Black Leather Jackets: College Bound

Grow Old

Cheryl's POV
I wake up from the first good sleep in a while, on top on Toni's chest and her hand rubbing my arm.
"Good morning beautiful," she smiles looking up from her book
"Good morning," I laugh
She kisses the top of my head and goes back to her book
"What are you reading?" I ask
"The autobiography someone made on me. It's alarmingly wrong,"
I giggle and sit up.
"Wanna put that down and give your wife a little attention?" I pout
She laughs and puts her book down
"Of course I will," she laugh hugging me closer
"I love you Cheryl,"
"Love you too," i say kissing her cheek
I hear the door creek open and see Lexi peek her head in.
"Hi baby," Toni says
"Mama May I come in?" Lexi asks
"Of course baby girl," I laugh
She climbs on the bed and I hug her
"Hi sweetheart, how did you sleep?"
"Good,"
"Good baby, I'm glad," Toni says kissing her cheek
We decide to go downstairs, Toni grabs Tony Junior and I make breakfast.
"Mama can we look at pictures?" Lexi asks Toni
"What pictures sweetheart?"
"I dunno, the ones of you when you were robbies age? Mommy used to show them to me,"
"Okay baby, let me go find them,"
Toni goes to find them and comes back with the albums.
"This is mommy and I on our first date. For a long time it was my favourite picture of us,"
Lexi nods and they keep looking.
"This was me and mommy at my first football game," she says
"What's mommy wearing?" Lexi asks
"Her cheerleading outfit," Toni says
"Oh it's pretty,"
"Yes it is,"
"Mama can I play football?" She asks
"Of course sweetheart,"
"Who's Charlie?" Lexi asks
"Oh uh that's my baby," Toni sighs
"Another baby?"
"Lexi, you know how a couple months ago we talked about how the birds we saw passed away?" Toni asks
"Mhm,"
"Well when I was a teenager I was pregnant with baby and I got really really hurt and they ended up passing away,"
"Oh and their name was Charlie?"
"Mama let me decide the name and I chose Charlie,"
"So is Charlie my brother? Like Tony and Robbie?"
"Ya Baby,"
"Okay," she shrugs
I walk over and kiss Toni's temple.
"It's alright baby," I whisper
She leans up and pecks my lips
"Thank you," She whispers
"Hey sweetheart," I say ruffling her hair "Wanna go get dressed and we can go play outside?"
"Okay!" She says climbing down and walking up the stairs
"Are you okay?" I ask Toni
"I'm alright," she says with a sigh "hand me my baby boy though?"
I nod and grab Tony from the high chair.
"Hi baby," Toni says standing him up on her knees "I love you buddy, and I'm always going to Okay?"
"Mama ga! Wuv you!" Tony laughs
Toni smiles and presses a long kiss to his forehead
Tony pushes her backwards and she looks kind of hurt until he leans over and kisses her forehead.
"You're such a sweetheart buddy," I laugh
Toni laughs and bounces him up and down on her legs
"Cher look at his eyes," she says "they're so pretty,"
His eyes kind of changed colour and they're now a bright blue. Against his tan skin and brown hair it's striking.
"They're very pretty,"
She keeps bouncing him and winces
"Are you alright?"
"I'm starting to get pain in my leg," she says
"Like phantom limb?"
"No- my actual leg, like the stump and up my knee and thigh,"
"How long has it been happening?"
"Few months?"
"Tones you should've told me!" I sigh
"I thought it was okay,"
I put Tony in his chair and take her prosthetic off.
"Toni you're an idiot," I say looking at her leg
It's infected and I think the limb is dying.
"Put your leg back on we have to go to the hospital Babes,"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously Toni, ill call the mantles to babysit," I sigh
She puts her leg on, stands up.
And she falls.
She smashes her head on the counter and I scream.
"TONI!" I yell kneeling beside her "baby wake please wake up,"
She's passed out cold when Robby runs in with Lexi.
"Oh my god," he says "w-what happened?"
"Pass me my phone please," I say through my tears
He nods and gives it to me.
"9-1-1 what's your emergency,"
"My wife fell and smashed her head against the counters," I say quickly "she isn't waking up I need an ambulance now,"
"What caused the fall ma'am?"
"She had an amputation in Afghanistan and it's infected. It was probably that,"
"An ambulance is on route, is everyone else okay?"
"Everyone's fine,"
"Is she bleeding?"
"A- a little yes,"
I give the phone to Robby and use his to call Reggie
"Reggie, Toni's really hurt can you meet us at the hospital?"
"Ya of course, what happened Cheryl?"
"Her legs infected and I think it wasn't fitting properly in her prosthetic and she hit her head and won't wake up,"
"We'll be there," he says
I thank him and hang up.
"Robby, c-can you do me a favour?"
"Of course Cheryl,"
"Get Lexi and Tony Junior in their car seats? There should be a diaper bag at the door if not don't worry about it,"
He nods and takes Tony from his high chair
"Tones we're supposed to grow old together. We're supposed to be together. You survived a kidnaping, a shooting, a hostage situation, and a war zone. Toni it's not fair! I thought after all of that I would have you and you would stay with me," I cry moving her hair out of her face "you can't leave me alone Topaz. Please don't leave me alone,"
I sit there until I can hear ambulance sirens and Toni groans.
"Toni? Toni look at me please baby," I say cupping her face
"Don't let them take the rest,"
"Pardon?" I ask
"My leg. You can't let them take the rest,"
And she passes out again.
She's insane if she thinks I'm letting her die to keep the rest of the leg.
The ambulance loads her up and I wash the blood off my hands.
"They're in the car," Robby says
"Thank you, do you wanna come? It's totally up to you,"
"Ya I'll come,"
I nod and hop in the car.
We follow the ambulance and I park and grab Tony Junior.
"Robby can you get Lexi?"
"Yep,"
"Thank you,"
We all walk in and Reggie is already in there with AJ.
"They're taking her right to surgery, they gave us a room," he says
I nod and start crying as he hugs me
It's not fair
I was supposed to have her forever now
I was supposed to grow old with her
She was supposed to be mine