Chapter Thirty-Two:
Nick sat on the bed's edge. Marveling at the joy written all over Josh's young face as he talked to her on the phone. Talking to her was the highlight of his week. Since she'd left them over a month ago, Josh's health had steadily declined. They were running out of options. The cancer was winning. Taking over his little body. Dark circles rimmed his dark eyes. And his already slight form was diminishing. Nick willed himself to push away his own sad thoughts. Determined to put on a happy face for his young friend.
"Oh, that's great! A few weeks? That's too long. No. I don't mind if you bring her. I can't wait!" he happily exclaimed. "Josh, honey," his mother admonished. "Not so loud. I'm sure Jenny doesn't appreciate you screaming in her ear." "It's Sheridan, Mom. And she said she doesn't think I'm screaming," he said, putting a hand over the receiver. "Anyway, I have to talk loud. Ali's friend Jake is over there. Sheridan said when they're together stuck inside on a rainy day like this, she can barely hear herself think."
Nick smiled to himself as he tried to picture the angelic-looking child he had met in Boston going wild and causing so much commotion. He had a hard time believing it. He bet she had her father--and his Jenny--wrapped around her little finger. He looked up when he heard Josh say, "Dr. Nick. Dr. Nick. She wants to talk to you. Wait a minute. I have to tell her something else."
He exchanged smiles with Josh's mother Christine as Josh whispered something that sounded suspiciously like 'I love you' into the phone. He wiped the grin off his face when Josh turned back around and handed the phone to him with a huge grin on his face. "Thanks Champ," he said. Giving his baseball cap an affectionate tug. A gift from Jenny. "Hi," he said into the phone. A bit nervously. He hadn't spoken to her in so long. Always busy before when her calls came.
He turned his back to Josh and Christine. Not wanting them to see the emotions he was feeling just from hearing her voice again playing over his face. "It's good to hear from you," he said softly. Closing his eyes as he imagined her. Standing before him. Looking up at him with those big blue eyes. He missed her. He laughed as he heard her yell something indistinguishable, and the racket on the other end quieted. But only a tiny bit.
"How's life treating you? Good, I hope," he said. Pleased when she answered him. In a voice filled with happiness. He wanted nothing but the best for her, but his heart twisted a little when he heard the words. Told him Luis was so kind. So patient. With love in her voice. She loved him. Even though she didn't remember all of her life with him. She never sounded that way when she talked to him, he thought with a pang. And she never would.
They made plans to meet for lunch when she visited with Ali in a few weeks. She asked about Molly. Asked him to check on Martin for her. And with a final goodbye, she was gone. He held the phone in his hand for a brief moment before replacing it on its receiver. A bittersweet smile on his face as he said goodbye to Christine. Looking at Josh. Fast asleep with a content smile on his lips. He was losing them both. And he didn't know how he was going to deal with that.
Nick sat on the bed's edge. Marveling at the joy written all over Josh's young face as he talked to her on the phone. Talking to her was the highlight of his week. Since she'd left them over a month ago, Josh's health had steadily declined. They were running out of options. The cancer was winning. Taking over his little body. Dark circles rimmed his dark eyes. And his already slight form was diminishing. Nick willed himself to push away his own sad thoughts. Determined to put on a happy face for his young friend.
"Oh, that's great! A few weeks? That's too long. No. I don't mind if you bring her. I can't wait!" he happily exclaimed. "Josh, honey," his mother admonished. "Not so loud. I'm sure Jenny doesn't appreciate you screaming in her ear." "It's Sheridan, Mom. And she said she doesn't think I'm screaming," he said, putting a hand over the receiver. "Anyway, I have to talk loud. Ali's friend Jake is over there. Sheridan said when they're together stuck inside on a rainy day like this, she can barely hear herself think."
Nick smiled to himself as he tried to picture the angelic-looking child he had met in Boston going wild and causing so much commotion. He had a hard time believing it. He bet she had her father--and his Jenny--wrapped around her little finger. He looked up when he heard Josh say, "Dr. Nick. Dr. Nick. She wants to talk to you. Wait a minute. I have to tell her something else."
He exchanged smiles with Josh's mother Christine as Josh whispered something that sounded suspiciously like 'I love you' into the phone. He wiped the grin off his face when Josh turned back around and handed the phone to him with a huge grin on his face. "Thanks Champ," he said. Giving his baseball cap an affectionate tug. A gift from Jenny. "Hi," he said into the phone. A bit nervously. He hadn't spoken to her in so long. Always busy before when her calls came.
He turned his back to Josh and Christine. Not wanting them to see the emotions he was feeling just from hearing her voice again playing over his face. "It's good to hear from you," he said softly. Closing his eyes as he imagined her. Standing before him. Looking up at him with those big blue eyes. He missed her. He laughed as he heard her yell something indistinguishable, and the racket on the other end quieted. But only a tiny bit.
"How's life treating you? Good, I hope," he said. Pleased when she answered him. In a voice filled with happiness. He wanted nothing but the best for her, but his heart twisted a little when he heard the words. Told him Luis was so kind. So patient. With love in her voice. She loved him. Even though she didn't remember all of her life with him. She never sounded that way when she talked to him, he thought with a pang. And she never would.
They made plans to meet for lunch when she visited with Ali in a few weeks. She asked about Molly. Asked him to check on Martin for her. And with a final goodbye, she was gone. He held the phone in his hand for a brief moment before replacing it on its receiver. A bittersweet smile on his face as he said goodbye to Christine. Looking at Josh. Fast asleep with a content smile on his lips. He was losing them both. And he didn't know how he was going to deal with that.