The RV was utterly still, parked in the deepening twilight near Lake Mead. The desert wind whispered outside, a stark contrast to the hurricane brewing within Theo. His burner phone was pressed to his ear, the voice on the other end, brisk and professional, delivering words that detonated inside him like a series of meticulously placed bombs.
"...yes, Mr. Moretti. We've managed to pull the full records from Canyon Vista, and I spoke directly with Dr. Albright. There was indeed an aneurysm identified during Ms. Henderson's initial scan. However it was later read by a senior doctor…" The voice paused, and Theo's gut clenched. "The scan unequivocally showed that the initial finding was a misread. A shadow, likely from an artifact or a previous, minor contusion, misinterpreted. There is no aneurysm. No underlying condition. No… no threat to her long-term health, sir. She is, as far as her neurological health is concerned, completely robust. We've been trying desperately to reach her."
The words echoed in Theo's head, each one a hammer blow, shattering years of assumption, of worry, of quiet sorrow. No aneurysm. No threat to her long-term health. Remy was fine. Remy was fine. The profound relief that washed over him was so powerful it almost buckled his knees. A fierce, desperate, overwhelming joy surged through him, so intense it bordered on pain. He closed his eyes, gripping the phone, fighting to keep his voice level.
"You're certain?" he rasped, the words thick with emotion.
"Absolutely. We have the confirmatory scans. She simply… never came back for the follow-up. Her initial diagnosis was, regrettably, a misdiagnosis."
Theo ended the call, his hand trembling as he lowered the phone. He stared at it, then at Remy, who was now looking at him with wide, concerned eyes. His breath caught in his throat. This wasn't just good news. This was monumental. This was her entire world being flipped upside down. Her 'things to eat before I die' list, her poignant melancholy, her fierce, almost desperate grasp on every moment – it was all built on a lie. A terrifying, beautiful, accidental lie.
He walked towards her, the few steps across the RV feeling like miles. Remy watched him, her eyes searching his face. "Theo? What is it? What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost. A very confused ghost."
He stopped in front of her, reaching out, cupping her face in his hands. His dark eyes, usually so guarded, were now brimming with an emotion she rarely saw. "Remy," he began, his voice hoarse, thick with a mix of awe and a desperate tenderness. "Those calls. The 'Unknown Number' calls. They weren't solicitors. They were the hospital. Trying to reach you."
Remy frowned, pulling back slightly, a flicker of that familiar defensive weariness in her eyes. "The hospital? What about them? I told you, I'm fine. Just… busy."
"No," Theo cut her off, his voice firm, unwavering. "You're more than fine, Remy. So much more. They called because… because they made a mistake. A misdiagnosis." He swallowed, the words catching in his throat, utterly overwhelmed. "Remy… you don't have an aneurysm. You're not… you're not dying. You're healthy."
Remy stared at him, her mouth parting slightly. Her blue eyes, usually so quick to understand, were clouded with bewilderment, then disbelief. "What?" she whispered, the single word hanging in the air, fragile and disbelieving. "What are you talking about? No. No, they found it. The aneurysm. It's… it's there. That's why I'm doing the list. That's why…" Her voice trailed off, a note of frantic denial creeping in.
Theo shook his head, his hands holding her face gently but firmly, his gaze unwavering, pouring all his conviction into her. "They messed up, Remy. They made a mistake. The follow-up scans, the ones you never went for… they would show nothing. It was a shadow. An error. You are healthy. You are fine."
For a long moment, Remy remained utterly still, her eyes wide, unblinking. Her mind seemed to process his words in slow motion, battling against a truth she had lived with, defined herself by, for so long. Then, a raw, primal roar tore from her throat. It wasn't a cry of joy, not yet. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated fury.
"Are you telling me," she shrieked, her voice rising, shaking with a righteous, indignant rage, "are you telling me all this time?! All this time?! I thought I was on a ticking clock?! I thought I was living my last moments?! I ate all those questionable hot dogs! I bought a narwhal floatie! I almost died for pie! Because some idiot doctor saw a shadow?!"
Her voice cracked, the fury suddenly dissolving into a choked sob, quickly followed by a helpless, hysterical giggle. Tears streamed down her face, hot and rapid, a torrent of release. The giggle morphed into outright, breathless laughter, utterly unhinged, mixed with huge, gasping sobs. She slid down to the RV floor, a crumpled heap of raw emotion, laughing and crying all at once.
"A shadow?!" she shrieked through her laughter, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing tears across her cheeks. "I almost missed the biggest turnip in the world because I thought I was dying from a shadow! Oh my god! This is… this is the most spectacularly idiotic thing that has ever happened to me! I'm going to sue them! I'm going to sue them for every single regret!"
Theo knelt beside her, pulling her into his arms. She was shaking, a blend of fury, disbelief, and overwhelming, profound relief. He held her tight, letting her sob and laugh into his chest, feeling the tremors run through her. He pressed a kiss to her hair, his own eyes burning with unshed tears.
"All the time in the world, Remy," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion, holding her closer than he ever had. "You have all the time in the world."
Her laughter and sobs slowly subsided, replaced by a profound, trembling silence. She pulled back, her face red and tear-streaked, but her blue eyes, though swollen, held a dazzling, breathtaking light. A dawning realization, pure and unburdened, shone within them. Her "things to eat before I die" list, her fierce living, her every action driven by a deadline that wasn't real – it was all, suddenly, transformed. The beautiful, resilient woman he loved was no longer racing against an invisible clock. She was free. And in that moment, as she looked at him with an awe so profound it mirrored his own, Theo knew, with an absolute certainty, that their future, long and open, had just truly begun.