I showed up early at Brynn's grandmother's house. Mr. Shelby opened the door when I knocked.

"Finn."

"Mr. Shelby. Is Brynn almost ready to go?"

"Yeah. Thanks for taking off today. It'll mean a lot to her to have you there."

"To be honest, I don't think I could have handled school today. I'd be going insane wondering what was going on with her."

Mr. Shelby smiled sadly at me and patted my shoulder. "You're going to feel that way even though you'll be right there waiting, trust me, I know."

That's right. I didn't stop to think until this moment that this isn't the first time Mr. Shelby has had to go through this. He most likely had done so several times with his wife. "Are YOU, okay?" I concluded lamely as I really didn't know what to say.

"I'm hanging in there, thanks. It's Brynn I'm worried about. She's awfully nervous about all of this, not that I blame her, it's a big deal having to undergo the knife."

If this was Mr. Shelby's way of being reassuring he was failing miserably.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not really good at these situations."

Gran came out of Brynn's room and her smile brightened as she took in the sight of me. "Finn! You're here!"

The door to Brynn's bedroom flew open. "You're here!" Brynn exclaimed. She ran and tackled me in a bear hug. I wrap my arms protectively around her and kiss the top of her head. "You didn't really think I would be somewhere else today did you?"

Brynn looked up and I can see the worry in her features. I can feel the tension in her body. "I'm just glad you are here is all." She isn't allowed to eat so there was nothing left to do but pile into Mr. Shelby's car and head to the hospital.

Brynn and I sit in the backseat. She has a death grip on my hand. It's starting to go numb. I flex my fingers slightly to try and ease the pain and in doing so alerted her.

"I'm sorry." Brynn pulls her hand away and folds it on her lap.

"It's okay." I reach over and take her hand back. "I don't care if it turns purple. If there is any serious damage what does it matter, we heading to the hospital now anyway, right?" I grin. She giggles.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've known for weeks this day was coming but now that it's here. I'm all..." she shows me her other hand and it's trembling. My heart goes out to her. I grab both her hand in my one hand.

"Look I did my research. I know this surgery will stage your cancer but there is every reason to believe they caught it in the earliest stage that means a survival rate of anywhere between 94 to 97%. You got this, Brynn."

Her hands are a cold as ice. She tries to smile at me but I can see I'm not getting through.

"Did you look up how many people survive surgery and don't die on the operating table?"

"Uh...um... Damn, why didn't I look that up! No." She's not worried about the future she scared about right now.

"I hate hospitals. Watching my mom go in and out of them all the time. Visiting her when I was allowed, how weak and frail she was when she got out. She never appeared to get any better when she was there. I know it's not the hospital's fault. I forced myself to volunteer during the summer to work there because I wanted to see I was wrong, that people do get better and do go on to live, happy, healthy lives. And most do... just not my mom."

Brynn sighs. "Coming here knowing I'm doing so for the same reasons she had. It's been messing with my head. I'm scared and I... I can't shake it."

I unbuckle my seat belt and move to the center of the seat so I can get closer to her. I wrap her up in my arms and she rests her head against my chest, closes her eyes and breathes in deep, trying it seems to wrangle whatever emotions are swirling inside her head.

"Brynn, you're not your mom. Just because you both have Ovarian Cancer doesn't mean you will share the same fate." I see Gran look back at me, her eyes are filled with tears but she smiles at me, and I feel encouraged to continue.

"One - your mom got breast cancer first. Her body was already weakened by her first bout with cancer. Two - she wasn't diagnosed with it right away. Three - she was a lot older than you are right now. You WILL beat this, but you got to believe."

Gahh, why am I so bad at this? My mind reaches for an analogy I can use to explain wanting what I have to say to make sense. "It's like when I'm lining up free throw and the whole game is riding on that one shot. I've done it a million times but when the pressure is on and everything is depending on me, I feel the weight of it is going to crush me, but that's just me letting my fear be in charge. The moment I close my eyes and picture that basket, I take a deep breath. I know... I believe... I got this and I do, every time. Don't let your head mess with you or your fears be in charge. You got this, Brynn. I believe in you."

She holds onto me a little tighter. Her eyes open and I crumble. There is too much doubt for one pep talk to take away. I'm so used to pumping the guys up before a big game that I'm not used to being met with so much uncertainty, but that was because they believed in me. They trusted what I said was true even if they didn't feel that way themselves. Knowing I felt that way about them was enough to keep them going.

"Do you trust me?"

She shook her head yes.

"Then if you can't believe in yourself, believe in me. Believe what I'm telling you is the truth not because I'm some sort of wishful thinker but because I can see the end game. I know you, maybe even a little better than you do yourself. I've seen with my own eyes what a strong woman you are. You're a warrior."

