To the One I Loved

Chapter Twenty-One: Home Sweet Home

Because of restarting chemo, Nina had to the in the hospital for a couple weeks. But today, she gets to come home.

Today is Thursday, October 30th. A day before Halloween. This past week, I went to the hospital everyday so that Nina and I could plan our Halloween costumes.

We obviously are to old for trick-or-treating, but our school was hosting a Halloween costume party tomorrow at 8.

I was sitting on my bed, reading To Kill a Mockingbird, for the third time this month. At first it was just required reading for the Junior class, but then I fell in love with the book. I wanted a better understanding of it, also so I reread. And then again.

Then my phone buzzed. It was a text from Nina.

It said: want 2 come keep me company? House is empty:)
I replied: I'd love too :) be there in a minute.

I put my bookmark in the book and set it on my bed. I put my phone in my pants pocket and headed downstairs.

"Goodmorning, Alex," my mom said.

"Goodmorning," I said, "Where's Angie?" My mom pointed towards the living room. I went in there. Angie was sitting on the floor with two dolls in hand.

"Alex!" She said, "Did you come to play with me?" She asked. I felt sad that I had disappointed her.

"Sorry, Angie, I'm going to Nina's house," I replied. She mad her sad face. "But," I said, not wanting to disappoint her.

"Can I come, too?" She asked, hoping up with both dolls in her hand. "Nina can be Barbie," she said holding up the blonde doll, "Because she's so pretty."

"She is pretty, huh?" I asked Angie, smiling. She nodded.

"And nice, too," Angie said.

"Which means she wouldn't mind if you crashed our party, huh?" I asked, out loud. She nodded. I laughed. "Go get your shoes on."

With that she ran upstairs to her room to get her shoes. After thirty seconds, she came back down with her velcro sketchers on.

"I'm ready," she said. I took her hand and walked back into the kitchen.

"Mom, Angie and I are going to see Nina," I said to my mom who was sitting at the table doing taxes or some type of paperwork. She took her glasses off, and looked at me and Angie.

"Okay," she said, "Just take Angie to school after the visit." I nod, and Angie and I head out the door.

I usually cut across the drive way and through the grass, but Angie is innocent and hates to break rules, so I follow her off our porch down the side walk, then up the sidewalk and up Nina's porch.

When we finally reach the door, I knock three times. After a minute, Nina opens the door with black spanks on and an oversized white tee shirt. "Hey," she said.

"Hi," I say then I enter in, dragging Angie behind me.

"Do you want to play dollies with me?" Angela asked, sitting next to Nina on the couch.

Nina looked at me askingly. I nod at her. Then she responds to Angie, "Sure. I'd love to." Then Angie headed her a doll.

"I told Alex that you could be Barbie because you're so pretty," Angela said. She laughed.

"Well, thank you," Nina said to her. Then Angie looked at me who was still standing by the door. I knew she always did that when she was about to say something that she didn't know whether or not she should.

I shook my head but she was already back to Nina. "Why'd you cut all you long, pretty hair so short?" Angela asked.

Nina cut her hair up to her shoulders, not knowing how much of it would fall out because of chemo. None has fallen out yet, but she wanted to be prepared.

"Um, I have cancer," Nina replied. "And sometimes it likes to take my hair away from me." Angie hung onto her every word so intently. She really liked Nina, and looked up to her.

I looked at my phone. 7:10. Angie had to be at school by 8 and me by 9. "Not going to school, today?" I asked Nina.

"My mom doesn't want me too....but I'm going. Why what time is it?" She asked.

"7:10, but I have to get Angie to school by 8," I replied. She nodded.

"Okay, one second--" she said, running up stairs. I heard her door open then close.

"Alex, are you and Nina married? Like Mommy and Daddy?" Angie asked.

"No," I said to her, "We're just dating. But I would like to marry her one day."

"Oh you would?" Nina asked standing on the third to last step. I didn't even hear her door open or her come down the steps. She was fully dressed, now. She still had on the white tee, but she had on black, leather pants and a black, leather jacket.

"Obviously," I said, "Because I just love you so much," I said walking to the stairs. Then I picked her up and carried her to the last step.

"Angie, open the door," I said to her. Angie went to the door, unlocked it and opened it.

"Alex? What are you doing?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I have no idea," I said. Then I ran outside with her in my arms. I swung her over my shoulder and spun her around in circles.

Then when I gave up, we stood there. Angela came out and pulled on my shirt. Making us both fall to the ground.

I was laying in Nina's front yard with to of the most important girls in my life. "Alex," Angie said. "Are you going to take me to school?" I looked at my phone. It was 7:35.

"Oh, right," I said. "Let's go!" And with that, Nina put Angie in the car while I grabbed her book bag and locked up her house.

Then I went back to the car, both of them buckled in. I handed Nina her bookbag, buckled myself in, and started the ignition. Nina looked at her house.

"Home, Sweet Home," she said. And then I took off to get Angie to school.