Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 449

Ruby woke up early, but she didn’t get out of bed. Instead, she lay there, pretending to be asleep.

She knew today was her first round of chemotherapy. Last night, nerves kept her on edge, and she was afraid her mom would notice. To distract herself, she video-chatted with Mr. Daniel.

He kept her company for a long time, and after their call, she felt a little less anxious. Still, her sleep was restless—her dreams filled with strange, shifting shadows that left her startled awake before dawn.

Her mom was sleeping right beside her. Not wanting to wake her, Ruby stayed still, eyes closed.

But it didn’t last long; soon, her mom stirred.

Ruby heard the quiet rustle as her mom got up. She waited until the footsteps faded down the hallway before she slowly sat up.

At the bedroom door, Ruby paused. She could hear her mom talking with Ashley outside—giving instructions, it sounded like. When her mom’s footsteps started heading back, Ruby scrambled back under the covers, pulling the blanket up and feigning a sleepy yawn just in time.

“Ruby, you’re up.” Amelia leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, her voice light and breezy—maybe a little too breezy. “It’s your first day of chemo, but there’s nothing to worry about. It’s just like getting an IV. Once it’s done, we’ll go back to your room.”

Ruby matched her mother’s tone with an ease that belied her age. “I’m not scared, Mom! You don’t have to worry either. Everything’s going to be fine!”

She sounded so reassuring, it was hard to tell who was comforting whom.

Amelia’s heart squeezed, warmth and pain mingling together. “Let’s have some breakfast and then get going, okay?”

…

At the hospital, Mr. Martinez sat with Ruby for a while, giving her a gentle pep talk before the chemo began. Ruby seemed so at ease, you’d never have guessed why she was there. She even cocked her head and asked, “Mr. Martinez, can I have an ice-cold soda after chemo?”

Ruby threw up everything she’d eaten. Amelia rushed to hold her, but Ruby suddenly burst into tears, sobbing so hard it broke Amelia’s heart. “Ruby, what hurts? Where does it hurt, sweetheart?”

“It hurts…”

“Mommy, it hurts so much…”

Amelia had never seen Ruby like this before—her face was as pale as paper, her body limp and weightless, as if she could vanish at any second.

Mr. Martinez hurried into the room. After a quick exam, his expression turned grave. “Ruby’s having a stronger reaction than most. Unfortunately, this can happen after chemotherapy…”

There was nothing anyone could do except hold on and hope—hope that tomorrow would be kinder.