Mico woke up Tuesday morning feeling like something wasn't right. He got up from his bed and ruffled his hair, stumbling over to his dresser to pull out jeans and a South Pole shirt. As Mico changed, he thought about hugging Ro. He had a feeling she wanted to do as much with him as he did with her but Mico wasn't saying anything until he was sure.
Mico knew he was cold to her, but he wasn't a very emotional man. Mico shielded himself to protect his heart because truthfully, he didn't want to care about a girl as much as he cared about Ro. It scared him. Mico had never wasted his feelings on someone. He always said girlfriends were a waste of time he didn't have and money he didn't make.
Somehow, through all of his on and off dates, Mico had never noticed Ro changing. She wasn't the little girl he used to make fun of. She wasn't chubby anymore. She didn't say as many stupid things. She didn't spend all of her time with his little sisters writing plays and acting them out or playing house in the basement. She had developed. She had conversations with him that weren't about how much they hated each other. She even spent time with him instead of his sisters. Mico knew that Ro had become someone he genuinely wanted.
Teasing her, joking with her, and rough-housing with her just didn't hold the same satisfaction it once did. He couldn't look at her the same. Mico stepped into the hall, turning off his room light and closing the door behind him. Heading towards the bathroom, the flashbacks of the joint shower the day before the funeral ran through his mind, followed by the recollection of his and Ro's sudden "break-up".
As Mico brushed his teeth, ran his fingers through his hair, and finished getting ready he thought about how off everything seemed today. He couldn't quell the feeling that some aspect of today was different.
Ro stood hunched over, hands on her lower thighs, taking deep breaths and hoping puke wouldn't pour from her mouth like it had two minutes and three times before. Fully ready for the day ahead, and absolutly nervous as hell, Ro looked at the swirling water and barfed on sight of the sickly substance. Ro didn't understand why her stomach was in knots and she could'nt think straight.
Today was going to be bad, and she knew it. She was going to the OBGYN again to decided whether or not chemo would be her final treatment choice. She knew that was something that had to be controlled, and now was the only time to do it.
Ro closed her eyes, breathed in through her mouth, and flushed the toilet. She closed the lid, pushed up off her knees and looked into her own blue eyes, swimming in moisture. As quickly as the tears had brimmed they spilled over and ran down her cheeks. Ro told herself she cried too much lately, she would have thought there would be no water left in her body. She was thirsty all the time, because she cried out all of the water minutes later.
Ben would have made fun of her tear stained cheeks and curly bangs, if he'd been there. Now at least Ro knew he wouldn't ever again, because he lay untouched in the ground, simply a disappearing memory. Ro was terrified.
Mico stood in his kitchen, eating all of the food he possibly could before he had to leave. Andrew strolled by whistling, heading towards his work van. Sourly Mico noted his father always seemed happiest when Mico was the most miserable. Finalyy Mico said goodbye to his family and walked out the front door to the van.
He could not get in, not until Ro did, so he stood in the thawing morning, pondering the shy but warm sun while he waiting patiently for her. He didn't know how he'd gotten lucky enough to have the girl of his dreams living next door. She walked out of her house, well, waddled. Mico noticed she hadn't walked normally in a few days. She was wearing capri-length sweats and a purple tight ribbed tank top. Her hair was left in its usual curls and the sight of her took his breath away.
