The Good Life

Chapter 49

Marla decided it was in everyone’s best interest to go to her doctor again to figure out why she was getting sick so often. Nothing had changed, said the doctor. It’s just the stress of work and family. To make her feel better he switched her medication and increased the dosage. It was a new medication she had never tired before, but was willing to try it. It can’t be that bad. She thought to herself as she popped the first few pills sitting next to her equally drugged daughter. Bruno was gone for two days- the shortest possible time he wanted to be away from Marla after that weekend. They went to the Grammy’s without any trouble, but hurried home after she said she felt a little dizzy at an after-party. He was so worried. Marla thought it was sweet for a few days, but then realized she wasn’t his 3 year old daughter telling him that she could take care of herself, causing a small argument that resulted in screaming and yelling for a few minutes and then each of them saying they were sorry to each other. It was so typical for them, until it wasn’t.

”Hey…” Marla wandered into Bruno’s small room that he used as a studio stopping at the door frame.

”Hey sexy..what’s going on?” he asked spinning around in his chair holding a pen.

”I’m going to go to bed. I just wanted you to know.” she told him turning her heals around looking at him with a smile.

”Mar…” he stopped her from turning.

”Yeah?”

”Come listen to this…?” he asked her holding the paper in his hand.

”Can I listen to it tomorrow? I’m so tired.” she responded.

”Please?” he asked again. ”I’m just going to sing it at the top of my lungs until you come and listen to it…” he started humming loudly waiting for her to come into the room.

”Fine..but only because Rosie is asleep…” she answered his childish antics sitting on the edge of the chair where he was sitting. He put his arm around her pulling her down onto the chair with him. She laid her head on his chest waiting for him to start.

”I’ve got nothing. I just wanted you to come sit with me.” he told her triumphantly.

”Damn. I really am going to bed.” she said trying to get out of the chair. ”Brunnnoooo…I have a training tomorrow downtown. I have to go to bed…”

”Fine.” he said letting go of her waist. She turned around kissing him on the head going back into the bedroom.

”Good night, Bruno Mars.” she told him as she walked away from the room. He turned back around in his chair hitting his head against the table. I can’t think of anything.

**

”Rosie…come here…I have your cereal…” Marla called her daughter early the next morning. ”Dang…” Marla exclaimed watching the cereal fall out of her hands.

”Let me clean momma…” Rosalia said running to her mother who started yelling at the dog for eating the cereal. Where is Bruno when I need him? She thought to herself seeing her daughter run to her aid.

”Hang on, mama…we need a broom…” Marla told Rosie going into the pantry holding 1 gallon carton of milk in her other hand. She held onto the door suddenly jumping watching the milk fall as well. What the heck? She thought to herself looking at the pile of milk giving up as the dog licked up the almost half of the carton of milk. ”Ugh…what a day…” she sighed getting the small broom handing it to her daughter who proceeded to spread the mess around the big kitchen floor. Marla continued to soak up the milk on the floor suddenly feeling her head fall. She lifted it up shaking it off as just being tired. She finished cleaning up the mess running into the bedroom to get her shoes. ”Damnit…” she said under her breath watching the shoes fall on the wooden floors of the bathroom.

”Marley? Are you okay?” he asked jumping out of the bed to see her sitting on the edge of the bath tub putting on her shoes.

”I’m fi….” she started falling toward him. He grabbed her inches before she fell onto the floor. Holding her in his arms he placed her in the same place as she was just days ago.

”Mamaaaa….” Rosie came into the bedroom holding her shoes. ”I can’t tie them.” she told her father. ”Why’s she like that?” she asked looking at her mother almost about to cry. Marla had never had a seizure in from of her daughter. ”Mommmaaaa….stooooppp! It will be okay!” she said laying down on her to hug her.

”Rosalia…come here for a second…” Bruno asked in a quiet tone holding out his arms still holding Marla’s hand as her body began to slowly stop shaking.

”She’ll be okay…go watch Dora for a little bit okay?” he asked her.

”No. I want mom to be okay. Make her okay!” she cried watching her mother shake even more. What the hell? She usually stops….Bruno looked up at the clock on the wall realizing she had been in the same position for more than ten minutes.

”Come with me, Rosalia…” he said in a firm voice running to the kitchen to call an ambulance.

**

Bruno sat in the corner of the hospital room watching all the nurses and doctors poke at her. I’ll never leave you, Marla. Never. Lisa, her brother’s wife sat next to him holding his hand.

”She’ll be okay, Bruno.” she told him trying to reassure him.

”It’s been three days…how do we know she’ll be okay? What if she wakes up and doesn’t remember anything? That’s what scares me the most. That she will wake up and not know me.” he answered walking over to her holding her hand. ”It’s not this that I worry about…it’s how long it’s been…” he laid his head on her shoulder hoping his touch would wake her up.

Sylvia walked into the room looking at Bruno making a sad face at him. ”Your daughter needs you, Bruno. Go home. We’ll call you if anything changes…please.” she said touching his arm. He stood up kissing Marla on the head hoping that her eyes would open. Please, Marla…please…he thought walking out of the room.

He got in the car laying his head on the steering wheel trying to put himself together. He looked over to the passenger seat on the car noticing her lip gloss laying in the middle of the seat.

”Marla…I need you…I need you so badly…I can’t do anything without you…” he said through his tears. He picked up the lip gloss finding some hair strands next to it. He left the lip gloss running the two hair strands through his fingers. ”Come back to me.” he repeated driving to his sister’s house to pick up his daughter. He opened the door lightly seeing Rosalia sitting next to his sister playing with a hula skirt and flowers. ”You’re beautiful, Rosie…but why are you still awake sweetheart?” he asked watching her run over to him hugging him.

”I wanted to see you today.” she told him not letting go of him. ”Is mommy home? I miss momma.” she told him as he sat down on the couch still holding her in his arms.

”I do too, baby doll. Can we go home?” he asked her.

”Brunito….stay here tonight…you look horrible. Geronimo’s here too and you have no food at home.” Jamie told him watching Rosie’s head fall on his chest. He shook his head.

”We have to go home.” he told her feeling his phone ring. ”Will you take her?” Bruno asked handing her to his sister.

”You’re staying here.” she told him firmly.

”Fiona?” Bruno asked.

”She’s waking up, Bruno.” she told him. ”Not all the way…but she squeezed her mom’s hand and was able to answer the questions with her toes. ”

”I’ll be there in five minutes.” he told Marla’s best friend.

”Thank you, sissy.” Bruno said hugging her as he practically ran out the front door.

**

”Bruno!” Sylvia cried hugging him. ”She’s almost awake…” she told him. ”Sit down…” she told him. He did as he was told touching her hand.

”Marla…” he leaned down near her ear. ”I miss you….Mar?” he asked looking into her eyes squinting open. Her eyes darted between her mother, father, brother, sister in law and back to Bruno.

”Who the hell is he and why is he telling me he misses me?” she asked pulling her hand away from him cringing from the pain.