“I don’t think she knew how lucky she was.”

“Too bad. We should have all been here for the first surgery.”

Anger still swarmed inside him when he thought about the phone call he’d received from Curtis that morning. “Yes, we should have.”

He was right next to her when the pain in her chest forced her to open her eyes. This time she’d expected him to be there and would have been disappointed had he not been.

“Hi,” she said weakly as she gritted her teeth against the pain in her chest.

“Hi.” He kissed the fingers of the hand he held in his. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” She tried to laugh, but it hurt.

“They’re planning on keeping you at least overnight until they’re sure the grafted areas are okay and so is your reconstruction.”

She tried to look down, but she was too stiff. Her chest was covered in bandages and cold compresses. Again, tubes darted from the bandages for drainage.

Madeline let her head sink into the pillows. “Did I tell you I was going on vacation?”

“Yes, the last time you decided to have surgery.”

“No, no.” She smiled and turned her head to him. “I decided that when this is all over I’m taking a vacation. I’m going somewhere warm where there’s a beach and water and margaritas.”

His eyebrows drew together. She knew he wasn’t comfortable with her traveling, but she knew she had to get away. But he forced a smile. “I think that sounds wonderful.”

“Me too.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m tired of working so hard and never playing. Besides, after all of this, I think I deserve it.”

“Oh, honey, you deserved it a long time ago. I really should have done those things for you.” There were those sweet words again. How could she let him marry someone else when he called her honey and sat by her side in the hospital?

“Well, things are different now, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they are.”

She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to look into his. “I may need to have the kids back for a few weeks. They say I’m going to be unable to lift my arms for a while.”

“My family already has that planned out.”

She opened her eyes and shifted them to see him

He smiled. “Arianna is spending a few nights with you when they release you, and then next week when Zach goes out of town Regan and Tyler are coming to stay.”

Her heart swelled with the love she had for his family. “Oh, that is so wonderful.”

“And,” he said as he kissed her fingers again, “Kathy is making meals for you. She’s freezing them so you’ll be able to prepare them easily.”

Her eyes watered. “I don’t deserve that.”

“No one deserves it more.”

She sucked in a deep breath and swallowed back the fear that was boiling in her belly. She needed to address the last thing she’d said to him before she went into surgery. “I want to say I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”

“Don’t you dare apologize for that.”

“I’m just very emotional and very appreciative of everything you’ve done for me.”

A nurse entered the room to take her vitals. “I’m going to check her bandages and tubes. If you don’t mind stepping out for a few minutes.”

Carlos nodded. “I’ll go let everyone know you’re doing well and give the kids a call.”

“Thank you, Carlos, again. For everything.”

He gave her a smile as he left the room.

Madeline rested her head against the pillow as the nurse pulled back her gown. The cold air hit her sharply just as the emotion had when Carlos had enlisted his family to be there for her. She closed her eyes as the nurse checked the drainage tubes. It would be nice if, just like the reconstruction to her chest, her relationship with Carlos could be mended. But they’d severed that that relationship as much as the surgeons had when they removed the cancer from her body.

She’d been given a second chance at life, and even if she couldn’t have a second chance with Carlos, she could still have those little moments between them.

Madeline’s freezer was full of food. Her house was full of flowers and cards. And Arianna brought her a cup of tea every hour to keep her warm.

“Thank you,” she said with her teeth chattering.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take the cold packs off?”

“It just feels so much better with them on. I’d rather be cold.” She tried to lift the half-filled mug to her lips, but every slight movement caused pain. She took a little sip, and set it down in her lap. “I can’t wait until this is all done.”

“Do you think it was worth it?”

“Asking me that now isn’t fair.” She chuckled and winced from the pain. “When I see myself in a real bra or a low-cut shirt, I’ll have a better answer for you. Right now, no. It wasn’t worth it.”

Arianna nodded. “Carlos said you want to go on vacation when you’re done with it all.”

“Yes. Somewhere warm. I guess that’ll be the real time to ask me that question. If I look good in a bathing suit, then yes, it will have been worth it.”

“You know. I was thinking of doing that very same thing as soon as my next production is over. I have a tiny little nest egg that would hold me over.”

“Oh, yeah? Where were you thinking?”

“Cancun.”

“Oh, that sounds nice.” The very thought warmed her. She’d never been out of the country. In fact, the only travels she’d ever had were on her honeymoon with Carlos, for which they drove to New Orleans; and they’d gone with Matt to see Arianna in New York when she debuted on Broadway; and they took a trip to Las Vegas. She thought it was time she experienced something more than work, motherhood, and breast cancer survivor.

Arianna lifted her mug to her lips and watched her over the top of it. “I was thinking maybe we could plan to go together.”

“Oh, that would be fun.”

“I think so too.” Arianna sipped and lowered her drink. “I went that one time with, oh what was his name?” She tapped her finger to her lips as she processed the thought.

“Gavin.”

“Oh, my gosh. How do you remember that?”