"If I'm so brave then why am I so scared?"

"Whoever said brave people aren't scared? Most of the bravest people I know are usually sick with worry, but they push through it, past it. Being brave isn't about being fearless, it's about conquering those fears."

She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. I feel the tension leave her body and she's not so rigid in my arms. "I got this?" she says to me with not as much conviction as I would have hoped but hey... it's a start.

"You got this!" I reaffirm.

"I got this," she echoes with a little more strength, just in time for us to pull into the hospital parking garage.

Brynn and her entourage are directed to the floor where she will be admitted. We wait in the small waiting room after she signs in. A nurse calls her over, gets some more information from her, and hooks her up with an ID bracelet. Soon she'll be called back to get prepped for surgery.

"It shouldn't be long now," she informs us as she returns to my side. "Once I go back there you won't be allowed to go with me."

I panic. "You mean I won't get to see you before they take you in?"

"No, they'll let you back but not until they're done with me."

"Oh, okay," I said standing down, though I know it's only a matter of time.

"Brynn Shelby," A nurse calls, and Brynn smiles at us briefly before she disappears through some random door.

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. Gran moved over to take Brynn's seat. "You did good, Loveface. That's the calmest I've seen her in days."

"Yeah?" I so wanted to be helpful. "I thought I blew it using a sports analogy. It's so much easier motivating a team that already believes in what you're saying. In fact, they are looking to me to psyche them up. I just didn't know what to say."

Gran takes my hand and gives it a squeeze.

Mr. Shelby is just staring at the door that Brynn walked through. He hasn't said anything this entire time. "Is he okay?" I whisper to Gran.

"He will be. He's got his own demons to face in regards to this situation."

I'm guessing Gran means about Brynn's mom. It's got to be hard. I'm scared to death of losing Brynn but I can't let her know that. I must encourage Brynn but I wonder if I would be able to do so if I knew what Mr. Shelby knew - if I experienced the other side.

"I need some coffee," Mr. Shelby announced and he got up and walked away.

"Will he back in time to see Brynn off?"

Gran shrugged. "Who knows? But she's got us. So she'll be fine."

I stare at the empty corridor I'd seen him walk down. I really hoped he makes it back. I know how important it is to Brynn to have him here even if she's never voiced it.

"I have to say, I'm glad you're here, Finn."

I turn back to tear-filled eyes and wasn't expecting such a display of emotion from Gran. She was the rock of this family. "It's nice..." she sniffed. "Not to have to go through this again, alone."

I know the last time she had Brynn but Brynn was just a child and it was her child walking through that door. God... what she must have gone through? I immediately reach out and gave her a hug.

"I'm not going anywhere, Gran. I'll be right here by your side, I promise."

She hugged me back. "I know you will, Loveface." She pulled back and reigned in her emotions once more, patted my cheek. "I'm so glad she has you."

When the nurse came to call us back Brynn's dad had not returned. I let the nurse know that he went for coffee and if she could please bring him back when he shows up and she promised she would.

Brynn was sitting on the hospital bed, in her gown with a blanket over her legs. She brightened as we came into view but then frowned, "Where's Dad?"

"He went to get some coffee. He'll be here soon," Gran informed her and took the seat by her bed. The room was filled with patients similar to the ER. All separated by curtains, only they were all waiting to be operated on.

"I like the gown," I teased. "I would have chosen a different color for you but it's cute."

Brynn's frown changes to a sarcastic grin. "Yeah, well I would have preferred something in purple and black but they were all out."

"Wouldn't it just figure?" I joke shaking my head and the travesty of it all.

Brynn giggles and holds out her hand and I take it. I stand by her bedside, as there are no other chairs. Soon we meet the entire surgical team, first the nurses, then the anesthesiologist, and finally the surgeon. This was the man I really wished to meet, he was followed in by another doctor.

"Hello there Lovely, how you holding up today?" he asked Brynn looking over something on the computer he wheeled in.

"As good as to be expected I guess," Brynn replied.

Looking satisfied with whatever he read, he smiled at Brynn. "You're in good hands, Brynn. You'll have me and Doctor Natoso working on you, she's the specialist I told you about, she'll get to the bottom of what's really going on once we get in there."

I thought it strange that he spoke of Brynn's body the way I heard my Dad's mechanic talk about the car.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Brynn told the woman, who smiled and shook her hand in response.

"You too, Brynn. We'll get all this straightened out. From what I've seen so far I don't expect too many surprises."

"That's good the hear," Gran said.

"Mrs. Rose, always a pleasure," Brynn's doctor said to her grandmother, extending his hand.

