Chapter 41: Unexpected Good News

The white envelope sat innocently on Olivia's coffee table, but somehow it seemed ominous. In stark black letters, it bore her name and address; the logo of the hospital was a silent reminder of what it held within. As Olivia reached for it, her fingers trembled, and her heart pounded a staccato rhythm against her ribs. She had been at this point countless times before. Expectation, fear, and desperate hope—by now, they were aged companions. This time. These, though, well, they felt a bit different. The tests had been wider and deeper, and the doctors were cautiously more optimistic. Still, Olivia had learned the hard way not to expect miracles. She took a deep breath and ripped open the envelope. Then, through all the medical terms, her eyes found a few that would determine her future. Then, there they were: "Significant reduction in tumor size. The response to treatment is quite encouraging. Prognosis is also encouraging." The paper fluttered from Olivia's suddenly numb fingers.