Just Jennifer

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley (January 2015)

Daisy Richmond is twenty-seven and has been cancer free for three years:  she is finishing her master’s degree, her husband his veterinary science degree and she is trying to stay as healthy as possible.  A routine follow-up scan finds that not only has her cancer returned, her body is now riddled with an aggressive stage IV cancer, including a tumor in her brain, and she may only have six months to live.  Reeling with the idea that she may not live out the year, Daisy becomes confused and overwhelmed, especially with the medical decisions she musts face.  Looking for something on which to focus, perhaps even control, she focuses on Jack who may be an outstanding vet and all-around charming good guy but who she feels, needs someone, like herself, to take care of him and navigate daily life.  Daisy, with the help of her best friend Kayleigh, throws herself into finding a new wife for Jack, not realizing he won’t be the only one hurting and missing Daisy after she’s gone.  During the process of finding a new wife for Jack, Daisy begins grieving her marriage, and perhaps herself, realizing that maybe shutting Jack out and planning for him when she is gone may not be the best way to spend the time she has remaining, and that maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t want Jack to find a replacement wife for her too soon, and maybe, neither does Jack.