The Heart Of London

Chapter Nineteen

"So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls."

🌹🌹🌹

"Loni?"

Loni woke up with a slight yawn as Manny gently squeezed her hand.

"Manny?" She smiled slightly. "When did you get here?"

"A little while ago," he brushed her hair back from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? I'm exhausted; that started again this morning," Loni said as she yawned. "The doctors say the Brugada is flaring up again."

"I overheard them whispering about it," Manny admitted. "I think they're going to move your surgery up."

"I figured that might happen," Loni confessed. "John warned me."

"I think they're all getting ready for London to arrive, and your dad and Lissa had to make a quick run to your house," Manny was standing as he talked; he stepped to the corner of her room and grabbed her wheelchair, wheeling it over to her.

"What are you doing?" Loni asked as he brought it closer.

"Your uncle disconnected you already. We have about twenty minutes, and then I have to take you to London's room when she arrives." He helped a bewildered Loni into her wheelchair.

"Where are we going?"

"Not far." He wheeled her through the cafeteria into a little corridor and then into a room that looked like an empty lab. However, the table had a huge bouquet of flowers and a portable radio next to it. The room was lit with some fake LED candles, all flickering and giving it romantic lighting. He walked over and turned the radio on, and a soft love song started to play. She sat in her chair, staring up at him with teary eyes.

"You did all this?"

"Your dad and Gus helped me a little," he confessed. "I didn't want to wait another second for our first date, even if it has to be short."

"This is amazing!"

"May I have this dance?" He held his hands out, and she clasped them in hers.

She giggled as he began to spin her wheelchair around, her eyes locking onto his warm ones as they smiled gently at each other.

"Manny, I want to stand up and dance with you," Loni said, and his gaze faltered.

"I don't know, if anything happens..."

"Just for a minute," she pleaded. "I want to be in your arms, just once, just in case it's our only chance."

He sighed but still pulled her to her feet. She wobbled at first, but Manny wrapped his arms securely around her and pulled her up flush against him; she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. They didn't sway or move to the music; they stood there and held each other.

"Don't say it'll be our only chance," he murmured. "It can't be. You have to fight, Loni. You have to get through this."

She sniffled as she pulled back from him, and their eyes locked.

"What if I don't?"

"You will," he stressed with a trembling voice. "You hear me? You have to!"

"But there's always a chance I might not, so you should prepare yourself for that; we should say goodbye just in case- "

"No," he cried. "I won't say it. I won't say goodbye to you. You will get through this. That's it."

"Oh, Manny." She half laughed and half sobbed out the words.