Best Friends Forever (13 page)

C
eline's cancer was fully in remission, but here she was back in the ER again. This time she wouldn't be leaving for a few days, as the doctor had just informed her that her hemoglobin level was only 6.5—life-threateningly low—and she needed a blood transfusion. Celine had been afraid this was going to happen, what with the way her blood levels had fluctuated up and down over the last few weeks. But she'd been hoping things would return to normal once she'd finished radiation. Unfortunately, they hadn't.

“Your nurses will be in to get you prepped,” the doctor said, “and please don't worry. You'll be feeling a lot better very soon.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Celine said, but when he left, she looked at Lauren and tears filled her eyes. “What am I going to do? I haven't had medical insurance in five weeks, and bills are already coming in left and right.”

Lauren held Celine's hand.

Celine swallowed hard. “As it is, I'm going to have to use all my savings to pay the bills I incurred over the last month, and I'll have to use one of my credit cards to make a pretty large down payment for this transfusion. But if I do that, I won't be able to pay our mortgage next month because all my cards will be maxed out. I'll also have to pull Kassie out of Mitchell Prep. She'll have to go to public school because we just don't have that kind of money anymore.”

Lauren shook her head with sadness. “Keith should be ashamed of himself. And has he still not even called Kassie?”

“No, not since the day after she heard that woman on the phone. She was so devastated behind all that, but thank God her therapist is really helping her cope with everything. Still, I've got to figure out where we're going to live, and sick or not, I've got to get back to work before I lose all my clients. Dear Lord, how did all this happen?” she said, covering her eyes with both hands.

Lauren pulled Celine's hands away from her face. “Look, enough is enough. I know you're never going to ask, so I'm going to handle things the way I see fit. Kassie's already been through enough, so taking her out of her school and away from her friends won't be good. But more important, you and I both know that even though you're cancer free, you can't continue stressing over bills or anything else. Stress is the worst thing in the world for you right now…so this is what we're going to do. I'm going to take out a second mortgage on my house, pay for your transfusion and hospital stay, pay Kassie's tuition for both this semester and next, and when you're feeling better, we're going to place your house on the market. We're then going to pack up all your things, put most of it in storage, and you and Kassie are going to move in with me until you get back on your feet.”

Celine raised her eyebrows and shook her head, disagreeing. “No, that's way too much. I could never do that. I appreciate the offer, but—”

“But nothing,” Lauren said matter-of-factly. “This isn't something open for discussion. I'm doing what I have to do, and what I know God wants me to do.”

“But—”

Lauren folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. “This conversation is over. I won't let you die because of stress or money. I just won't.”

Tears streamed down Celine's face, and Lauren got up and hugged her. They held each other closely, and although they were best friends forever and had been for years, somehow their friendship felt stronger—at this very moment. They were sisters with different parents, but they were sisters for life. Lauren had proven that today more than ever before, and Celine would give her life for Lauren if it became necessary. She loved and cherished this woman who was doing the unthinkable—a woman who was making an incredible sacrifice. The kind of sacrifice most blood relatives wouldn't as much as consider making for their own kin.

But this gesture on Lauren's part confirmed that she was the wonderful person Celine had always known her to be: a great woman of God with true integrity. She was going to be the perfect wife for Jackson, and Celine thanked God for Lauren. She thanked God for His mercy, His grace, and His peace. She thanked Him for His unwavering love—she thanked Him for absolutely everything.

To my Heavenly Father, thank you for absolutely everything. To my dear husband, Will, for more than I can say. You have been the love of my life for twenty-five amazing years, and I thank God for you daily. I love you mind, body, and soul, eternally. To my brothers, Willie, Jr., and Michael (and Marilyn) Stapleton—no matter how old we get, you are both still my “little” brothers who I will forever love with all my heart. I thank God for both of you. To my stepson and daughter-in-law, Trenod and Tasha Vines-Roby, our grandchildren, Alex (Lamont) and Trenod, Jr., and to the rest of my family (Tennins, Ballards, Lawsons, Stapletons, Youngs, Beasleys, Haleys, Romes, Greens, Robys, Garys, Shannons, and Normans): I love you all.

