In Sickness and In Health

Surprise

Cole POV

"Where are we going Lili, come on tell me?" I'm asking Lili as we've been driving for at the very least five hours.

I know we've left New York but after that I'm as clueless as Theo in the back seat. It's a Friday afternoon and when I came home from work this morning Lili had two suitcases packed and Theo in his travel crate. She told me she had planned a little weekend away for the two of us as we haven't had "us" time lately due to my hectic schedule and her being in and out of doctors and hospital appointments.

She wouldn't tell me where exactly we were going she just told me to hop in the front seat and relax. I was a little concerned about Lili driving because of her being on fairly heavy medication but she seems to be fine now, the only thing that scares me is that she brought those meds with her. It's sort of ominous when you go to the upstairs bathroom and you see tablets in plastic containers labelled Lili P Reinhart across them. Rituxan to help with the deal with effects of chemo,  Zevalin the drug which Dr Lacey told us is made up of a monoclonal antibody that is attached to a radioactive molecule. The antibody brings radiation directly to the lymphoma cells which helps keep her blood pressure low which is what the doctors want to maintain but these are just the few of hundreds she has to digest before every meal.

I know I should be supportive of her and I'm trying to be but its hard when your wife has to take pills of all sorts at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Her appetite has disappeared , Lili always loved her food and enjoyed heading out to fancy restaurants and trying new foods, Ive noticed this a lot lately as the other day I brought home some donuts after work and she struggled to eat even one I assume its because how painful it is to eat or maybe the drugs are making her weaker.

"We're here" she shouts after a day of driving as she pulls into a car park of what seems to be a hotel.

I look up and in bold lettering across a banner are the words "Cape Cod" are typed in blue italics. So we're in Massachusetts, we both get out of the car and I take our suitcases of the trunk.

"Surprise" she says giving me a kiss.

I kiss her back and tell her is it not really expensive and kind of pointless if we're only staying the night. She laughs and kisses me again,

"We are staying till Tuesday and don't worry I've cleared with the guys at work." She says as she grabs my hand as we walk into the hotel reception wheeling our bags in.

"God you're gorgeous," I say linking her arm. Lili looks absolutely smitten with herself as we head up to the main desk and check in, we get our room while I unpack Lili goes for a quick nap. While she's asleep I explore the hotel it's fine piece of Victorian architecture, I walk outside and glance up at the hotel sign in baby blue lettering "The Platinum Pebble Boutique Inn". The area is full of mini forests and grassland to explore and trap yourself of the beauty of the wild outdoors. There is also a shuttle bus bringing you to and from the many lighthouses and beaches in the surrounding area, I decide that one night I'm going to bring Lili to Highland Light an old lighthouse which has been restored as restaurant and has been open to the public since last May and apparently the ambiance is very romantic.

I head back to the hotel room as I want to check up on Lili  she is just taking her evening medication with a glass of water, she is getting ready to go out to dinner and she has made a real effort not that she never does, but I haven't seen look so well in so long. The blonde wig has been straightened she puts on a tight black dress some strappy heels and a faux fur coat, I comment on her beauty and she kisses me slowly but with passion as we then head out for dinner

We go to  a pizzeria called "Maxwells" just a short taxi ride from the hotel and enjoy the time laughing and smiling about her sister Chloe's wedding and how it was a beautiful service and how Tess is loving college apart from having to share room with an awful snorer called Kaitlyn who is originally from South Dakota. We enjoy the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant, it's lovely and Lili tries her very best to eat her pizza and manages to eat two slices without hesitation, I'm not sure if she did it to please me or if she was actually hungry.

We make our way back to the hotel as we are in the elevator and Lili's back against my stomach, I think about us, our marriage. Marriage isn't a ring worn or a paper signed. It is not something endured but savoured. It is the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice for the other's happiness and wellbeing. Marriage is something so beautiful that in that natural world it would be an opening rose, always with radiant petals left to unfurl to a warm sun. Perhaps that is why we give roses to those we love and often have them at our sacred unions. Marriage is the blessing we give to one another, an eternal bond of soulmates and that is how I feel about my wife Lili, she is my soulmate and losing her scares me more than I care to admit, we walk into the hotel room and she kisses me gently.

Our lips interlock as we kiss tentatively, passionately and and then, tenderly as we make ourselves to the bed...

Hey guys L here hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Lots of Love
L💗