lips. Her eyes closed and her lips parted, ever so slightly. She released the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder.
“You’re going to do great, Nick,” she whispered.
*****
Two weeks later, Nick found himself in front of a mass of insurance conventioneers at the MGM Grand. This would be one of the biggest nights of his life. He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t let his dad down. He couldn’t let Shelly down. He was petrified that if he did fail, she would exit his life just as fast as she entered it. Even though she’d said otherwise, you get used to losing people after a while. He took a deep breath and began his pitch.
“For many of you here this evening, I am that little kid who grew up around this convention. I spent much of my young life running through your tradeshows, business meetings, and countless parties, dinners, and get-togethers. This conference and this organization have been a part of my family as much as my dad and mom.
“I spent those years being shadowed by an amazing woman. Her name was Jane Harris, the light of my dad’s existence. My mother was, in short, a class act. And last year we lost her to breast cancer. In fact, my father, Salvatore Harris, or Sal, as he’s known to you, left this organization three years ago to be with my mom to help her with her fight. That is not all. Cancer has wounded our family not once, but twice. I was still a child when cancer stole my brother.” Nick paused to let the words sink in. “I don’t tell you that so you will feel sorry for my family. I share our loss with you because many of you, no doubt, have faced or are facing the same crisis.
“Sadly, Robert’s wife, Jill, at this moment is fighting pancreatic cancer, and our prayers go out to their family.” He paused. “In both situations, as in all cancer treatments, we have heard a familiar line: ‘There is nothing more we can do.’ It’s a simple statement that creates a heart-stopping feeling of helplessness. I don’t have to tell you the devastation of being helpless. Anyone in this room who has quietly said to themselves, ‘there must be something else when it comes to cancer treatment’ is not alone. I recently met a young woman named Dr. Shelly White. That’s her on the screen. She