SOMETIMES GABY FELT that she knew the emergency waiting room of Stockbridge Hospital better than she knew her own house.

Not only had she been here a half dozen times during the last year with Mike and Lizzie, but, as the mother of four, she had waited in this same room while Claire had broken fingers set and taped (a diving-board accident), while Seth had twenty-nine stitches in his right thigh (a fall from the hayloft with a perfect landing on a pitchfork), while Lizzie got three hypodermic shots of antihistamine (she was four years old and had punched a beehive), while Emily had a stubbornly stuck tampon removed.

Finally, it was also right here that she had waited as a CPR unit tried to bring Peter back to life when he had his heart attack.

She thought about that horrible day as she walked into the cramped cubicle where they were keeping Mike for the time being.

The sweet, brave guy was wearing one of those ridiculous hospital gowns. Pathetic, Gaby thought. Hospitals got it so wrong. They made being sick even more depressing and depersonalizing than it had to be.

“Sorry to have messed up the morning for you and Tom,” Mike said. There was a definite teasing tone in his voice. But Gaby wasn’t biting.

“Don’t be annoying. The whole gang was there getting breakfast ready. Tom and I were the least important. How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I could swim the Housatonic River north to south,” Mike said.

Gaby shook her head. She could only imagine how frightened Mike must be—of cancer and pain and the whole ugly business of being sick and possibly dying. So Gaby did what she was famous for. She asked the simplest, most straightforward question she could think of.

“Mike, are you scared?”

“Would you pass me my clothes?” he said.

“Answer me, Mike. Are you frightened? It’s a good question.”

“Gaby, please hand me my clothes from that chair. I just want to get dressed and go home.”

“I’m going to keep asking.”

“Where are Lizzie and Tom? Is Tom the one, Grandma?”

“First answer my question. Then I’ll answer yours. Your first question.”

Mike pulled the ridiculous hospital gown around him.

“Everybody looks stupid in these nightgowns,” he said. “Even a good-looking hunk like me.”

Gaby didn’t laugh. She didn’t even smile.

Then Mike finally said, “No. I’m not frightened. I’m not frightened at all. I know that’s crazy. I should be shaking with fear. But I’m not. This sickness has brought me closer to Lizzie than I’ve been in years. It’s shown me that Tallulah is the most wonderful girl in the world. They don’t need me at my own store, but I still get some income from the place. I’ve grown to like the physiotherapy they put me through after the chemo. So, like I said, it’s crazy, but I’m not frightened.”

Gaby grabbed Mike’s clothing from the chair. Another woman would have carried the pile of clothes to him. But not Gaby. She took the pants and the socks and the shirt and the sweater, rolled them into a ball, and threw it at Mike.

“Thanks for answering my question, Mike. It was a wonderful answer. You’re a wonderful guy.”

“It was the truth,” he said. “Now, by the way, you said you’d answer my question if I answered yours.”

“Sure, but I can’t even remember your question.”

“It was ‘Who are you going to marry?’” he said with a completely straight face.

In a high, squeaky, funny voice Gaby said, “I…don’t…think…so.”

“Damn,” Mike said.

“Do you want me to help you get dressed?” Gaby asked.

“You just want to see me naked,” Mike said.

“Yeah, that’s always been a dream of mine.”

“Anyway, I’ve got underwear on.” He lifted the front of his gown to prove it.

“Well, if you’re not even naked, then I definitely don’t want to help,” Gaby said. “Where’s the fun in that?”

As they laughed, Tom and Lizzie walked in.

“What are you two up to?” Tom asked.

But they didn’t stop laughing.

Lizzie walked over to her husband and kissed him on his completely bald head.

“You look much better, Mike,” Lizzie said.

He kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

And for just a second her eyes met Mike’s eyes, and for just a second they both smiled. And for just a second there was a feeling of hope.