Sparks ✔️ EDITING

C H A P T E R 38

"Sweetie, I had my reasons not to tell you," she calmly stated.

"How long have you know?" I asked in a monotone.

"The day he came back. He told me when you and Mason were leaving."

"You've known since June? And you you're telling me two month later? So you thought you were protecting Caden and I by keeping this from us?" I gawked, my hands shaking.

"I had my reasons."

"Which were?"

"We were going to Florida, so we didn't want to ruin the trip also we didn't want you and Caden to worry.

"You want to hear my reason on why you should've told us?" I asked, not bothered to hear an answer. "We could've confronted him and explained to him that he wasn't alone. What if something happened to him? What if the disease caught up with him and we never had the chance to say goodbye?"

"It isn't that easy," she replied, making me shake my head.

"What's not easy is hearing about my dad's sickness from a journal. A journal that revealed everything from his past; the day you two got married; the day Caden and I were born; the day his test came back positive; the day he left us. And I heard all about this, through writing. That is not easy. My father is sick and there is no cure," my eyes began to fill up with tears as I pulled up on the side of the road. 

"I could say that a million time, the hard part about it, is convincing yourself that it's true. But saying it, that part is easy. No matter how painful it is, you can't lie to yourself and say everything is fine, because it's not," I closed my eyes and not my lip so I could hold back the tears, " and it will never be." I concluded and started the car again.

Arriving at the hospital, I ran to the front desk and asked what room my father was in. She asked a ton of questions I didn't have time for and I started becoming anxious.

"Just tell me what room my father is in...now," I demanded.

"First, answer my questions," she replied, fixing her glasses.

"Each second I waste, is another second I might not be able to say goodbye. Give. Me. Joseph Rodriguez's. Room. Now. And don't make me repeat myself," I warned.

"His room is 204," she answered with a terrified look in her face.

Skipping the elevator ride, I climbed up a couple of stairs and slammed through the door leading to the hallway. 193. 197. 199. 202. 204. Stopping abruptly, I peered through the window and saw Caden holding Joe's hand.

"Is he okay?" I asked, walking in and earning a "no" from Caden.

"What's wrong?"

"The doctor said he has pneumonia. He hasn't been swallowing correctly and he's inhaled food or liquid and it went down to his lungs instead of him stomach. He collapsed because of a seizure and he hit his head pretty bad," Caden explained, not taking his eyes of the ground.

"Caden, there is something you should know," I sighed and pulled out the journal.

"He has Huntington's Disease, I know," he replied, looking at the book. " I read his journal too," he added.

"How and why was it in the bin?" I questioned.

"Dad gave it to me and said he couldn't understand or read it anymore. At the time, I didn't know what he meant, so I read it and learned everything about him. When I got to the part of his sickness, I threw the book in the garbage and don't let myself believe it. When he collapsed, I panicked and all these feelings rushed to me and I finally accepted that he might not make it," he spoke, as a few tears escaped his eyes and his hands started to shake causing him to let go of Joe's hand.

"Don't think like that, he's strong, he'll get passed this," I assured, reaching for his hand.

"That's the thing, the doctors said it was a slim chance. He hasn't been eating properly and he's been swallowing food into his lungs for over a month now. The pneumonia caused the seizure and when he collapsed, his head hit a counter in the kitchen, slicing a gash on his head," he cried.

At that moment, my father's eyes opened and Caden and I stood up.

"Don't talk, I'll go get a doctor," my brother announced, but was stopped by my father's hand.

He took his breathing mask off and stared into both our eyes.

" I wanted to apologise for ever ounce of pain I caused. I wanted to apologise for leaving the two of you to fight your own battles. And I wanted to apologise for not being the father you both deserved.I shouldn't have missed any birthdays or accomplishments you both had made," he spoke softly.

"Caden, I shouldn't have left you to believe in yourself and I should've been your pal to go fishing with. Isabella, I shouldn't have been the first guy to break your heart and I should've been that dad who never let you go to bed if you were upset," he continued.

"You both deserve so much better and I wish I could've been that person to give you all the things you desired. I loved and will continue to love your mother. Please tell her that she made me the happiest man on the planet and when you two arrived, I wanted nothing more. I was full, I wanted nothing more."

"Do great things and know that I'll be looking down at the both of you and your mother for as long as you guys will live. There's a ring that I gave your mother the day we got married in my coat pocket, please give it to her; there is a necklace I got for your birthday,Bella, in the same pocket;and my hat is on  the chair you're  sitting on, Caden, that is now yours. I wanted to give you all one thing to remember me by. Now, it's my time to leave again, but unlike last time, I wanted to say goodbye," his eyes filled with tears as he tried to smile at us.

"Please don't go," Caden pleaded and gripped his hand tighter.

"I love you dad, I have and always will," I cried and saw a smile appear on my father's face before the heart rate monitors went flat.