Overcome by Emily Camp Read Free Book Online

for a tattoo parlor.”
    Parker rolled his eyes. All Owen seemed to care about, still after four years of college, were parties, girls, and tattoos. 
    But to his surprise his dad nodded, swallowing the coffee in his mouth before responding.
    “Let’s set a time and take a look at the numbers. We’ll see if it’s a good business move.” His dad glanced at his mom.
    “Seriously, dude what do you know about tattoos?” Spencer shook his head and drank from his coffee mug.
    “I got a few of ‘em. We don’t have anything like that around here. I had to drive all the way to Indian Acres to get mine.” Owen rolled up his sleeve exposing the giant blue skull taking up most of his shoulder.
    “That thing’s ugly.” Kammie’s nose crunched up, her face finally off her phone. It wasn’t the first time she’d expressed her disdain for Owen’s taste in body art.
    “That’s cause you’re a little priss.” Owen rolled his sleeve back over his skull.
    “Am not.”  She stuck her tongue out at him like she was six, not fourteen.
    Owen shook his head and went back to his breakfast. Parker wished he could eat. His parents were acting the same as when … right before they told them about the cancer.
    It’d been a difficult year for all of them, but after months of watching her shrink, lose her hair, her breasts, and everything she ate, she was on her way back to her former self. Her hair was coming back in and she was gaining weight. She’d been laughing again and working on her garden, her retreat, she called it.
    She was proud of her plants, the winding jade and purple vines up the trellises. The rainbow of blooms and rich greens felt like being in the middle of a fairytale especially when the cool breeze blew through carrying with it the fresh aroma the foliage let off.
    “All right,” his dad cleared his throat, bringing everyone’s attention toward him. He scratched the bottom of his chin and his arm reached around his wife.
    She slid closer to him, blinking.
    “We had … an appointment yesterday,” his dad said. The table went completely silent.
    Kamberlee’s phone dropped with a loud thud. “What kind of appointment?” Her voice waivered, exactly how Parker knew his would if he spoke.
    “Well, it was just a routine check. When someone … has cancer … even when it’s gone they still have to be checked.”
    “But I thought that’s why you had everything removed. So it wouldn’t … come back.” Owen narrowed his dark eyes. His blond hair was only stubble on his head. He’d shaved it when their mom lost hers and decided on keeping the do. Turned out girls liked tattooed muscle-guys with bald heads.
    “It lowered the chances of it returning.” His mom’s voice was light when she spoke. “But not one hundred percent.”
    His dad’s voice cleared.
    Parker’s heart jumped to his throat.
    “They found something … again.” His dad said.
    “But we don’t want you to worry … it could be nothing.” But the way she twisted her hands together on the table’s surface told Parker she didn’t think it was nothing.
    “That’s what you said last time.” Parker finally spoke up. Remembering the day they’d told them she’d found a lump. They also said that was ‘probably nothing’. It wasn’t.
    “I know, but …” she swallowed and looked up at his dad.
    “There isn’t any reason to worry right now. Things like this happen. It could be anything.”
     
    *****
     
    It could be anything…those four words echoed in Parker’s head as he made his way down the long staircase. Sleep was the farthest thing from him. When he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he shouldn’t have been surprised to see her up as well. What did surprise him was his dad wasn’t with her.
    The dim night light cast a subtle orange glow across her frail-robe-covered body. Her face was down and a light ping from her spoon hitting the side of her mug echoed. She looked up as if she could feel him staring at