“Miss Nixon”, Phil told the young lady who was sat behind the reception desk at doctor’s surgery the next morning. “We have an appointment with Doctor Barnes at 10 o’clock.”

After typing in a few keys on her keyboard, she looked up and gave a polite smile telling them, “If you would like to take a seat, Doctor Barnes will see you soon.”

Placing an arm around Sam’s waist, Phil guided her towards the waiting area after thanking the receptionist for her help. Sam had hardly said a word all morning.

That’s understandable, he thought, I don’t know how she’s holding it all together as well as she is.

“So . . .” Phil had been about to ask how Sam was really holding up but never got the chance, as a young man popped his head around the far door and called Sam’s name.

Sam still seemed a little dazed and Phil had to jolt her out of her thoughts and gesture the direction in which the doctor had now disappeared again.

“Morning, Miss Nixon”, he said with a smile.

Oh God, it’s bad, Sam panicked immediately. He’s trying to break it to me gently so he doesn’t have yet another hysterical patient on his hands. Oh my God Phil. She turned to look Phil in the eye and could tell by the fear and worry she saw there that he thought the same.

Obviously noticing her hesitation, the doctor quickly moved on. “Yes well, I imagine you don’t want to waste time on pleasantries. I have your results here.” He seemed to ponder them for a moment. To Sam it felt lie an eternity.

“Doctor?” Phil asked.

“Yes, well it seems the mass on your wife’s lung is removable with a simple surgical procedure.”

Phil couldn’t believe his ears. “Removable? As in, cured?”

Sam had noticed the mistake on the doctor’s part, thinking she and Phil were married but she was now distracted by what Phil was saying. She thought she had hard the doctor wrong, but the excitement in Phil’s voice agreed with her.

“Yes. Once the surgery is over. Miss Nixon will have to come in for a check up every 6 months for 3 years to make sure the cancer is still in remission. However, that is just procedure and judging from these test results, I see no reason why a successful operation would not be the end of this.”

“What?” Sam didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’m not going to die?”

“Not just yet Miss Nixon, no.”

Sam felt tears come now; tears of fear she had been holding in, and tears of relief as she hugged Phil and kept holding him like she would never let go.


“Come on, I’m taking you out for dinner. To celebrate”, Phil told Sam as they got in Phil’s car outside the surgery.

Sitting in he passenger seat she replied. “Phil, we can’t, what about work?”

“Work can wait. You’re more important”, he told her, lifting his hand to cup her cheek.

Unable to resist a smile Sam told him, “That’s sweet Phil. Really it is, but I’ll be taking enough time off for this operation.”

“If it’s what you need, then that’s what you’ll have.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s just . . .”

“Just nothing Mrs. Just do as you’re told for once, ok? Do you think you can manage that?”

Sam smiled. Phil calling her Mrs had reminded her of the doctor’s mistake. “Hey, did you hear when the doctor called me your wife?”

Phil nodded. “I too busy worrying about you though, to correct his mistake.”

Sam took his hand and began to play with his fingers. “Why does it have to be a mistake?”

“’Scuse me?” Phil was confused.

“Phil, all morning the only thing I could think about was dying and . . .”

“Sam?”

“No Phil, let me finish. All I could think about was dying and . . . and leaving you behind.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“That’s what I mean. I don’t want to go anywhere . . . ever . . . that’s not with you.”

“You think we should get married?”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Of course I do. Are you mad? I just never thought you’d say yes.”

“Ask me.”

“You serious?”

Sam only smiled.

Taking her hand in his own, Phil looked her in the eye and asked, “Miss Samantha Nixon, would you do me the great honour of becoming my wife?”

Sam pretended to consider. “Well, I’ll have to think about it.”

“O yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s a huge decision.”

“Come here”, Phil leant over starting poking her in all the places she was ticklish., making her squirm and wriggle.

After a few seconds Sam gave up. “Ok, ok, ok, I will, yes Phil, the answers yes.”

Phil gave up tickling her and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. “Good answer.”