Expectations

Chapter 44

I wake up just as the sun starts to break through the sky and roll over to see Alex sleeping peacefully. His face is adorably smashed into his pillow, and the hood of his hoodie has somehow managed to slip over the top of his head, only letting a few curls poke out from underneath. The bags under his eyes have faded slightly, but I can tell he's still exhausted.

Quietly slipping out of the bed, I go to the bathroom and softly click the door shut behind me, wanting Alex to sleep as much as possible.

After I'm finished showering and getting ready, I peek my head out of the bathroom to find Alex still in bed, his tired blue eyes slowly blinking open to look at me. "Hi," he rasps out, reaching his hand out for me.

"Shh," I remind him, taking his hand and letting him pull me back into bed.

He plants his lips on mine, grinning when he pulls away. "I can't believe I get to do that now," he says, peppering my face with more kisses, causing me to giggle.

"Well you can't do it for much longer because we have to go see Dr. Lance soon," I remind him, and his face falls in realization. "Hey, you're going to be ok," I try to comfort him, knowing how worried he is.

"What if I can't sing anymore?" he whispers.

"You'll be able to sing again, eventually."

"But what if I can't?" He looks up at me with sad puppy dog eyes.

"It won't be the end of the world, and I'll still love you either way." His lip tugs up slightly after that and he buries his face into my neck. "The only way we'll know is if we go see the doctor, so I'm going to need you to get up and get ready."

-

Sitting in the waiting room, Alex's leg is bobbing up and down and his eyes are locked on the examination room door in anticipation. His hand is placed on top of mine, thumb stroking the tattoo on my middle finger, preventing me from anxiously playing with my fingers.

The examination room door creaks open and Alex sits up straighter in his seat. A middle aged man with glasses and a white coat walks out, a friendly smile on his face. "Alex," he greets, gesturing for him to come inside the room.

Alex gulps, lacing his fingers with mine and standing up. He looks back at me expectantly, and I stand up and follow him to the room.

"Hi, Dr. Lance," Alex's raspy voice greets the man.

Dr. Lance grimaces upon hearing his voice. "You're not sounding too good there, buddy. Let's see what's going on," he says, softly shutting the door after we walk in. Alex sits in the examination chair while I sit in a guest chair off to the side. "And who do we have here?" he asks, looking at me.

"I'm Joslyn," I say, sparing Alex his voice. "His assistant."

"It's nice to meet you." Dr. Lance smiles and shakes my hand before turning back to Alex.