Ride Across the U.S.

Chapter 1: Cancer

     Sitting in that familiar waiting room with her father, Catherine Harding still remembered that fateful morning when her mom found a lump on her breast.

     She had just come out of the bathroom to brush her long, thick, wavy brown hair and to brush her teeth. It was a new warning, two years exactly from the day that she moved out of her parent’s house. It wasn't like it was a special day, it's just what was.

     Catherine was going to school, the University of Richmond, in fact. And her classes started in two hours. Her major was German studies, and like hundreds of other college students, she studied as hard as possible so that she could graduate.

     When she was in the kitchen of her house located outside of Richmond, VA, the phone began to ring.

     Putting her cup of tea down on the dining table, Catherine went back to the living room and picked it up from its dock.

     "Hello?" She said after putting into her ear.

     "Cathy, it's mom," Catherine's mom, Leah, said.

     Catherine could tell that they were something wrong. Her eyebrows narrowed and she asked, "What's wrong mom?"

     "Can you come to the doctor with me?" Her mom asked.

     "Why mom? What's wrong?" Catherine asked again. Is dad okay? Was there an accident in the plant? Is there a problem with mom? Catherine thought.

     "I found a lump..." Leah said quietly.

     Catherine felt like a fish at that moment. Her mouth would open and close with no sound coming out."W–where mom? What do you mean?" She finally managed to ask.

     Her mom didn't answer back for a long time. So long that she began to worry. Then her mom finally quietly said, "Can you please just come? Your father is working and we’re poor enough as it is. He needs to work."

     "Okay, I'll be over and maybe," Catherine glanced at her watch, "20 minutes.”

     "Thanks Cathy," her mom said before hanging up the phone on her end.

     Catherine immediately went back to the table, gulped down her tea with and for large gulps, and grabbed the keys to her car from the bowl by the front door of her home. Thankfully, she had already fed, watered, brushed, and pastured her horse, Zeus, before anything else.

     Speedily, she climbed into the driver's seat of her car and pulled out the drive.

     Down every street, road, and Avenue that led to her parent’s house, Catherine drove. Her heart was pounding, her blood was pumping, her brain was reeling, and her thoughts were restless. Even her favorite country music songs couldn't soothe her. She tried stealing glances at the surroundings; at the trees with the birds hopping from tree to tree, at the people riding on their horses at the nearby ranch. Her Zeus would be able to go there because of his aggressiveness. Zeus was extremely aggressive toward anyone and anything other than her.

     After 25 min., Catherine Riley pulled into the parent’s driveway. She parked her car under the shady trees beside the driveway where her dad's car usually was. If he wasn't working. Without turning off the car, she got out and went inside the house through the side door.

     Inside, Catherine's mom was pacing the length of the small living room. When Catherine entered, Leah looked up.

     "Don't tell me that you mean what I think you mean when he said that he found a lump," Catherine said, wrapping her arms around her mother.

     "It's on the side of my breast. I just need to get to the doctor. I know we don't have any money for it, but I'm hoping that your dad's health insurance will help us as much as possible," Catherine's mom said.

     Catherine let her mom go and said, "Mom, please don't hesitate to ask me for some money if you need it."

     "Now you and I both know that I won't ask my only daughter for money," Leah replied, giving her beloved daughter a sad smile.

     Catherine sighed and asked, "Does the doctor know you're coming?"

     "Yes, I gave him a call before called you," she answered.

     Catherine nodded and put her hand on her mom's back to lead her toward the door.

     They made it to the doctor that day. Catherine remembered having to sit in the examination room while they took her mom for tests. It felt like it would take forever. And when Leah had come back to the examination room as well as the doctor, Catherine had immediately noticed that their expressions were somber.

     Sitting there now, with her father beside her, Catherine couldn't help but reflect on what it must feel like to battle such a deadly illness. All these long months of chemotherapy has to be draining, both physically and mentally. Since the cancer, Catherine has moved back in with her parents to help her mom while her dad worked. Then, she would take night classes at school.

     "How's school going?"

     Catherine looked over at her father in answered, "It's fine. Professor McKline told us that he's called someone in Germany so that we can spend the next year of school there to study."

     She could feel her father's eyes borrowing in her. "Are you going to go?"

     "Probably not," she replied looking back down at her hands.

     "You should."

     Catherine turned to her other side and saw her mother; thin, pale, and looking much older than she really was.

     "Mom, I can't leave you for so long while you're sick," Catherine replied quietly, standing to embrace her mom.

     "I have your father," Leah quietly retorted.

     "But I have to work during the day,” Catherine's father, Isaac said. He stood from the chair and came to stand beside his daughter and take his wife's hand gently.

     "Then one of our friends could take care of me while you're gone," Leah replied.

     "What friends? Last time we saw them, they were getting on the plane to China," Isaac said.

     Leah’s smile withered and died. Catherine felt tears spring into her eyes for her mom. Catherine sighed and said, trying not to look at her mom, "Come on, which is go home.”

     The car ride home was tense and quiet. Isaac drove the car while Catherine was in the passenger seat and Leah was in the back with the trashcan in case she should get sick.

     Then when they got home and Catherine helped her mom get to bed, the father and daughter got a minute to breathe. Catherine was supposed to go to her evening classes in an hour and a half.

Isaac sighed and said, "So Germany huh.” Catherine nodded wordlessly."Do you want to go?"

     It was a while before Catherine finally answered. During that time, Catherine thought of the trip and whether or not she wanted to go. She thought that it would be beneficial toward her studies, and she would be continuing her education. But her mom needed her, her and her dad both. The chemo was hard for her, both mentally and physically, just as the cancer itself was.

     Then she made her decision. She wanted to go. The more that she thought about it, the more that she thought that it could be fun. With college being the way it is, as well as the several months of caring for her mom with the breast cancer.

     Catherine nodded in answered her father, "Yes, but I most likely won't."

     "Because your mother?"

     "Yes, but also because we have no money to be able to pay for it," Catherine replied.

     "You have money," Isaac said, looking confused.

     "I have a little money, just enough to get through another year of school and take care Zeus," Catherine explained.

     "Well wouldn’t the trip just be another year of school?" Her father asked.

     "It would be more. You have to add the plane ticket, find somewhere to stay while I'm in Germany and studying. Then I’d still like to pay for the tuition back here," Catherine explained, standing up.

     Isaac glanced at the clock and asked, “Is it time to go?"

     "Yeah, I want to get there early so that I can talk to Anna little bit before I go to class," Catherine explained.

     "Okay well have a nice night," Isaac said he has he too stood and began to head toward the bedroom.

     "Thanks, good night dad," Catherine said as she grabbed her keys.

     "Night," he called back.

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This is my second serious book, so comments and reviews on it are appreciated. Thank you.