Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57707 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57707 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
“Derrick?” she moans.
“Who’s Derrick?” I ask quietly.
“My dad. He left when I was nine.”
I hesitate, then say, “Maybe I should go to her.”
“Derrick?” she wails, her voice more tangled with agony this time. Seeing her on the bed breaks my heart if I’ve got one left to break.
“What’s her name?” I whisper.
“Julia.”
I approach the bed slowly. The woman is wasted away, her skin sunken against her frame, like the sickness is trying to show me her skeleton. Her voice gets raspy as she looks up at me.
“Derrick,” she rasps.
I sit down, leaning close so she doesn’t have to speak so loudly. Maya hovers at my shoulder. I can feel her presence, but I can’t see her. Her breaths are coming quickly, almost tempting me to turn, but then her mom suddenly reaches out and grabs my hand.
“Whoa,” Maya whispers. “Mom—”
“Whatever this is, she might need it,” I say to Maya softly.
Julia’s eyes water, then refocus. Her touch is so weak. She feels so fragile, but she does her best to hold on. “Derrick, please, don’t do this. I can’t bear the thought of Maya growing up without you. She needs her father. We promised each other forever, remember? Through sickness and health, for richer or poorer. We can’t just throw that away.”
Maya croaks, but she doesn’t stop her mother. Julia’s eyes are filled with tears as she goes on, but her voice is surprisingly sure.
“Think about all we’ve built together: our home, our dreams. Remember how we used to talk about traveling the world with Maya? We’d show her all those places we’ve only seen in pictures. You can’t just walk away from that. We can still have that future. We can still make those memories.”
Maya drops into a chair somewhere behind me. I hear the thump of it like all the life is draining from her. I sense the importance of this moment. A good Marine knows when to keep his mouth shut. I cradle Julia’s hand.
“I know things have been hard lately,” she says with devastating hope. “But we’ve faced challenges before and come out stronger. We can do it again. Just give us a chance. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. Therapy, counseling, whatever you need. We can fix this.”
“Oh, Mom,” Maya croaks.
I think it’s over, but then Julia grips me harder. It’s like she’s trying to sit up, but the illness won’t let her. She groans, “Derrick, you’ll regret it if you leave. I won’t make it easy for you. I’ll fight for Maya. I’ll fight for our family. You’ll never find another woman who loves you like I do. You think you’ll be happier without us? Fine. Remember, karma has a way of coming back around. Maya deserves better than a father who walks away when things get tough.”
She suddenly cuts off, gasping, her voice sounding raw and achy, like it’s finally failing her. She seems on the verge of passing out. Her last words before she falls asleep are even quieter than a whisper. “Please. Think about what you’re doing. Think about the promises we made. Don’t let this be the end of us.”
I wait until she starts breathing softly and then stand up. Maya won’t look at her. She moves to the other side of her mom’s bed, face down, cheeks shiny with tears.
“Will you wait outside? I’ll meet you in living room. Okay?”
“Maya—”
“Okay?”
I sigh. It’s not like I can exactly tell her no. Leaving the room, I find Loki patiently waiting for me, sitting in his spot, head tilted, as if he’s asking just what the hell is going on.
“Come on, boy,” I say. “Let’s give them their space.”
Walking out onto the back porch, I wonder if I did the right thing. Maybe it would’ve been better for Maya not to hear all that, but it’s done now. All I can do is be there for her if she needs me.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MAYA
After sitting with Mom for a while, she seems to forget what she said to Tristan. She smiles in the most contended, serene way I’ve seen in a long time, which is what’s making the drug worth it despite the cost and the added stress. She looks so relaxed.
“Oh, Maya,” she murmurs as she falls asleep.
“I love you,” I reply, a tear threatening to fall down my cheek. “You were always a good mom, even without Dad.”
She doesn’t say anything else, but her sleep seems peaceful. That’s the most I honestly could’ve ever asked for when it came to her illness, and look, here it is, even if it is at the cost of delving into all her pain.
I find Tristan in the living room, Luna stretched out on the sofa beside him. The curtains are drawn, giving the area an intimate feel.
“I was having a nap,” I murmur, unsure why I must explain.