Prologue
I woke up with the worst headache of my entire life! I guess the brain cancer finally started to hurt. I was used to the body aches, but the doctors said that the brain itself doesn't feel pain. It can only process the pain in other areas. Something about it not having pain receptors. I don't know, I had spaced out when they told me. My mind went blank and I did not hear the rest of the diagnosis. Oh, How I wish that were the case right now!
I could hear the steady rhythm of a monitor in the background as I slowly opened my eyes. The hospital curtains were mostly closed, but hazy light peaked out through the sides. I rubbed my eyes and started to sit up but could not. "Would you like some help?" A calm voice asked softly from the end of the bed. Startled, I turn my head and noticed a blurry dark-haired shape near the end of the bed. "Sure." I responded, and fell back on the bed, exhausted from even that meager exertion.
The bed tilted up slowly and by the time I was able to sit up, my eyes focused and I got a better look at the woman helping me. She was a pale woman with dark hair and eyes. I did not recognize her; she was certainly not one of the regular nurses. I knew them all by name after all this time here. "I appreciate the help, but who are you?" I asked rubbing my temples as the headache began to lessen. "Hi, my name is Janine Everett. I read the letter you wrote me, and I hope it is not an imposition, but I just had to meet you!"
"Janine Everett..." I said pulling my thoughts together. "The author?"
"The very same." She replied pulling a chair up next to the bed.
"I can't believe you're here!" I replied excitedly!
"Your story moved me, and I thought it would be nice to get to know you better." She leaned a little closer.
"I love your books so much!" I exclaimed and focused on her face for the first time. Her dark hair had streaks of silver that were missing in her author profile pictures, but it was her. "I needed to
reach out and tell you how much they have helped me over the past few months."
"I'm so glad that you did." She replied as her smile reached up to her eyes. "I'm happy to answer any questions you might have but I would love to hear more about your life if you don't mind."
"I'm not sure there's much to tell but sure." I replied as the initial shock of meeting her slowly faded.
We spoke throughout the day. I told her about my life and tried not to dwell too much on all the things I wished that I had been able to do. She seemed not to notice my regret and often brought the conversation back to those unfulfilled dreams. She also told me about her adventures while writing and traveling the world to do book signings and releases. I told her that not traveling enough was the thing that I regretted the most!
As the sun began to set, I grew more tired, so I had to lay back. "Thank you so much for coming to see me. You have lived such a full life, and I have truly enjoyed living vicariously through your novels, particularly From Pastry Chef to Princess. Adventure runs in my family, so I wish I could have experienced something like that."
"That warms my heart, and I wish you had been able to travel more as well." She agreed with the sentiment.
"C'est la vie." I responded as my eyelids grew heavier.
"Wouldn't it be nice to go on a new adventure?" She asked cryptically, reaching into her bag. She withdrew a small well-worn book and a pen. She placed it on the side table attached to my bed and flipped through it. At the end of the book, I noticed page after page of handwritten lines, but I could not make it out. She pressed the pen to the page and looked at me with a knowing smile. I returned it and closed my eyes.
"Yes, I think that would be very nice." I whispered as the monitor started a long beep. My eyes closed. Beeeeeeeeep...