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should have someone there after the…procedure. I was hoping that you would come.”
    Her emotions and her thoughts got all tangled together until she couldn’t separate one from the other. The emotional Ellie was ready to come to the rescue, as always. The rational Ellie, the one who’d been hurt and demoralized, had her feet stuck in cement.
    â€œWhat hospital?” she finally asked.
    â€œSloane Kettering.”
    Her eyes squeezed shut at the sound of the name. It was a world-renowned cancer-treatment center. “I…What time do you have to be there?”
    â€œEleven. I was getting ready to leave when you called.”
    She thought about her responsibilities at the spa. But Barbara was there and Ann Marie was due to arrive midday. They could hold things down along with the rest of the staff.
    â€œAll right. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    â€œThank you, Ellie,” he said, and it sounded to her as if his voice was breaking. “I really appreciate it.”
    â€œI’ll see you soon.” She hung up the phone.
    She had a sick, sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She’d wished a lot of things on her ex-husband. She’d wished that he would suffer and be hurt as much as she had. She’d devoted her life to him and their twin daughters and then, without warning, she’d been tossed to the curb like old shoes. She’d become a statistic, a cliché. Wife tossed aside for young secretary. How pitiful was that?
    It had taken her months, and the support of Barbara, Stephanie and Ann Marie, to get her through the day-to-day without falling apart. Then she met Ron and took a big chance by allowing him into her life and her heart. But she did, and hadn’t regretted a moment.
    Yet, she hadn’t told Ron about Matt’s call and the question of “why not?” had plagued her all night long. Maybe there was no easy answer, she concluded as she finally got to her feet. But a hidden part of her knew that it wasn’t that simple.
    Barbara was at the front desk when Ellie came back upstairs.
    â€œThere you are. I was getting ready to go down to the massage room. My first client will be here—” She took a good look at Elizabeth’s strained expression. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œI just got off the phone with Matt.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œHe’s going in the hospital for a biopsy. They think it might be cancer.”
    â€œOh, Ellie. I’m so sorry. How is he? I mean, mentally?”
    â€œScared. I could tell by his voice.” She looked at Barbara. “I’ve never heard him sound like that before, not in all the years of our marriage.”
    â€œOf course he’s scared. Who wouldn’t be? Wow, I don’t know what to say.”
    â€œHe wants me to come to the hospital. I told him I would.”
    Barbara nodded. “How do you really feel about that?”
    â€œConflicted. But I said I would, so I’m going.”
    â€œSure. We can handle things around here.”
    â€œWhat if…”
    â€œDon’t even go there. You don’t know for sure.”
    â€œMaybe I should call the girls.”
    â€œWhy don’t you wait until you know something more definite. They’ll only worry.”
    â€œYou’re right.” She looked around, momentarily off balance. “I better get going.”
    Barbara reached out and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s going to be all right, whatever happens, and you know we’re here for you, girl.”
    She sniffed, suddenly feeling weepy. “Thanks.”
    By the time she arrived at the hospital and found a parking space she was a nervous wreck. Maybe she should have called her daughters; at least, then someone would be there with her. She went through the main entrance and asked for directions to oncology at the information desk.
    The ride up the elevator seemed to last forever. Finally, the doors slid open onto the