To my dear cousin and fellow author, Patricia Haley-Glass (and Jeffrey), my dear best friends, Kelli Tunson Bullard and Lori Whitaker Thurman, my dear cousin, Janell Green, my loving spiritual mom, Dr. Betty Price, and my spiritual sisters (the Price daughters), Angela Evans, Cheryl Price, and Stephanie Buchanan: I love each and every one of you so very much.

To my attorneys, Ken Norwick and J. Stephen Sheppard, my hugely supportive and amazing publisher, Hachette/Grand Central Publishing—Beth de Guzman, Linda Duggins, Jamie Raab, Elizabeth Connor, Caroline Acebo, Maddie Caldwell, Stephanie Serabian, the entire sales and marketing teams, along with everyone else at GCP, and to my talented freelance team: Connie Dettman, Luke LeFevre, Pamela Walker-Williams, and Ella Curry—thank you all for everything!

To four of my fellow authors who continue to support me, year after year, who are also great friends: Trice Hickman, Eric Jerome Dickey, Trisha Thomas, and Marissa Monteilh—thank you. To all the bookstores and retailers who sell my books, every media organization, website or blog that promotes them, and to all the fabulous book clubs that select my novels for their monthly discussions—thanks a million and then some.

To the truly kind people who make my writing career possible: my readers.
You are, by far, the best readers in the whole wide world, and I am beyond grateful.

Much love and God bless you always,

 

Kimberla Lawson Roby

1. At the start of the book Celine has spent the last five years building her career. Do you think it is important that women are able to focus on their careers as much as men? How do you balance work and home life? Do you think Celine manages to do this successfully?
   
2. When Celine first feels a lump in her breast, she doesn't tell anyone and goes to the doctor alone. Why do you think she doesn't want to tell her family and friends? Does this make the diagnosis process more difficult for her?
   
3. Keith claims that Celine was too focused on her work and not paying enough attention to him. Do you think she should have noticed that he was distant and unhappy? Was Keith effective in how he communicated that to Celine? Have you ever missed signs of a deteriorating relationship? If so, please explain.
   
4. Lauren steps in to take care of Celine when she needs it most. Do you have best friends that you can count on like this? If so, please share your experience. Is this type of relationship uniquely female? How do you think male friendship differs from female friendship?
   
5. Celine's doctors and nurses stress the importance of giving yourself breast exams and getting regular mammograms. Do you and your loved ones take these precautions? Have you, a loved one, or a close friend been personally affected by breast cancer? Do you think that there is enough awareness about how to detect breast cancer early?
   
6. Were you surprised by the way Keith reacted to Celine's diagnosis? If so, why? Was there a time in your life when someone really let you down?
   
7. Kassie has a very difficult time with Keith's decision to leave. How does her behavior change once her father is gone? Do you think she blames Celine? If so, why?
   
8. Celine struggles with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and her marriage falling apart, and her emotions are very up and down. How does Lauren bring her out of these dark places? How does Celine reconcile her hard times with her relationship to God?
   
9. Do you agree with Celine's decision to let Keith come back? Lauren and Jackson are very against the idea. Are there times when you have made a decision that your family and friends didn't support? Should married couples consider the opinions of others when trying to work out their marital differences? Why or why not?
   
10. How do the events of the book change Celine's relationship with Kassie? Do you think they have become closer? Do you think Kassie will eventually come to terms with her father's betrayal?
    
11. In the end, Lauren makes a huge sacrifice for Celine and Kassie because “they were sisters with different parents, but they were sisters for life.” Do you have friends that have become more like family to you?
    

The Ultimate Betrayal

The Prodigal Son

A House Divided

The Reverend's Wife

Love, Honor, and Betray

Be Careful What You Pray For

The Best of Everything

Sin No More

Love & Lies

The Best-Kept Secret

Too Much of a Good Thing

Casting the First Stone

A Christmas Prayer

The Perfect Marriage

Secret Obsession

A Deep Dark Secret

One in a Million

Changing Faces

A Taste of Reality

It's a Thin Line

Here & Now

Behind Closed Doors

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