Evanescent

5 | F I R M

Noah straightened his tie as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror that was lined with a shiny black and gold frame.

He looked tired. And he was.

But he had already agreed to showing up to the function. And when he said yes, he made sure that it stayed that way. When he said no, he meant no. That was how he ran his business and how he kept his life organized.

He learned that you shouldn't jump between your choices at a young age because then there would be chaos and confusion.

And if there was one thing that got on his nerves; it was confusion.

His large hand raked through his dark brown hair until he found a comfortable spot for it to sit before he put on a bit of lip balm on his plump lips. They were feeling dry from the cold and maybe because he didn't drink enough water that week. That had always been a problem.

He needed someone to remind him. He'd have to set an alarm or something.

Once he was sure he was ready for the event, he stepped out of his spacious bathroom and grabbed his phone and wallet and slipped it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket before grabbing his keys and making his way down the stairs.

He turned off the lights and turned on the alarm before jogging out to his shiny black sports car sitting in his six car garage. He only had two cars filling the spots and he had no desire to own anymore.

Hopefully leaving the house that night would be worth it.

___

"So.. the tumor seems to be shrinking?" Rosa asked hopefully as the doctor buzzed around the little hospital room.

"It seems to be, yes," she nodded. "We've done a few scans over these past few weeks and each time it seems like it's getting harder and harder to find. Which is good, but also can be bad, because we have to track it. If it has dissapeared, it may still be there and we might not notice. So even if it does seem like it is gone, we have to keep him for a bit longer to make sure its actually.." the doctor seemed to be looking for the right words. "Poof. Gone."

Rosa nodded and wrung her hands together as her eyes watched the doctors movement. "Well that's fine. I'm more interested in seeing progress. All I want is for my dad to feel better. I want him to be able to walk around in the fresh air."

"Well, it looks like that's a possibility dear," the doctor smiled and Rosa stood up on her tippy toes and took in a deep breath to try and contain her excitement.

"Thank you for just.. still trying."

"It's my job sweetie," the doctor chuckled but Rosa shook her head in response.

"You don't understand, some try way less than you do. You actually do your job well, I respect it," Rosa smiled and the doctor laughed softly.

"I'm flattered that you think so Rosalina. Thank you. When your father wakes up, make sure he drinks a cup of water. A nurse will be in in another thirty minutes and then you'll have to go, alright? Go home and get your rest.."

Rosa nodded her head and smiled softly at the doctor. "Got it, thank you."

Once the doctor had left the room, Rosa went over to her dads bed side and jumped in surprise when she noticed his eyes were wide opened and he was staring at her with a raised brow.

"So you're talking about me in the same room now, are you? Not even behind my back? The nerve of you girl," he scoffed playfully.

Rosa laughed quietly and shook her head as she sat down in the chair and twiddled with the her cartilage piercing. "I was taught that if I have something to say, I should say it to the persons face, not behind their back. I'm no coward."

Her father smiled proudly. "Thassa girl.. No family of mine are cowards."

"No sirrr," she giggled and he reached out for her hand. She grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"Firmer, Rosalina. A firm handshake makes a good impression," he said, pulling his large hand away and then sticking it back out towards her.

She grabbed his hand and shook it firmly; a smile forming on her face when he responded with a proud nod of approval.

"I fell in love with your mother as soon as she gave me a firm handshake," he commented as he let leaned up shakily on his elbows. He was tired.

"Wait, really?" she asked in surprise. "That is.. kinda anticlimactic. And unromantic," Rosa said as she grabbed the pillow and angled it so he could sit up comfortably.

He chuckled quietly and shook his head. "My advice to you, go for the person who doesn't know how to woo you with their words. If they do; it means they're most likely practiced and have done the same thing to multiple people. And they either like to flirt, they're bad at commitment, or they just have bad luck with relationships. Or there's also a chance that they've been eyeing you up for a while and they've been practicing those words over and over in their heads and if you reject them, they'll go home and cry about stupid they were for tryi-"

"Dad!" she laughed. "What-"

"Oh right, sorry. As I was saying. Someone who can catch your attention with their actions, even if they have a little stutter in their voice, they're the best type of people. Your mom had a firm handshake and a great throwing arm. An even greater left hook, but we don't talk about that," he said with a breathy laugh.

Even though her father was forgetful, his wife and Rosa's mother was not someone he could ever just forget. And though he didn't like to talk about her much before he had gotten sick, hearing about her mother now was like a breath of fresh air.

It took both their minds off of a lot. Her bright spirit still lived on in their hearts.