I wrote this in about an hour-ish. I took a mega-nap, so I think this is actually pretty decent. Review, loves! Thank you..
Love,
Caroline!
A bone chilling, two-syllable word hung above their heads in discomfort. It had been thrown around the four-walled room too many times to count, and now it was stuck with them. All three of them.
"Will someone just say something?" Clare sobbed. Her eyes rested on Adam for a moment until his gaze hardened into a glare.
"How long have you known?" Eli asked lifelessly. A robot could have supplied more emotion.
"A few months," Adam croaked, "but it wasn't until last night I learned that it was terminal."
The three friends rested their voices. They'd been yelling for nearly an hour, and they needed rest. When the salty tear stains on Clare's cheeks were blotted away with a paper towel, they began to speak again.
"How could you keep it from us for so long? We needed to know." Clare said in a hushed whisper. The air around them nearly overpowered her delicate voice.
"I was scared." Adam replied.
"Dude," Eli spoke up, "as your best friends, we're supposed to be scared with you."
"I'm scared." The smaller man whispered.
"Me too."
.
.
.
"How do you feel today?"
"Fine."
Adam stirred his drink with the candy cane stripped straw. His eyes darted to the girl in front of him, aggravated.
"You don't have to ask every day, you know." He said. Clare nodded faintly.
"I just want to make sure you're okay. You are, right?" Her eyes darted to his untouched food, "You need to eat."
"I can take care of my own damn self, Clare. You're not my nurse," Adam heaved a breath before speaking again, "I feel fine. I'm not planning on taking a run any time soon, but I'm fine. I'm fine."
"The more you repeat it, the less I believe it." She whispered, poking at her final few fries.
"Listen," Adam paused, "we're taking this a day at a time. I'll be fine. For now, let's finish eating so we can meet Eli."
Her eyes lit up at the mention of her fiancé's name, "Okay."
'One day at a time.', Adam repeated in his head.
.
.
.
"I hate it," Adam stated. Clare and Eli's heads popped up out of shock, "I hate not knowing when I'm going to die."
"You're not going t-"
Adam stood, "Damn it, Clare. Stop. I'm going to die. It may be weeks, it may be months. It may be fucking tomorrow morning for all we know, but I can tell you one thing for sure. I am going to die. Soon."
Eli stared up at his best friend for a moment before picking himself up from the couch, "I love you, man." He blurted out. His hand came out to ruffle Adam's carefully placed hair around. Suddenly, the room filled with a comforting sound.
"What's so funny, Edwards?" Eli asked, turning.
Clare shrugged, allowing her eyes to travel up to the ceiling playfully, "Oh, you're getting it." Eli growled out.
Just like that- they forgot the distressed tone they had been carrying around just moments ago. The three twenty-something year olds forgot it all.
When their fake fighting was finished, and their breath had been taken by the playful banter, they fell to the familiar couch.
"Three weeks." Eli whispered with a smile. Clare squeaked involuntarily.
"What am I supposed to do," Adam panted, exhaust filling his every bone, "when you two are gone on your honeymoon?"
"Honeymoon." Eli purred suggestively.
.
.
.
"So?" Eli asked eagerly. His hope fell once he felt Adam fall into his arms.
"Don't let Clare know. Not when she's getting married in two days. Wait to tell her." Adam murmured into his best friend's shirt.
"Tell her what?" the larger man asked.
"I have days, Eli."
Nothing else was said between them as they drove home. Eli finally spoke once he parked the car, "I won't tell her, but keeping secrets like this- trust me- she hates it. She'd rather have the truth, man."
Adam nodded silently. His breath clung to the inside of his throat once he realized what he had to do.
"I'll tell her. Today."
"Good." Eli nudged his best friend.
"Yeah, yeah. Just be prepared to catch her when she starts sobbing."
"I'm her rock," Eli shrugged, "it's my job."
The two friends shared a brief laugh before shuffling into the familiar home.
.
.
.
There it was again. That word. It was above their heads again.
