The Gift

I point to the chair when Anna leaves and Holly sits. Hopping off the bed, I walk to the chair and sit in Holly’s lap like I did with Brittany. Her eyes narrow when I put my arm around her neck.

“Relax, geez. I’m not too heavy, am I?”

“Of course not. You’re tiny.”

“Well, you know how to hurt a girl, don’t you? I prefer cancer trim.”

“I-I didn’t mean it that way.”

I bend and kiss her cheek and say, “I know, I’m kidding. I just want to talk and need the contact. You don’t mind, do you? If so, I’ll get up.”

“No, you’re like having my little sister in my lap,” she says putting a hand around my waist.

We talk about her day at school and my day here. I fill her in on both Brittany and Anna. She couldn’t believe I suckered Brittany into winning, then realized I walked over and say in her lap unaided.

“Slick,” she says.

“I thought so. Anna asked me to be the ring bearer at her wedding,” I say.

“Good for you,” she says, squeezing me.

I shake my head no. “I told her I’d be happy to, but to ask you or Brittany just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“I die, dummy.”

“Whoa, stop the negative thinking.”

“I’m not. I’m just being realistic. You need to be too. You’ve been a good friend to me. You didn’t treat me like the young kid I was. And although you don’t want to admit it, you know I’m going to die. You already know enough about medicine to know that and you don’t treat me any different. Without even trying, you show compassion and sympathy. It’s part of your being. You were meant to do this,” I say pointing around the room. “Healing people. Both mentally and physically. Don’t ever give up. On anything. Your dreams, school, patients, me… If – no – when I die, it’ll only be my body. I’ll always be with my friends in here,” I say putting my hand over her heart.

I move my hand to her temple and continue. “And here. All you have to do is remember me to remember my stubbornness and tenacity. I like that word.

“When you doubt yourself, ask yourself what would I do to challenge you? To force you to do what needs to be done… then do it. And some day we will meet again, never doubt that. Promise me.”

“I don’t like you talking like this. It scares me, but yes, I promise.”

“Good. I have a lot of faith in you. You’re going to be important.”

She smiles at me.

“Dinner time,” Anna says, walking in with a tray and Ben in tow.

I lean over, grabbing Holly with both hands and peck her on the lips.

“Really?” Anna says. “A boy and two girls in one day?”

“Hey now, I can say I made out with an older girl too. What do toy want from me? Gotta saw my wild oats while I can,” I say. “And she touched me on parts that my bathing suit covers, so there!”

Holly groans and I giggle and hug her. “Sorry missy, my boyfriend is here so I gotta go. He’s blind but I can get him all worked up by giving him all the lurid details.”

I think I managed to get a groan from all three of them with that one. Yes!

I hug Holly and hop up, saying, “Laters, babe.”

Holly laughs and says, “Who even talks like that anymore.

I sit on the bed and shrug. “I think I heard it on a movie once,” I say.

Ben sits next to me and start taking things off the tray, putting them on the table.

Anna takes the empty tray and says, “I’ll be right back with the other tray. No funny business while I’m gone.” She didn’t say anything about what Ben had just done.

“I promise,” I say, “but I can’t speak for Holly and Ben. I see the way he stares at her.”

Ben just slaps his forehead.

“Thank you for coming today Holly,” I say.

“No problem. I’ll be back tomorrow,” she says, leaving.

Just after she left, Ben says, “Kissing two girls today? Do I even want to know?”

“Brittany and Holly. Sisterly kisses,” I tell him.

“So how do I compare?”

“No comparison.” I say, then lean forward to snatch a kiss before – “Ahem,” Anna. Caught again. What the heck? “I was saying hello. It was a peck. Like the girls,” I say defensively.

“I distinctly saw tongue. On all three occasions.”

WHAT?!? I sigh and ask, “How big is the fish tale going to get? Am I going to be nominated for Most Likely to be Pregnant by Thirteen and a Half?”

“Jaws big. And stop giving me ideas,” she says, putting down the tray. “Eat up, both of you. And no eating her food Ben. She needs to eat. In fact, if you don’t finish yours, make her eat it.”

Ugh.

