CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE – COMPETITION BETWEEN MOTHER AND LOVER

The following days blurred together in a purgatory of doctors appointments, chemotherapy sessions, and procedures. Lance withered under the onslaught, his once-vibrant spirit consumed by relentless fatigue and constant pain. Yet through it all, he maintained an unwavering determination, anchored by Kayla's devotion. No matter how depleted his reserves or intense his suffering, she was always there - holding his hand, stroking his brow, murmuring words of love and encouragement. They clung to each other, beacons in the tempest as he waged war against an unbeatable foe. She lost track of how many times she awoke tangled in his arms on the stiff vinyl recliner, or washed the sour taste of vomit from his mouth while he shuddered through bone-deep chills. Each flicker of his eyelids, each weak squeeze of her hand reassured her he was still fighting. Still with her, if only for one more day. Barbara flitted in and out, orchestrating a revolving door of elite specialists like a world-clas