Letting Him In

Chapter-17

His mother shook her head, but she was smiling. "You and that doe-eyed look are gonna get me fired someday," she said, looking amused at how hard he was trying to convince her.

"Pleaseeeeeeeeee, mom?" Seeing her shake her head again, he switched tactics. "But, mama, my back hurts. And I miss my friend," he said, pouting.

Seeing his mother's face soften, Kaeden grinned. He knew that her guilt played a part in it as she agreed to his wishes, but he was happy.

His older self now felt a bit guilty for guilt-tripping his mum, but his younger self was ecstatic to visit Elijah.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed as his mother chuckled.

"I'm going to go get changed and call Elise, okay? You can take out that gift we got for him yesterday; and we can eat something over there. I'll ask Elise if Elijah would like some pastries too."

Kaeden nodded, and his mother added, "But you know the drill. No making loud noises..."

"And no fighting. Or they'll kick me out. I know, mum. Now go get changed," he whined.

An hour later, they walked into Elijah's room, and the other boy grinned and waved at them. Even after three months, Kaeden still wasn't used to seeing Elijah like this: an IV drip permanently hooked to his left forearm, a beanie covering his head, his blond hair and eyebrows gone because of the chemotherapy drugs. But he was still his best friend, so Kaeden bounced into his room and onto his bed, grinning as he wordlessly handed him a wrapped box.

Elijah took it and opened it with confused yet excited eyes; however, when he saw the latest PSP inside the box, his face broke out into a huge grin. "No way," he said.

"Mum and I went to the store yesterday, so she got one for both of us," Kaeden explained, his grin matching Elijah's.

Kaeden, laying in Elijah's bedroom, found himself amused at how they had been so elated by the fact that they had gotten PSPs, which were now probably discarded in some corner of their storerooms.

However, seven-year-old Elijah had run over to Kaeden's mum, who was in the doorway with Elise.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed, hugging Kaeden's mum. His mother was quite tall, and Elijah barely reached her waist, so she had to bend down to hug him back.

At the same time, Elijah's mother turned toward her. "Raine! You didn't need to do that; bringing Kaeden over is enough," she chastised, but Kaeden's mother just chuckled.

"You're very welcome, love," she said to Elijah, who rushed back to his bed to play with Kaeden. Turning to Elise, she added sassily, "Do you really think it would be fair to get one for Kade and then not for Lijah?" Both boys burst out laughing at her exaggerated eye-roll.

As both their mothers left the room, they got to munching on the pastries Raine had brought for them. However, as they played on the new PSP, Elijah paused the game after a few rounds.

"You're flinching every time your back even brushes the pillows," he pointed out. "What happened?"

Kaeden was trying to come up with a valid excuse, but Elijah saw his expression and rolled his eyes just like Raine had. "Did you trip down the stairs or break a glass and fall on it again, Kade?" he said sarcastically. Kaeden almost sighed in relief, because even if Elijah was teasing him, it was better than the truth. But then Elijah added, "Cuz honestly, I don't believe you. You're not that clumsy."

"Clearly I am, Lijah," Kaeden said lamely, taken aback and not sure how to respond. He had been certain that Elijah was buying his excuses for the seemingly random cuts and bruises on his body, but apparently not.