The Billionaire Throuple

Andreas Santiago [Part 4]

PART IV: KEEPING US TOGETHER
[Eight days later 1/9/2023]

To tell the truth, despite everything, I'm happy. I haven't been happier in a long time actually. The hardest part was the guilt from keeping my condition a secret from Sam and being scared he'd stop loving me or push me away entirely.

Now that I know he's with me until the end, that I won't die alone, I can enjoy the time I have left. Be it, six days or six months, I'm going to be happy and I'm going to try to make Sam and Nemo happy too.

I won't pretend I don't get sad, but with Sam reassuring me that he'll find a way to get me a heart, I get to pretend he might actually pull it off. If anyone could do it, my money is on the billionaire who is madly in love with me.

I moved in with Sam, which is amazing since he takes great care of me and lifts me up when I'm low. It also sucks. I graduated at semester, but he's making me take AP classes online. He says giving up on learning is giving up on life.

He thinks I need to stay active to have a chance at outliving the wait list. I appreciate that he's still trying to help me grow, but if I'm in my last six months of my life, I don't want to spend it taking meaningless tests. I want to self-actualize, settle affairs and have experiences. So, we compromised. We're doing both.

Sam and I are on our way to my parents' house. Nemo isn't with us because he has training and work. Keeping my condition from him has been easy. Since I'm not tiring myself out all day and I have Sam to confide in, it's easy to fake it for him and he doesn't suspect a thing.

My mood is a bazillion times better than what it was when I was carrying the secret and guilt. I cried most when I thought about leaving Sam to wonder what he could've done differently. Now that we're in this together, no regrets.

The Bentley slows to a stop in front of a two-story, colonial townhouse with gabled roofs and a connected garage next to the front door. I wave to my light gray former home. My parents claim the color is actually 'whispering waterfall' and they're dead serious about it when they correct me.

I step out first and wait for Sam to meet me on the sidewalk. Our visit has three purposes and picking up clothes I accidentally forgot to take with me isn't one of them. I'm here to settle my affairs and to formally introduce them to the man I love, Sam, who's also here for emotional support. He takes my hand, we exchange nervous smiles and walk up together.

Even though I moved out suddenly, without reason, I don't bother knocking. I haven't been gone that long and Dad is expecting me. He's the one who told me to come pick up my clothes, his way of opening a dialogue. He has no idea what he's opened himself up to.

We step into the living room where Mom and Dad are both sitting down on a blue sofa with their hands in their lap, like a staged intervention. Mom's cheeks are puffy, likely from crying, but she's composed herself for the moment at least. My siblings are nowhere to be seen, so it's safe to assume some yelling or crying will be involved. Or both.

I pull Sam along and wave in my parents' direction. "Mom, Dad meet Sam Rothschild and vice versa."

They stand up, shake hands, exchange basic pleasantries, then sit back down on the sofa. Dad points us to the matching love seat, as if there were a wealth of options to choose from. The two pieces of furniture are arranged in an L with a long wooden coffee table in front of the sofa. It has a cardboard box on top of it. I don't have to guess what's in it. We sit down and turn our knees to face them.

I say, "There's not a good way to start, so I'll get right into it."

"Please," Dad says, putting up a hand.