existed, Callen said. We were already being hypervigilant.

One evening in mid-February, the whole family was gathered on the couples bed watching Ninjago. Amy was leaning against Callens arm, which had fallen asleep. When she wriggled away to release it, her left breast grazed his hand. In that split-second touch, he felt something unusual and hard. Whats that? he asked. Amy padded her breast with her fingertips, immediately detecting a small mass.

Her mother had had breast cancer, and her grandmother had died of the disease. But they had drank and smoked, lifestyle behaviors that increased their risk. Amy had had a baseline mammogram at 33, and had tested negative for the BRCA genes that dramatically increase the risk of breast cancer. I thought I had an insurance policy againsthaving to go through this, she said.

When she turned 40 in October, her doctor had recommended that she get a second mammogram. But she had told herself she would schedule it until after Landen had completed his first year of treatment.

Now she feared the worst. Landens diagnosis had been improbable. Could the universe betray them twice? Im scared, she told Callen.

Landen, hypersensitive to any health news, looked up. Why?

Amy reigned herself in. I couldnt cry in front of him after watching him be poked and prodded hundreds of times and never complaining. Its not fair to expect a 7-year-old to do what I cant.

I couldnt cry in front of him after watching him be poked and prodded hundreds of times and never complaining.

She was sitting at her work