If a girl could light up, she just did. Alyssa grins as if she received the greatest gift in the universe. “I’d love to.” She giggles as her face turns scarlet.
“Give me a few minutes to get her freshened up.” I close the curtain and brush her hair, pinning it up into an elegant hairstyle my mother used to wear. After I’m finished, Cole places one arm under her knees and the other secures her back as he lifts her fragile body. Alyssa wraps her arms around his neck with a look of pure rapture on her face.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It probably would’ve been more polite of me to ask before picking you up,” Cole says.
“Yeah, of course, it’s fine.” She laughs nervously and gives me a wink.
He carries her without effort down to a vacant room, and I wipe a tear away as I watch him fulfill a dying girl’s dream.
It’s dark except for the melted candles lit on the end of the table. The plastic ware, which I scrounged for after talking to Sutton, sits in all the correct spots. Cole carefully lowers Alyssa into her seat for the night. Even Sutton makes an appearance and places a soft kiss on her head.
“Enjoy, sweetie. You deserve it.” Sutton offers me his arm and leads me out. Before the door closes, I glimpse one more time.
Cole sits across from Alyssa, the candlelight flickering across their faces as they laugh at something together. The ease with which he relates to her makes me smile.
Every day, I witness the ugliness of humanity and it diminishes my faith in the goodness of people. But watching Cole show kindness to Alyssa reminds me of the kindness my father showed others. Whenever someone needed him, even if it was dangerous, he’d help. Instances like this give me the spark I need to keep going despite the horrific obstacles thrown in my way. Unbelievable that I’ve found more depth here than I ever had before. The emotional peaks and valleys exhaust me, but my heart feels content, and it doesn’t make sense to me.
When I return to the room, Zeus snores in my cot. I guess I’m sleeping somewhere else. I take Cole’s and slide under the warm covers. I fall asleep with the image of Alyssa looking alive and happy while sitting across from Cole.
*
“Hey, wake up.” Startled, I fly up, smacking heads with Cole.
“Ouch,” we both say at the same time.
He rubs his forehead, his face scrunching with the effort. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wasn’t sure where I’m supposed to sleep since you’re in my bed and all.”
I rub my eyes and yawn. “The cot’s yours. Zeus took mine, so I’ll sleep on the floor.” I swing my legs to the floor, and the cold tiles sting my feet.
“Ha. No, you’re not!” A voice says beside me. “I don’t take up even half this bed. Come in. I don’t mind sharing,” Alyssa says. For the second time in less than thirty seconds, I jump at the sound of a voice I wasn’t expecting. I stand, straighten my clothes, and climb in next to her.
“Thank you!” she says. “For the best day of my life.” My heart drops as she wraps her weak arms around me.
“You don’t have to thank me. He was the one who took all the risk here.”
“But you had to ask him.”
“When it comes to you… convincing isn’t even needed. It’s impossible not to fall in love with you. You’re a wonderful person and I want to thank you for sharing your life with me. I’m forever changed because of you.”
She wipes her tears, rolls over to her other side, and I cover her with a blanket. “I love you too.”
Before I can count to ten, she drifts off. I watch her; then my eyes wander over to Cole. He stares at the ceiling, looks at me, and holds my eyes for a minute as sadness, joy, and an unidentifiable emotion pass between us. He motions good night, and I nod, but I’m not ready to sleep.
I watch him. The curves of his face are soft in the moonlight and his sculpted arms wrap around his bunched up blankets. I picture those arms wrapped around Alyssa, the way he cradled her, the way he cared for her in a way I’m sure she’s rarely felt in her short life. I close my eyes, and as I drift off, I think of how lonely Alyssa must have been, how lonely I’ve been. And I fall asleep, the vision of Cole carrying me to the peace of my dreams.
The next two days pass this way. Cole and Zeus stay with me in the hospital while Alyssa slowly slips further away from us. Each morning, Cole takes Zeus to the training center for the majority of the day, and every night he returns at seven.