Sleeping with a lie

(47)

Strawberry ice-cream was all over Belle's face. I feel my phone vibrate on my side pocket. It was Shailene. After a full week, my love, shailene was calling.

I put her on speaker. "Hey babe!"

She coughs. "hey guys! What are you all up to?"

"ice cream with Daddy!" Belle shouts.

"Awh, how are you sweetheart?"

"Good.." she licked her ice cream again. "You?"

My baby is talking like a young lady. Too soon. Too soon!!

"Let me talk to Daddy." I put the phone to my ear.

"Theodore." she was serious.

"Shailene, what's wrong?"

"I have 6 months." she whispers."I HAVE 6 Months TO LIVE!"

"Shai, stop it. You can't give up on us now. Not like this. If 6 months all you got, we're going to make the best out of them."

"Okay." she sniffled.

"We will arrive in London in the next week or so. What's your condition?"

"My hair is falling out. I'm still refusing to sign the form for further treatment."

"Sign it Shai!" I whisper yell.

"I love you." She says quietly.

"I love you too... I always will."

She doesn't say anything but words of silent breathes. She needed us. And she was about to get it.

"Who wants to go to London?" I ask my children.

Belle raised her hand. " London?"

I sigh. "We will be going there to visit Mama."

"Sewisly?"

"Sewisly." I mocked.

Oliver laughed. I don't know what was so funny.

Once we all got through with eating our ice cream, I packed the kids in the car and drove down the road.

My brother Jacob calls me. I answer my phone by car radio.

"Hey bro, what's up?!"

"Nothings really happening man. But Theo, You have to get down to the festival."

"Where at?"

"St. Hillmans, of course."

St. Hillmans was a bar in Simi Valley. Jacob and I used to go there all the time.

"Sorry man, I got some family problems going on. I'm actually heading to London."

"You really love that girl."

I paused. "Yeah, i really do."

Carson Rae throws a bottle at Oliver. They were now squabbling in baby gibberish. I wonder what they were saying...

"Dada, please help me." Belle sighed.

I laugh. "That's the life with two brothers. There is no help."

"Mommy is okay right?"

I nod, rubbing my beard. "She's sick, babe."

"WE GOTTA SEE HER! WE GOTTA SEE MAMA!" She shouts.

"We are. And we will."