She shook it but said, "I wish I could say the same, Dr. Alterman but as I only seem to see you here..."

He laughed not taking offense in the slightest to what she said. "Not my preference either, Dorothea, but some things can't be helped."

When he said her name I wondered if they had some sort of personal connection. Could this doctor be the same one that knew Brynn's mom?

"And this is?" He asked looking at me.

"Finn Nash," I offer still holding on to Brynn's hand because she refused to relinquish it.

"My boyfriend," Brynn supplied and I feel my smile widen. I don't know why hearing her say that has that effect on me every time but it does.

"I see, nice to meet you, Finn." I nodded.

"Okay Brynn, everything looks to be in place. The nurses will be back to collect you shortly. Anything valuable, leave behind with your Grandmother. Anything else make sure it is in the bag they gave you and it will be taken to your room. Do you have any questions?"

Brynn's grandmother spoke up. "How long do you expect the surgery to take?"

"That's hard to say, as we are not sure how involved it may be, but I would count on sometime around noon, someone to report back to you."

I looked at my phone it was 10:30 now and placed it back into my pocket.

"You'll be waiting in a different room than when you first came in. Once she's taken back, a nurse will show you where to go so they know where to find you."

"Any other questions?"

"How long will she be in here?" I asked once again thinking end game. I wanted to know how long I'd be without her.

"Three days here in the hospital. But it will take about 8 weeks for her heal up fully, but I'll go over all that with you, Brynn before you're released." Brynn nodded she understood.

8 weeks! That means she'll miss prom and graduation! "Will she be able to come back to school sooner than that?"

"We'll see," was the non-committal reply I received.

He patted Brynn's foot. "We'll see you in a bit." And with that, he and the specialist left. My brain suddenly flooded with questions. How long does it take to stage cancer? When will they know the results? If it takes longer than expected should we need to be concerned? Will I get to see her after the surgery or do I have to wait until she's admitted. Damn it, why couldn't I think of any of this a moment ago?

"It okay Loveface," Gran reassured me, "This isn't my first rodeo. I'll fill in the blanks for you later," she offered. My panic must be written all over my face. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"Right." I look down at Brynn. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she tells me.

The nurses round the bend. "Hey, Brynn! You all set?"

"As ready as I'm going to be," she replied. They tuck her hair in one of those mushroom hats, I was about to tease her about it but Brynn told me I may wish to look away, and that's when I had seen the needle... blood... "Okay." I didn't argue and turned my face.

One of the nurses giggled. "Squeamish, is he?"

"He'll faint dead away at the sight of blood," Brynn informed her.

"Oh no!" And they both giggled. So glad I could bring such levity to the situation at my own expense, I thought with sarcasm.

"She's all done, boyfriend. You can look now. You may want to hold onto these."

She took off Brynn's glasses and handed them to me. They then asked Gran and me to stand aside so the could adjust the bed to wheel her out. Okay, this is really happening...

"Come on, you two can follow us outside and we'll show you where you need to wait." They take the breaks off the bed and I'm back to holding Brynn's hand as she's wheeled out the doors and into the corridor.

"Okay." The nurse paused a moment. "See that room right at the end of the hall there." She pointed and we'd seen the room she spoke of. "That's where you'll want to wait. When we have any news to impart we'll find you there. So, this where we part ways."

Gran leaned over and kissed Brynn's forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too, Gran." Brynn said.

Now it was my turn. I didn't expect this to be this hard. I could feel the tears stinging the hell out of my eyes but I didn't want to cry. I wanted to be strong... for her. I lean down to kiss her. She wraps her arms around my neck and I realized she put the necklace I gave her around it.

"Brynn?"

"Keep it safe for me, will you? I want it back the moment this is all though."

I try to swallow the lump in my throat so I can reply. "You got it." I kiss her lips. "Can't wait to give it back to you. I love you, so much!"

"I love you, more," she murmurs in my ear as she holds my close. The nurses give me a gentle tap on the shoulder. I have to let her go.

"We'll take good care of her," the nurse consoled.

"I know."

I stand back and Gran links her arm with mine. They start to move forward when someone is heard yelling.

"Brynn! Wait! Please, wait!"

Brynn's dad is now by her side. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I could... I wanted to ... I just can't stand the idea..."

Brynn stopped her Dad's ramblings by pulling him down into a hug. "I love, Dad. I always have and I always will."

He wept in her arms. "I love you too, baby. I promise I'll do better. You gotta pull through this for me... I can't ... not without you."

Brynn let him go. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them I could see it. I could see it in her face, "Don't worry, Dad. Like Finn said..."

She looked at me and smiled, "I got this."

"Yeah, you do!" I acknowledged, feeling more confident now that she believes.