The Dare, Book 1

Chapter 27

Payton

"So...how did he ask you in the end?" Reid's mom asked, nudging me softly with her elbow as we mixed the cookie dough.

"He played me a song he'd learned from one of the bands I liked and asked me after that. It was honestly perfect." I responded with a smile as I recalled last night's events.

The song he'd picked suited us more than any song I knew could. The way his voice sounded so soft and sweet, the things he said after as he looked me in the eyes and held me close. It made me glad he had waited until that point to make things official between us.

"Ah, yes. Reid's been working his little socks off all week to get it perfect. It's a beautiful song. Our song is Dance with somebody, and it's the first song we danced too together during a party at university."

"That's sweet. So you two met at uni?"

"We did. At first, we didn't like each other. We ran in different circles, both of us were quite popular, but there was like this friction between our two groups. Derek's group always seemed so arrogant and stuck up. You know that typical macho, I'm a man sort of attitude. Derek looked very much like Reid, only with lighter hair and no tattoos. One night we were at the same party, that song came over, and he asked me to dance. We've been together ever since. I joke around, but that man, he made me happier then anyone could, besides Reid, of course. Oh, the day I found out I was pregnant. Reid's a rainbow baby, you know?"

"Rainbow baby?" I looked at her, puzzled. I'd heard the term before, but never really knew what it meant.

"A baby born after a miscarriage. We'd had three miscarriages before Reid was born, and we were starting to believe we'd never have a baby of our own. There were some complications during the pregnancy, where we almost lost him. He had to be born at thirty-two weeks, his first month of life was spent in an incubator. It was terrifying, we finally had our baby, but his life hung in the balance, but he was a fighter. Now look at him, nineteen with the most wonderful girl to call his own. It just saddens me that I won't get to see you become as happy as Derek and I."

Tears threatened to spill from my ducts. She'd gone through so much to bring Reid into the world, and I never knew. Almost losing her precious baby, the baby I could tell she'd wanted so badly from the way she spoke. Now, she was the one whose life hung in the balance.

"Don't say that Laura, please; you never know what's going to happen. Isn't a particle transplant an option? I've heard about them."

She shook her head, "I'm afraid not. If they were to do that, it would barely extend my life by a few months. It's all or nothing now. I'm just so thankful I didn't pass my rare blood type onto Reid. We don't know if what I have will end up affecting him later on, but he has to go for checks every year."

Laura's body slumped a little as she let out a pregnant sigh, "However, transplant or not, I'm not destined for this world much longer. I've already exceeded my original prognosis tenfold."

My heart sank. Laura put on a brave face for Derek and Reid, but I could tell that's all it was. A mask to hide the fact she was scared deep down.

"Reid's scared. He doesn't say it, not much, he doesn't talk about it a lot, but I know. He's terrified that one day he'll get that call and I know what that call is going to do to him. The same call I got...to tell me my mother was dead."

Laura put the bowl down and wrapped her arms around me. "Children are meant to outlive their parents. But, he has you, and I know so long as you're by his side, he'll be okay. When I am gone, know I'll be up there with your parents, looking down on both of you, smiling, with our hearts full of pride. Your parents would be so proud of you, sweetheart."