"Clare, we knew that it was going to happen. The words terminal ca-"
"Stop!" She sobbed, throwing her arms forward.
"You have to say it one day, Clare!" Adam shouted. His arms froze in the air, his tear-covered fingers spread far apart.
"Say it." He croaked. She shook her head.
"I can't." She sobbed.
"Say it."
"No."
"Say it."
"Cancer."
They stopped their sobbing once it was said. Eli dropped down to his knees to stare into his fiancé's eyes. Lifeless.
"Cancer." She repeated.
"Yes." Adam whispered.
"Bone Sarcomas. My best friend has cancer."
The realization hit them all. The realization that Clare hadn't come to terms with Adam's cancer.
"Yes." Adam repeated.
"Let's get you up to bed." Eli whispered to both of them. He first took Adam, who had been bunking with them for the last two months. Eli dragged the smaller man to his bedroom and helped him dress into his pajamas.
When he took Clare to bed, she mumbled out a sarcastic remark that kept Eli awake all night, thinking.
'With our luck, he'll die in two days.'
.
.
.
"Congratulations!"
"You were always such a lovely pair."
"I love both of you, good luck."
"Thank you." Clare mumbled for the fiftieth time. She dragged herself over to her husband gracefully, wrapping a single arm around his neck.
"Why, hello, Mrs. Goldsworthy." He murmured into her lips.
"Hi, Mr. Goldsworthy."
They broke the kiss delicately, "Where's Adam?" Clare asked worriedly.
"He left early. He said he'd see us after our honeymoon and that he loves both of us. I made sure to hug him enough for the two of us."
"He's fine." She reassured herself.
"He's fine." Eli repeated casually. She smiled up at his tone. A soft, hopeful tone she needed.
"You look lovely," He whispered into her shoulder as they began to sway to the soft music, "as always."
"The dress helps." She commented with a quiet laugh.
Their bodies kept a steady pace as they held each other. As the songs passed, they began to slow their sways until they stood still in a tight hug.
"I hope he's okay." She choked out.
"He is."
.
.
.
"We're home!" they called simultaneously, laughter filling the empty silence.
He was there, alone. Clare dropped from Eli's arms immediately to run her fingers through his sweat filled hair.
"Why are you alone? Didn't Drew come into town to take care of you, be with you, until…You know-"
"I die." Adam said. His hoarse voice shocked all three of them. He hadn't used it in a few hours, and even then it wasn't this bad.
"Where is he?" She asked as her fingers pulled from his hair.
"Picking Mom up from the airport. She wants to say goodbye."
Another realization. He was already dead.
.
.
.
"Taking Clare to the doctor. Be back soon, okay?" Eli said quietly in his best friend's ear. Adam had already beaten the odds. Two weeks past the day he was supposed to die. Two weeks.
A simple wave answered Eli's gentle call. The two left in silence. They didn't speak again until they reached the doctor's office.
"What do you think is wrong?" Eli asked.
Clare shrugged, biting her lip, "I, um- actually have a pretty good idea."
"Okay then- what?"
"I may be carrying more than this morning's breakfast in my stomach." Clare poked at her stomach idly with a faint smile.
"Oh!" Eli exclaimed. He kissed her temple excitedly just as a woman appeared in the waiting room.
"Clare Goldsworthy?"
.
.
.
"I can't believe it." Eli repeated again.
"I know! I'm a week pregnant, Eli. A week! Just think, in eight months and three weeks, we'll be parents."
"It may not be that exact, Clare." Eli said sarcastically.
"Ha-Ha. Yeah, yeah, Eli. Just hush. Let's get home and let Adam know." She grabbed for her husband's hand lovingly with a sigh.
"Parents." Eli whispered.
"Parents." Clare confirmed.
They reached home in a hurry. Clare rushed to the door and threw it open.
"I'm pregnant!" She exclaimed, her arms out wide. Eli began to laugh at her sudden outburst, but cut himself short.
"Adam?"
It's ironic, really. How when one life begins, another ends. Maybe the little dot in Clare's stomach wasn't 'new life', but it definitely signaled the end of another.
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