through. It would stay etched in her skin forever.
The oncologist was precise, gently mapping out where the cancer had spread to and where the radiation would strike. The mark was a guide for the radiologist—a road map of sorts. She reached up and gently touched the spot, her fingers lingering over it.
Today was the day.