Sonny stepped out onto the back porch; his footsteps scuffing up on the floor. I turned around to face him and he now saw what Max had seen. I had been crying and he stared at me with a blank expression. "What happened?" Sonny asked, interested, but wanting to be anywhere else. I stared at him, thinking of an answer. I thought it would be so easy to talk to Sonny. He knew how it felt to be able to loose something so quickly, he knew how life could slip through your hands so fast, you wouldn't have a chance to grip on tighter. He knew the inside and outside of death and he had been close to it so many times. That is why I decided to come to him of all people. He would have good advice for me. I also came to him because I knew that he wouldn't get so emotional over the fact that I was dying. He wouldn't cry or put pressure on me to live. "Claudia?" I looked up at him and realized I had gotten lost in my own thoughts. I took a deep breath and wiped the tears away from my face.
"I don't know where to begin. I guess it all started a couple of weeks ago. I started to get these terrible headaches and I noticed these weird bruises on my arms and I was always tired and weak. I decided to go to the hospital and get a check-up and that's when the doctors became worried. I had a physical exam done, blood tests and a biopsy. They called me back this morning. I ran out of the hospital in tears and walked around town for a while. I wondered who I could tell, you know. Not, Johnny! He would get way to emotional and he would hover and I would put him through so much pain and I can't do that to him. Then I thought of you and I figured I could come here. You wouldn't get emotional and you could give me realistic advice." I began to tell my story. Sonny stared at me like I had three heads; not knowing where this conversation was going to lead to. Until I finally decided to just blurt it out, "Sonny, I have leukemia and I'm dying!" His eyes widened a bit and he took a deep breath, his head jetting to look at his feet. I was in complete tears by now and I was breaking down in front of a man - something I never imagined myself doing - and of course of all the men it had to be Sonny Corinthos.
"I don't know what to say." He finally got up the guts to answer. I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders.
"Me-neither." I laughed through my tears. He walked a little closer, pulling me into a hug until I finally collapsed in his arms, crying. Sonny probably never expected he would be the one to be taking care of a sick and dying Zacchara, but he was.
Time had passed and I had finally run out of tears to cry. I wiped my eyes and Sonny still held me. I could feel the awkwardness thick in the air and I knew how uncomfortable this was for him, as it was for me. It was a miracle to know that I had him to lean on and that he was not pushing me away and telling me to go be someone else's problem.
He walked me into his living room and shut the patio doors. I sat down on the couch, laying across it as if I lived there. I laid my head back on a pillow and he came and sat next to me, smoothing down my hair. "I don't need you to take care of me, Sonny. I know you have better things to do. I just needed someone to listen to me." I said blandly. He nodded his head; knowing he didn't have to take care of me.
"I know I don't, but I also know that you have no one else to do it. Anthony won't, and I probably wouldn't trust him to either and you don't want to tell Johnny because you know how much it would pain him to see you in the months to come." He confessed to me. I closed my eyes for a moment; realizing that I really was alone. I had absolutely no one to take care of me, beside my Uncle Rudy and my Aunt Isabelle. But, they lived in Italy and I didn't want to go there and I didn't want to make them come out here.
"So what does that mean?" I asked curiously; wondering what he was going to do to help me. He smiled; showing off his dimples and he got up to get something. I was definitely confused and followed him with my eyes; unable to lift my head from the pillow. He came back with a blanket and laid it on top of me.
I snuggled under the blanket and then he answered, "I know that we have not really been friends in the past," I laughed and he did as well before he continued, "but, I really do want to help you and I know that the next few months are going to be hell. I know you need someone to take care of you and I am willing to do that for you." He patted my stomach and I smiled slightly at him. "Why don't you stay here tonight and from now on I'll come in and check on you at your apartment every day. If I can't make it I'll make sure to send Max or Milo and I'll call. Sound good?"
"Great, thank you," I sobbed a bit, "you don't know how much this means to me." He nodded his head; knowingly and sat up, getting ready to leave. "Sonny?" I asked, grabbing his hand before he began to leave and shut off the light. "Can I ask for one more favor?" He let out a laugh and nodded his head curiously. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. The doctors need to explain the type of… leukemia I have and discuss different types of symptoms and treatments. Would you come with me?" I studied his face and I knew what he was going to answer.
He nodded his head, yet again and whispered, "Anything you need." I noticed that I was still gripping onto his hand and it sent tingles through my body. So, Sonny Corinthos actually had a soul. I had never seen this side to him before and I never wanted it to go unseen again. He kissed my hand and smiled at me. "Goodnight," he whispered.
"Goodnight," I whispered back. He walked over to the staircase and turned off the lights. I heard his footsteps slowly walking up the stairs and I shifted into a comfortable position on the couch. I was in pitch black darkness, and the only thing I could see was the reflection of the moon coming through the patio doors, in the mirror. I then fell fast asleep, with the sense of Sonny's warm, wet kiss on my right hand; sinking into my skin.