If Only We Knew (19 page)

“That feels wonderful.” He lay back, and she continued to massage him with her good hand. “You’re amazing. Marry me.” She stopped massaging his leg. “You promised me you would marry me.”

“I said in the future,
”
she said barely above a whisper.

“I want to be a family.”

“We’re already a family.” Shannon looked at Matt and Matthew.
Everything I didn’t know I wanted, and all that I want is right here.
“I think we should move in together first.” He pulled
her closer
.

“If you want us to move in together first, I guess I’m okay with that.” He leaned in, kissing her neck.

Matt smiled, looking at Matthew sleeping in his crib. “He’s very energetic for eighteen months.”

“Wait until he turns two. Have you heard of the terrible twos?” Shannon laughed as she walked out of Matthew’s room and entered theirs.

Matt kissed Matthew, turning off his light, and following her to their room. “What do you mean? It doesn’t get better.”

Shannon went over to the bed and jumped in. “I spoke to my mom. She wants me to tell you thank you for attending church this morning.”

“I enjoyed it very much, even if your father ignored us. I thought Christians were supposed to forgive and not judge others.”

“You are right, but they are also humans. My dad is still mad at me for having a baby, and now it’s worse because I shacked up with you.”

Matt walked over to his side of the bed and got in. “Shannon, does he know I wanted to get married and you were the one who said we should move in together?”

“Matt, it doesn’t matter, I’m a grown-ass woman who does what she wants without asking permission from my daddy. If he doesn’t approve of you, that’s his business, because I do.” She cupped his face and gently kissed him.

“Don’t try to sweet-talk me,” he said between kisses.

“I’m not. I’m trying to make sweet love to you.” She smiled, kissing his neck.

“You don’t have to try.” He helped her remove her nightie. “I see you’re ready for me.” He smiled, noticing she didn’t wear any underwear. Shannon jumped on him and began devouring his lips, moving down to his neck and nipples. “Damn,
Mamita
.” She sucked on his nipples, making him hard as steel. She moved down to his boxers, leaning up to take them off, and threw them on the floor.

Looking at his cock, she gave him a naughty smile. “Hello.”

She
gripped
his cock and rubbed the tip, up and down, adding some saliva for lubrication. She twirled her tongue at the base, making him groan. Grabbing his shaft, she brought her head down and started slowly sucking.

Matt
pulled
her hair and guided her up and down, trying to take it slow; his toes were starting to curl. “
Mamita
.” He moaned. “You have to stop.” He
moved
forward and picked her up. He opened her legs and stared at her brown pussy. “Exotic,” he said, leaning down and nibbling on her inner thighs.

Shannon’s legs began to shake. “
Sí,
papi
.”

Matt laughed, looking up. “I haven’t
even finished
yet.” He got closer to her pussy and gently licked and sucked her sensitive nub, parting her labia, he inserted two fingers, plunging into her then slowly going in and out, while at the same time, he sucked on her clit. He could tell she was about to burst.

She
started
convulsing
uncontrollably. “I’m coming, yes, yes!” she
moaned
.

Matt kissed his way up, stopping at her breasts and gently sucking on her erect nipples. He leaned up and kissed her lips. “I love you.” He stared into her passion-filled eyes.

He settled himself between her legs. She grabbed his cock, and he slowly pushed into her as she gasped for air. “Oh God, Matt. I love you,” she said, putting her legs around his back. “More,
mas, si
.”

He smil
ed
, and thrust deep
er
into her. “
Mamita
, please marry me,” he said between groans, slowly pulling out, leaving just the tip, and then plunging back in, making her pussy contract around his dick.

“Yes, yes. Oh, Matt, yes!” she yelled then moaned, moving her hips to dance with his thrusts.

“Yes, you’ll marry me?” He laughed, grunting between his teeth.

“Yes, I’ll marry you, whenever you want. Just don’t stop!”

Matt thrust into her
this
time with
no mercy
. Shannon began to shake again. “Yes,
mami,
come for me.” He groaned.

She hooked her legs behind his butt and moved her hips in rhythm with his
,
until she came, screaming. As soon as her pussy squeez
ed
his dick, he came apart in her arms. “Finally,” he said between breaths.

“Yes I did, finally say yes.” She leaned up, kissing him.

He kissed her back, smiling, and rubbed her left breast. He stopped suddenly, his smile vanishing. He felt her left breast again and stared at her.

“What?”
She laughed, thinking he was playing around.

“You have a lump,” he whispered.

“No I don’t.”
Her smile vanished.
He grabbed her hand and let her feel it.

She gently pushed him off of her, and she felt her breast again. “I never felt that before,” she said with a shocked look in her eyes.

“
Mamita,
it might be nothing.” He grabbed her hands. “We’ll make an appointment as soon as possible.”

Shannon was nervous waiting for the doctor to come in. Matt squeezed
her hand
.
What if I have cancer? Is it too late
? All she could think of was everything she would be leaving behind…her son, Matt.
Oh God, Matt…Why didn’t I just marry him?

“Shannon, I’m right here,” Matt said, kissing her hand.

Doctor Jorge Wilson came in, introduced himself, and explained the process of detecting breast cancer. She changed into a hospital gown and lay down while the doctor did a manual exam.

