On getting home, my husband was in his home office, patiently waiting for updates. The snowstorm meant the children were out of school for the day.

“They had to perform a biopsy”, I muttered. “The radiologist did not like what he saw…., oh well….”

I did not know that my daughter was listening to the conversation. After I left my husband’s office, she followed me to our bedroom to begin her interrogation.

“How did your appointment go mummy?” asked Tami

“It was okay; the radiologist needed to perform a biopsy to check further”.

“A biopsy?!, I hope it’s not cancer mummy!” Tami had a worried look. It was my turn to act like my mum and be calm and collected.

“I doubt it, we are just ruling it out dear.”

Oluwatamilore, aka Tami is my first daughter. Smart, cheery, every believing, ever dancing. She is very inquisitive too. If you are wondering how an 11 year old knew what biopsy meant, blame it on Grey’s Anatomy binge on Netflix. I have always been fascinated about the medical field and the study of Medicine. The stories about my birth had always sparked my interest. I will leave that for later. It was a field my father was not too excited about so he tried so hard to steer me away from it. Today, I am back in Healthcare Informatics. Watching medical shows was my way of always staying connected. House and Grey’s Anatomy were my top 2.

Tami did not seem convinced. She finally went to her brother, Bolu to relay the biopsy news.

“Mummy just came back from a biopsy, it might be cancer…”

“Hold it right there!!!!!” yelled Bolu.

“Will you listen to yourself?!! Mummy CANNOT have cancer!! Do you know what cancer is?!!! Do you want mummy to die??! How can you say cancer?!!”

Bolu’s voice was accelerating. He was not taking Tami’s news lightly. It felt like a brawl. I had to rush into their room and quell the impeding feud.

“It’s just a test Bolu, we are hoping for a positive outcome”.

“Why did Tami say cancer?! Does she know people die from cancer? I don’t want to lose my mum!!

“It’s not a death sentence Bolu. Let’s hope for the best.”

I hugged my children tight and went about my mummy and wife duties. I desperately needed something to distract me. We had just come back from our Christmas trip in January. A new African bistro was in the works. My passion for good food was about to take shape. Two chefs were ready to hit the ground running. The site had been remodeled within a space of a month. The building inspector had authorized the occupancy permit, the fire inspector was happy with what he saw and the health inspector was okay to go. February 9 was already filled with so much gloomy report. I needed something to turn the tide around. I went on Facebook and made the announcement to friends and family. TamBo’s Kitchen was about to hit the ground running. The reception was lively! I found a new emotional high. The congratulations were pouring in. It was a much-needed distraction.