He noted that they didn’t say how many people would be “affected.” He was hopeful that he’d be spared—cancer research was supposedly a priority at AgriMed—but he couldn’t help the anxiety that tightened his chest.

Because if they were going to trim back in cancer research, he might be on the chopping block. The truth was, he hadn’t made any breakthroughs yet, while others had come up with new protocols, had written extensively in peer-reviewed journals, or were even in the midst of administering large clinical trials.

“I’m screwed.”

###

“Don’t you dare call and try to make up with me this time. I’m sick of your shit, Juan!”

Lisa put emphasis on his name any time she was especially upset, and tonight, she was pissed. This wasn’t the first time he’d lost track of time in the lab and had come home hours later than promised. And this time, he even had a good excuse, what with the HR announcement and him scrambling to organize his papers.

But she didn’t want to hear it. She had made a surprise dinner for their six-month anniversary.

Who the hell celebrates six-month anniversaries?

Now she was shoving armfuls of her clothes into her fake Louis Vuitton suitcase. Juan couldn’t help but stare at Lisa’s rear as she tried to press the suitcase shut. She was wearing black yoga pants and a hot-pink halter top that exposed her trim midriff.

He sighed. At the same time that his libido was telling him how much fun it was to be with a nineteen-year-old—a woman more than a decade his junior—his brain was arguing that maybe her leaving him was a good thing. He needed to be with someone more mature.

She glanced at the table laden with food and growled, “I hope you choke on it.” Turning with a huff, she threw her apartment key at Juan’s feet, and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Her lingering perfume and the cold dinner were the only hints that she’d ever been there.

Juan shook his head. “One of these days, I need to reevaluate my priorities.”

###

Frank smiled as he watched Megan standing at the kitchen sink filling a basin with warm water. Ever since the dog had come into their lives, something had changed about his wife. She was whistling a random tune and bustling about with a purpose that he hadn’t seen since… since Kathy, their only child, had lived with them.

The dog sat at her feet, watching attentively as she poured some salt into the bowl and explained to him, “Jasper, Dr. Dew said we need to keep your stitches clean, so no fussing, you hear?”

The dog woofed his agreement.

Carefully placing the bowl on the floor, Megan sat cross-legged next to it and dipped a washcloth into the salted water. “Okay, give me your paw.”