What I don't want, Maddy takes for herself. We go into changing rooms next to each other, where Maddy talks through the wall. "I think I like the pink one better. Do you think the pink one is better?"
"They're both fine," I say. I mean it too. I think Maddy looks good in any color.
I try on a dark purple blouse. Maybe pink would look good on me, but I'm not ready to go there yet. Purple seems like a good place to start in that direction. I turn in the mirror and put a hand on my stomach. I've gained ten pounds since I moved back in with Tess. A couple more months and I'll be fat.
I snort at this. I'm definitely becoming a woman. "Something wrong?" Maddy asks.
"No, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine."
***
We get lunch in the food court. We don't usually come out here to the mall, but this is a special occasion. Maddy and I are going back to school. Different schools. Maddy's going to the state university to work on her journalism degree. I'm going to community college to decide whether college is what I want. If it is, then I can transfer to a four-year school later.
"We're going to be the best-dressed kids on campus," Maddy says. Her enthusiasm is infectious; Grace and I smile in time with her.
"I don't think that's hard at community college," I say.
"Don't start running yourself down," Maddy says. "A lot of people have started with community college and gone on to something big."
"Name one," I say.
She waves the question away. "You need to think positively. This is a chance to find yourself."
"She's right," Grace says. "You got to learn to walk before you can run."
"I guess so," I say. I know they're right. I need to find some direction in my life. Grace's shop isn't much of a career. The way things have been going, she'll probably shut it down in a few months when she's finished with her dissertation. Then I'll be on my ass with no money and no prospects. I pat Maddy's hand. "I wouldn't be doing it if it weren't for you. Thanks for giving me the push."
"You're welcome, sweetie," she says. I feel funny when she kisses me on the cheek. It's not the way she used to when she was little. That was a loving kiss; this is just a kiss between good friends.
The phone in my purse rings. I fumble around until I find it. "Hello?"
"Hi, Stacey," Dr. Palmer says.
"Hi." I put one hand to my ear to filter out some of the noise from the food court. "I didn't expect to hear from you for a while."
Maddy and Grace look at me. I signal it's OK. Then I get up. I hurry outside, to stand opposite a couple of smokers by the front doors. "Does this mean you have good news?"
"Not as good as I'd like," Dr. Palmer says. "I've looked over the formula Luther gave us and Dr. Nath's notes."
"They're good?"
"The formula matches what we took from your blood. It's definitely FY-1978."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"It is. And Dr. Nath's notes seem to be legitimate."
"Are they helpful?"
"They should be. Gita was nothing if not thorough. A lot of what she did, she documented in these files." Dr. Palmer sighs. "Maybe she knew they were coming after her."
"Maybe," I say. "Maybe she's just thorough, like you said."
The doctor sighs again. "Anyway, I think we'll have our first batch ready to test in a couple of months."
"That's great. Isn't it?" When it comes to this biology stuff I still don't understand most of what Dr. Palmer says. I figure I'll take a couple of college classes in that area.
"Yes. But there's still a long way to go before we can try it on humans. Years of testing on animals."
It's my turn to sigh. Though I've been a woman for a month now, I still check the mirror every morning to make sure there's no change. I'll have to do that for years to come. "I guess we already knew that, didn't we?"
"Right, but look on the bright side: it shouldn't take us as long now."
"Fifteen years instead of twenty?"
"Maybe. Don't lose hope, Stacey. We can beat this thing."
"I know." I smile a little and think of how many times the doctors said that to Jenny. She did beat it for three years, but eventually the disease won. Maybe that's how this will be. Maybe by the time Dr. Palmer finds a cure there won't be anything left to cure.
Then I look inside. Through the doors of the mall I can see Maddy and Grace at our table. Maddy sees me and waves. I wave back to her. Things could be a lot worse. This isn't the end for me; it's a new beginning. Like Dr. Palmer said, it's a chance to start over again. Maybe this time I'll get it right.
"Thanks for letting me know, Doctor," I say. "And good luck."
"You too."
I hang up the phone. Then I go inside to rejoin my friends.
About the Author
Patrick "P.T." Dilloway has been a writer for most of his life. He completed his first story in third grade and received an 'A' for the assignment. Around that time, he was also placed in a local writing contest for a television station, receiving an action figure in lieu of a trophy, thus securing his love with the written word. Since then, he's continued to spend most of his free time writing and editing. In the last twenty years, he's completed nearly forty novels of various genres. When not writing, P.T. enjoys reading and photographing Michigan's many lighthouses. In order to pay the bills, he earned an accounting degree from Saginaw Valley State University in 2000 and for twelve years worked as a payroll accountant in Detroit.
Also By the Author
Chances Are Series:
Chance of a Lifetime
Second Chance
Last Chance
Girl Power Series:
Girl Power
The Impostors
League of Evil
Stories, Volume 1
Tales of the Scarlet Knight Series:
Dark Origins
A Hero's Journey
Time Enough to Say Goodbye
The Hazards of Love
Change of Heart
Betrayal Begets Blood
Future Shock
Living Sacrifice
The Heart of Emma Earl
Children of Eternity Series:
Forever Young
Young Family
Young Hearts
When You Were Young
Sisterhood
Awakening
The Night's Legacy
The Naked World
Chet Finley vs. The Machines of Fate
Star Shepherd
Liberation Front
Higher Power
The Leading Men
The Best Light
The Changing Seasons
Chance of a Lifetime (Chances Are #1)
Part 1:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Part 2:
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Part 3:
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Part 4:
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Part 5:
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
br /> Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Epilogue
About the Author
Also By the Author
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