He watched as Amy and Jordan arrived on their snowmobile, proceed to put things away and close up the barn for the night. Marc wondered silently as he watched the two work quickly to take off Poppy’s saddle and tack. First of all, they appeared to be getting along very well. This was highly unusual and it made him suspicious. Second, why were they just now getting Poppy back into her stall? They decided to go for a ride? Then, leave a horse fatigued and likely sweating to take out the snowmobile? He knew they were knowledgeable and this was going to take them a few minutes.
He wandered into the kitchen to get a drink of water. He didn’t feel hungry and Marc’s thoughts went back to his cancer diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer. Stage 4. What could possibly be the point of chemotherapy and radiation treatments? False hope? Maybe some sort of lab rat to see how his cancer would or wouldn’t respond to treatment? And what was going to happen to his kids?
He went to the kitchen window and gazed out at the hills covered in snow. Harsh beauty. Dangerous. It was a sharp contrast to the warm home with its log walls and comfortable furniture. The feminine touches here were dated and worn. They hadn’t been able to bring themselves to change anything since Marc’s wife, Samantha, had passed away 8 years earlier. Was there any point in hanging on to the place? He wanted their children to be able to attend college and have full lives.
Despite Marc’s 48 years lived on this world, he felt so much older. He knew it was partly as a result of a full life and he didn’t have any regrets. Who didn’t want to continue the experiences offered by life? Initial thoughts of traveling to places he longed to see were quickly snuffed out by the idea of how much energy it would take from him. No, all he wanted now was to enjoy his children and the time they had left together. He had been considering his options all weekend and had been through an entire gamut of emotions. They had many things to seriously consider. He would not become some kind of experiment; he knew all too well the ramifications of chemotherapy. He wanted respite and hoped that hospice would give him enough relief to last long enough to tie up loose ends.
The kids were going to object and push their opinions on this. He didn’t want to waste anymore time with arguments. They were a strong family, forged in the fires of tough living and unfortunate circumstances. His kids were going to be fine. Jordan and Amy would take care of each other; neither would want for anything, especially if they took advantage of the untapped mineral rights their family had owned for five generations. He loved them so much. Marc turned from the window as he heard the young adults entering through the door.
“Jordan. Amy. We have some things to talk about.”
Thoughts of Enigmatic Minds 