“Okay,” he says. Anna leaves and we eat. I eat most of mine and Ben tries to feed me his, but I refuse.

We stack the dishes back on one tray and I push the table back and flop backwards on the bed, pulling Ben back with me, our hands together.

I tell him about my talks with Brittany and Holly, and make sure he was able to do what I had asked.

“No problem,” he tells me.

Sitting up, I grab my phone and lay back down, then load up Spotify, telling him there was a son I want him to hear. I have no problem doing it one handed after my earlier experience.

Loading If I die Young, by The Band Perry, I tell him to pay attention to the words. After it was over, he says it’s a sad song.

“But it’s my song, don’t you see? Dying young, before my mom’s hair is gray, never knowing the love of a man, but holding his hand feels so good, and he says he’ll love me forever… Tell my mom to play it at my funeral, will you?”

He shakes his head no. “Why not?” I ask, looking at him.

“That’s mean,” he says, and I see a tear making its way down his cheek.

“Why are you crying?”

“It’s not fair and I can’t do anything to stop it.”

“I thought we’ve already been through all of this?”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No, it doesn’t. Me either, but it’s the best thing. It helps the most people. And it’s just speeding up the inevitable. I get maybe three tears and then I’m not able to help anyone else. And… I might be hurt again. Some evil force.

“This way I might lose three years, but I get eternity to help people. I figure that’s a fair trade, don’t you?”

Ben just lays there, silent. I squeeze his hand and bend and kiss his cheek. “Just me happy for now,” I tell him.

“Until tomorrow, you mean,” he grumbles.

“No. Just until we’re together again. Then you won’t have to pretend to be happy. We’ll have forever to make each other happy then.”

“Okay you two, you’re in bed together,” Anna says from the door.

Fine.

“Stay still,” I whisper and roll over on top of Ben, pushing up with my arms and using my knees to move back and forth on top of Ben, moaning. “Oh Ben, more, more,” I pant.

“Oh God, enough. You win,” Anna says.

I stop and bend down and kiss Ben, who’s mouth is open. Just because I can, I slip my tongue in his month and touch his tongue and then flip back over and sit up.

Ben just stays laying there.

“I think you killed the poor boy,” Anna says, laughing. “I guess there are some things you need more explanation on and that was one of them. Poor boy. You might have just scarred him for life… If he’s still breathing, I brought you dessert. After you finish it, Ben has to go. With that performance, I really don’t trust you – Trollop.”

Ben finally sits up and Anna sets two cupcakes down on the table and pushes it in front of us.

I put Ben’s hand on the cupcake, so he doesn’t have to use his sight and he lifts it to his mouth, and I push it up, so the frosting goes on his nose.

He turns his head towards me, and I say, “Just in case I don’t get to do with it with wedding cake.”

Anna says, “Wow, already making long term plans?”

If you only knew, I think. “I’m pregnant, so it’s going to be a shotgun wedding,” I say, and Ben almost spits up a bite of cupcake he had in his mouth.

“What?” I say innocently. “Isn’t that how you get pregnant? Kissing? I’ll blame it on Ben, but it could be Brittany’s or Holly’s.”

Now Ben’s trying not to laugh. Anna sighs and eats a third cupcake she brought with her.

When we’re done, I wipe the icing off Ben’s nose, give him a quick kiss and he leaves, telling Anna he can make it back by himself.

Anna checks my vitals again and gets ready to go. “Wait,” I say, and hop off the bed to give her a hug. She hugs me back and I tell her I’ll see her tomorrow.

“Jason’s on, I’ll be around but not your nurse.”

“Okay,” I say and surprise her by kissing her as well. Just a quick peck on the lips like the others. Score! “Cool. One boy and three girls today. Two of them older than me. Does that make me a slut? Wait. Bring Jason and I get an older guy too!” I say.

She laughs and says, “Oh no you don’t. He’s mine. Keep your lips off him.”

“Bah. You’re selfish. I don’t want much.”

“Darn right I am, you’re too young.”

I let her go. “See you on the flipside,” I say, thinking it’ll probably be literal.

She says, “Goodnight hon,” and leaves.

I lay down and although not tired I fall asleep.