Love Above all Else

17. Stick it out

His words grasp at my heart.

I would think of a better reply, but I feel too sick to come up with anything more than a simple, "have Mono."

'I'll be over in ten.'

~~~

The next thing I know, I hear a pebble hit my window. I instantly know it is Marco, without a doubt. I get up to open the window and see a t-shirt and shorts covered Marco standing below. His sweet voice fills the distance between us.

"I have supplies. Meet me at the door."

His way of getting my attention seems so foreign and lost in history to our new technological ways. I love it. I hop down the stairs with newfound energy in each step. Happily, I open the door and see Marco again. Closing the door behind me, I step closer to Marco and embrace him with a hug. It won't hurt anything cause we are both already sick.

"What is all this?" I grab the Walmart bag that holds out to me.

"I already told you," he says, "it is supplies."

I pull out a box of tissues. I look up at him and smile. Back to the bag, next is a bag of cough drops, a Gatorade, and the last is a faded t-shirt that seems all too familiar.

"Aw, you're letting me have your favorite shirt?" I give him puppy dog eyes for offering me something so special.

"Only for you," he answers. I grab the t-shirt and hold it up to the light. On the front of the off-white shirt is a graphic design with sun rays and fish under waves. At the top of the shirt in big bold letters are the words Destin Florida. I have seen him wear it under his leather jacket at least a hundred times. Okay, maybe not that many, but close to it. He loves this shirt, and I have always wanted to ask him why. Now is my chance. 

As if he can read my mind, he begins to speak up. "This was my father's shirt. He bought it when I was little and he would wear it on every vacation we went on together. It was his special vacation shirt. That was when we were close anyways, but now we can't have a single conversation without arguing." He clears his throat and I notice he looks like he could cry. "I wear it as a reminder of what we had. How close we were, ya know?"

I place the large shirt down into the plastic bag and proceed to sit the bag down on the concrete porch. The feeling of his arms engulfing me is enough to make my day as I hug him tight. 

"Thank you," I whisper into his ear. He hugs me tighter. 

We pull away to the sound of my mom fake coughing behind me. 

"Excuse me, but who is this?" She eyes him cautiously.

"This is Marco mom."

"Marco Ambrose. It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." He holds out his open hand for her to shake.

My mother, obviously reluctant, shakes his hand. "You better have good intentions with my daughter." 

"Yes ma'am."

"And if you are going to be dating my daughter then we are going to need a sit-down meal."

"Moooom," I groan.

"Those are my rules." She mimics my sing-song whiny tone. I roll my eyes, but Marco smiles.

~~~

I cough and cough until whatever is in my throat comes up. The pain spreads into my mouth. I can feel the flesh of my throat aching. 

Today has been hard. I have been coughing up ever since Marco left this morning. My snot is coming out at all times, and my body is throbing. I want to die. Typically I would mean that literally, but right now I just want to feel better. I feel as though my body is rejecting itself. I guess technically it is rejecting the virus, so that makes sense.