“Ms. Jones, you do have a lump in your breast. I’m going to send you to get a mammogram and have a blood test done, and when we have the results, I’ll give you a call.”

“When will she get the mammogram done?” Matt asked.

“As soon as we’re finished here. I want her to go to the lab and get it done today.” The doctor stood up. “I’m going to arrange it right now.”

“When will we know the results?”

“Twenty-four to forty-eight hours.” He left.

“Shannon.”

“Yes, I’m just still in shock. I mean I knew it was a lump, but I thought the doctor would say something else,” she said.

He kissed her gently on the lips. “I’m with you.”

Shannon, holding a new employee orientation, introduced herself to the expectant faces clustered around the conference room table. Taking her time, she explained the company’s benefits. She asked if anybody had any questions, and they all shook their heads. She let them know she had an open-door policy and stepped out the room.

She was walking by the front desk when Amanda looked up and said, “Ms. Jones, you have a call from a Doctor Wilson.”

“Thank you.” Shannon
stepped
into her office, took a deep breath, and answered. “Good afternoon, this is Shannon Jones.”

“Good afternoon, Ms. Jones, this is Doctor Wilson.”

“Yes.”

“Ma’am, your results are in, and I’m sorry to inform you it is cancer.”

She remained silent for a couple of seconds.

“Ma’am.”

“Yes.”

“I need you to come in so we can perform a biopsy on the lump, we need to find out if it’s benign. I would like you to come in tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll be there.” She hung up and just cried.

Amanda knocked and came in. “Shannon, I have the resumes you requested.” Amanda looked at her
with concern
. “Shannon, are you okay?” she asked.

Shannon just waved her hands, gesturing for the woman to leave.

Amanda went back to her desk and called the downtown branch.

“Good afternoon, Normandy Credit Union. This is Tasha. How may I help you?” the receptionist answered.

“May I talk to Mr. Johnston?”

“Mr. Johnston is in with a member at this moment. May I take a message?”

“Tasha, this is Amanda at corporate. I need to talk to Mr. Johnston. It’s an emergency.”

“Let me try and get him on the phone.”

Matt’s phone buzzed while he was talking to a member who’d asked to speak to the VP to report a teller. “Excuse me, sir.” He picked up the phone. “Tasha, I’m with a member.”

“Mr. Johnston, I apologize for interrupting, but Amanda from corporate says she needs to talk to you. It’s important.”

“Put her through.” He looked over at the man. “It’ll just be a minute. Amanda, how can I help you?”

“Mr. Johnston, it’s Ms. Jones. She got a call from a doctor, and she’s been crying ever since. Can you try to come here? I think she needs you.”

“Amanda, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thanks for calling.” He hung the phone up and buzzed for his teller supervisor. “Terry, I need you to come and help Mr. Conwell, I have an emergency.” He hung up. “Sir, I’m sorry, but I have to leave. I’m leaving you with Mrs. Hill. You’re in good hands.” He got up and introduced them and ran out the office to head to corporate.

Matt ran into the building. “Thank you,” he said, passing Amanda at the front desk.

He opened Shannon’s office door, and she looked up. Her eyes were bloodshot red. “I came as fast as I could.” He walked over to her desk, picking her up from her chair, and hugged her. “What did he say?”

“I have cancer.” She kept crying. “I have fucking cancer.”

Matt hugged her tighter. “You don’t know, it might be benign,” he whispered,
with tears in his eyes
, too.

“What if its not?”

“Then we’ll deal with it, but for right now, we have to think positive. When is your next appointment?”

“Tomorrow. I’m getting a biopsy done.”

He leaned her away
,
star
ing
at her. “I’m going with you. You won’t go through this alone.”

She cupped his face. “Matt, what am I going to do if it’s—”

“Don’t say it. Get your things. I’m taking you home.” He turned off her computer and grabbed her purse.

A week later, they were waiting to hear the results of her biopsy.

Doctor Wilson came in with a file in his hand. By the look on his face, he already knew. The do
ctor sighed. “You have stage IIA
breast cancer.”

Shannon placed her hand over her mouth as a tear ran down Matt’s face.

After the initial shock, he wanted to run out the doctor’s office and break down, but he wiped the tear. He needed to be strong
for her. “What is Stage IIA
?” He paused. “And what are the treatments?”

The doctor explained, “Stage IIA
breast cancer is a tumor greater than
two
centimeters. The treatment plan I’ve come up with would
begin
with chemotherapy to see if we can shrink the lump. If that doesn’t work, then we start on radiation treatment.”

He looked over at Shannon and saw the disbelief in her eyes. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, and the tears c
a
m
e
. “
I have cancer,” she whispered, staring at Matt
.

He
stood and
pulled her up, giving her a tight hug, then whispered, “We will beat this together.”

Shannon got herself together by wiping her tears and straightening up, and said, “I’ve done lots of research on the Internet on breast cancer since you diagnosed me.” Matt
squeezed
her hand in silence. “I want you to perform a lumpectomy.” She stared at the doctor.

“Is lumpectomy the best option?” Matt asked. “Because you recommended chemotherapy.”