“You sure? It’s early yet, only just past ten.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’ve been really tired lately and hitting the hay early most nights. Must be coming down with something.”

“Okay, babes—let me know if you need any painkillers or anything that would help.”

“Thanks, gorgeous. Goodnight.” And with a wink, Rebecca headed off to the bathroom.

* * *

“Hey, you, it’s me.” Rebecca’s voice down the phone line was unnaturally subdued, and it stirred an instant fear in Mandy’s belly that she couldn’t explain.

“Hey, yourself. What’s up?” Mandy tried to keep her fear out of her voice.

“Are you doing anything tonight?”

“Not at all. Want me to come over?”

“Please. Any time after seven, okay?”

“I’ll be there one minute after, babes.”

When Mandy hopped out of her car in front of Rebecca’s flat, she swallowed hard to tamp down the nausea that was swirling in her belly. Call it sixth sense or premonition or just plain old women’s intuition, but something was wrong.

She strode up to the main entrance and pressed the bell for Rebecca’s flat. The door release buzzed a few moments later, and she hauled open the heavy main door. She took the stairs up to Rebecca’s first floor home, and the door was already open for her when she got to it.

Rebecca stood back to let her in, not smiling and not looking Mandy in the eye.

Mandy followed her down the hallway to the living room. There was a bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table.

Rebecca saw where her gaze had landed. “Yeah, we might need that.”

“What’s going on?” Mandy’s voice was quiet, but it communicated her concern loud and clear.

Rebecca sat down on one side of the two-seater sofa and patted the other beside her. Mandy sat and took Rebecca’s hand in hers.

“Tell me, babes.”

Rebecca took a deep breath, head down, and swallowed before speaking. “I need…would like…you to do something for me.”

“Anything, you just name it.”

Rebecca finally looked at her, and the fear in her eyes made Mandy’s stomach heave.

“I found…a lump. At least, I think I did. Before I go to the GP, I was wondering if you…would check for me.”

Oh Jesus Christ.

“Babes, this isn’t something to play around with. If you think you’ve got a lump, you should get to the GP right now.” Mandy stared at Rebecca, stunned that she would waste time on something so important.

“I can’t… I don’t want to. I…want there to be a chance that I’m wrong…that it isn’t what I think. Please, I need…if there is something, I need to be able to share this with someone who cares about me, not just some GP I don’t know from Adam or Eve.”

Mandy closed her eyes briefly, her mind spinning. Oh fuck, what if there was something?

Okay, don’t panic. Even if there is, there’s nothing that says it’s cancer, is there? It could be benign. Yes, that’s exactly what it could be. Happens all the time.