I decided to test her.
I convinced myself that discovering whether she’d stay if I had nothing left to offer was necessary.
Before she arrived, I practiced my lie inside my car.
The moment Skyla entered my kitchen, she noticed my expression.
“Archie? Baby, what happened?”
I lowered myself into a chair.
“I got some medical results.”
She dropped her bag.
“What kind of results?”
“I have a serious illness.”
She froze.
“What?”
“The doctors say I need treatment. Soon. Or else…”
She pulled a chair beside me.
“Which doctor? What exactly did they find?”
“I don’t have all the answers yet. I need another appointment before they’ll explain the treatment plan.”
“Okay. Okay, that’s fine.” She reached for my hand. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”
Then I delivered the next part of my story.
“The treatment is expensive. More than I can afford.”
She frowned.
“But you have insurance.”
“It won’t cover enough.”
