Promises

Chapter 13

*

"Hey, the rugrats are back!" My dad greets as soon as we walk in. I'll admit it's getting harder and harder for me to come here since he looks infinitely worse on every visit. But I just suck it up.

The doctor told me yesterday that we should look into hospice and my dad seemed to be on board. He doesn't want to go to an inpatient place, though; he'd rather have a hospice nurse come to his house, which I can understand. He always has been a home body.

I wasn't expecting him to agree so easily, but it seems that out of everyone, he's come to terms the best with his prognosis. Like he told the doc yesterday, what's the point of getting upset and being miserable; it's gonna happen either way.

"Hey there big guy," he says to Marley as he fights to get on the bed with his backpack of stuff to show him. Even my dad's voice has gotten weaker; it's a mere whisper now.

"Careful, Marley," I remind him as he gets on the bed. "Come on, short stack," I tell my baby girl as she fights to get up just behind her brother. "You need mom's help, right?" She turns to look at me mid climb, wearing a wide smile.

"And," he coughs. "L-look at you Missy, with your fancy shmancy dress." He then turns to me. "Christ, Charlie. Burberry? She's two."

"It was a gift!" I defend, but he frowns at me. "Seriously! A friend bought it for her."

"Right," he attempts to roll his eyes as he coughs. "Mom's being uppity, Mar?" Mar looks at him and grins, and I swear I see that same smile that Zayn has with his tongue tucked away behind his teeth.

I fold my arms across my chest, snuggling into my NYU sweatshirt. "Grandpa, I gots a gold star and a Cars pencil. Look!" Marley shoves his prizes in my dad's face. My dad smirks, going to grab the items from Marley's hands, though they fall to the blanket in the process. He tries to pick them up, but he can't seem to get a good grasp.

"Shit," my dad curses and Marley smirks. But I can tell my dad is really bothered by this.

"Here, dad. I'll get i-"

"No!" He snaps. "I can do it, damn it." I wither away, frowning, and he sighs.

"Sorry, kiddo. It's just.. taking some getting used to, okay?" He says, breathlessly.

"I know. It's okay."

Marley eventually hands him the two things, and they have this whole lengthy conversation about how Marley better get a gold star everyday. And Liyana chimes in of course, randomly adding no, and cookies, and daddy and all the other words she knows. Though I think she might have said car this time, so that's cool.

"You look beat kiddo. Go," he coughs, "get a cuppa coffee. They'll be alright here." I don't even realize my dad's talking to me, until I look up and find the three of them staring at me. "And you even..." he tries to catch his breath. "And you even look like you lost a few pounds. Mom's not been in your ear, has she?"

I purse my lips to the side. "No, dad." I don't let him in on the fact that mom and I still haven't talked since that day in the hospital. "And I can't leave them here. They're a lot to handle."

"You're only going to the cafeteria, not the Starbucks ten blocks over."

"I know, but-"

"Go."

And though I know I shouldn't, I do.

Zayn's POV

I hand my keys to the valet attendant as I pull up in front of Dream Hotel Downtown. Swanky place...had to be Louis' doing.