“Have you talked to Mom today?” Jeni asked from beside him. Her chair was perpendicular to his, her feet propped up on his armrest. She tapped at her phone and didn’t look up when she spoke.

“No, why?” Andrew’s eyes were on his phone as well as he scrolled through Instagram.

“I really did talk her out of bringing the extended family down for Thanksgiving. But she still wants to come. With Rhonda and Valerie’s family…and Dad.”

“I hope you told her no.”

“Of course I did. But you know Mom, she’s devastated we won’t be together as a family. I told her there’s a first for everything, and that you didn’t need the commotion and stress of being around that many people. Especially on your week off, when your immune system is the weakest.”

“Where did you get that idea?”

“Lauren said so.”

He tried to remember anything about that…but the only thing that came to mind from that first day was an image of her red hair and the blue shirt she’d worn underneath that long white coat.

And his mother’s question about sex. He’d never forget that.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Tell her you don’t feel up to celebrating the holiday.”

“I don’t.”

“I know. But she doesn’t believe me.”

Andrew opened his text messages. “I’m on it.”

But before he could send off a message to his mother, an incoming call came through.

Andrew stared at the screen. What the hell? “Dad’s calling me.”

Jeni looked up. “So?”

“I haven’t talked to him since the diagnosis.”

“At all?” Her pitch rose a notch.

“Nope.”

Jeni shook her head and pursed her lips. “You two are ridiculous.”

Andrew didn’t argue. The phone continued to vibrate in his hand.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“I…” Andrew paused. “I don’t know.”

Jeni, moving like lightning, snatched his phone and swiped the screen to answer the call, then put it back in Andrew’s hand.

He shot his sister a death glare and put the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Andrew?”

“Hey, Dad.”

“Are you busy?”

Andrew glanced at the IV pole attached to him. “Not at the moment.”

Pause. “I uh, just wanted to call and…”

Andrew’s patience with his dad was about as thin as a piece of paper. “And?”

His dad cleared his throat. “I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I’m fine.”

“How’s your…thing going?”

“Chemo?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

Andrew waited.

His dad sighed audibly. “Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Okay. Well, call if you do.”

“Okay. Bye, Dad.”

Andrew dropped the phone and his hands into his lap.

“That’s it?” came Jeni’s voice.

Andrew leaned his head against the chair and closed his eyes.

“How long are you two going to do this?” she asked.

“Do what?”