Chapter 16

The familiar smell of blueberry pancake filled the air. Andrianne was glad she does not have to stay long in the hospital. Familiar voices were chatting away downstairs. 'Christmas week'. Which means she would get to be spoilt by her brothers and by Ryan.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. How'd you sleep?" Leo said as Andrianne emerge from the stairs. Andrianne smiled innocently as she hugged her father as she kissed his right cheek. "How are you feeling this morning princess?"

"Like a queen." Andrianne said as her eyes set on Chris. The older boy shook his head as he quietly eats his breakfast. "Is that gramps I hear?" Andrianne questioned. Leo nodded. "Who is he with? Sounds like lots of people outside."

"Your boyfriend's family." Wyatt said teasing his little sister.

"I thought we had a deal, Chris." Andrianne whined, pouting at Chris. Wyatt's smile went even wider knowing the tease was not only a tease but it was real. Chris calm face was taken aback. "You promised not to tell."

"I said nothing to them." Chris said defensively. "But you and Ryan is barely a secret you know." He added quietly. "No. I didn't say a word about what we saw. Not to a soul." Chris said seriously.

"I thought I heard a very annoying brat's voice." Riley said as he walks into the dining space. "How are you doing, Dy?" He asked as he ruffled her hair. Andrianne made a face as she dodge her way towards Ryan and her brother.

Ryder just smiled at Andrianne weakly. He was and still is her doctor. He knows every single detail about her health to the point that his son and Chris do not know. The little secret that is protected by the patient-doctor confidentiality. "Any headaches?" He asked quietly as every other people was talking to one another and exchanging stories. Andrianne just shook her head softly. "Fever? Nausea?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Andrianne said slightly annoyed. The older man nodded as he sat back in his chair not saying another word. "I'm sorry." She uttered gently. "It's just that, with Ryan and Chris, I feel so cosseted, so confined. When you ask, it feels like there is another person strangling me."

Ryder just smiled. "I am your doctor." He said. "Okay, I know you are in great hands when you are with my son and your brothers. So I don't need to worry for you going out shopping with them today." Andrianne just smiled.

"Are you cooking tonight?" Andrianne asked excitedly. Ryder just nodded. "Yummy, roasted turkey and marinated potatoes." She said as her smile stretched from ear to ear.

Ryder smiled at her reaction. "It's good that you are eating." He said.

Chris wrapped his arm around his little sister as he joined in her conversation. "If she was not a dancer, she would have been a balloon. So food is not much of a problem for this little monster." He said as a playful punch landed on his arm.

"Am not an android or a monster. I don't eat that much." Andrianne protested.

*******

The mall was packed with people buying gifts at the very last minute before Christmas. A man in the Santa suit sat on the stage as kids walked up and tells him their wishes. Andrianne had never been much of a wish maker and she never did believed in such thing as a Santa Clause anyways.

"Drea, what do you want in your stocking?" Ryan suddenly asked quietly as they trailed behind the two older guys. Andrianne shrugged her shoulders as her hand touched his. "Drea?"

Andrianne looked up at the older boy beside him. "I know." She beamed. "I want something that neither you or my brothers would give to me." She uttered. "You don't want to know."

"Humor me." Ryan said nonchalantly.

"How about." Andrianne smiled as her hand slipped around Ryan's waist. "A no chemo card."

Ryan sighed. "Do you see that shorter man in front of you?" Ryan questioned. Andrianne just nodded. "He got the say when it comes to his little sister. And I, I just got to taste a piece of the good life with his family."

"What's with you doctors? There are so much more than living you know. After life mostly promises you something more." Andrianne pouted.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm still a medical student. Doctors are mostly paranoid to lose patients. It has something to do with credibility or something like that."

"Funny thing to say, you're going to be one." Andrianne retorted.

"We'll make it as painless as possible." Ryan said pouting a little. Andrianne rolled her eyes. "As painless and as short as possible Dy." He spoke softly.

Andrianne shook her head. "Don't call me Dy. Never call me Dy." Andrianne said straightening up her posture as she walked faster.

"Why not?" Ryan called softly as he catches up with her.

"Because you're going to sound like your father and your uncles." Andrianne replied. "Drea's good enough." She smiled as she slipped her hand back around the older boy's waist. "I know what I want."

"Here we go again." Ryan groaned.

Andrianne giggled. "No seriously." Ryan just nodded offhandedly, and waited for Andrianne to continue. "I want a teddy bear. A white teddy with a pink heart pillow." Andrianne said as she hugged his waist childishly.

Ryan shook his head at the Andrianne. "Like that's what you really want." He said, Andrianne just nodded her head and smile. "Okay, I'll find the white teddy." Ryan gave in. Andrianne beamed a sickening smile that he loves at him as she pointed a Make-A-Teddy shop ahead of them.

Ryan sighed. "Please." Andrianne pouted as she blinked her eyes like a little kitten. If Andrianne's persuasiveness even without even literally getting into a person's mind could kill people, she would have been the most successful serial killer.

"Okay." Ryan said finally as the beaming smile took over her face again. "Chris, Drea and I are going to shop around, you guys go ahead, we'll catch up later."

Chris smirked but nodded at the younger man as he pulled his older brother away from them. "Really? You want teddies?"

"Not teddies. One teddy." Andrianne replied softly. "And I need to put this in my teddy." Andrianne said as she pulled out the little herb pillow that Chris gave her not too long ago. "If it's in the teddy's heart, it won't rip." Andrianne smiled. "This thing apparently, keeps the bad things away from me. I never had a nightmare in my life, and I owe it to Chris. This thing has never left my sight ever."

Ryan smiled. "You're weird, you know that. But that makes me love you more." He said.

"About that." Andrianne's cheery face turned serious as she spoke. "I love you too. I don't want to give you false hope but when Chris was sorting my brains out, I saw something in the future. And it's not in the near future." She said.

"That's good news." Ryan said quickly. He was told that Andrianne could only see the future that she was in. "Means that you will have a future."

Andrianne leaned her head on his waist as she smiled sadly. "Yeah. And leave you all alone." She uttered softly.

Ryan suddenly stopped in his trail. "What do you mean?" He asked, puzzled by the whiplash emotion that Andrianne was giving. "What do you mean leaving me alone?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but it hurts, seeing you so miserable." Andrianne said. "I don't want you to love me because I know you do. You love me no matter what. You love me enough to marry me, even if you know that I was not going to live long enough for our relationship to work." Andrianne uttered as her words were filled with frustration.

"You mean it?" Ryan questioned. "I mean…"

"Yes. I said yes." Andrianne said before Ryan could even say what he was thinking. "But that's beside the point Ryan. I love too much to leave you. And you'll turn into Chris."

"Then don't. Don't leave. With advancement we have nowadays we can practically cure any illness. Andy, I'll wait." Ryan said as he pulled the younger girl into his embrace.