The Calm Before the Storm
Growing up, I never imagined my life would turn out the way it did. My name is Emily, and I’ve always been the more practical, grounded sister. I married my high school sweetheart, Mark, right after college. We settled into a quiet life in a small town, raising two wonderful children—Emma, 15, and Jack, 12. Our life wasn’t filled with extravagant luxuries, but it was filled with love and simple joys.
We had a comfortable rhythm to our days: school drop-offs, weekend soccer games, and evenings spent on the porch swing, chatting about our day. Despite not having much money, we always made it work. But everything changed when my mom called me one spring afternoon.
“The doctor found something,” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s cancer, Emily.”
